By Saad Khawaja
Flying away thousands of miles from my home country to stud
y abroad seemed pretty nerve wrecking, but Sheffield as a city not only helped me overcome all my fears and distress, but it grew to be my home. Sheffield is considered as one of the most friendliest, safest and cheapest City’s in England. Living costs are 10% lower than the UK national average! To back it up by facts, Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2015 resulted in it being first for social life and community atmosphere!
The greenery throughout the City is breathtaking! Sheffield is known to be the greenest city in the UK, from the City Centre that has the Winter Garden, being the largest temperate Gla
ss house in Europe all the way up to Peak District National park. Peak District is a stunning country side, with many magnificent sceneries all over the National Park. The best part, its only 10 minutes away from the City!
If you like shopping, Sheffield city centre has plenty of stores, with diverse brands that fulfil all your shopping needs. However, if you have trouble finding any store, just take a tram to Meadowhall Shopping Centre, that’s not more than 10 minutes away from the City Centre. Meadowhall is one of the UK’s largest Malls, with around 300 stores, that surely satisfy all your shopping preferences.
In relation to living, there’s a wide range of student accommodations present around the University. After their first year, students usually tend to live around the Broomhill and Crooksmore area, that are within 10 minutes on average from the University. In addition to that, the rent is quite cheap, which as a student I find quite feasible. Being a hilly city, some houses up on the hills have gorgeous views of Sheffield. There’s nothing better than just relaxing next to
your window and looking at the scenery after a long day. However, if someone is looking for apartments, there’s a wide range of them available in the City Centre, within 10-15 minutes from the University, at very affordable prices!
People looking for some good music are surely in the right city. Sheffield’s Tram Lines Festival is Sheffield’s own 3 day music festival, which is not only attended by thousands of people, but is really cheap compared to other huge music festivals! A variety of musical genres and being cheap are what students are normally looking for! Sheffield is quite famous for its student night-life as well. Some clubs and pubs have been present for decades, and are well known all over the UK!
It seemed pretty scary moving so far away from my home, but Sheffield as a City has surely been a blessing! Being low in cost, friendly, a student city with two universities, and relatively small but with all the amenities you need, Sheffield is an ideal city for students and I’m glad I chose it.