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This week, Marcus Jones, a third year at University of East Anglia studying English Literature, and editor of the uni paper, gives his view of UEA

The University of East Anglia is located in Norwich and is home to 14,000 thousand students. This small number of students, coupled with the campus layout, ensures a strong community spirit that has led UEA to top the Student Satisfaction Survey for 2006.

Being a student in Norwich

Norwich’s standing as the largest dwelling in East Anglia puts it in a very strong position in terms of shops and amenities, as it really is the principle retail centre for the region. All the expected clothes, books and music stores are present and after you’ve had an exhausting day at the shops you can refuel yourself at the usual array of restaurant chains and watering holes. Following that you can pop to the cinema for around £4.50 on a student ticket.

Whilst the major stores and outlets provide convenience and reliability, part of the attraction of Norwich lies in the older, cobbled backstreets, which harbour an array of unique boutiques, quirky pubs and homely restaurants. Those willing to explore might find prices a little higher, but the quality and originality of what is on offer more than compensates for the cost.

Cost is of course a key consideration for students on nights out and Norwich certainly supplies both value for money and variety. It is said that Norwich contains a pub for every day of the year and while this is not quite the case, there remains a healthy range of drinking establishments from Wetherspoon’s to places like the Fat Cat and Belgian Monk, which offer an impressive selection of beers and ales.

For those wanting a more frantic night out, Prince of Wales Street and the newly developed Riverside area are the places to go, where pretty much all of Norwich’s nightclubs are crammed within 10 minutes walk of one another. Mercy, Lava and Ignite, Optic and Po Na Nas are the major student haunts with all of them holding student nights at least once a week. Entrance is normally free before 11pm and no more than £4 thereafter.

It seems as if there is some unwritten code of practice because Friday and Saturday nights tend to be left to the locals, although that is not to say that division reigns supreme within the city. Generally, students and locals co-exist very well, with only the occasional drunken misdemeanour altering the pleasant balance. Attacks on students are infrequent and walking home alone from a night out is definitely possible, even for females, without any real danger. If you do feel a tad concerned, or just can’t be bothered to walk, there are numerous reasonably priced taxi firms and a good supply of black cabs.

The bus service is also good with the 25 running through the night from the train station, through town and all the way back to the university. However, there has been recent dissatisfaction with the bus company who discontinued return tickets, forcing people to buy two singles, or a day pass. This is obviously a more expensive option and, on top of prices that are already quite steep, (£1.80 for a single trip from campus to town) has upset many students.

There is no train service around the city, but the station has half-hourly services to London (the train takes two hours to Liverpool Street) and with a couple of changes you can go from Norwich to pretty much anywhere you may care to go.

Those caring to go further afield may want to take advantage of Norwich airport which flies to a number of European destinations, including Amsterdam and Paris - perfect for a bonding weekend with your new flatmates.

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