#UniShorts: 5 Best Spring Time Activities for Students in London

24 March 2022Uni Admissions Shorts: Weekly Tips and Adviceby

There’s a long list of the best spring time activities for students in London, but here are our top five picks to get you inspired!

man in flannel sits on Hampstead Heath

You can climb Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath to get breathtaking views of the London city skyline in spring time (photo by I Wei Huang/ Shutterstock.com)

The start of spring is officially upon us, and it’s time to get excited about warmer weather, Easter holiday plans, and ice-cold beers under breezy blue skies (when you’re on your breaks from studying for your May or June exams, of course!). Want to find out more about the best spring time activities for students in London? Then read on. 

London is host to a wide array of excellent and eclectic universities, from Imperial College and King’s College to Goldsmiths, University College London (UCL), and the London School of Economics. 

For those of you looking to find out more about applying to university in London, check out the Studying in the UK section of our A&J Education website. 

If you’re a student who’s at university in London, or you’re a prospective applicant who’s interested in learning about college life in Britain’s largest city, look no further.

We’ve got the perfect list of affordable and entertaining spring time experiences for you. 

Here are the top 5 best spring time activities for students in London, from public Eurovision Song Contest screenings and park walks to top-notch comedy and street food festivals. 

  • Best spring time activities for students in London: visit Greenwich 

If you get the opportunity, you should take the Jubilee Line from central London to the royal borough of Greenwich.

This southeast district is home to a number of unique attractions, including: 

  • The Royal Observatory: entry might cost £1o (with student rates), but that tenner is worth it when you consider the fact that you can stand on the Prime Meridian and split your body between two hemispheres when you’re here. You should also check out the excellent on-site Planetarium and inspect the Great Equatorial Telescope while you’re at it, before seeing John Harrison’s legendary chronometers close up. 
  • The National Maritime Museum: head to this building to see one of J.M.W. Turner’s most famous (and challenging) works, check out Admiral Nelson’s jacket from the Battle of Trafalgar, and marvel at some of the best astronomy photography in the world. 
  • Greenwich Park: this wide-open green space is one of the most glorious spots in London if you’re looking for somewhere to spend a sunny spring day. The views across the Thames to Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs are gorgeous in clear, crisp weather. 

If you want to treat yourself, forget about the Tube and get one of the many boats from Westminster down to Greenwich: these rides take about 50 to 60 minutes and allow you to take in some of the most iconic sites in London from the water. 

  • Catch some top-notch comedy at Underbelly Earls Court or Cavendish Square

Spring is an ideal time for heading to a comedy festival, and London’s Underbelly offerings are some of the best around. 

Make the most of the warm, sunny weather by having a cold beer or cider at one of Underbelly’s outdoor bars, trying some of the street food on offer, and catching a late-night cabaret or comedy show.  

There are plenty of other options when it comes to spring time comedy in London, including: 

The Eurovision song contest takes place slap-bang in the middle of May, and you should take the opportunity to go to a public screening somewhere in London: these have a habit of getting rowdy and becoming one of the best nights of the year for students. 

Here are some of the best places to catch a Eurovision party in the capital city:

  • Nordic Bar: this Scandi-style haunt hosts a massive Eurovision screening party every year, and tickets tend to disappear pretty quickly, so make sure you get your act together and book a spot for you and your friends in advance. 
  • The Glory: this iconic LGBT+ bar puts on a spectacular show for Eurovision every year, with live entertainment and two floors for joyous, raucous dancing until the early hours of the morning. 
  • Ku Bar: you’ll love this Soho gay bar, with its excellent lineup of drag performers and DJs that play every week. Unsurprisingly, their Eurovision night tends to be one of the events of the year: in the past, renowned Soho drag queen Lady Lloyd has MC-ed the evening, geeing up the crowd with an assortment of fantastic, kitschy Europop songs. 

  • Best spring time activities for students in London: head to BrewLDN (or any other beer and street food festival) 

As the weather gets brighter and warmer, it’s time to head to some of the best beer festivals that London has to offer, including:

  • BrewLDN: taking place at the beginning of May every year, this excellent festival showcases over 150 brewers, a number of delicious local street food vendors, and an assortment of top-notch DJs to bring the late springtime vibes. 
  • City Splash Festival: this carnival-inspired festival takes place at the end of May, and includes a lineup of the very best Reggae, Afrobeat, and Dancehall artists from London and beyond. You’ll also find some of the tastiest food you’ll ever get your hands on: in 2022, City Splash is working with Black Eats LDN to sell authentic and mouth-watering Caribbean-infused delights. 
  • Black-Owned Hackney Night Market: Bohemia Place Market is located right next to Hackney Central tube stop, and this independently-run community space hosts a series of Black-Owned Hackney events through Spring and Summer every year. It’s free to get a ticket, and you’ll find delicious bites, rum-soaked drinks, gorgeous handmade clothes, and a lineup of high-quality DJs.

  • Explore one of London’s many parks 

Use the brightening weather as an excuse to take your study break outside and explore some of London’s green spaces. 

Here are some of our favourite parks for a cathartic and refreshing stroll: 

  • Hampstead Heath: climb the hill at Hampstead Heath to get some of the best views of the city, then head back down to get a cuppa at Golders Hill Park Café.
  • Battersea Park: sandwiched between Nine Elms and Cotton Row, this small park contains a wide array of eclectic and fascinating attractions, like the boating lake, the London Peace Pagoda, and the Battersea Park Children’s Zoo. 
  • The Line: the capital’s answer to New York’s High Line, this east London gem connects the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with the O2. When you stroll along this path, you’ll see a number of outdoor artworks, from Madge Gill’s “Nature in Mind,” to Anish Kapoor’s famous “ArcelorMittal Orbit.” 
  • Richmond Park: one of London’s most iconic outdoor spaces, this southwest park contains 2500 acres of ancient trees, wildflowers, and fields where wild deer graze. 

BONUS: Swim on Hampstead Heath 

If you’re planning on taking a trip to Hampstead Heath, and you’re feeling a bit adventurous, consider getting a ticket for one of the open-air public pools to the south of the park. Take a dip in the water and enjoy the rush of outdoor swimming, then dry off and head to Rossella or Patara for a delicious lunch afterwards. 

Final Thoughts 

If you’re a student in London, there are so many opportunities to get outdoors and make the most of the bright, breezy, and sunny spring weather, whether you’re heading to a beer festival, strolling along the River Thames, or visiting the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. 

For those of you looking to find out more information about applying to university anywhere in London, get in touch with us at A&J Education to book a free consultation and speak to one of our team of experts.

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