York vs Cardiff for Medicine: Accommodation & Social Life?

I'm choosing between York and Cardiff for medicine and not sure most about accommodation and the social scene. Any current students or applicants able to share what it's really like at these unis? 😊

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University of York

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Original post

by Anonymous

Hi there,

Congratulations on your offer to study at York! It's great to hear you're considering putting us as your firm choice ✨

I didn't study medicine at York, but if you have any specific questions about the course, please let me know and I'll try to get some answers for you 🥰

I studied Biology at York from 2018 to 2022, and I truly loved my time there (so much so that I now work at the University!). There were three main things I loved about York:

1. The Campus
Walking around campus really feels like walking in a park, especially during spring and summer when the flowers are all in bloom and the young ducklings and goslings are swimming around the lakes. From a practical point of view, I loved that when I was on campus, I had everything I needed at my fingertips. From study spaces for independent or group work, to places to buy lunch, meet with friends and a shop to pick up any last-minute groceries. Everything is within walking distance.

2. The city of York
The city is only a short bus ride away from campus, or you can walk / cycle there. As I'm from Manchester, I was quite keen to go to a smaller city and escape the hustle and bustle, but still wanted somewhere that had loads to do - York ticks those boxes. It's such a beautiful city, brimming with history, medieval architecture, unique independent cafés, bars and shops, and you can even grab a bite to eat in a shipping container at SPARK! The York Art Gallery is well worth a look too, with lots of different exhibitions going on.

As an undergraduate student, I enjoyed the mix of clubs and bars on offer (Stone Roses bar was always my favourite though!), and never felt I was missing out on a “big city” night out. Another great thing about York, is that one of the University buses runs through the night, so you can get to-and-from your night out by bus, which is kind to your wallet!

3. Safety and community
On the campus and in the city, I always felt safe and comfortable to walk around alone (which isn't something I can say about everywhere in the UK as a young woman). York is the second-safest city in the UK (Get Licensed, 2023), and it feels like it. On campus, we also have the campus safety team to help our students feel safe and deal with any problems.

York is a collegiate university, and our colleges provide another community within the University. They aren't just where you live (if you live on campus), they are a place to go to for support, meet with friends, and attend events. Even now, if I meet a fellow York alum, the first question I ask is “Which college were you part of?”, not “what course did you do?”

I hope this helps! As I said, if you have any specific questions, please ask them 🙂
Hannah 😀

(edited 1 month ago)

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