My son will be starting an engineering uni course in Southampton later this month. It's a brilliant department, so all good from that perspective. However, the city was his insurance choice - he missed out on his first choice, Bristol, and was inevitably disappointed so has been up and down mood-wise since then. Nevertheless, he was starting to feel a little excited about Southampton. He got his first choice accommodation (Highfield Hall) and the freshers week info gave him a lift. He had already visited the university for an Open Day and Offer Holder Day, which were both positive, but over the weekend we went down for an afternoon to explore the area around his hall and the city. There are obviously no students at the moment, so the visit may have been a mistake. As parents it seems lovely and safe and green, but to DS it felt like the hall was in the middle of nowhere surrounded by residential streets rather than the vibrant studenty area he imagined. We got the bus from there down into the city, which he conceded was 'ok' 🙂 then we walked to an area (around Brunswick Place) where there were a few bars and clubs. It wasn't lively on a Sunday in August, but he could see it had some potential. With hindsight we should have walked through the Portswood area, as I've read that is vibrant for students, and I understand the Old Town area is lively in the evenings. Are there any other areas should we have explored?