Student Life in London
Students in London are given the unique, often life-changing experience of life in one of the world’s largest, most famous cities. London is the ideal place for students who want to combine their studies with a vibrant and diverse social life; the city offers countless social, leisure, entertainment, cultural, sporting and media-based opportunities. The two main universities in London are King’s College London and University College London which, although not technically universities in their own right (both are constituent colleges of the University of London), still provide over forty thousand students with social and academic opportunity.
In terms of culture and entertainment opportunities, there is no other city in the UK that can rival London in terms of quantity or variety. As the most populated city in Europe, London also receives more tourists each year than any other European city, which makes for a diverse and vibrant atmosphere. Culturally, students living in London are spoilt for choice, especially in the city centre itself. Here, students will find some of the country's most famous tourist attractions including the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square and the Tower of London. Also, the city’s wealth of theatres, art galleries and museums has the potential to keep students entertained for the entirety of their studies, with the Tate Gallery of Modern Art, the British Museum and the West End theatres the most popular sites for cultural activity in central London. Many of the cultural opportunities in the city can be found in the Westminster area, right in the heart of London.
London is a very green city, with numerous spacious parks, most notably Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, which provide great places to escape the sometimes overwhelming atmosphere of the city centre. The parks are very popular among students, especially in the summer months, offering relaxing surroundings, numerous sports fields and, in the case of Hyde park, annual music and arts festivals. Hyde park is also the home of London Zoo, the world’s oldest zoo and home of some of the world’s rarest creatures.
For keen shoppers, London’s Oxford street is the longest shopping street in Europe, offering many high-street outlets as well as independent boutiques, while students with cash to flash might want to take a trip to the Knightsbridge area, home of world famous Harrods department store.
Sports fans can be more than happy in the city, with London boasting 13 league football teams and four rugby union teams as well as two cricket grounds, a hockey stadium, a basketball arena, Wembley stadium, home to various international sporting events, and Wimbledon, home to the world’s most prestigious tennis grand slam event. The city is also due to host the 2012 Olympic games, which has led to a number of redevelopments and the construction of new sports facilities and arenas throughout the city.
In terms of night-life, it is hard to imagine a better facilitated or more diverse city than London for students. There is almost always a club, pub, bar or music venue to suit any taste, with students often spoilt for choice in the evenings. With so much variety on offer, there is no one big student hotspot in the city, with much of the student socialising spread out across the university areas and the city centre. However, because of its large student population, the Camden area of the city offers a very studenty atmosphere at weekends, while more upmarket, and consequently more expensive, clubs and bars can be found in the areas which surround the city centre, such as Soho, Chelsea and Knightsbridge. Other evening entertainment facilities such as cinemas and bowling alleys are also in abundance in the city, while the city’s wealth of famous and varied cafés and restaurants is the envy of many other cities worldwide.
Unfortunately for students, the cost of living in London is much higher than in most other places in the UK and with so much on offer in the city to entice student spending, students have to be extra careful when planning a budget for their studies. Although many leisure and entertainment facilities in the city offer student discounts on admission fees and purchases, students will still need to plan for the high cost of rent, food, transport and other basic expenditures.
The rate of crime in the city is also much higher than other places in the UK, well above national averages. Obviously in a city the size of London, these statistics can be misleading, and there are areas of the city where crime is not much of problem. Nevertheless, there are also areas where crime is a huge problem. Generally, students are urged to be extra careful when living in the city, regardless of where they live: be aware of your personal safety at all times, and be vigilant to property theft.
As the nation’s capital and Europe’s most populated city, transport in and around London could not be much more extensive. As well as being serviced by a number of large train stations, each of which offers direct lines to all major cities in the UK, the city also has great motorway links: getting to and from the city by road or rail could not be easier. There are also a number of airports in and around the city, most notably Heathrow and Luton, which provide both national and international services.
In the city itself, London relies heavily on its public transport system, consisting mainly of buses and the London underground. All areas of the city have access to at least one of these services, and although navigating timetables and routes can be a bit confusing at first, learning the system is vital for students who are looking to move around the city on a regular basis. Tram services are also available in some areas of the city, but these are never as popular as the underground which provides transport for over three million passengers each day. There is a congestion charge for drivers in London city centre, which students with cars need to bear in mind, although students are generally advised not to bring their cars with them to university anyway. With such good public transport links and the high cost of living, there is little need for students to use their cars: underground and bus services often prove to be quicker and cheaper.
