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This week, Miriam Zendle, a third-year student studying Classical Civilisation, gives her view of Nottingham University

Being a student in Nottingham

Nottingham is a big and busy town, containing any number of shops, restaurants and potential leisure activities. Whether you're looking for something a bit more upmarket or wanting a chain restaurant, Nottingham probably has one. The benefit of its size is that whilst it’s not too overwhelming, it’s still big enough to squeeze in a swathe of eateries and places to drink without it seeming too much like booze City.

Shops in the city again range from your usual chain stuff like Primark to vintage clothing stores - perfect for the fashionistas who like to show off their style (there are a lot of these types at Nottingham). There’s always somewhere new to discover and it's safe to say trips to Birmingham really aren’t that necessary. To get to and from campus is pretty simple, with a number of buses providing easy and direct transport from the city centre.

Nottingham’s green and leafy campus does not prevent its students from integrating with the city. Whilst most first years live on campus and thus spend a majority of their time there, everyone is encouraged to get into town as much as they can - although admittedly, most of this is often for shopping and clubbing, rather than anything more worthy such as museum-going. Once off-campus in second and third year, the town becomes more important and visits tend to become more regular, although there is still somewhat of a divide between ‘locals’ and students, with many students refraining from clubbing on Saturday nights due to the prevalence of ‘locals’ in town. It’s not that they necessarily make the students feel unwelcome, but the atmosphere can be very different on said nights.

As far as the cost of living goes, Nottingham’s a pretty great place to be. Whilst it’s not ridiculously cheap, prices aren’t unaffordable. Cineworld recently took over the main cinema in town, and tickets have gone down to £4 - a bargain for any student. Drinks are pretty reasonable and clubs in the city charge a reasonable £3 or £4 to enter, and even when you’re not eating in a chain restaurant, you can still have a good meal for around £12.

The threat of violence and gun crime in Nottingham is exaggerated. Of course it happens - crime occurs all over the country, but the likelihood that you will be mugged during your tenure at the university really isn’t all that high, and many students can be seen stumbling around the streets of the student areas and in town itself at night time. Certainly walking home with a male friend often does allay any underlying fears about being mugged. The police presence in town is pretty good too, which always helps if you’re on your lonesome and feeling nervous.

Study time:

The university does vary greatly as far as exams and coursework go for each degree, but most degrees will ask you to submit a few pieces of coursework in each of the two semesters, possibly do a couple of presentations, have regular class tests if it’s a language, and conclude the semester with a couple of exams.

Each student has to make an appointment with their tutor at the beginning of each semester. You can make appointments with them outside of this time if you’re struggling, but the official appointments are in place to keep an eye on your academic progress and to check that you’re doing ok at intervals. Lecturers keep office hours and generally seem happy for you to pop in if there’s something you don’t understand. Some are even kind enough to put the module’s lecture handouts online or in the faculty building for those who couldn’t make it.

Contact hours fluctuate wildly between degrees. While some may end up with a few hours a week, others may be in university 9-5 five days a week; it really does vary that greatly. However, bear in mind that if you do have very few contact hours, it really is up to you to make sure you understand the work and have been able to engage in independent study.

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