Ring-of-Fire Or Ocean Fridays: Navigating Nottingham Nightlife

After having to make the best of the lockdown nightlife scene (mingling in halls rather than clubs), Shakira Hamilton gives the lowdown on the best ways to socialise as a fresher.

21st of July 2021: Everything reopens and we’re finally free to dance the night away with sweaty strangers and students across the UK to celebrate.

Flashforward to the end of the night and admittedly this isn’t your proudest moment stumbling out of Ocean along with your mates at 3:00am, looking like a rather questionable ABBA tribute act.

There’s a ringing in your ears that’s so constant you could confuse it with your mum’s daily check ups and a sudden urge to ‘tactical chunder’ all over the pavement. As you walk, stumble and possibly crawl through the streets of Nottingham you begin to wonder whether this was worth it.

Miraculously, you wake up at home. Not only are you flooded with missed calls and notifications from Uber Eats, your ex, and your mum (bless her), but you’re convinced those last 3 VKs, copious mixed drinks and shots for your whole flat, along with the flat downstairs, may have sent you into your overdraft. You’re too scared to check.

With a pounding in your head you think I’m never clubbing again. Inevitably you head back to sleep (knowing full well you will be clubbing next week).

Clubbing, although fun in moderation, is arguably not the best way to bond with your fellow freshers. With creepy strangers at the bar and that one over-friendly flatmate buying you a few too many drinks, maybe opting for a night in could be a better alternative? It is sometimes hard to find a balance between socialising in halls and exploring what Nottingham has to offer you on a night out so take your time to do both! Don’t forget you can club all the way through your university years but remember flatmates will come and go. So, try your best to get to know them.

Pubs are great if you’re looking for a more casual setting for drinks so why not see what Sheaves - a favourite amongst our second years - has to offer? Too lazy to travel? Mooch is literally on campus. Cheap and cheerful, pubs are a fun way to socialise without having to rely on your notes app to tell your friends you’re off for another drink. Or, for a ‘lockdown esque’ vibe, why not throw a good ol’ fashioned flat party? They were all the rage when clubs were closed... Drunk Twister, Ring-of- Fire, and Paranoia are an excellent way to get the party started. How could you not have fun when taking shots of Tesco’s own Vodka, and continually thanking that one friend with the JBL speaker for being the DJ?

With plenty to explore in Nottingham remember to keep your Friday night options open. The club could never capture the bonding that a hall social does, and, sure, you may end up as the designated cleaner come morning, but at least your overdraft is thankful.

Before you rush out this Freshers’ Week, consider ditching the pre-drinks for a pack of playing cards instead.

by Shakira Hamilton

Illustration by Karina Pang

Page Design by Catrin Dimond