University of Sheffield 3rd year student - My experience living in Sheffield

Hi Everyone!

My name is Ellie and I am a 3rd year English Language and Linguistics student. I am writing this post as I know that a lot of students are making their firm and insurance University choices, and a big part of making that decision is dependent not only on the University, but the city itself. In my experience, Sheffield is very student-centred; it is a vibrant city home to a huge variety of student-friendly shops, bars, clubs and restaurants, and also hosts several festivals throughout the year, such as Tramlines and the Sheffield Doc/Fest. The cafes here are also great, so if you're a coffee lover like me you'll definitely find your favourite spot. Most of these places are incredibly student-centred, and offer great discounts and a lovely place to sit and study or catch up with friends.

The nightlife here in Sheffield is also well-known, and the vast number of pubs, bars and clubs have music, food and drink to suit all tastes. My personal favourite has to be an Irish bar called Molly Malones - they host a music bingo night every Thursday and it's so fun to get involved in! A common worry I think a lot of students have surrounds how safe the city feels. A popular place that most students tend to go on a night out is West Street, which is a street lined from end to end with a variety of bars, restaurants, pubs, and other venues, and each one of these places will have a bouncer/security outside. As you walk down the street, it really does feel incredibly safe which is understandably such an important factor to consider when moving to a new city. The University of Sheffield also has an app called SafeZone, allowing students to alert campus security if there is ever an issue. More information about this app can be found here: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/security/safezone .

Although Sheffield is a big city, the Peak District is only a short bus/train ride away, and the city itself has a vast number of green spaces. Trees outnumber people 4 to 1 here, and you can really tell as you walk around. I think my favourite green space has to be Weston Park; in the summer a lot of students tend to sit on the grass and have picnics while they study or chill out (when the sun does decide to come out!). In the winter, the city also has a fantastic Christmas market where you can find a variety of independent sellers, alongside some great food and drink!

This link to the Sheffield city tour video should provide you with even more information about the city, and you can also visit the webpage for even more details and may help to answer any questions you have about the city.

If you have any other questions about the city life, or about the University in general, then please do feel free to ask! Best of luck to everyone sitting mocks/exams soon too! :smile: