WANT to know why people study in Cardiff? We've asked our previous Student World Online editor and Cardiff graduate, Amy Murnan, what makes the Welsh capital great for students.
STUDENT WORLD ONLINE: What do you love about Cardiff?
AMY: The main thing I loved about Cardiff was that, even as the largest city in Wales, it doesn’t feel intimidating or unfriendly like some cities do. The city centre is spacious and open, there are lots of gardens and parks, and there’s a castle opposite the high street. Add that to the fact that Cardiff has a huge student population from its three universities, and you have the makings of a very welcoming student city. Also, I love that you sometimes hear snippets of Welsh as you walk around.
SWO: Did you feel differently when you first arrived?
A: Yes, but this was mainly my fault – I chose to live in student accommodation that was further outside the city centre than I would have liked. It didn’t look so far away on the map, but it felt quite isolated at times. If I had done my research properly I probably would have opted for something much closer to the university!
SWO: Is there anything you don’t like about Cardiff?
A: Bars and clubs in Cardiff get extremely busy, especially on weekends, Bank Holidays or when there has been a sports event in the Millenium Stadium. That’s great if you like busy, but if you don’t, you basically just learn when not to venture into town!
SWO: Is it easy to get around Cardiff?
A: Yes, very easy. It’s pretty easy to navigate Cardiff on foot, as the city centre has quite a simple layout and lots of signposting. The buses are also really straightforward, and there’s even a train that takes you from Cardiff Central Station to Cathays, the area immediately surrounding the Cardiff University campus. So, if you live in Cathays as many of the students do, you can get to the main train station and the city centre really easily for just a few pounds.
SWO: What is there to see and do in Cardiff?
A: Like most UK cities there are lots of restaurants, clubs and shops, but Cardiff also has a lot to see and do for history and culture lovers. As I mentioned, Cardiff Castle sits right in the middle of the city, and nearby are plenty more castles and archaeological sites. There’s also the National Museum Cardiff, which houses works from Monet, Picasso and Rodin, and St Fagans, a museum focused on Welsh natural history just outside Cardiff. Music enthusiasts can see regular concerts in the university’s music department, or see local bands in the many independent pubs and bars. There are always plays and performance on at the New Theatre and Sherman Cymru, and an ice skating rink at Christmas.
SWO: Good shops?
A: Cardiff’s most notable shopping area is St David’s, a modern shopping mall with all the big high street brands. It’s probably not as large as some shopping centres, but it is still pretty substantial and has a good selection of restaurants too. However, my personal favourite places to go are the arcades. The arcades are old-fashioned indoor ‘streets’ lined with shops, and Cardiff has quite a few of them. They are where you’ll find amazing delis, cute gift shops and a few designer boutiques too.
SWO: Good places to eat?
A: I think Cardiff is seriously underrated when it comes to food. There is such a diverse range of people there that you get big variety of cuisines despite it being a relatively small city. There are vegan and vegetarian restaurants, European delicatessens like Wally’s or Madame Fromage, the tiny Italian restaurant Cafe Citta, and loads of hidden gems in Cathays and on City Road, which is basically an entire street of Turkish, Lebanese and Indian restaurants. And, if you want to sample the classically British fish and chips, there’s Chippy Alley, a street famous for its deep-fat frying prowess.
SWO: Good places to drink?
A: With such a large number of students, Cardiff has plenty of places to drink. There are cosy little bars like Gwdihw (pronounced good-i-hoo) that often have live music, or big bars in the centre that have student nights. Then there are the student pubs near Cardiff University like the Woodville, and the Student Union itself, which has several pubs and bars inside along with its own nightclub.
SWO: Good places to relax and hang out?
A: My favourite place to relax in Cardiff is Roath Park. It’s a Victorian park with botanic gardens and a lake, on which you can rent boats in the summer. When it isn’t so warm outside, though, pubs are really the cosiest option.
SWO: What’s the area like?
A: Despite being a city, you are never too far from the countryside when you live in Cardiff. Just north of Cardiff are the Brecon Beacons, a rugged mountain range that are very popular with outdoorsy types. It’s also connected via train to lots of other Welsh towns and sites of natural beauty. If you want to explore England, then vibrant cities like Bristol and the historic Roman Baths are only a short train journey away.
SWO: What’s the university like?
A: I don’t have much to compare it with, but I loved studying at Cardiff University. There were some unique topics on my programme that not many other universities offer, like contemporary crime fiction, and the faculty were generally very friendly and willing to provide one-to-one support. The university has a whole has great facilities, a variety of student societies to get involved with, and a well-stocked library – very important for last-minute essay writing!
SWO: Did you live on campus?
A; No, but in second and third year I only lived a 10 minute walk away in one of the most popular areas for student housing, which was close enough.
SWO: How much is monthly rent?
A: My share of the rent in second and third year was £260 per month, which is quite cheap compared with other cities in the UK, especially ones in the south. Cardiff in general is very reasonable for living costs, which is very helpful as a student.
SWO: How much is a cinema ticket, a two-mile cab ride, and a 1 kg bag of rice?
A: A student cinema ticket is about £5.60, depending on which cinema you go to, and I think a two mile taxi ride is about £7 depending on the route. If you shop in the Lidl right near the university, 1 kg of rice is about £1.
If you’d like to study in Cardiff, check out our profiles for Cardiff University and Cardiff Metropolitan.
