Welcome to the next chapter of your life. You’ve got a new city, hundreds of new people and so many experiences ahead of you. It’s all very exciting, but don’t let it distract you from the most important thing right now: fresher’s week. You need to know how to nail it and here at native we’re going to do our best to make it as smooth as possible. 

You may not know much about Bristol right now but let us educate you a little bit on how to navigate a night out in your new home, and the next thing you know you’ll be our new BNOC. Your mates in Cardiff and Manchester and Brighton and Portsmouth will be jealous when they hear all your stories. There's our handy events guide for every night across the city, so what’s next? 

Pre-drinks

A staple part of any night out. It sets the mood, gets the drinks flowing and, let’s face it, is the bit you’ll remember the most. Bristol offers so many bars and pubs and places for this, and there are so many people and games and events that you can choose from. But you’ve got a whole degree to explore every avenue, so let’s kick you off with the things that your predecessors can confirm are trustworthy.

It doesn’t have to start with plastic cups in your communal kitchen. The Highbury Vaults is a popular place for students and boasts a class beer garden, while The White Bear just 22 yard further down (yes, there is a sign) offers a pool tabler - a gamechanger for any pre-drinks.

There’s also The White Harte down on Park Row which shows the football and rugby. Alternatively, you can stay in your own accommodation which is likely to have a bar. The Badger Bar, for example, is the student bar for Durdham Hall and has table tennis and pool and a big projector for some FIFA. It's not exclusive to Durdham residents, so you’re bound to spend a night at the Badge in first year.

We could recommend some specific drinks, but we don’t know what you like. This is about trying every new combination, every new taste. Obviously stay sensible, but this is a time to try something different. You could easily stumble across your flat’s favourite new drink, and you’ll be a legend for it.

Keeping the right vibe at predrinks is crucial, and gazillions of playlists exist online which cover everything you could wish for while. Just type in your mood on Spotify and loads will come up. Or you could try your own DJ skills – actually no, don’t. Stick to Spotify. Don’t want to make a bad first impression.

Getting Around

So pres are done and you’re on the move, but the city’s new and you need to figure out the best way to get to wherever it is you’re going.

You’ll find most clubs in the Clifton area of Bristol, which is where you’ll spend half your life. It’s got a Sainsburys, a Wilko (which will become a lot more useful than you may think) and too many clubs to mention. Getting there is quite simple for those who live in Stoke Bishop (which is Durdham, Wills, Hiatt Baker, Churchill and University Hall). Simply catch the U1 bus down to the Triangle, which is the last stop on the bus, and you’ll be greeted with Beacon House, which is a university centre, and Pam Pams, the club that everyone goes to at some point, but nobody puts top of their list. More on that below.

Count yourselves lucky if you get the uni bus, some of us in the past had to deal with the number 16. Not. Pretty. The other accommodations in Bristol aren’t situated too far from where you want to be, so you can walk if you’re not in the faraway land of Stokey B.

The Clubs

What you’ve all been waiting for. It might be the highlight of the night, but it’s also the most dangerous point. Play this the right way and you’ve got friends for life. Make a fool of yourself and… actually, nobody will remember, and you’ll have the rest of the week to make up for it. Just go for it.

Brighton may have stolen first prize for the best electronic music in the UK, but Bristol can still put up a fight and there's plenty of exciting new club nights for you to try. The Triangle is the Mecca for nightlife in Bristol, and it’s called the Triangle because it’s in the shape of a triangle. Sounds simple, but you’d be amazed at how many people don’t realise that until they graduate. Within a short walking distance of each other you’ll find lots of clubs that second, third, fourth, ninth years talk about when they finish exams or celebrate a birthday. You’ll have had the chance to purchase a Bristol Uni wristband for the opening nights organised by the SU which, to be fair, are actually fun, but we can’t say for certain what these events will be like. We can tell you about the clubs in general, though. The aforementioned Pam Pams is the easy one being right next to the bus stop, but don’t expect a Berghain-like experience.   

Venture out a bit. Cross the road and walk down a bit and you will find Lizard Lounge. An old favourite amongst the cheesy club lovers, Lizard Lounge has had an eventful year. Back in January, it caused uproar when the name changed to just The Lounge, Clifton, but since the loyal response from devastated Bristol residents, Lizard Lounge is back. A complete waste of everyone's time, but the original (which is always the best) will return in time for Fresher's Week. Plus, they’re the only club in the city with a unique drink that people actually like. Get a couple of toffee vodka shots down you and you’ll understand. Across the road from Lounge is Lola Lo, and these three (Lounge, Lola, Pam Pam) are the best ones to go to if you want somewhere near to the bus stop so you can definitely make it home. They’re all near some class post-night out food too, but more on that later.

If you fancy heading into the main city centre then head to SWX. Apparently the full name is ‘South West Independent Music Events’ but yes, its spelling is just one letter away. Three floors greet you upon entry (although bring more than a fiver with you, it’s a bit expensive), and you have the choice of hip hop, RnB, techno, and cheese. SWX is the home of cheese. It’s a music venue by evening and nightclub by night, and the same can be said for The Fleece, which is a longer walk into town on the way to the train station.

Every Saturday night, Propaganda takes over at The Fleece and celebrates the best of guitar music, and the mixture of Arctic Monkeys and some tequila shots is 10 thousand times better than it sounds. As a music venue you’ll come across some posters for upcoming events, and it’s the best place to experience that feeling of a nightclub in daytime. Weird.

Motion and Lakota are the other big names in Bristol. Bristol’s In:Motion series offers some amazing nights across the whole year, and their first season lineup is looking solid. For the opening few nights though, it might be a bit of a hack to just stick to what the uni organises.

Most other students will be heading to the same place as you so it’s a great place to meet your new course mates, and with the uni wristband you might get some free drinks or cloakroom access includes. Worries like where to keep your bag are things you really don’t want to get in your way when you’ve just moved in. If you have to pay, though, it should only be a couple of quid.

3 a.m. Food Stop

So the night is nearly over and it’s time to head home. You won’t remember anything in the morning, but you know you’ve had a good time, even if someone’s clinging to you in the hope of striking lucky on the first night. What better way to end than hurting your intestines even more with some disgusting-yet-delicious greasy food?

For those heading back to the bus stop who feel a bit peckish before it leaves, you are in luck. Right next to the stop is a van called Jason Donervan and calling it legendary is an understatement. It’s there every night from about 10pm to... well, we don’t know, we’ve never seen it leave. It serves up some classic fast food and will leave you satisfied for the journey home. If you fancy something different, another classic amongst the 3am foodies is Taka Taka, just across the couple of traffic lights and to the right when leaving the bus stop. Specifying in some Greek grub, it’s open until 4am (5am on a Friday and Saturday), and is delicious. 

If you leave the club a little earlier than the others, then you'll be able to get first dibs on some of the options out there. Also, some delivery services like Deliveroo and Dominos might still be open, so you can order some stuffed crust and race it back to the flat. Keep those student discount sites and vouchers on you and if you can successfully type in the mixture of letters and numbers with drunk fingers, you deserve the 50% off.

Getting Home

All you need to do now is get home and you can sleep for a year. The U1 bus is by far the best way to get around at that time. It’s filled with other students and is 100% safe. Despite it being a night bus in a big city, it’s actually quite clean and comfortable. Although it is still a night bus in a big city. There will be sick at some point, but it's all part of the British university experience.

It runs until 4am, so don’t worry about getting lost and missing it because you’ve got plenty of time. The stop is the same one that you’ll get off at: right next to Beacon House, the University of Bristol marked building near the Victoria Rooms and their fountains. Bristol has a billion zebra crossings and some annoying roundabouts; if you find yourself by these and some fountains then you’re in the right place. It has a couple of stops along the way, including one opposite the BBC Bristol building if you find yourself there, and another at the top of Blackboy Hill (yes, it’s actually called that).

If you’re not at Stoke Bishop, then yes walking is an option, but as common sense would tell you, Bristol is no different to any other city in terms of walking home alone at night, so if you’re walking then make sure to stick with a big group of friends and don’t head down any dodgy alleys.

Luckily, most student accomodations in Bristol are within the city centre's lit streets anyway. Uber is the other option and is safe too. The Ubers in Bristol on nights out are quite efficient and can pick you up from the bus stop for the U1, so head there first before ordering one. As long as you don’t have a stingy member of the group who says they’ll pay but still needs reminding when they graduate, the shared price shouldn’t be too much more than the amount you paid for entry to the club.

One final word of warning: Bristol is known for its drug culture. If you do decide to take any, just be careful. You don’t want the first night of university to end at hospital. Equally with drinks, keep them with you to avoid them getting spiked. Always drink water. Water's the best.

And that’s it, you’re home. You’ve just started university with an unforgettable night that you won’t remember in the morning. Same again tomorrow?