Student Life in the East of England
Offering beautiful rural scenery and one of the world’s most distinguished universities, the University of Cambridge, the East of England offers students a laid back and culturally rich environment to enhance their studies. As well as the University of Cambridge, other major universities in the area include the University of East Anglia and the University of Essex, both of which are popular with students and highly respected in academic circles. Consequently, most student activity in the East of England region is situated in Cambridge, Norwich, home of the University of East Anglia, and Colchester, home of the University of Essex, with Norwich and Cambridge providing the liveliest, albeit very different, student scenes.
Because of its rural landscape much of the cultural and leisure activities in the East of England involve outdoor pursuits, with the some of the country's oldest and most spectacular architecture, picturesque gardens and coastal scenery on offer here. Fairlands park in Stevenage and Weald Country park in Brentwood are the region’s best loved parks, while the Fitzwilliam museum in Cambridge and Chelmsford cathedral in Chelmsford are its most visited buildings. Other popular sites in the East of England include the Pleasure Beach at Great Yarmouth, Colchester Zoo in Colchester and Whipsnade wild animal park in South Bedfordshire. In terms of culture, the university-owned art galleries in Cambridge and the Castle Museum in Colchester are the East’s biggest attractions, although many other museums, theatres and arts galleries are found throughout the region. Students living in Cambridge or Norwich also have access to great city shopping complexes, which, as well as shops, offer plenty in terms of leisure facilities, including cafés and cinemas. The East of England also benefits from great rail and road services to London, which itself provides students with thousands of cultural, sporting, media and social opportunities.
Despite having the region’s largest student population, Cambridge has a relatively laid back social scene, with most socialising happening away from the city in the university college buildings. However, the city does boast a number of bars and clubs that are popular with local students. Away from the college buildings, Cambridge’s main attraction is its natural and historical beauty; the city boasts green surroundings and a number of architecturally spectacular buildings. The two university-owned art galleries and the city’s Great St. Mary’s church are Cambridge’s biggest cultural attractions, while the media and sports facilities at the university are as good as you will find at any UK university.
With a more active and vibrant social scene, Norwich offers students in the East of England a wide range of bars, clubs and live music venues, all of which are enthusiastically attended by Norwich students. The ‘Tombland’ area of the city is particularly popular with students, offering many bars, clubs and restaurants that cater specifically to the region’s young population. Colchester also offers students a lively social scene, with a city centre home to numerous student clubs and bars, many of which feature live music and sets from some of the world’s top DJs.
Although less expensive than some other regions of the UK, the cost of living in the East of England is still pretty expensive. For many this is not too much of a problem because bars, clubs, shops and restaurants in the area offer student discounts on purchases and admissions, but students still need to be cautious when planning a budget for their studies.
Happily for the student population, the crime rates in the East of England are well below national averages, making the East the second lowest area of crime in the UK. This said, the biggest 'problem' area is Norwich, which is home to many students in the region. Crime rates involving violence and theft in the Norwich area are especially high, even when compared to other UK cities of a similar size and population, so students need to be extra vigilant about their safety when living in the city.
The public transport system in the East of England connects all its main university towns and cities with rail and road services; Norwich is the main rail hub for the region. Because of its location, access to and from the East is not as easy as with some other areas of the UK, but with direct train lines to London and major cities in the north, including Manchester and Birmingham, students living in the area should be able to get where they need to go without too much trouble.
