5 Reasons to Stay in Cambridge on the Weekend

Since we’re only here for a semester, a lot of us feel the need to take every opportunity to travel. Because none of us have classes on Friday, every weekend is a three-day one, so many people in the house go away every weekend. This could mean a series of day trips around the UK—Laura and Madalyn stumbled across a carnival last weekend on their spontaneous adventure!—or a trip to continental Europe that lasts from Friday to Sunday—a group went to Berlin a couple weekends ago and Edinburgh before that. Julia and I, on the other hand, have been staying home so far on the weekends. This is partly because we’re on a budget and partly because we didn’t want to activate our Britrail yet (Britrails allow you to travel via train anywhere in the UK for free for a period of two months). Although traveling every weekend obviously has its benefits, I have really enjoyed staying in Cambridge these past few weekends. And because I’m a mediocre writer and don’t like coming up with interesting transitions, I have just compiled into a list my top reasons why it can be great to spend a few weekends in the city where you’re studying abroad.

5. It doesn’t drain your money.I understand that everyone has different budgets and that some people can afford to go away every

Downtown Cambridge

weekend without batting an eye. Others, however, need to watch their money a bit more closely, and as glamorous as it sounds to pop into Belgium for the weekend, the cost can pile up, especially because the US dollar here isn’t very strong here. I am definitely not saying that you should never travel on the weekends. Because that’s one of the best reasons to study abroad in Europe: you’re just a 2 hour flight away from dozens of other countries, a luxury we don’t have in the States (that’s something you pick up here, constantly referring to the US as the States. England is so posh). But going away every weekend, especially toward the beginning of your stay, can be tricky. It’s easy to overestimate the amount of money you have, so accidentally overspending during your first month could mean a very tight budget in your last month.

4. You can actually relax. Although we only have classes until 11:45 every day, the afternoon can easily fill up with naps (because you stayed up too late the night before jamming to The Proclaimers with your roommate), grocery shopping, weekly papers due Monday (which no one does until Sunday, or Monday morning if you’re traveling), cleaning, planning your itinerary and booking hostels and activities for your next trip, and other random errands. And as fun and thrilling as traveling is, it is also stressful and exhausting. Sometimes using a Friday to recharge can be very healthy for your mental state. And by recharge, I mean sleep in, watch a movie while eating chocolate and pizza, and taking a walk, during which you may or may not buy more chocolate. Once again, this does not have to be every weekend or even every day of your weekend. But we all know that having a whole day to yourself is usually needed and welcomed with open, chocolate-bearing arms.

One of the many colleges in Cambridge

3. You can get to see your city. By staying home on some weekends, you can really get to know your temporary hometown. Getting to know the general layout of the city you live in sounds like knowledge you will naturally acquire just by living here. But if you don’t take classes at the local British university, all of the classes you take will be inside the house. I know there have been a few times here when I didn’t leave the house all day. If you don’t make an effort to explore your city, it will never become your city, but merely a city you eat and sleep in, and you will only know how to get to Aldi, Domino’s, and maybe a close-by pub. If family or friends visit you for a week, you will want to be able to show them the best parts of where you live. You will want to know where the crepe cart is or what the names of the colleges are or which shows are playing at the local theatre. Spend time in Cambridge or wherever you study abroad. Because don’t you want to be able to talk about it with some authority when you get back home?

2. You can experience your city. Now, this ties in closely with the last one. As the previous reason

Janet Devlin concert in Cambridge

explains, it is crucial to know your way around the city you live in. You want to be able to actually help a tourist when they ask you for directions (we all know that superior feeling we get when we can give directions with confidence). But there’s more to your city than simply knowing where everything is. There is plenty to do in Cambridge, and I’m sure there is just as much to do and see in the other study abroad destinations. Instead of knowing where the pubs are, discover which have the best atmosphere or the most reasonable prices. Figure out which clubs play the best music on which nights. Go to a museum or two and find your favorite exhibits and artists (and all British museums don’t cost a thing, so enjoy your learning free of charge). In Cambridge, there are the Botanical Gardens, which is a beautiful place to take a walk, write, or listen to music. Additionally, go to more than just places all tourists visit in your city. I’ve been to a pool and snooker bar, a Janet Devlin concert, a bowling alley, and to a protest (the last one was the result of a detour we took on the way to the bowling alley, but still). Experience your city. Fall in love with it so you can miss and remember it when you’re back home with your Netflix and peanut butter.

Playing pool

1. You can make friends. This one is the most important, in my opinion. Since most of us only have classes with each other (I’m the only person who takes a class at a British university), it can be challenging to meet people in Cambridge unless you stay home on some weekends. The group of people that I talked about in my last blog post are hilarious, interesting, and sweet, even when I ask strange questions and can’t properly navigate them through the city and back to the house (I didn’t realize there were so many streets cars aren’t allowed to drive on). They helped me understand what it’s truly like to live here as well as offered advice about true English norms and popular British recreational activities. We are so incredibly lucky to have met them. Like I wrote last time, we met them on a Friday night in a club, an experience we never would have had if we were traveling every weekend. Becoming friends with these guys has made me miss home a little less and has allowed me to truly take advantage of my time here at Cambridge.

I hope these reasons not only give comfort to those who know they can’t travel all the time as well as persuade those who can to stay home every now and then. That being said, I am currently writing this about 20 minutes before I have to leave for the airport. This next week is our one week break and we are flying to Barcelona! Julia and I are then going to Paris while others are headed to Madrid. Hopefully I will have some good stories to share when I get back!

Danielle