What is the University of Surrey like?

Not trying to put people off but I thought it was absolutely dead, and dropped out after a few months, and am now at the University of Birmingham and am loving life.

Shops - 7 - There are plenty of little shops about with your standard retailers, urban etc. which are in the Friary shopping centre. But the rest of the shops are smaller ones on the high street, which are quite expensive.

Entertainment - 5 - Guildford is a Town, not a city. I can’t stress this enough. There’s an Odeon Cinema (£14 for a student ticket), an ice skating rink and a bowling alley in a sports centre out of town. If you want concerts etc. then you’ll have to go elsewhere (London). However it usually takes well over an hour to get to London by train, and then add on your time travelling within London to get to where you want to be so bear that in mind.

Social Life - 2 - Rubix is the SU club, which in three words can be described as hot, crammed and sweaty. Drinks are cheap and the music is alright, to be honest I quite enjoyed nights out at Rubix. Apart from that, you have a Spoons (can’t go wrong with a spoons), Popworld (no explanation needed) and Bar Thirteen which is expensive but fun. Apart from these all you have are a few pubs dotted around the place. So basically if you’re on a night out, you have a choice of 4 places, all with very similar music, and all absolutely packed, because there’s nowhere else to go. Talking of Popworld, if you see posters for ‘Raves’, they’ll be in Popworld, not my idea of a rave at all. Although to be fair, the societies and clubs are always doing things and occasionally going off to places which are all pretty well organised and are pretty fun.

Lectures - n/a - depends on the course, but all of my faculty staff were on the ball and were more than happy to go out of their way to help me which is really nice.

Accommodation - 5 - Uni accommodation is of good standard although quite pricey. Whatever you do, don’t end up in Hazel Farm unless you’re looking for a retirement home vibe, an hour away by bus and a small costcutter. Also bear in mind that 2nd/3rd year accommodation is limited as there’s a housing crisis in Guildford, it’s also very expensive as a result of this, so I’d advise on sorting out accommodation for next year ASAP and definitely before Christmas.

Sports - 10 - The Sports Park is without a doubt amazing, with lots of sports clubs doing things all the time and their socials on top of that.

People (what kind of cretin would ask for people to rate women and turn them into sexual objects?) - Bear in mind that Guildford is a VERY white, conservative and middle to upper-middle class area, with more private schools than there are postboxes. Whilst the students are mixed in terms of ethnicity, you’ll find lots of people that go to Surrey are from wealthy backgrounds and are looking for a quiet, happy life whilst they knuckle down to get a First. I was none of these things, and have never felt so isolated in my life during my time there. That’s why I ended up in brum, it’s the exact opposite and I love it here. Basically, the type of people that go to a certain uni are the type of people that would be more than happy to have grown up there, as well as see themselves staying there for a few years after.

Safety - 10 - I’m pretty sure I could leave my car unlocked with the keys in the ignition and come back a few years later and it would still be there.

Town Life - For a white, conservative and middle class town it’s a lovely part of the world. Just think about your options, what type of person you are, what type of people you want to meet at uni, and what you want to get up to whilst you’re there. I guess I didn’t think this through properly, and that’s why I ended up dropping out and going to Brum.

To clarify, I’m not trying to be disrespectful to anyone who studies or wishes to study at Surrey. But when I looked around, all I saw was positive things, and it really was too good to be true in my case. But that’s just me, we’re all unique and all we can do is be ourselves. If you’ve read this and like the idea of surrey, then go for it, I’m sure you’ll have a lovely time. But if you want somewhere where there’s lots going on and there’s a mixed student base from a socioeconomic point of view, then maybe think about other places. Just be yourself and take your time, even consider a gap year maybe?