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What is University of Birmingham like??

17

Hello, came acrros a course that I want to do at Uni of Birmingham, and wanted to know what the uni is like? Its atmosphere, weather, clubs, etc..! So please let me know your thoughts! All contributions will much be much appreciated! Thank you...!!!!!

Geerthan :smile:

Reply 1

pixiepeep

13

I don't want to sound like I'm gushing too much, but Brum is fab! The atmosphere at the uni itself (and quite a few of the local clubs) is really friendly and open. The majority of the main part of the uni is redbrick, so looks gorgeous. There are a few pre-fab 60's style buildings, but they're not too bad.

Birmingham weather gets a lot of stick - yes, it is a little colder than London, but we don't have that little blanket of smog to keep us warm. :P
It does rain a fair bit, but this is England! On the upside we do usually get snow which should prove interesting on drunken nights out!

There's plenty to do in Birmingham too - there's the bull ring and the other shopping centres in the city, and Broad Street for clubbing.

WHere abouts are you from, and what course do you want to do? I might be able to tell youa bit more specifically about the bits you'll see!

Reply 2

davestones

1

pixiepeep

There are a few pre-fab 60's style buildings, but they're not too bad.

muirhead tower, anyone? :wink:

i love birmingham too, this is my third year here. Everything seems to be falling into place properly this year for me, woo :smile:

. I must be honest though, I don't much care for the city centre. Too many shops for women, not enough shops that cater for my tastes :biggrin:

Reply 3

Wayvelength

The city is great..in terms of the uni, I guess its full of people from the south east. a lot of people from london / oxford / banbury etc come to study here...then you've got loads of chinese students and generally people from all over the world. its a cool place for meeting those outside the midlands.

Campus is nice and big...kind of like a small town. There's everything you'll need there. It has its own railway station, a decent selection of shops, and decent food in the canteen, though its quite cramped.

Nightlife is coo. There are a few drinking spots around selly oak if you want. And then there's Broad Street.

I'd recomend it :smile:

Reply 4

Geerththanan

OP

17

pixiepeep

I don't want to sound like I'm gushing too much, but Brum is fab! The atmosphere at the uni itself (and quite a few of the local clubs) is really friendly and open. The majority of the main part of the uni is redbrick, so looks gorgeous. There are a few pre-fab 60's style buildings, but they're not too bad.

Birmingham weather gets a lot of stick - yes, it is a little colder than London, but we don't have that little blanket of smog to keep us warm. :P
It does rain a fair bit, but this is England! On the upside we do usually get snow which should prove interesting on drunken nights out!

There's plenty to do in Birmingham too - there's the bull ring and the other shopping centres in the city, and Broad Street for clubbing.

WHere abouts are you from, and what course do you want to do? I might be able to tell youa bit more specifically about the bits you'll see!

Well I am currently studying in West London, and living in North London. And I am hoping to do the BSC Business and Management course at Brum Uni. And also what are the halls like?

Reply 5

scary_mary

1

tennis courts is really nice! herd good things about the other halls as well!

Reply 6

ClosetGinger

1

Brum is fantastic...love it to pieces!

Reply 7

pixiepeep

13

Halls - I live in The Beeches, which is quite a way from the uni itself (train journey or half an hour walk) but it's better than I thought it was going to be. The room's fairly big, and as all the halls here are in a circle it's like a little community.

I've seen Chamberlain, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone (unless you're into baby-sick decor). Shackleton and Elgar are meant to be the best I think. And you wont have to worry about Mason :P It's being knocked down in March/April.

And yes, the Muirhead (mluuuuuuuhhead) tower is revolting, and sadly all but three of my lectures are held in there- I think if we start playing Jenga with it, it might eventually fall down and we'll be rid of it!! Hehe!

And I can't think of any style or fashion that the city centre ("town") doesn't cater for!

Reply 8

davestones

1

interesting fact about the muirhead tower, it's a listed building cos it was built backwards... that is why there is always scaffolding up and the windows are boarded up... circulating air pressures mean that the windows blow in if they are exposed :wink:

Reply 9

Kanwar

Maple Bank is the best!

Reply 10

mojo_magic

the muirhead (mankhead) tower really isnt that baaad....ok im lucky im on a groundfloor lecture room, but the seats are comfy and they have these cool flip down table things...ok im amused easily

only one block of mason is gonna be bulldozed. (tis a shame mason is the best hall :P) hmmm although i cant imagine being anywhere else, ive only heard bad things about chambo and maple skank...ahem....bank...i also dont think id like to be in shackleton (the hotel)....its really clean and nice and....unstudenty...bare walls and such. dont go catered the food is crap whatever anyone says...i made a 3 page complaint the other day and all they did was move the cutlery! Lame.... elgar looks nice although its faaaar away (ish i spose) and ive heard good and bad things re tennis courts.

Reply 11

davestones

1

mojo_magic

the muirhead (mankhead) tower really isnt that baaad....ok im lucky im on a groundfloor lecture room, but the seats are comfy and they have these cool flip down table things...ok im amused easily

only one block of mason is gonna be bulldozed. (tis a shame mason is the best hall :P) hmmm although i cant imagine being anywhere else, ive only heard bad things about chambo and maple skank...ahem....bank...i also dont think id like to be in shackleton (the hotel)....its really clean and nice and....unstudenty...bare walls and such. dont go catered the food is crap whatever anyone says...i made a 3 page complaint the other day and all they did was move the cutlery! Lame.... elgar looks nice although its faaaar away (ish i spose) and ive heard good and bad things re tennis courts.

what happens to the people who are being demolished? i'm aware they pay reduced accommodation fees. do they get provided other student halls of residence, or do they have to find a house to live in by then? seems a bit hassle-y right before exams...

Reply 12

mojo_magic

No idea...No ones too happy about it..but im sure they must provide something...tents?? Maybe its a good thing though. Apparently in S block (the one getting demolished) last night at 4 they had a false fire alarm and due to that the jcr arent allowed to sell us tickets downstairs...we have to go to the guild/tennis courts :mad:

idiots

Reply 13

silence

16

i heard someone say thay they've only paid 2 terms of accommodation and will be moved out to somewhere else (on the vale or tennis courts i think). elgar isn't that far away! compared to mason i guess it seems like it, but we're nearer the tesco at fiveways which is good. it's not to far at all to walk to uni; i can do it in about 15 mins if i walk fast and don't get stuck behind people en route.

Reply 14

ClosetGinger

1

TC is fantastic if you live in the nice (new) ones otherwise it is skank, however the atmosphere is lovely and you really bond with your little block and its all like some big dysfunctional family

Reply 15

scary_mary

1

ClosetGinger

TC is fantastic if you live in the nice (new) ones otherwise it is skank, however the atmosphere is lovely and you really bond with your little block and its all like some big dysfunctional family

TC isnt bad in the older flats either! yeh sure we've had some problems but they're ok! not as nice or as nice or as nice as the new ones but easily liveable!

Reply 16

davestones

1

ClosetGinger

TC is fantastic if you live in the nice (new) ones otherwise it is skank, however the atmosphere is lovely and you really bond with your little block and its all like some big dysfunctional family

nuh uh, tennis courts centre court is the place to be :biggrin:

not new or refurbs, but nice all the same :biggrin:

Reply 17

jossy

1

i'm in hunter court, and although it is in the middle of nowhere....well i say taht it's not exactly the middle of nowhere we're basically in the middle of the bull ring and the uni- and it's not too bad, it's soooo nice, the flats are as big as those at elgar..although not quite as ikeaified....AND because it's so far away, people are just friendly with each other, i know that if i lived on the vale i'd just be with my friends who i knew before brum, this way i've made friends in my halls..!
Maple bank is nice but really really small, couldn't live there cos i like having ppl over! tennis courts is alright, shackleton i didn't like cos it was far too much like a hotel, it was sterile and had no atmosphere plus walking around trying to find my friends flat was like trying to walk around a council estate it was nasty. Elgar was lovely, wouldn't mind staying there! Chamberlain i've only heard bad things about- apparently its' such a fire risk to live on the top floor that ppl pay a reduced rate! mason apparently is revolting, i know ppl moving out of that place sooooo quickly! it just sounds like a nightmare/health hazard! just cos we're students doesn't mean we have to live in absolute hovels!
i've heard that with mason ppl are being put in hotels and stuff, but for the third term they have to find their own accomodation...that sucks!!! but also with all the off campus ones like hunter, the beeches Queens hospital close and manor house, that they're gonna sell them all and build more accomodation on the vale....hunter court is right on Edgebaston cricket ground (the ashes anyone?!?!?!?) and therefore if they want to expand, the uni will get a fair few bob for good old HC which is a shame cos i'm quite attached!!!