Chances are that if you’re reading this article, you’ll have made the decision to study in Sheffield and, rest assured, you’ve made a great decision.
When looking for a place to live and study, aside from the quality of the course, a major factor is the quality of life in your chosen university city.
No matter what you’re looking for, you’re sure to find it in Sheffield. Despite being renowned for its industrial heritage, Sheffield is the greenest city in the UK, boasting over 80 public parks, as well as the Peak District on its doorstep.
Not to mention, Sheffield also has great nightlife with a range of lively pubs, bars and nightclubs to suit all tastes. From indie music or comedy nights at The Leadmill, raves at Hope Works to student-filled Pop Tarts at the Students’ Union.
The city has an immense sporting pedigree and has recently been coined ‘the home of football’. It is home to two well-established names in English football; Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United. The city also contains the Crucible Theatre, which hosts the world snooker championship.
For these reasons and many more, you’re not alone in making the decision to study in the Steel City. Sheffield has a student population of 60,000, around a tenth of the overall population, making it one of the largest student cities in the country.
The Students’ Union is at the heart of student life in Sheffield and has been ranked the number one Student Union in the country for the last fourteen years.
The SU offers over 350 societies and sports clubs and a number of outlets where you can relax and catch up with friends.
For Magda Käppler, an international student studying international and European law, the Students’ Union helped her settle into life in Sheffield.
She said: “During freshers week you can get to know how the SU works and it helps to unite students from around the world.
“You can also apply to get a mentor who helps you during your first year which is a really good thing if you’re intimidated by the first year of uni, which obviously many international students are.
“In my two years in Sheffield I could always count on help from the SU, the university or the people I have met here.”
Another major factor that makes Sheffield a great student city is that it is more affordable than other large cities across the UK.
In 2022, the Natwest Student Living Index ranked Sheffield the 3rd most affordable student city in the UK.
For Magda this was one of the biggest appeals of studying in Sheffield. She said: “The other great thing about Sheffield is the fact that you can find many places to live for reasonable prices.
“I’d say Sheffield is definitely more affordable for international students in comparison to other English universities”
Alongside being an affordable city, Sheffield has plenty of job opportunities for students to find part-time employment to help fund their studies.
Emily Pollock, a recent journalism graduate, said: “The Students’ Union is great. I really enjoyed working there and enjoying what it has to offer from Coffee Revolution to the Foundry nightclub.
“They have a huge range of societies and it’s easy to meet people who share the same interests and passions as you.”
The University of Sheffield alone has students from over 120 countries, making it a diverse and multicultural student body.
The large and multicultural student population contributes to a vibrant city and means you’ll always be bumping into other students and finding those who share the same interests.
Emily said: “One of the best things about Sheffield is the community feel that it has.”
“As soon as I moved to Sheffield everyone was so welcoming and friendly and I felt at home straight away.
“Also, everything is within walking distance, you only have to walk a few minutes down the road to get to university, to go to your friend’s houses or to explore the city centre.”
This is undoubtedly one of the most important benefits of studying in Sheffield. The majority of student accommodation is within walking distance of the city centre.
Sheffield is different to many universities in that it is a city university and for Sean Emery, an MA history student, this was one of the main differences of studying in Sheffield.
He said: “Having a split campus has probably been the biggest difference, allowing me to explore the city of Sheffield more while going to university.”
All in all, the steel city, or the green city, is very much a student city.
