First impressions
Sylivia, you moved here from South Africa for your degree—how was that transition?
The first two years were hard because I was living alone. I had my own studio in the city centre before. But then I told myself, if this is my final year in England, I need to be with people. I need to put myself out there and see what life has for me. I feel like I was in a shell just observing everything—now I feel like I’m more open.
And what made you choose Purdown View?
Mainly to meet more people. But I also like that I’m the first person to live in the space. I was here when we didn’t have Purdown. I’d walk here with my friends and we would imagine how it was going to be. Then I get to live here, so it’s cool. It looks very modern compared to the other buildings.
What’s your favourite thing about living here so far?
That I’m so close to the uni. I like how convenient it is. I feel like I’m saving money now. I don’t need to get something on the go, I can come home and just warm up some dinner that I made last night. If it’s raining I can just come and get my umbrella or whatever I need, it’s right here.
Life in the flat
That’s great, and what’s the dynamic like now you’re sharing a flat?
It’s actually chilled, they’re all lovely. I share a flat with five girls—we all keep to ourselves but I feel like we live well together. I was a bit nervous because it was my first time living with strangers. But one of them made a cake and after we spent a few hours together, we were all comfortable with each other.
So what advice would you give to others moving into a flat share for the first time?
If you’re in a shared space, consider the next person who wants to use the facilities. One of the girls said to me, ‘don’t we have a cleaner?’ and obviously we don’t, so I was telling them basic things, like when you’re done cooking, wash your dishes, wipe down the kitchen, and put stuff away.
And what’s something you’d improve about the flat?
The heating system is really inconvenient because it goes off after maybe five minutes. There’s a YouTube video explaining how it works. But everyone has been talking about it not working as it should. Also if you’re a really light sleeper, you can really hear when people are opening and closing their doors.
Good feedback! So this building is Passivhaus design, which explains the heating. Have you heard that word before?
Yeah, it’s the whole energy saving thing. Because it’s super-insulated, it requires less heat to warm up the building, so I guess that’s why that heating system is like that? But maybe that’s not been properly explained. I also think that different people need spaces at different temperatures.
Social spaces and building community
You said earlier you feel more open and want to embrace student life a bit more. What gets you out of bed in the morning?
I just want to be successful in life. I want to feel like I’ve done everything that I can possibly do with the opportunities that I’ve been given.
Does it help being around other students?
It’s so helpful because you realise everyone is trying to achieve something. It makes me think about my goals and what I’m working towards. I’ll even ask people, ‘what drives you?’. I hear people saying, ‘I’m so passionate about this…’ or ‘I want to do this..’ It’s really good to be around people who are working, it gets you going.
And how are you finding campus life after being in the city?
Way more convenient. I love that I don’t need to take the bus anymore. I can save an hour if I’m tired or whatever.
I can go to the library any time, it’s literally two minutes away which is great because most of my friends are there. I feel like if I’m in my room, I’d rather just be in bed because it’s so cosy. So I want to be in the library, see everyone working, and it puts me in the mood.
Do you feel connected to the city here? Or like it’s its own little world?
It does feel separate. I was on Park Street before, so I was in the centre of everything. Now I have to go all the way into the city centre to go to a nice coffee shop. I guess you appreciate something when you no longer have it.
If there was a nice coffee shop on campus would you want to use it?
Yeah, that would be nice, especially like an independent coffee shop. Not your Costa or your Starbucks. Just somewhere nicer to sit.
And what about the social aspect of Purdown, have you found it easy to meet people here?
Not so easy honestly. I feel like people in the UK keep to themselves. It takes time. It’s just a different culture, I don’t know.
Do you ever use the communal spaces?
I’ve used this one [bookable kitchen], maybe twice. I’ve invited two of my friends here and they really liked it. I haven’t really used the Move studio or the gym either because I’ve just been really busy with my studies.
If you’re hanging out with friends, what do you look for in a space?
I think we look for some place that’s cool, that’s vibey, like you can sit comfortably and it’s clean, not too loud. Especially if we’re trying to study.
And did you hang out outside much when the weather was better?
To be honest I was inside a lot. But there’s an area over there with some water that I like to walk around sometimes. I’m looking forward to seeing how the place looks in spring when the landscape comes to life. It might look really different. But it looks good already, you know. I think it really looks good.
Looking Forward
It sounds like you’ve really found your feet over the past few months. Do you think you’ll stay in Bristol after you graduate?
I don’t know about Bristol but maybe somewhere in the UK, maybe Manchester or London. I’m applying for jobs. I’m just hoping to get something within the marketing field.
If you were to describe Purdown in three words, what three words would you use?
Wow. I’d say trendy, vibrant and futuristic.
