Birmingham University - Student View

Birmingham is an ideal city for students, easily accessible, diverse and thriving. Attractive, leafy campus in Edgbaston, some 2 miles from city centre. Excellent academic reputation and usually easy to change course in first term (but depends on tutor). Graduate employment levels exceptional.

Guild of Students (Bugs) is one of best in country, with wide range of services. Opportunities for involvement enormous, with 150+ student groups and standing committees: you can run a show on the student radio station (Burn FM), volunteer in the community with Comac or burn up the dance floors across the country with Twelve-Ten, the clubbing society.

Bugs has excellent advice and representation centre (ARC), giving students access to welfare facilities, academic representation and information about all important aspects of student life; also the Job Zone, visited by thousands of students every term.

Large and successful athletic unions, based at Munrow sports centre on campus; sports teams can use all facilities from the swimming pool to olympic standard hockey pitches.

Wide range of entertainment at Bugs, with 3 bars and nightclub: Joe's is main student bar, recently refurbished; Beorma bar for a more refined and quieter drink; The Underground is nightclub venue, home to the famous Fab'n'Fresh on Saturday nights. 5 club nights a week, local bands, up-and-coming comedians, student-run plays and musicals also in the Guild. First years mostly housed in university's mix of catered and self-catering accommodation.

Rented accommodation in pleasant surroundings in Selly Oak, Selly Park and Harborne. Birmingham is a cultural haven and excellent retail centre.

Redevelopment of world-famous BullRing resulted in Europe's newest shopping capital and development of other shopping complexes in the city planned; exciting mix of high street stores and unique boutiques. Symphony Hall, National Indoor Arena, NEC and revamped Birmingham Academy all within striking distance of usual student residences, so you can catch top chart acts, classical extravaganzas and up-and-coming artists on the city's thriving music scene. Excellent small art gallery on campus, Barber Institute of Fine Art; also city centre has art gallery with one of the finest Pre-Raphaelite collections in Europe, a sealife centre for monsters of the deep and a science museum with a full-size steam train.