City uni’s

I’ve lived in a very rural place all my life (15-20 minute drive to nearest town, that town is super small too) I’ve visited cities for a couple days at a time but the thought of living in an unfamiliar city for 3 or 4 years with new people is really putting me off of some uni’s, any advice or thoughts would be so appreciated. <3

Reply 1

DataVenia

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by Toby.img

I’ve lived in a very rural place all my life (15-20 minute drive to nearest town, that town is super small too) I’ve visited cities for a couple days at a time but the thought of living in an unfamiliar city for 3 or 4 years with new people is really putting me off of some uni’s, any advice or thoughts would be so appreciated. <3

It sounds like you might prefer campus unis. I suggest you go to a few open days at different uni types and see what you like.

Reply 2

Kingston Reps

Official Rep

15

Original post by Toby.img

I’ve lived in a very rural place all my life (15-20 minute drive to nearest town, that town is super small too) I’ve visited cities for a couple days at a time but the thought of living in an unfamiliar city for 3 or 4 years with new people is really putting me off of some uni’s, any advice or thoughts would be so appreciated. <3

Hey @Toby.img!

Following on from what DataVenia said above, I think what's important here is to decide what you want out of a university. If you want to attend a city university and think it would be a good step out of your comfort zone, that's great - but if you would prefer to attend a more relaxed campus university (where all the university owned buildings are situated in one location instead of spread out across the town/city), that's perfectly fine as well. A list of campus universities can be found here: https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/advice/preparing-for-university/list-of-campus-unis-in-the-uk

I ended up choosing Kingston specifically because I felt it was a good mix between campus-focused and city-focused: central London was only thirty or so minutes away by train, but the area still felt it had its own sense of community and its own high street. What I would recommend is trying to attend open days/applicant experience days for any city universities you might be interested in: this way, you can have a look around the area and get an idea of where you'd be spending most of your time.

And whilst three or four years does seem like a long period of time before you start university, you'll be surprised how quickly it flies by once you've settled in that first week or two! 😁

Eve (Kingston Rep).

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 3

Chester Student

Official Rep

12

Original post by Toby.img

I’ve lived in a very rural place all my life (15-20 minute drive to nearest town, that town is super small too) I’ve visited cities for a couple days at a time but the thought of living in an unfamiliar city for 3 or 4 years with new people is really putting me off of some uni’s, any advice or thoughts would be so appreciated. <3

Hi there,

As it has been said, it may interest you to look into campus universities. I'd recommend finding a few universities you like (both city and campus) and going to their open days to find out what you like better.

I liked Chester when I first visited because the campus felt smaller (although, we do have a few other campus buildings around the city) but also had the city so close by. It is a smaller city, so I didn't feel like I was thrown in the deep end after coming from small villages my whole life!

While many people feel the same, I wouldn't be put off any university because it's unfamiliar - I'm sure many of them are. There are so many ways to make friends in that first week, and plenty of time to get familiar with the campus, city, and your surroundings. The time really does fly by too, so once you get settled, you might not want it to end!

Again, you never truly know if you'd like it if you don't go check it out for yourself, so I'd definitely recommend attending open days at universities that interest you.

I hope this helps and best of luck,

Isabella
Third-year Geography with a Year Abroad Student

Reply 4

WolvesRep2

Official Rep

6

Original post by Toby.img

I’ve lived in a very rural place all my life (15-20 minute drive to nearest town, that town is super small too) I’ve visited cities for a couple days at a time but the thought of living in an unfamiliar city for 3 or 4 years with new people is really putting me off of some uni’s, any advice or thoughts would be so appreciated. <3

Hi @Toby.img,

I was the same as you before I went to university, I lived in a small village which took about 10 mins drive to get anywhere so I understand how moving to a big city can seem scary. However, I moved to a university which was in a city and loved it. I found there was so many things to do in walking distance, which I couldn't do before because of living in a small village and having to drive everywhere.

I did attend a university which was a campus university which I preferred because everywhere I needed to go for lecturers and seminars was all in the same place which helped with the transition moving to a big city/ somewhere new. But I was still able to walk into the centre and have everything I needed like shops, restaurants and things to do which gave me the best of both worlds.

Here at University of Wolverhampton we have multiple campuses and we are located in a city, so it has everything you need without feeling massive and overwhelming. We have lots of public transport which can take you to other near by cities and towns like Birmingham, Shrewsbury, Telford and Walsall so there is plenty to do outside of studying. I would recommend keep attending open days for different universities till you find not only a course you like but somewhere you would be comfortable living too, I found it useful talking to students which attend the university on these open days as they will be able to tell you what living in the area is really like.

Hope this helps🙂
Louise - University of Wolverhampton rep.

Reply 5

UniversityOfSunderland

Official Rep

14

Original post by Toby.img

I’ve lived in a very rural place all my life (15-20 minute drive to nearest town, that town is super small too) I’ve visited cities for a couple days at a time but the thought of living in an unfamiliar city for 3 or 4 years with new people is really putting me off of some uni’s, any advice or thoughts would be so appreciated. <3

Have you looked into smaller cities that have campuses? Moving to a city that still has a friendly town - like feel to it is definitely achievable and allows you to have the best of both worlds. A good thing to remember is that everyone in first year is new and feels the same way about moving but once you get into a routine and start meeting people you soon feel settled. As a few others have mentioned it's certainly worth looking into other factors that you want out of uni too- look into employability rates for your chosen course, the support on offer, if you're eligible for any funding etc. Attending on-campus events such as open days will also help you get a feel for different campuses and the area around them

Sunderland is located within the county of Tyne and Wear, in the North East of England. Providing the perfect fusion of city and seaside living, it's a fantastic part of the country and a great choice for somewhere to live and study. Nestled by the River Wear's mouth to the North Sea, Sunderland's population of around 175,000 strengthens our reputation as a small and friendly city, but you'll also be just a stone's throw from Newcastle upon Tyne and Durham.

Reply 6

UCLan Student

Official Rep

16

Hey,

I'm Haya and I'm a final year medical student.

It's normal to feel anxious about the move but you may find it refreshing to change locales! Being near or within the city grants you so many opportunities, not to mention how there are so many things to do within walking distance. You can also looking into a campus university, where seminars and lectures would be held within close vicinity of one another with the luxury of shops and such not too far away.
Personally I grew up in a big city and ended up moving to Preston for my accommodation and it definitely took some time getting adjusted to a town-like experience but the little things like the barista remembering my order as I walk through the doors of the cafe was nice, not to mention that bigger cities like Manchester and Liverpool are close by, which means I can experience the city life whenever I wanted to.

Best of luck!
Haya-MBBS V

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