Tuesday 16-08-2016 - 13:19

As a BME student, moving away to a new city can feel quite daunting, and you might even be worried that you will be more of a minority here than you were at home. However, don’t stress, the city is extremely varied and the student population at the University of Bristol is so diverse, that by the end of your first year Bristol will hopefully feel like a home away from home. I'm Seun, one of your BME Students' Officers, and these are our 4 top tips to ensure that you’ll have an amazing first year!

 

 

1. Join a cultural society

One of the ways to feel less like you don’t belong, is to join a cultural society where you will find people of the same race/ ethnic background to you. Joining societies like ACA (Afro-Caribbean Experience), ACS (Asian Cultural Experience), MSSA (Malaysian and Singaporean Students’ Association) etc… will help you to feel settled in Bristol! You can find a full list of societies here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Join at least one other society

This is a brilliant way to find a diverse group of people with similar interests to you! The many societies that the SU has to offer will open you up to a whole new array of people, as well as giving you an opportunity to relax after a long day of lectures. There are so many societies to get involved with. From sports clubs for men, women and mixed teams… to student media groups, helping you to finally dip you toe into the worlds of journalism, radio and television. All of these many opportunities, alongside food, dance, drama, campaigns, language, business and music groups galore mean that you’ll never have a dull moment. See all societies here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Explore areas of Bristol outside of the University precinct

Places like Easton and Stokes Croft are packed to the brim with shops that stock diverse food stuffs, hair and fashion. So don’t worry, there is somewhere to buy your plantain, magi cubes and Kikkoman pearl soy milk!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Get to know the UBEM (University of Bristol Ethnic Minorities) committee!

The committee is full of dynamic interesting people, such as myself 😝, who are committed to bettering the experiences of all BME students throughout the University. We are also affiliated with the NUS Black Students’ Campaign. We organise get-togethers, socials, panel discussions, talks with influential British BME leaders and more! To find out more about all we do, email us at:

bristolethnicminorities@gmail.com

 

 

You can also like our Facebook page.

I look forward to meeting you!

Seun