Student Life in the West Midlands
Home to some of the the UK’s most historically and culturally important sites, nine universities and England’s ‘second city’; the West Midlands has plenty to offer students planning on living in the area while they study. The two most renowned universities in the region are the University of Birmingham and the University of Warwick, although institutions in Keele, Coventry, Aston, Staffordshire, Wolverhampton and Worcester are also well respected.
As the area’s biggest city, and England's second largest metropolis, Birmingham sets the scene for most of the social, cultural, media and sports based activities in the region, although Coventry too enjoys a lively student atmosphere.
The two main cultural attractions in the west Midlands area are Warwick Castle, one of the UK’s most famous historical buildings situated by the river Avon in picturesque Warwick, and Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of England’s most famous playwright and poet, William Shakespeare. Attractions in the Stratford-upon-Avon area include the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, home of the Royal Shakespeare company and Henley street, birthplace of Shakespeare.
Warwick castle and Stratford-upon-Avon are the West Midlands' main tourism hot spots, however other popular sites in the region include: Cadbury World in Birmingham, a must for chocolate fans with a factory tour and numerous chocolate-based exhibitions; the Bull Ring in Birmingham, one of the biggest shopping and leisure complexes in the UK; the Cotswolds villages, an official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with of rolling hills and quaint, old-fashioned villages; and Drayton Manor Theme Park in Tamworth, the only site in the UK to offer both a theme park and a zoo on its grounds.
Most social and cultural activity in the West Midlands can be found in Birmingham, as the city offers students hundreds of leisure and entertainment opportunities. For night-time socialising, most students based in and around Birmingham flock to the Broad Street area of the city centre, which hosts many of the city's most popular bars and clubs, and student-specific nights on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Culturally, Birmingham has a lot to offer with numerous cinemas, museums and art galleries around the city centre, while the Symphony Hall, the Alexandra theatre, the Birmingham Hippodrome and the Birmingham Rep provide the setting for many of the city’s theatrical and musical productions. Also near the city centre, the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and National Indoor Arena (NIA) regularly host live music events from some of the world’s top pop artists, while smaller, more intimate gigs can be found at the city’s student union bars. The NEC also offers huge exhibitions year round, including the Good Food Show and the Classic Car Show.
Although not quite as lively as Birmingham, Coventry also provides the West Midlands with a vibrant student scene, with students from both the University of Coventry and the University of Warwick inhabiting the city. As such, bars, clubs, shops, restaurants and live music venues are all in plentiful supply in the city centre.
There are many sports teams based in the West Midlands, providing the area with a number of world-class venues and facilities, including gyms, playing fields and sports centres. As well as the region’s two premiership football teams, Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion, Edgbaston cricket ground is also nearby, regularly hosting Warwickshire County Cricket Club matches as well as national team games.
More northern than southern in terms of living costs, students in the West Midlands area need not worry too much about high rental costs and other basic living expenses during their studies. This said, smaller, touristy towns in the area such as Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon are considered to be fairly expensive places, both to live and visit. Generally however, the university cities themselves tend to be relatively inexpensive places to live and students can typically get by on a modest budget.
The crime rate in the area is also fairly low, with most figures well below national averages. This said, in recent years Birmingham has been criticised for the high volume of gang, knife and gun activity that has affected some areas of the city. Although most gang activity is situated away from the university and student areas of the city, students are still advised to be careful when living in Birmingham, and take extra care regarding their personal safety.
Owing to its central location, the West Midlands area is accessible from most parts of the UK, with numerous north to south and east to west motorways and train lines passing through the region. In terms of major motorways, the area is connected to the north and south by the M5 and M6. There are also a number of A roads that connect cities in the region with each other. Birmingham provides a regional hub for rail services, with the city’s central train stations, New Street and International, offering direct links to Scotland, major cities in the north and south of England and many of Wales’ biggest cities. Birmingham also hosts the region’s biggest airport, offering both internal and international services with connections to destinations worldwide.
