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Lively, edgy and known for its excellence in the arts, Goldsmiths gives a corner of east London the feel of student community despite almost being in the heart of the capital, says Kieran Yates

Being a student in London

Regardless of whether you’re a home-grown Londoner or seeing the big city for the first time, going to university in the capital is truly an amazing experience. Come to Goldsmiths and you will be making the nation’s biggest, most energetic and vibrant city your home.

The University is based in New Cross, southeast London, a unique and edgy setting for Goldsmiths. It successfully retains a real student vibe, while the clear view of the Skyscrapers and Canary Wharf remind you where you are. New Cross really feels like a student town, with students walking round with library books, easels, and cameras, with a surprising lack of suffocation despite being in the urban circle. It’s easy to soon feel like a local at the nearby newsagents and restaurants, but if you’re craving some anonymity after a night in halls you’d rather forget, jump on the train and within 20 minutes you could be walking amongst the crowds on London’s South Bank immersed in your own thoughts.

New Cross is in Zone 2, approximately 35 minutes from central London on a tube or train. It is worth purchasing a student Oyster card, which gives you a third off the considerably cost of weekly and monthly travel cards. Unfortunately, the East London line that links New Cross to the tube network will be closing this year, but there will still be an over ground train that will go from New Cross Gate to central London in about 20 minutes. There are also frequent buses that can take you anywhere you like in London.

Unsurprisingly, the price of living in London is expensive and you could quite easily end up with an empty purse and seriously overdrawn bank account if you’re not careful with your spending habits. Contrary to popular belief though, London is not just for rich kids and if you avoid the ridiculous overpricing in some places, you can still live perfectly well on a budget. The main problem in London is that it can be difficult to exercise self-control when there’s so much to buy, so discipline is essential although don’t worry if it takes a few terms to learn this - you won’t be the only one.

Within at least 10 minutes walking distance from all the halls, is there is both a Sainsbury’s and an Iceland for all your buy-one-get-one-free bargains, and the shops all do a student discount on alcohol. A popular and reasonably priced place to eat is the local Mexican ‘Viva Zapata’ which does a discount lunch menu, with meals from £3.50.

Close by is the resident hippy/organic café, ‘Café Crema’, where you can go for coffee and cake, and disappear into the secret garden at the back, or drop by for film nights that take place during the week. Next door are two beautiful vintage junk shops that are owned by ex-Goldsmiths students, called ‘Rubbish and Nasty’ and ‘Prangsta’.

There is also a new gym, ‘Club Pulse’ situated at the back of Goldmiths, at a very reasonable £15 a month for students, which includes classes such as yoga, aerobics and street dance, and overlooks the field where you’ll see the more sporty students running around.

Study time

Being at Goldsmiths is a case of undertaking academic study within a creative hub. The courses are flexible and the arts courses are some of the best and most innovative in the world. It’s true that the emphasis on the arts inevitably gives Goldmiths a somewhat pretentious reputation, but hey, there’s no harm in a little pretension if you’ve got the goods to deliver, which Goldsmiths certainly has.

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