Jailbreak Is The Best Thing You’ll Do At University – And Here’s Why!

You and your teammates have thirty-six hours and no money. Your goal? To get as far away from your university campus – a.k.a. your ‘jail’ – as possible.

Essentially, Jailbreak is glorified begging. Leave your shyness behind, you need to secure free transport, food and more, all in the name of winning. And you’ll do it too, if you’re resourceful enough.

Most universities have a Jailbreak society of some kind. Here’s why you should get involved.

It’s cheap and cheerful

The key to Jailbreak is that you and your teammates aren’t allowed to spend a single penny. It doesn’t matter whether you can’t afford a 10-week inter-railing trip, or a massive Instagram-worthy Thailand vacation. There’s still a lot of fun to be had without breaking the bank.

So get ready to hitchhike and to make your case for free train (or even airline!) tickets to reach your destination. You may not get to bathe elephants and you probably won’t ‘find yourself’, but you’ll still have a weekend of memories to treasure.

It’s spontaneous

Jailbreak is also massively unpredictable. While inter-railing and backpacking is usually quite organised (as long as you don’t miss that train), the beauty of Jailbreak is that it is exciting, spontaneous, and you just don’t know where you’ll end up. It may surprise you how kind people are – or even how horrible!

You’ll learn more about the world in a mere thirty-six hours. That’s got to count for something.

It will be a highlight of your uni experience

You and your friends will probably be dressed in outrageously bright onesies, with huge “Hitch-hiking for charity! Please help!” signs.

That’s not something you get to do on most days… probably?

It’s surprisingly productive

At the end of the day, if it helps students do something other than waste their weekend on a hangover or run back to Mummy and Daddy during reading week, then Jailbreak can’t really be a bad thing. At least it’s better than lying in bed all week, reassuring yourself you’ll get round to that reading list soon.

It’s safe

The Jailbreak society track all participants, and everybody is provided with emergency numbers. With this, all participants are given detailed (and compulsory) safety briefings beforehand, so you’ll know exactly what to do and when!

It’s a fun, bonding experience

If you’re in first year, it’s a great way to connect with your new flatmates. If you’re in second year, it’s a great way to engage in some friendly competition with the house down the street. If you want a fun getaway with your boyfriend, Jailbreak could also be your answer!

You get to raise money for charity

Jailbreak is a way to get students actively involved in charity work. Yes, it attracts some criticism, with some claiming that students are merely hiding behind ‘charity’ to have a mid-term escape. And let’s not beat around the bush: this idea of a ‘free’ escape is certainly a motivating factor.

Still, raising money for charity is always a good thing, regardless of whether you are running a 5k marathon or selling cookies behind a stall. Let’s not detract from all the effort that goes into raising money for a worthy cause.

You probably won’t remember a lot from uni, but you will definitely remember this break-out-of-jail challenge. Given the exposure to charity, and the memories and experiences you’ll have as a result, there really isn’t any reason not to take part in Jailbreak. Why not give it a go?

Inspiring Interns is a recruitment agency specialising in all the internships and graduate jobs London has to offer.