Which university should I go to?? I want to study criminology

I'm currently applying to uni, hoping to go next year and study criminology
I've researched a lot about the best universities for the subject and i've narrowed it down to
1) Lancaster 2) Surrey 3) Leeds
I'm planning to go to open days etc but was wondering if anyone can tell me what its like to live in each of these places as a student? Here are the main things i wanna know

-nightlife, what is the music scene? i'm mainly into indie music
-people, are people posh or up themselves or are they relaxed etc
-crime, how safe is it? are there dodgy areas
-shops, are there any cool markets or places for thrifting, what clothes shops are there? urban, topshop, new look?
-stuff to do, cinema/bowling etcLanca
-costs
-public transport
-accommodation
that's it for now haha thank you!!!

I'm currently applying to uni, hoping to go next year and study criminology
I've researched a lot about the best universities for the subject and i've narrowed it down to
1) Lancaster 2) Surrey 3) Leeds
I'm planning to go to open days etc but was wondering if anyone can tell me what its like to live in each of these places as a student? Here are the main things i wanna know

-nightlife, what is the music scene? i'm mainly into indie music
-people, are people posh or up themselves or are they relaxed etc
-crime, how safe is it? are there dodgy areas
-shops, are there any cool markets or places for thrifting, what clothes shops are there? urban, topshop, new look?
-stuff to do, cinema/bowling etc
-costs
-public transport
-accommodation
that's it for now haha thank you!!!

Hi @elijasmine,

I'm a first year student at Lancaster.

Firstly, congrats on your offers! To answer your questions:

1) We have a very varied nightlife, both on and off campus. On campus, there are nine bars (for the different colleges), and there are two main nightclubs in town, which are very easy to get to. One of these, the SugarHouse, is run by the SU and is student-only, so is very safe - and there is a bus to and from campus specifically for the club. There are lots of different music nights and events held around campus and the local area, if the club music isn't to your taste. For example, Pendle College has Live Thursday music events every fortnight, where lots of different bands perform and there are the opportunities for open mic and karaoke. You could also choose to get involved with one of the music societies on campus (you can find a full list of the societies here), such as ULMS.
2) In terms of the people, I would say that Lancaster isn't really defined by 'posh' people, as there is a really welcoming community, and everybody is really friendly. Obviously, there will be people from different backgrounds, but it is very diverse and I've personally never found Lancaster anything but welcoming.
3) Lancaster is super safe! As a campus university, we have 24/7 security and a Porter's Lodge for each college, so there are always people available to call if you need them, no matter the time of day. The campus is spacious, well-lit at night, and it feels incredibly safe. A lot of people I know like to go on late-night walks, and I've never had a problem with feeling unsafe or insecure on campus. Again, the town itself, from my experience, is much safer than bigger universities and city universities.
4) In terms of the shops available, Lancaster has a good variety of general high street chains - New Look, TopShop, etc. There are also lots of charity shops around, and there is a big vintage kilo sale and other fairs that take place around the town. A lot of students like to also take the train to Manchester and Liverpool, which aren't very far away, if they want to do a bit more shopping. For example, check out this video by one of our Digital Content Ambassadors about vintage shopping in Manchester.
5) Lancaster has a Vue cinema and the uni has its own cinema on campus, called Take2, which shows films a few months after their release date. You can also go bowling in Morecambe, for example, which leads me onto my next point:
6) The transport links are excellent. Although the campus is outside of town, there are regular buses that come every few minutes to different points on the campus, and the journey in is about 10-15 minutes. You can also get on the bus to visit places like Morecambe, the Lakes, or take the train. The train station has links to all over the country - Manchester, Liverpool, London, etc. I'm from near London and you can get a fast train that's only 2.5 hours. It's near Manchester Airport also, if you need to fly. You can find out more information about public transport here.
7) Costs: this is obviously going to depend on many different factors (how much you like to go out, the accommodation you get, food, etc). I'd recommend chatting to different students on UniBuddy - and maybe some from the same course - to get an idea of how much to budget, etc. Generally, Lancaster is a lot cheaper in comparison to places in the south and big cities. I've personally found the costs very manageable - but I would definitely recommend keeping track of it all!
8) Accommodation: Lancaster offers a variety of accommodation types with different facilities and costs, which you can find here. In my first year, I was in Superior Ensuite in Cartmel College, which I would definitely recommend. However, if you don't mind sharing a bathroom, the townhouses in County and Grizedale college are extremely popular also. Have a look at these accommodation videos made by Charlotte, to get an idea of the different sorts available. You can also choose to be catered or non-catered. Also, as a collegiate university, all the accommodation is in different colleges.

If you have any more questions or want more information, I'd be happy to help!

Maria
1st year English Literature, Creative Writing and Practice (placement year)

Lancaster is brilliant. My sister goes there and when I went to visit her it was great! This is what she's told me. They have a music society called ULMS (University of Lancaster Music Society) and you can join the big band, the swing band, orchestra, choir. People at Lancaster are really chill and laid back, not a lot of posh people. For nightlife, I think that each college (basically the halls of residence) have their own clubs and bars. At Fylde college, their club is called SugarHouse and I believe it is one of the best and safest clubs in Lancaster. Stuff to do- There is a hotel next door called the Lancaster House that has a swimming pool and spa, my family and I stayed there when we visited my sister. Other stuff you can do, there are lots of clubs and societies at the university, you're right next to the peak district and the Fylde Coast so you can go to the mountains or the beach fairly quickly. I don't know about the shops apart from the takeaways that my sister is always raving about.
Hope this helps!

I'm currently applying to uni, hoping to go next year and study criminology
I've researched a lot about the best universities for the subject and i've narrowed it down to
1) Lancaster 2) Surrey 3) Leeds
I'm planning to go to open days etc but was wondering if anyone can tell me what its like to live in each of these places as a student? Here are the main things i wanna know

-nightlife, what is the music scene? i'm mainly into indie music
-people, are people posh or up themselves or are they relaxed etc
-crime, how safe is it? are there dodgy areas
-shops, are there any cool markets or places for thrifting, what clothes shops are there? urban, topshop, new look?
-stuff to do, cinema/bowling etc
-costs
-public transport
-accommodation
that's it for now haha thank you!!!

Hi! Congratulations on applying for uni.

Leeds has an excellent nightlife with plenty of bars and venues which cater to a variety of music tastes. There are student nights almost every night of the week, with different events offering cheap drink offers and special guests. There are also plenty of performance venues in the city centre (and outside of it) which have a variety of artists/gigs/genres. There are a variety of societies and clubs which you may find interesting, too!

The people in Leeds are fairly laid back and would help you if you are lost/confused/looking for ideas. Yorkshire is a very friendly place, and you will not struggle to find someone to assist you if needed. It is also a fairly safe city. Though some areas have a higher crime rate than others, this can be said for anywhere so it shouldn't be something for you to panic about. The student areas are often really safe, and you will find that police often patrol these areas to ensure people's safety. For example, our accommodation is situated near the city centre and has a fob-only entrance with multiple doors requiring fob entry to gain access. The area we are in is safe and quiet, and has plenty of shops/amenities near by.

For shopping, there are plenty of thrift stores throughout Leeds, including the iconic Kirkgate Market which is open every day. There is also regular thrift sales throughout the city (some where you pay by the kilogram and can get a really good deal on items which can be unique and expensive). There are also plenty of other shops located in the Trinity Centre (city centre), St John's centre, and White Rose Shopping centre, so you won't struggle to find what you are looking for.

Public transport is often good, with some busses running every 10 minutes, and some offering a £1 student fare to some locations. There is also a train station in the city centre, which can take you all over the city and beyond. These services are often reliable, and can be quite busy depending on times/locations.

In terms of accommodation, there are plenty of student accommodations near the city centre and university campuses. For example, we are a 5 minute walk from Leeds University business school, and a 10-15 minute walk to the city centre university campuses (Leeds University and Leeds Beckett). We also have excellent transport links to the Leeds Beckett Headingley Campus, with some bus services offering the £1 fare (as previously mentioned). We also have excellent links with a local taxi company, who often arrive quickly and offer cheap services. We have a shop (and Papa Johns Pizza) in the same building as us, therefore you will not need to travel far to get your late night snacks. All bills are included and we have plenty of rooms available. (If you would like any information about our building, please contact us and we will be happy to help!).

Good Luck!

This has helped so much!! Thank you for taking the time to tell me all of this! I think I’m probably leaning most towards Leeds haha

We visited Leeds uni a couple of times. If you want a uni in the city, busy, with nightclubs on campus, then leeds is the one for you.
For dodgy areas, my dad worked in leeds and he said the student area of hydepark can be for burgulary, but you got to be street smart. Always make sure your flat mates always lock the door when they come in or leave the property and when they do leave, make sure the windows are secure. And bikes safely secure. Thats all you can do really. But theres headlingley which is further out of town on a bus ride away and thats nice area. Kirkstalls not too bad and neither is Woodhouse. Bear in mind after first year you have to find your own place. There are private halls though, same at the other 2 unis.

All of the cities themselves have interesting cool shops and markets. Lancaster has the marketgate lancaster and St Nics Arcade. And Lancaster has got some good clubs such as Sugarhouse and Dalton/Glow. My daughter chose lancaster over leeds in the end as the campus is set away from the city so you can get away from the hustle and bustle and just chill at some gorgeous places and green areas on campus. Both of them are not posh either. of course every uni has students who come from a wealthier background, but it doesnt always make them 'posh' though

Hopefully now that gatherings outside such as displays and concerts (can now take place as per the news today), It surely cant be long for unis to do open days. Might not be able to do subject talks just yet, or perhaps have department walk arounds in more smaller groups maybe; but walking round outside at the very least fingers crossed