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This week Anya Court, an English Literature and Language student, who will be starting her second year this autumn gives her take on Birmingham University.

Being a student in Birmingham:

Birmingham, once thought of as an industrial, grey and undesirable city, is now one of the most up and coming cities in the UK, after huge investment over the past two decades. The city, with more trees than any city in Europe and more canals than Venice, is located in the West Midlands, the centre of the UK and is therefore an ideal place to study, being accessible for almost any student to travel to, with efficient and regular train services from Birmingham New Street.

The university has two campuses, the Selly Oak Campus and the Edgbaston Campus. There is also the Dental School in the city centre, close to the University of Aston. The main campus is the Edgbaston Campus, which is easy to recognise with the large clock tower in the centre, nicknamed ‘Old Joe’ by the students. The beautiful, green campus is rather like a mini village, situated between first year halls of residence, and the student-dominated area of Selly Oak. It is the perfect place to meet up with friends for coffee or lunch as well as being the area where many lectures and seminars are held.

The campus provides all the amenities you could possibly hope for. The dominant feature is the Main Library, with a book stock of approximately two and half million volumes. There is also the Munrow Sports Centre and the University Centre containing a Spar shop selling newspapers at discounted student prices, a hairdressing salon and other shops, including a Waterstone’s book store, which stocks books on subject reading lists. The university campus also has numerous banks, good for convenience, as well as its own art gallery known as the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. Situated on the main campus, there is also the Arts Building which contains the Mason Lounge, with computers for students’ use, as well as a coffee and sandwich bar.

Transport between the city centre, campus and Selly Oak is efficient, frequent and fairly cheap. Birmingham University Campus is the only one in the country to have its own railway station. This makes it quick and easy for students to get a train from campus to the city centre, which costs £1.50 return and less with a Young Persons Railcard. A great excuse to drop into town for some retail therapy if you have time off from lectures! Selly Oak also has a train station, making it easy for students living there to travel to and from the city. Buses are also frequent and stop at various points along the main Bristol Road, running through Selly Oak. Students can also travel on the No 44 bus for free, between the Selly Oak Campus and Edgbaston Campus. Many students bring their bikes with them to university and there are various bike racks located across campus. Taxis in Birmingham are also cheap, many of whom compete to offer students cheap deals.

Although the university is centred on two campuses, the city still has a student feel. In fact, students have the best of both worlds, with a relaxing, green campus catering for all your needs, as well as having access to the second biggest city in the UK. The cost of living is also student friendly, being much cheaper than cities located further south, although a little more expensive than those further north. A typical pint of beer costs around £2 on a student night out in a club. Cinema tickets cost around £5, but all students are offered the chance to apply for an NUS card, giving you discounts in shops, bars, cinemas and elsewhere, making a cinema ticket about £3.50. Night club entry fees are good value for money, providing you stick to student nights, which are on weekdays and are generally the best nights out. A typical entry fee for a student night out in Birmingham would be £4, compared to £10 or more for a regular night out on a Saturday.

Birmingham is a culinary versatile city offering a diversity of international flavours and there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to dining out. If you are on a tight budget, try the Balti Triangle, offering authentic Indian cuisine with dishes for as little as £3 to £4 and Naan Bread for as little as 50 pence. There are also restaurants in the main student area of Selly Oak, such as the infamous Selly Sausage, making fresh pancakes with delicious toppings for around £3.20 and the Gunbarrels, offering cheap deals on food and drink. If you are willing to pay more there are a number of fabulous restaurants at the stylish Brindley Place, capable of tantalising the taste buds of even the fussiest student.

Generally, Birmingham is a safe place to be providing you are aware of your personal safety. It is advisable, particularly for female students, not to walk across the Vale or around Selly Oak at night and always get a taxi home in a group after a night out. Although the city is a great place to be, it is worth remembering that it is one of the UK's largest and is therefore bound to have its good and not so good areas.

Study Time

The Main Library on the Edgbaston Campus is one of the largest academic libraries in the country. It is an ideal place to study, with rooms providing chairs, desks and a quiet atmosphere to work in, as well as having laptop connection points in most rooms. Students are also able to book out rooms in the library for working on group study projects or presentations. Book loaning lengths vary from week loan, long loan (28 days) and short loan. Short loan books have to be returned or renewed by 11am the next day, otherwise the fine is 50 pence per hour. This can be problematic if you need a book for an assignment, although it ensures that books on reading lists are readily available.

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