LSUCU | Loughborough Students Union Christian Union

loughborough town

In comparison to most other university towns, Loughborough is pretty small. It’s population is around 60,000 non-students, so the some 15,000 students considerably bump up the number (and lower the age) of people in the town at the weekend. Because of the high proportion of students around, there are loads of pubs, bars and clubs in town if you don’t want to use the ones on campus, and taxi services and all of the takeaway restaurants are available for business until the (not so) early hours of the morning.

transport

In terms of transport, the train station is about a 15-minute walk on the opposite side of town to campus (which is about 15 minutes away from the town centre), and trains run twice an hour to London. If you’re going to be making that trip then it’s definitely worth investing in a 16-25 railcard and booking online – you’ll save a bundle! If you don’t fancy the train, there’s a National Express coach station in the town centre, and one on campus, and buses regularly go to the nearby cities of Leicester and Nottingham.

shops

Now, a town can’t really be called a town unless it has a Primark, and Loughborough can happily boast one, as well as all the other usuals. For the old groceries, the town centre has and Iceland, Somerfield, Sainsbury’s and Tescos. If you can’t find what you want at either of these then check out the other Tescos, which is about a 25 minute walk from campus, but is MASSIVE. We’d recommend finding a shop and sticking to it, so you can buy a loyalty card and get points!

market

What Loughborough does that many towns don’t is that it hosts a market in the town centre on Thursdays and Saturdays. Check it out if you want to buy various types of cheese! It’s well worth the experience, and you can often get some good deals.

1. Don’t worry! Be prepared to feel a bit of a fool at first, but everyone’s in the same boat. We’ve all been freshers once upon a time so we know what you’ll be going through.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” Matthew 6:25

2. Be friendly and introduce yourself, don’t wait for others to ask. Try not to spend too much time alone or phoning home; knock on doors and talk to people. Even if you don’t click straight away, give them a chance, it’s funny to look back at first impressions once you know people.

“Live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8

3. Come along to some CU events, we’d love to meet you, but make non-Christian friends as well. Living in halls is a great chance to make friends and share your faith.

“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

4. The machines in the laundrettes won’t accept anything smaller than 10p coins and they don’t give change, so save up those silver coins. Be warned, there’s only so many times you can turn underwear inside-out and back-to-front!

“…And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.” Acts 19:19

5. Get stuck in to everything and work hard. Uni is such a fantastic opportunity to try new things, but don’t forget about that degree!

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,” Colossians 3:23

6. Sainsbury’s on Ashby Road is the nearest supermarket, followed closely by Somerfield, Iceland, and two Tescos (one in the town centre and an enormous one about 25 minutes walk away). The problem comes with the return journey; don’t overestimate how much you can carry back! Be sure to try the market in the Town Centre on Thursdays and Saturdays too.

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens.” Psalms 68:19

7. If you’re lost or confused, don’t be intimidated, just ask somebody. We’ve all been there.

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” 1Timothy 4:12

8. Have fun! Get into the spirit of freshers week and meet lots of new people! If nights out aren’t your thing, not to worry, there’re plenty of alternatives. Check out our CU events running every night of the freshers fortnight.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

9. It’s easier to settle in if you try not to go home too much in the first term, stick around and get to know people, you’ll be disappointed when you discover the fun you’ve missed over the weekend. On Sundays we meet up at 9:30am to introduce the local churches and help you find one to get involved with.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25

10. Relax! Enjoy it! And just be yourss elf! You might not feel ‘at home’ straight away, but you’ll soon find your feet. And remember, there’s a loving God who has promised never to leave you and to care and provide for you through the good and the not-so-good times.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11

We hope this will get you started but if there’s any other questions you have don’t hesitate to ask; we’re all eager to help make the transition into uni-life as easy and exciting as possible, without spoiling the surprises of course! Try checking out this website for loads more information: http://www.uccf.org.uk/freshers/