WANT to know why people study in Manchester? We've asked Holly Smith, a Manchester University student from Lincolnshire, UK, what living in Manchester has to offer students.
STUDENT WORLD ONLINE: What do you love about Manchester?
HOLLY: The city really does feel as though it’s the ‘London of the north’. With a slightly edgy and hipster vibe, it’s a great place for culture, nightlife and music (after all, this is the place where The Smiths, Oasis and Joy Division all started out).
SWO: Did you feel differently when you first arrived?
H: Absolutely. I grew up in Lincolnshire, a farming county with a population of only 700,000. Manchester’s metropolitan area alone is almost 3 times this. You can probably imagine how I nervous I felt at the beginning. But like all big cities, they have a way of weaving into your heart and becoming a place that you never want to leave.
SWO: Is there anything you don’t like about Manchester?
H: If anything, it’s the weather. There is a reason as to why it’s been named one of the wettest cities in the UK – sometimes getting the motivation to walk to the bus stop in the rain is a lot harder than it really should be....
SWO: Is it easy to get around Manchester?
H: With Oxford Road (the main road that links student accommodation, university and city centre) being the busiest bus route in Europe, you never have to wait longer than 5 minutes at a bus stop, and if you do, you start to wonder if world war three has arrived. The busses also run throughout the night which is an added bonus!
SWO: What is there to see and do in Manchester?
H: Anything you can think of, you can probably find it here: shopping, museums, concerts, festivals, clubs, football, restaurants, indoor skydiving... You will always have something to do.
SWO: Good shops?
H: The city centre contains almost every single shop you could imagine, from Primark to Dior; you will always find exactly what you want.
If you’re looking for budget and vintage clothing then take a stroll around the Northern Quarter, where you’ll be sure to pick up something truly unique at a bargain price in one of the many independent shops.
And if this isn’t enough, the Trafford Centre, a large shopping centre just outside the city with a cinema, crazy golf and aquarium is super easy to get to by bus or car.
SWO: Good places to eat?
H: Manchester is full of great places to eat. You could probably live there your whole life and keep finding new restaurants.
For the students living in Fallowfield (the city’s main student area) try Fallow, Revs and The Font for great priced food. If you fancy going a little further afield (but not so far as the city centre), Solita and some of the pubs in Didsbury are well worth trying.
And then there is the city centre where you can find just about every food cuisine in the world. From Michelin restaurants to fast food, you can eat just about everything. As one of my own favourites, I’d recommend Almost Famous for anyone who loves a good burger.
(Here is a good place to point out that no Manchester student is qualified to say that they’re a Manchester student without having trying one of the restaurants along the infamous Curry Mile.)
SWO: Good places to drink?
H: Again, this can be divided into Fallowfield and City Centre.
In Fallowfield you can get cheap drinks and a student vibe, while being so close that you can walk home after. Revs and 256 are typical student hangouts and are particularly popular with university sports teams
In the city centre, The Alchemist and Cloud 23 (the top of the Hilton Hotel) are slightly pricier, but great places to celebrate a special occasion.
Additionally, the Northern Quarter, hosting a variety of cool, edgier, independent bars, is not to be missed. Apotheca, Walrus, The Blue Pig, Kosmonaut and Cane & Grain are some of my absolute favourite places to go.
SWO: Good places to relax and hang out?
Platt Fields park is a large park near to Fallowfield with a large lake and huge grass area. In summer it is teaming with students having BBQs, playing football, sunbathing or doing some pre-exam studying.
Travel a little further afield and Heaton Park (where the annual Parklife Festival is held) is a beautiful spot that makes you feel like you’re truly out of the city.
Or you can take a 20 minute train journey and you are right out of the city and into the Peak District, a national park with stunning mountain views and a chance to get a bit of fresher air.
H: What’s the area like?
Manchester is huge, but the main student area, Fallowfield, is in the south of the city and it’s like a little village. Everything in Fallowfield accommodates for the mass of students that choose to live there – from bars to cheap places to buy alcohol to kebab shops and fast food. A house party will also never go a miss.
But if you’re less of the party person, areas such as Victoria park are quieter, green and leafy areas with cheap accommodation, closer to the university and close to shops like Lidl and Poundland.
SWO: What’s the university like?
H: Both of Manchester’s main universities, MMU (Manchester Metropolitan University) and UoM (University of Manchester), are situated adjacent to each other on Oxford Road. UoM’s old buildings contrast the newer ones of MMU and the rivalry between the universities is ever present with the annual varsity football and rugby matches.
SWO: Do you live on campus?
H: In first year I lived on UoM’s Fallowfield campus which is about 2 miles south of the university, but there are also two other campuses to choose from (Victoria Park and City Centre). Each of the campuses has their own individual reputation, so it’s quite important to do your research before you choose where you want to live. After first year, I moved into a house in the Fallowfield area, which is very common for students who choose to spend their fresher’s year on that campus.
SWO: How much is monthly rent?
H: For student halls, prices can vary between around £80 a week to £150 (they also vary on whether you want to be self-catered or have your weekday meals cooked for you). For a room in a house in Fallowfield you can pay anything from £60 a week to £130.
SWO: How much is a cinema ticket, a two-mile cab ride, and a 1 kg bag of rice?
H: AMC cinema on Deansgate is probably the best priced cinema in the city and easiest to get to – you pay between £5-£6 for a student ticket. A black cab from the city centre to Fallowfield (about 4 miles) is £11 after midnight (I’ve never needed to take one before midnight as the bus system is so good!) And a bag of rice? Sainsbury’s Basics (a favourite brand amongst the students of Fallowfield) will do a bag of rice for a mere 60p.
Get more info on studying in the UK on our Places page, or check out some English, Welsh or Scottish universities!
