Newcastle
Obviously when choosing your university, the city it’s in will play a massive part.
I had never actually been to Newcastle before I went for my dentistry interview, and I didn’t really know anything about it, other than how far away it was (I’m from Preston), but now I’ve been here 4 years, I can’t say a bad thing about it.
The thing I love most is the size of Newcastle, it’s got everything a massive city like Manchester or even London has to offer, fantastic shopping, an enormous range of restaurants, the best bars and clubs, yet it’s all conveniently located close by. Seriously, I could walk anywhere I wanted to, partly because the centre is so compact, and partly because the student areas, such as Jesmond, are essentially next to the city centre.
It’s also a staggeringly beautiful city, effectively blending the 19th century architecture of places like ‘Grey Street’, which leads down from the ‘Monument’ in the heart of Newcastle, to the Quayside, a modern and vibrant part of the city with the famous ‘Millennium bridge’ and ‘The Sage’ concert hall just on the other side of the Tyne river.
Plus, public transport is fantastic around here, taxis are so popular and really cheap, there are a plethora of bus routes, and the metro (a scaled down version of London’s tube network) is a fantastic, cheap and safe way to get to the main areas. The local beaches, Tynemouth and Whitley bay, are beautiful places to visit for a day out (the metro can take you there), as well as Durham, only 15 minutes away on the train. Newcastle’s also bike friendly, I cycle everywhere, and my route into University is mainly along cycle paths and through a massive park.
I’ve been here for 4 years now and there are still hidden gems I’ve yet to visit, there is so much to do here, both day and night, you’ll never be bored, there really is something for everyone, and best of all, its cheap!