20 Things All Cardiff University Students Will Understand

12. The ASSL Is The Worst Thing In The World

Not just the worst thing in the university, or the worst thing in the city, but the worst thing in the world. From a distance it's not too bad; an average, if ugly, 1960s building with inexplicable 'balconies,' surrounded by trees and grass. Initially, the worst thing it will do is intimate you in the first year, and mock you for not being a better student in second and third year. It's only when you get inside that the true horror is revealed. The floor plan is utterly inexplicably. Somehow, the basement is above ground level, and you may spend years thinking you're working on the sixth floor only to realise that it's an illusion and there are only three in the whole building. Girls in particular seem to think that no one can hear that they're on the phone if they stand just inside the toilet doors, and there's always at least one person who thinks that it's acceptable to sneak their Subway in for lunch. And then there are the plug sockets. The ASSL was built long before every student had their own laptop, so there are never enough plug sockets. Once exam season starts you'll need to arrive at the crack of dawn just to get a seat, let alone somewhere to plug your laptop in. While some students think ahead and bring an extension capable, it's not uncommon to find yourself plugging in to an extension cable that is plugged into an extension cable which may or may not be plugged into a third extension cable. In which case, make sure you save your work regularly as all the lights to start flickering ominously.