Favourite thing you did at university outside of studies?

[Avaznee]

For me it would have to be engaging in student politics. Absolutely loved it.

Dancing, RAG events, having the most amazing friends.
I remember these last carefree years with the greatest of affection.

I spent a lot of time getting drunk and listening to music in various people's bedrooms- I'm not sure I ever did anything very productive.
I'm glad I was at Uni before streaming music was a thing - going round to a boys room to 'listen to the new stereophonics album' was the main reason I had a sex life at that age!

Choirs. I was in loads. Did way more music than I ever did studying (of a non-music degree...). I was in four or five choirs by my final year.

Going to live music. There were fantastic early music and folk music scenes. I was in heaven.

Drinking. Lots of beer. Lots of cocktails. McDonald's after choir at 9:30 at night, then pub, then, occasionally, another McDonald's before bed. Or for breakfast the next day. And I walked miles and miles, so I was thin as a rake.

I joined a choir too.
But a city one, rather than uni one.
It was lovely to do something with a mix of people rather than just fellow students.

Campaigned to save my course from closure with the NUS. We marched over Tower Bridge with Zandra Rhodes - very surreal and special memories (and it worked!)

I also went mad in first year. Drank a lot and smoked a bit. Was desperate to get my first snog.

Protesting against Maggie Thatcher. We fought everything, student fees, and clause 28 were the big ones.
But we protested about everything all the time. We lost every fight but we were
right. Still are as it goes.
It was a brilliant lesson. It makes me very steady in the face of horrible things like brexit, race riots Donald Trump etc, I know life carries on, some you win more you lose.

Had several ornate theatre costumes made to measure on me by costume making students. Back when I was shapely and looked good in a corset.then got to wear them on Blue Peter!

Mountaineering, kayaking, drinking

Going on demos and lock ins

Drama groups
The Explorers - a walking group
SCA, I volunteered in a primary school
Nightline, I volunteered
Beer, both lager and bitter
Chips and garlic mayo
Bands, clubs, the Thekla
Reading Milan Kundera for the first time
Teenage emotional angst, obviously I hated it at the time but I look back on it with great fondness

The absolute life changing benefit of it, moving me on from being the swotty kid at school.

What's a lock in? Why did you do one?

I never felt I was knowledgeable enough for the geeks! but yes to the lunchtime concerts, plus the Holywell Music Rooms, and of course the various choral Evensongs. I used to go all the time despite being atheist. And I did a lot of walking, on my own and with friends — the Ridgeway, the Cotswolds etc. And going for a run on Port Meadow at dawn, to the church at Binsey, and Godstow and Wytham Woods. And I loved just sitting in the Bod and Taylorian. Oh, nostalgia. 😀

A lock in is when you stay after last orders at the pub and the doors are locked and you carry on drinking and partying with the special few also allowed to stay.
Fun times!

My favourite thing would be spending so much time with friends: drinking, dancing, clubbing, parties, seeing bands. So much socialising, snogging, sex and no hangovers.

I thought this was a form of civil disobedience!

You didn't get hangovers?

I didn't get hangovers then.
These days I can get the worst hangover from one drink. So I don't really drink. Maybe I used my alcohol quota at uni?

I had hangovers at university, they tended to be worse if I had thrown up the night before.

Young love and sex.

Still have lots of friends that I met there. Still live in the city, I don’t live or work near the campus but I do enjoy making an effort to go there when I can.

Honestly, friends and sex.

Drinking, dancing and sex. Sleeping. Doing nothing. Really long holidays.

Shagging.

Lots and lots of shagging.

Christian union, meeting my husband, volunteering with a charity that ended being a large part of my work and leisure, volunteering in a school, music groups, friends, being in a flat, coffee shops, ceilidhs.