The Student Room Group

Lancaster or leeds? PhD with family

Thank you
(edited 7 months ago)
Reply 1
Hi, I’m international students and plan to study PhD in economics and bring my family along (3 kids without other dependent) because my husband can’t take his unpaid leave or even resign from his jobs. I got an offer from Lancaster and Leeds. Could you please help me to decide?
My concern would be:
1. The access to buy anything
2. Accomodation
3. Safety
4. Family activities

no idea about lancaster, but i’m going to leeds and from what i’ve learnt and seen, leeds is a family friendly city, although there are a lot of students as there are five unis and it is known for its alcohol, nightlife and drugs. that being said, leeds is the third biggest city in england so there’s plenty to do and it is in the north so housing and living expenses should be cheaper than the south, say london, bristol or bath. safety wise, it’s as as safe as a big city can be, there are obv risks, but not quite as much as london and crime rates are avg. a lot of this info i learnt on yt and google so i recommend doing a thorough research before deciding as this is only my perspective and i am y13 and never lived there, only visited. best of luck
Hi, I’m international students and plan to study PhD in economics and bring my family along (3 kids without other dependent) because my husband can’t take his unpaid leave or even resign from his jobs. I got an offer from Lancaster and Leeds. Could you please help me to decide?
My concern would be:
1. The access to buy anything
2. Accomodation
3. Safety
4. Family activities

Hi,
Glad to hear you're considering Lancaster!

I'm a third-year undergraduate and in my experience Lancaster has felt like a very safe and friendly city. I come from a really rural location so I was nervous to be moving to a city but Lancaster is quite small and has never felt too overwhelming. With two universities there's a large student population so the city is really vibrant. There's plenty of green spaces to explore such as Williamson park (where there is also a butterfly house/mini zoo), the canal and the River Lune, and you are really close to the Lake District for day trips by bus or train. Campus itself also feels very safe, it's very well lit and the main thoroughfares are normally busy, and there are always security and other support services available.

In terms of shopping, Lancaster has a lot of supermarkets (Sainsbury's, Aldi, Lidl, Asda etc.) around the city, and there are retail parks at the edges with a wider range of department stores. The town centre has a range of independent shops, cafes and restaurants. There's also escape rooms, a historic castle and activities like climbing and bowling available in either Lancaster or nearby Morecambe, which also has a trampoline park and a cycle route along the seafront.

I don't have any experience with postgraduate family accommodation myself but there's a page with information and contact details on at https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/accommodation/families/.

Hope this helps,
Becky (Lancaster University student ambassador)
Hi, I’m international students and plan to study PhD in economics and bring my family along (3 kids without other dependent) because my husband can’t take his unpaid leave or even resign from his jobs. I got an offer from Lancaster and Leeds. Could you please help me to decide?
My concern would be:
1. The access to buy anything
2. Accomodation
3. Safety
4. Family activities

Hi, if you have access to The Sunday Times, the Home section yesterday
led on why Leeds suburbs are so popular with millennials ( good schools included) in postcodes LS28 LS16 eg., LS13 and LS25
Some will be quite far from the city centre, though, so important to check train stations or bus routes.
There are lots of galleries, museums and outdoor activities for children.
Libraries, independent shops and café culture for you, too.
Comparing the PhD supervisors at both institutions would be vital. Good luck.
(edited 10 months ago)
Reply 4
Hi, I’m international students and plan to study PhD in economics and bring my family along (3 kids without other dependent) because my husband can’t take his unpaid leave or even resign from his jobs. I got an offer from Lancaster and Leeds. Could you please help me to decide?
My concern would be:
1. The access to buy anything
2. Accomodation
3. Safety
4. Family activities
I know that Lancaster uni has like a pre school place, and i also saw a park on campus as well. https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/about-us/our-campus/family-friendly-lancaster/# perhaps these might help?

https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/accommodation/families/

You have three bedroomflats https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/accommodation/families/three-bedroom-flats/
and two beds
https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/accommodation/families/two-bedroom-flats/

My daughter is in 4th year and her first year she felt very safe. There is security around and its well lit. Access to buy you can order on line from Asda, but can get the bus to sainsburys and aldi. Poundland has some cheap buys if you want bowls, tea towels, cooking accessories etc.
(edited 10 months ago)
Reply 5
Hi, I’m international students and plan to study PhD in economics and bring my family along (3 kids without other dependent) because my husband can’t take his unpaid leave or even resign from his jobs. I got an offer from Lancaster and Leeds. Could you please help me to decide?
My concern would be:
1. The access to buy anything
2. Accomodation
3. Safety
4. Family activities

Leeds by miles. The university is a highly respected russell group, there are shops all around and good transport connection links. There’s lots to do in and around leeds, from farms to parks. It is as safe as a city gets if you stay in the right areas. My family is from just south of leeds in Wakefield area, they have never had any bad encounters, nor when they lived in the city itself. There are lots of quaint towns and villages around too as well as the Yorkshire Dales and Moors to the north. There are some beautiful and interesting sights.

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