Kingston University
Reviews
Freshers at Kingston was quite poor... the move in bbq on the first day had far too little food that most of us had to go out and get alternate food. The freshers wristband was ridiculously overpriced, as we later found out that most of the events advertised were free entry anyway, and if you didn't enter before a certain time (again, not specified in the freshers emails/ wristbands/ anything) you had to pay regardless of whether you had a wristband or not. The £25 freshers ball was terrible and that was the only event that you needed to pay for, so there was no point getting a wristband. There were only 40 spaces on the bath bomb workshop - the only non-bar/club event - which was free anyway and didn't require a wristband so most missed out. So essentially, the £35-£50 freshers wristband that we bought (depending on how early you got them) was a MASSIVE scam by the university's student union, and I and all my friends would strongly advise against next years freshers from purchasing them to mostly free and also poor events. The freshers fair was pretty decent, lots of free stuff and society's to join. Moving in to top floor accommodation without lifts wasn't fun, but there is a very student friendly atmosphere in my block so it's great for meeting new friends. I would recommend that new students be wise on how they spend their money, but also BE SURE TO SOCIALISE as it'll distract you from missing home, and ensure you set off on the right foot in terms of making a good group of friends and connections.
Freshers Week was not great. Unless you already know people at your university, going out during freshers can seem boring. Most people are with their groups of friends, so trying to meet new people may seem hard. When you're living in a flat with less social people, it is harder to socialise with bigger groups. Advice: meet people on your campus before going for nights out.
The night life in Kingston is not really geared towards all cultures and because of this, my overall experience was not good. The fresher's events at the university didn't attract me at all.