10 Reasons to Study in the North West of England

The North West of England has everything you could ever think of: beaches, cities, tourist attractions and some of the best nightlife in the country. Not to mention some of the best UK universities. But don’t let this convince you; here’s 10 reasons you should choose to study for your degree in the North West.

1.  Northerners are friendly

Give yourself half an hour with a Liverpudlian and it’s guaranteed that you’ll know everything there is to know about them, their family and how amazing their city is. The same applies to natives from Lancashire, Cheshire and Manchester too. There’s nothing like a good chat between strangers on public transport around this area.

2.  You’ll most definitely pick up some new words

Aside from the wide range of accents you’ll hear in the North West of England, you’ll most definitely learn a few new phrases. Go to Liverpool and you’ll quickly understand “I’m devoed lad”, whereas head over to Manchester and you’ll most probably be told to “give yer ‘ead a wobble”. Then there’s the never-ending bread roll argument; is it a balm cake, batch, roll, cob, bun or bin lid? Who knows.

3.  Nights out are cheaper

With entry to a club coming in from nothing to £5 (approx. US$7), shots from 80p, spirit mixers from £1.50 and beers from the same price, a night out becomes a rather inexpensive affair, which leaves an awful lot of change for the chicken nuggets and chips to walk home with at 2am, if you haven’t taken advantage of the free toast that quite a lot of clubs offer at leaving time.  If bars are more your thing, the average pint of a price of lager in the North West is £2.75, whereas in London you’re looking at that very same pint being, on average, £3.70 (data from pintprice.com).

4.  You’ll never be alone

The student population in the North West of England is huge, with over 200,000 students spread over eight universities. There are more than 75,000 students in Manchester alone. So it’s guaranteed that there will be a society already created that suits your hobbies to a tee.

5.  Cheese, chips and gravy – a game-changer

It may sound on the unpleasant side of things, but go to any chippie and order a portion and your life and opinions of food will change at the first bite.

6.  We’re not that bad at sport up here

With four Premier League football teams, five Super League rugby teams, the National Cycling Centre, a huge cricket ground and a race course to name but a few, there’s everything for everyone up here. Most student unions have agreements with teams too, so keep an eye out for discount tickets to see some of the sporting stars up here in the North West.

7.  We quite like music too

Heard of Oasis, The Stone Roses, The Smiths or Joy Division? They all started in Manchester; never mind the worldwide phenomenon that is The Beatles, natives of Liverpool. The Warehouse Project in Manchester is one of a number of venues known for hosting amazing DJs, while the region’s many stadiums and arenas host shows by the world’s biggest names across every musical genre. The there’s the festivals, including Liverpool Sound City – a month-long bash that has every bar, arena and warehouse packed with music lovers and bands; the entire city bounces for the summer months.

8.  There’s quite a bit of culture around

From the Roman City of Chester, that’s still got its walls and rowed shops to the tower and three piers in Blackpool, there’s a bit of culture for everyone here. There’s one of the four branches of the famous Tate art galleries, a museum of science and industry and more recently the new Media City in Salford, where the BBC and ITV have many of their film sets and offices. There’s also the Waterfront development in Liverpool and the great theatres in Manchester. There’s so much to do up here that you’ll just have to stay longer than your degree to see it all!

9.  Don’t think the south of England has a monopoly on good food…

Pop up restaurants are appearing on the streets of Liverpool and Manchester on a weekly basis, with some of the best burger and pizza joints in the country being up here in the North West. While you’re here don’t forget to try the classics. A pie in Lancashire, Scouse in Liverpool and Tikka Masala, that originated in Leigh.

10.  It’s easy to visit the rest of the UK – and Europe

If you fancy a weekend away, you can pretty much get everywhere via train from the North West of England; London in just over two hours direct via Virgin Trains, Scotland via Warrington, and you could even hop on the ferry from Liverpool over to Dublin or Belfast for a few days. Also the region is home to Manchester airport, one of the busiest in Europe, so getting somewhere further afield is also as easy as getting your hands on a portion of cheese, chips and gravy! Who’d of thought!