Birmingham University

You'll rarely find an unbiased account of a university - especially not from someone who has actually studied there - and this will undoubtedly be no exception as your 'alma mater' always has a place in your heart. However, I am going to attempt to weigh up the good and bad of the University of Birmingham to give prospective students a really well-informed idea of what it's like to be a student there. I'm sure there's already plenty of information on here, but I'm planning on avoiding reading it until after I've written this as I was an untainted picture of my life as a Birmingham student.

It's relatively difficult to get into Birmingham to study one of the more classic university subjects as their standards are quite high, but this isn't the case on all courses, and they do have a great range of courses of study. I first saw the university campus on a visit there, before I decided it would be my first choice on the UCAS form. It was a beautiful sunny day and it impressed me immediately. With picturesque redbrick buildings and green areas all round campus, I felt at home right away and could really see myself spending time there. And I was lucky enough to get a place. Here are my thoughts on student life - in my own rather long-winded style!! I hope you find them helpful.

Location

Birmingham
The thought of living in Birmingham itself gave rise to mixed feelings for me; on the one hand I had heard some negative comments about the city itself, but on the other hand for me, it was the perfect location - far enough away from home for me to be independent, but near enough for me to see my family and friends at weekends. In reality, if you want to live near a busy, thriving city, but retain the feeling of studying at a campus university, Birmingham could be the choice for you!

It's a surprising city. A smaller city centre than you would imagine, with a great choice of shops, including the stylish Bullring shopping centre that was recently built there. High street stores not being my cup of tea, there were also a small selection of alternative clothing stores that met my needs, but there's a great range and you won't be disappointed if you go there to shop. If you walk up New Street you'll find Victoria Square, one of the most attractive areas of the city, and beyond that Brindley Place, a classy area by the canal with a number of more high class (and high price!) bars and restaurants. There's also Broad Street, a long stretch of pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants, great for student nights in the week although I wouldn't advise going there at weekends as there has been known to be some trouble in the area.

As far as eating and drinking in the city goes, you're spoilt for choice, from fast food through to upmarket eateries and bistros. There's a good variety of pubs, including (supposedly) the longest bar in the country at the Square Peg, a branch of Wetherspoons on Corporation Street. Favourites of mine included Scruffy Murphy's (a rock music pub), The Briar Rose (good food and drink at reasonable prices) and Bacchus, a gothic/middle ages-style bar with breath-taking décor - a little higher in price than the previous two.

For food, try Chez Jules (New Street) - exquisite yet hearty French cuisine, and don't forget that Birmingham is the balti capital of the UK - you get some really cracking curries here so don't be afraid to give them a go!

Selly Oak
Once you've moved out of halls in your first year, you'll need to find somewhere to live. The panic to find a rented property begins right after the Christmas break, a little early considering you will only have known your new friends for a couple of months, but if you want to live in one of the more popular student areas this is unfortunately the way it is. I have chosen to focus on Selly Oak because I lived there for the second and third year of my degree - the majority of University of Birmingham students do the same, although some move further afield to Edgbaston, Bearwood and other areas. Medical students often move to Harborne as it is near to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital - even if you don't live here it's worth a visit, for the classic 'Harborne run' - apparently a 14-stop pub crawl (we could only find nine!) and also it's a very pleasant area.

So to Selly Oak - consisting mainly of a number of main streets off of the A38 which runs past the university, if you live in the lower numbers of these streets your walk into uni in the morning will be just 10 minutes or so - further up the street make sure you leave 20-30!! There are a long string of shops catering for most needs, fast food restaurants (try Kebabland!) and pubs, including two Yellow Card establishments - the specialist student pubs with great food and a good selection of booze, music and pool. There is also the more wine bar-esque 'Soak'. There is a Tesco Express garage at one end of Selly Oak for late night munchies and petrol for those students rich enough to own a car! There are plenty of curry houses - Dilshad was my favourite, and for baguettes and paninis at lunchtime try the Mud Café.

It's a great place to live - you can't walk to the shops without bumping into someone you know, and there's a real feeling of student community. There are locals also living in the area and there is a history of conflict between them and the student population, but this has never been too much of a problem from a student's point of view. If you are a Selly Oak resident - we're sorry!

Campus

As I mentioned above, Birmingham really does have a beautiful campus. It's extensive and takes a little while to find your way round, but once you do you'll feel as if you belong there right away. The buildings are impressive, from the clock tower, Old Joe, that forms the central landmark of the university that can be seen from quite a distance, to the semi-circlular shape of the Great Hall where you will graduate at the end of your time at Birmingham. Here are some of the more important landmarks:

Library
The library is an impressive building, fronted by a large number of steps and fairly formidable as a first year student. It contains well over a million titles (actually that was when I was there - so it'll be a lot more now!) and despite appearances, it's not too difficult to navigate your way around once you get the hang of it. There are lots of different work areas, and although some might argue that certain areas are in need of updating, I found it quite comforting to travel up to one of the higher floors and tuck myself away in a private desk to study/sleep. There are plenty of computer terminals and areas where you can work in larger groups. It's a very good library overall, so you may as well get acquainted as soon as you can - you will need it at some point, even if it doesn't feel like it in your first couple of weeks!

Guild of Students
Now for the piece de resistance! Of course as a prospective student all you really want to know about is what goes on at the student's union, as you will be hoping to spend quite some time there. And you won't be disappointed - Birmingham's is huge. Called the Guild of Students, it is set around a quadrangle which overflows with merry students in the summer months. You can eat, drink, shop, get a job, book a holiday, join a society and quite a bit more in Birmingham's Guild building. Although not as sophisticated in design or layout as some unions I have been to, it's just perfect for a good night out, with relatively cheap drinks prices, extremely cheesy music and plenty of room to dance. Don't expect anything particularly flashy or different, and don't expect any live music - one thing that I found disappointing when I went there. They do have the occasional DJs or dance acts but nothing more than that.

Upstairs you'll find Joe's, the biggest and most popular bar, equally good for a relaxing pint during the day or a mad night out. This bar hosts karaoke nights, pool tournaments and is the main attraction on a Friday and Saturday night. Downstairs used to be called Berlins - I believe it's undergone a facelift since I was there which is a shame - it was a dark, dingy room usually used for Wednesday and Thursday nights, and felt more like real student venue than the more wine bar-esque Joe's. There's also another small bar upstairs, and a large hall used for university theatre and dance productions as well as for some of the more high profile acts that the university books for big events.

Halls of Residence
I thought I would write a section on these as if you're a prospective student you'll want to know what the first year accommodation is like. I can't say that I'm up to date with the latest developments as the halls of residence were ever-changing, but here are some of your options.

The Vale is an area in Edgbaston, about ten minutes walk away from the university, where a large proportion of the student accommodation is situated. Set around a pretty green area with a lake at its centre, Mason, Chamberlain and Shackleton halls can be found - these are all catered accommodations. Also Maple Bank and Tennis Courts, self-catering flats, are in this area. I stayed in Mason Hall, arguably the biggest and most popular hall when I was there, and I can't deny I had a great year there. The Freshers events were excellent, and the summer ball was an all day and all night experience that was unforgettable. The food was okay, and the accommodation was fine too - like it really matters!! Halls are for finding friends, bonding, and sleeping after a good night out.

Newer developments include Victoria Halls, mainly aimed at postgradruate and international students, and Jarratt Hall, both self-catering flats with what I understand to be a slightly higher class of accommodation than the old Vale developments, although I would argue for the Vale every time - laying on the grass in the summer doing revision is a whole lot nicer than laying in a courtyard!!

Sport
From elite athletes to those with just a passing interest in sport, I can safely say Birmingham is a fantastic option for the sporting amongst you. It is generally viewed as one of the top sporting universities in the country in both achievement and the programme of sports available, topped only by its arch rival, Loughborough.

I went to university very interested in getting involved in the sporting side of things, but having lapsed in both fitness and participation in the previous couple of years was sceptical about how involved I would be able to get. It was easy. There are sessions in the first few weeks of term for students to try any sport they like, from fencing to football to martial arts to snowboarding, and the atmosphere is always friendly and welcoming. Having never rowed before in my life, but having had my interest stirred after the Sydney Olympics, I was taught to row and subsequently joined a crew and achieved many wins and successes with a fantastic club. It is one of my fondest memories of my time at Birmingham. I also took part in women's cricket, and mixed netball. The choices are endless.

The competitive nature of Birmingham University enables better sportsmen and women to compete in many events if they so choose, or just try something new for fun. The sporting ethos is such that if you choose to, sport can infiltrate every part of your university life, such is the sporting background of this university. Oh, and the social side is great too, although if you are joining the hockey or rugby clubs, beware the initiation rituals - they are not for the weak of stomach or the easily embarrassed!

Basically, if you fancy trying something - go for it. Rarely will you get the opportunity, and what's more, the activities come at a very cheap price, if not for free!

Nightlife
As I mentioned about, the Guild is great for a night out almost any night of the week. There's a general trend among students that first years tend to go out more to student nights in town, and older years tend to stick closer to the Guild, because at that stage most people have more solid friendship groups and make a habit of meeting there. Of course this is not always the case, and there are countless student nights that take place all around Birmingham for you to try. It's unwise of me to recommend any particular nights as they change on a regular basis, at least once a year if not every term, but rest assured if you want a good night out you will never be left wanting, whether you like cheesy 80's music, dance, rock, indie, drum and bass, R'n'B - you name it, Birmingham has it, somewhere. My advice is to take part in as many activities as possible in Freshers' week, and these nearly always include coach trips to different clubs and bars - they're a great way to get to know people and in addition to that, you're likely to discover which places you like, for next time.

One piece of advice that I have to give is to go to CARNAGE - this is one tradition I can never see dying out at Birmingham and as far as I'm aware it's still running. It's organised by Carnival, the charity rag week group, and involves a series of bars, a novelty t-shirt, some marker pens, and a lot of mess. Legendary is the only word to describe it, but a word of warning - it's the hottest ticket at the university so get there early!!

Opportunities
Whatever your interest, there's likely to be a society, group or club that caters for it at the university. And if there isn't, the Guild has a budget for new societies, so you could set one up yourself!! If your interests lie in volunteering, politics, debating, or if you're an international student, there are plenty of groups to cater for you. Get yourself down to the Guild during Freshers' week and find out what is on offer.

If you need a job, there's a student jobshop in the Guild which can help with part time work to raise that all-important beer money. There are also a large number of positions available in the Guild itself - you could work in the bar, one of the shops, or the Box Office as I did myself. It's another great way to make friends as well as providing some spare cash, and the hours are obviously very flexible.

The Future
Of course when you're choosing a university to go to, first on your list of priorities probably isn't 'what will I do afterwards?' apart from perhaps knowing roughly which career path you might wish to head down. If you don't even know that much, there's a careers advice centre and plenty of graduate job fairs and advice always available.

As far as the University of Birmingham goes, it's a highly respected university and having a degree from there will stand you in good stead throughout your life. As far as remaining in the city goes, that's obviously down to you. I found that after leaving university there was not a lot to keep me in the area. I stayed a couple of years and am now happily settled in Newcastle upon Tyne, but it completely depends on your situation, for example many careers are available in the area and house prices are not unreasonable, and if you have friends staying in the area you may have no desire to leave. Also, many students, regardless of where they go, decide that going out into the real world is just not for them, and decide to continue their education. In Birmingham this is a very viable option as they have a wide range of postgraduate courses, and it's such a great place to study many find it hard to leave behind.

Whatever you choose to do, good luck!! I guarantee if Birmingham is your choice, you won't be disappointed.

NB If you are interested in the BA English course at Birmingham, please see my review of the course, also on Ciao for some advice and information!