Accommodation.

Last week my flatmates and I were walking back to our court when we were stopped and asked directions to the high-street from a middle aged couple with a daughter that appeared to be around our age. Once they had walked on we were slightly confused as to why a student showing her parents around would not know where the highstreet is located (bearing in mind it contains the majority of the bars and kebab houses). We then began giving a little more attention to the people that we were passing; lot's of middle aged couples with children around our age holding bundles of information. Being the clever students that we are we realised that there must be an open day going on for prospective students.

Indeed, upon looking more closely at the large yellow signs dotted around the place (that's not as ignorant as it sounds, the posters and signs change almost daily) we saw that an apartment had been opened up for them to look at (the freshers were still in it mind you). Being students we know to never pass up a free opportunity to do anything and went to the apartment.
[We passed a window on the way with a sign saying 'Please donate food as we are starving - No cans - we don't have a can opener']
Putting on our best 'we've never been to Lincoln before and we're so in awe of everthing' face we went up to the top floor and had a look around the apartment. It was at this time that we stopped pretending to put the face on and it became genuine. En suite, balconies, matching kitchen furniture. This was living. Of course we should have seen it coming, the university would only show off it's best apartments so as not to put people off.

We were at a friends the other night who lives off campus. There is a whole complex built for second and third years with cheap apartments, that also contains some freshers.

No balcony.

But this was nicely balanced out by their having en suite, bedrooms big enough to have about 5 people on the floor (though I would not suggest sleeping on it - I'm sure I've given an account of that before....). But what really tops it off is the sofas in their kitchen and the flatscreen T.v with free free-view and skysports.

Back at our ground floor apartment with one shower between 6 of us, and cold taps that randomly run out warm (not too nice when you turn it on for a lovely class of refreshingly cold water) I couldn't help but feel slightly bitter about the whole thing. After all the people off campus were only paying two pounds more than us a week, I spent more than that last night in an eat off at the local Charcoal Grill. However all my jealousy subsided when I looked out of my window and saw the Cathedral lit up against the night sky.

It was about this time that a late night tour-boat decided to come by my window full of gawping passengers (I could spit in the river from my room if I was so inclined, it is very close) and reaffirm the loathing I hold for my apartment...