There was time when it felt like it would never end, and we were all destined to be crying into our laptops in Hallward for the rest of our lives… BUT, we made it! Exam season is finally over and suddenly we have hours of free time rather than hours of writing essays and revising.
One thing that makes Nottingham students so lucky is that we live right on the doorstep of a vibrant, lively, diverse city that is extremely affordable if you know where to go. Of course, when it comes to relaxing after exams, we all know about the usual nights out – Wednesdays in crisis or Fridays in Ocean, but here are some alternative things to do in Nottingham to make the most of your free time until the end of term.
Cocktail bars – Nottingham city centre is known for its huge range of bars to suit all tastes – and there are ways to get incredible cocktails in many places that easily fit into a student budget! The Hockley area of town is especially good for great value cocktails – with the Bodega’s happy hour from 4-7pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday offering mix and match two cocktails for £8. Opposite the Bodega, in Tier lounge (a personal favourite of mine) all cocktails are £4 every day of the week from 5pm – 8pm. Pepper rocks also offer £4 cocktails every night until 10pm, and if you like to combine sport and cocktail drinking, head to Das Kino on a Monday for 2 for 1 cocktails all day – and play some table tennis as you drink your cosmo!
For the animal and nature lovers – It may not come to mind when you think about things to do around Nottingham what with it being a city, but there are actually many animal and nature related places to visit – cuddling a bunny or going for a walk in beautiful scenery most definitely reduces stress. If you’re an animal lover, there a number of farms in and around Nottingham – with Stonebridge City farm in the heart of the city, and so easy to get to. It’s free entry, and the farm has rabbits, guinea pigs, turtles, tortoises, goats, lambs, birds, ducks, chickens and even horses! For just 50p you can pay to hold one of the bunnies. If scenic walks are more your thing, The David Attenborough nature reserve is just a 9 minute train ride away in Beeston – and a return ticket costs less than £2 if you have a railcard! The nature reserve is beautiful situated around many stunning lakes and rivers, with look-out huts dotted along the way to observe the wildlife! There are various trails to follow that vary in length depending on how much walking you want to do, and the café balcony is positioned to have great views over one of the lakes.
Arts and Culture – Nottingham is such an interesting place to live in terms of its culture, with a great music, creativity and arts scene. You can get tickets for gigs at the Bodega for as cheap as £4 – very worth it as nothing beats the atmosphere of live music! If you have an interest in art, the Nottingham Contemporary displays exhibitions which change regularly, and it’s free entry.
One thing you will notice about Nottingham is the longer you live here the more you will discover about just how interesting a place it is. Make the most of it – because the three years of your degree will slip by scarily fast!
Edited by: Amy Hawthorne
Sources:
https://hmillsarchitect.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/attenborough-nature-res…