UK University Guides

Study in the West Midlands

Study in the West Midlands 

The West Midlands is absolutely bustling with activity. This really is the place to be if you want to enjoy upcoming entertainment venues or, more importantly, study at one of the UK’s top university’s.  Its central location and good travel links also provide easy access to all national and international destinations. What more could you ask for?

The cosmopolitan make up of the West Midlands is the key to its distinctive culture. Here we profile some of the major student towns and cities.

Birmingham...

...is second only to London in size but only became a city in 1889. Birmingham is now the largest professional and financial centre in the UK outside London, employing over 350,000 people across the West Midlands. And did you know Birmingham is said to have more miles of waterway than Venice? The club scene in Birmingham is well established and having two of the top universities in the country means there are loads of good pubs and clubs around. Within a short distance of the metropolis you have the most wonderful countryside. With excellent transport links to the Black Country and all it's history, you will never be short of things to do.

Coventry...

...is a lively, multicultural city, which embraces the old and the new. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Cathedral Quarter, where the modern architecture and ancient ruins of the two Cathedrals dominate cobbled streets with bustling pubs and restaurants.

Coventry has one of the most compact City-centres in the country, and boasts busy shopping centres, a large shopping precinct and a traditional indoor market.

As a focus for entertainment and leisure, the City’s reputation is rapidly on the increase. There is an enormous variety of places to eat, drink, dance and relax, including the £33m Sky Dome complex. This houses a multi-screen cinema; bars and café bars; two nightclubs; and quality restaurants. There is also a 4,000-seat arena a popular concert venue that doubles up as an ice rink.

 Worcester ...

...is a busy modern city. As you would expect from one of Europe's fastest growing cities, there is a lively nightlife with regular student nights and promotional events at many of the city's nightspots.

The student scene in Worcester has really taken off with numerous music festivals and entertainment venues, pubs and clubs, cafes and clothes shops all waiting to be enjoyed.

Worcester boasts all the big names in retail. Crowngate Shopping Centre and the High Street are a shoppers paradise.

The riverside is the perfect place for peace and quiet and the Severn Way Walk, which runs along the River Severn, offers beautiful scenery and wonderful wildlife.

Stafford...

...provides a unique experience for students. The town caters for all tastes, with quaint boutiques hidden away from the main street and a collection of impressive, easily recognised stores in the more popular shopping areas.

There are plenty of bars, pubs and clubs to choose from but if you’re an enthusiast you can groove in Birmingham, Wolverhampton or Manchester and be sure that a late night train on a Friday and Saturday will get you back to base.

Sports enthusiasts will be well taken care of. As well as a fab new Sports Centre on campus, the town has a swimming pool and sports arena. The Superbowl straddles the worlds of sport and entertainment; while the Gatehouse Theatre, Apollo Cinema and bingo hall offer the latter.

Stoke-on-Trent...

...is a city teeming with possibilities. Hanley is the city centre and is where you will find the more lively pubs, bars and clubs. Recently there has been a surge of many new bars, cafes and nightclubs within the city, which has not only created a real central night spot, but ultimately has increased the variety of venues provided.

Whatever you want, Hanley can cater for everyone's personal tastes!

Hanley is a vibrant and exciting shopping and entertainment centre offering all the major high street stores you would expect, through to designer shops and small boutiques.

Festival Park retail and leisure park is packed with things to do:

paintballing

ten-pin bowling

water slides

dry skiing and shopping galore. 

The other main towns are:

1 Wolverhampton (profiled in this issue)

2 Walsall,

3 Dudley,

4 Smethwick and

5 West Bromwich.