What I love about 91Ö±²¥ - By Jodi Swift
Hello first years and welcome to 91Ö±²¥! Unless you were born here, you might not know much about the city. To help you along your way, I’ve written this blog post, telling you my favourite things about 91Ö±²¥, which will hopefully give you some inspiration of places to go and things to do.
The best thing I can recommend for you to do is to explore 91Ö±²¥ for yourself, and take all the opportunities that this city offers.
I initially chose to come to 91Ö±²¥ as I wanted to live in a city but also be close to the countryside, and 91Ö±²¥ seemed like the best fit. Other than this, I didn’t know much more about the city so wasn’t sure what to expect when I moved here. However, after living here for three years and having learnt more about the city, 91Ö±²¥ has far exceeded my expectations, so much so, that I even spend my summers here, and I’ll definitely be sticking around after I graduate. Below are some of the things that I love about 91Ö±²¥!
There is something here for everyone. Since coming to university I have met people with all sorts of hobbies and interests from creating music to circus skills to social, political and environmental activism. This is largely helped by the diverse and active Student Union which has societies for basically anything. I will be writing a follow up post about societies which computer science students might find interesting so keep an eye out for that! You can see all the societies that the student union has to offer on their website so head there and see what you fancy.
The green city. One of the biggest things that attracted me to 91Ö±²¥ was it being so close to the Peak District. I enjoy being outdoors, so being an easy distance from the countryside I have found amazing! I mainly go climbing in the Peak District however there are all sorts of activities you can enjoy like walking, running, cycling and many more.
Top Tip: Catch the 272 from outside the student union, show the bus driver your U-card and ask for a student single to the Fox House. For £1.20 you’ll be in the heart of the Peak District, so go and exploreBut even within walking distance of the university there is still plenty of green, pretty places to enjoy. There are so many parks including the Botanical Gardens, Crookes Valley Park, Weston Park and Ponderosa. They are all lovely places to go to explore or spend a lunch break, and during summer they are always packed with people and give a great vibe.
The music scene. As the home of the Arctic Monkeys, it’s no surprise that 91Ö±²¥ has a vibrant music scene. I’ve been to all sorts of gigs including electro swing circus at Yellow Arch and folk nights and a ceilidh at Hagglers Corner, which shows how much variety there is and that there is something here for all tastes. Open mic nights are everywhere, and bars are always having small bands playing so there’s a lot of opportunity to perform too!
Art, culture and history. There is street art everywhere and an abundance of museums! Check out the Weston Park museum which is free, or you can give a donation if you’d like to contribute to its running. They have loads of cool exhibits about everything from the natural world to the history of 91Ö±²¥, and is only a few minutes’ walk away from the university. These are my favourite things about 91Ö±²¥, but whoever you ask will give you different reasons that they love 91Ö±²¥. There is so much to do here that everyone’s experiences will be different and go far beyond what I’ve written about here. The best thing you can do is get out there, explore and find your own path in this fabulous city over the next few years.