So, you've arrived in a small city (yes, Grahamstown is technically a city because it has a cathedral) and your parents have left you here to fend for yourself. Great!
So, you've arrived in a small city (yes, Grahamstown is technically a city because it has a cathedral) and your parents have left you here to fend for yourself. Great!
If you're scared, don't be, this place produces some of the friendliest people I've ever met. I believe this is partly due to the thriving pub culture and partly because it's too small to make enemies. You'd probably bump into them at least once a week.
The above-mentioned pub culture means that they might also try to start a bar fight with you during your weekly meetings, so just don't go there. If you do happen to make any enemies, or accidentally befriend someone you realise is the kind of person who makes enemies, there are ways to avoid people here – you just have to know where to go.
Want to avoid jocks and bottle blondes? Don't go to Friars. And if you want to stay faithful to your long-distance boyfriend or girlfriend? Don't go to Friars. That place was once rated as the easiest place to hook up at in the country, by FHM magazine.
I have friends who actually swear that it's harder to NOT hook up with anybody when you go there. On the other hand, if mini skirts, golf shirts and dance music are your cup of tea, then opt for Friars, Prime or the Union over places like Champs, Slip Stream or the Monastery.
Dreadlocks, bare feet and more alternative sounds are what you're likely to find at those venues. Of course there are also a bunch of other places where all kinds of weird, wonderful, and ordinary Grahamstown folk like to go.
Take your pick, but the more local watering holes you dip your toes into, the more furry little friends you are bound to come across. If going out on the town isn't your ideal evening plan then fear not – there is a vibrant (and when I say vibrant I mean sometimes absolutely insane) digs culture at Rhodes.
Digs are student houses off-campus and from my experience they're actually where the most fun is to be found during your student days (and nights). From digs formals (you'll have to ask someone else about those) to extreme theme parties (I would love to publish pictures but I think the press ombudsman might get a few complaints) and seeing what young people do with a house when they're given free rein for the first time in their lives…
Well, things can get messy (in every sense of the word) but, hey, you learn from these things, and that's what people come to Grahamstown to do, right? Oh, and my editor told me to tell you to buy Grocott's Mail every week (get a digital subscription here).
* Caroline King is a former Rhodes student (Not a very good one though… is her disclaimer) whose memories of first year are still fresh enough to give her a sore head.
Rhodent lingo dictionary:
Dawnie: a lecture that begins at 7.50am – which a surprisingly large number of students never seem to attend. It's called a dawnie because, well, it starts around dawn.
Bush diving: Rhodes students (particularly males) are distinguished athletes when it comes to this sport, which is literally what its name suggests: diving into a bush. Warming up for this activity generally involves drinking Autumn Harvest crackling wine and it often takes place while students return to their residences or digs from night clubs.
Mare: Stems from the word 'nightmare' and refers to a wild night of partying and can result in waking up in a stranger's garden / house / another town. It can also be used as an analogy to how one feels when waking up the following morning.
