Gemma Jewell talks Bournemouth Beach, Bournemouth nightlife and where she’s most likely to blow her student loan…

When I told people that I was attending Bournemouth University, everyone said they knew Bournemouth for being the best beach in Britain. Now being here, I can definitely see why! It’s a sandy beach and a beautiful place to chill out. But besides this attraction, Bournemouth has lots to offer. With a shopping centre that has all the high street brands, it gives you plenty of choice of where to shop. This for me was a big bonus. I love to shop and knowing I live on the doorstep of shops such as Topshop and River Island I was both over the moon and slightly worried for my bank account!

In terms of places to eat, Bournemouth has lots of places to choose from. After a night out, it will be hard to avoid pigging out on those take-aways. From pizzas, kebabs and subway, it is definitely difficult not to give in to temptation. If you want to go to a restaurant, Bournemouth has places such as Ask, Slug & Lettuce, La Tasca, Nandos, Frankie and Benny’s and many more. During Fresher’s, I remember going to a pudding shop called ‘Sprinkles’ which offers waffles and ice cream… it was so good and I recommend it for anyone coming to Bournemouth!

Another thing which I love about Bournemouth is the nightlife. There’s a student night in each club every day of the week; Halo Mondays, Toast Tuesday at BarMe and Yates, Cameo and Vinyl on Wednesday, Sakura and Bonsai on Thursday and Lollipop at The Old Fire Station on Friday. If you’re not the clubbing type, there also lots of pubs and bars for a casual evening. The Old Fire Station also offers other events like comedy nights and quizzes, which can be a great laugh with a group of friends.

Being at Bournemouth, I’ve seen that it’s far from a small seaside town; it offers beautiful parks, great transport links, big performance venues and there was even an ice rink and Christmas market in December. I’ve found that you definitely can’t get bored in Bournemouth!

By Gemma Jewell