Erasmus Experience in Birmingham (Aston University), United Kingdom by Oyku

Why did you choose to go to Birmingham, United Kingdom?

I choose to go to Birmingham because of several reasons. First of all, the weather in Birmingham is not as harsh as the overall weather of UK since Birmingham is practically in the middle and away from the sea. Moreover, Birmingham is the second biggest city in England which provides you with better oportunities than most of the cities in England, such as better accommodation deals, having huge events. Also, it has the biggest shopping centre in Europe so you will always be able to find whatever you were looking for. One of the best things about Birmingham is even if it is a very big and important city, it is not as expensive as living in London. If I was living in London, I would have given 4 times the amount I pay for transport and my rent would be at least double its price.

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How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

My scholarship lasts for the term I am in Birmingham. I receive 500 Euros a month and it only covers my rent. But if you are planning on doing Erasmus in UK, be prepared to spend more money than if you were doing Erasmus somewhere else. I have met lots of Erasmus students in UK in the 3 months I was in Birmingham and I never came across a single student whose scholarship was enough so that they did not spend any extra money.

What is the student lifestyle like in Birmingham?

If you mean living on budget and still trying to have fun the student lifestyle then Birmingham is probably one of the best places for it in UK. There are lots of discounts for students in shopping centres, restaurants, cafes and even in some events. There are special parties organized by university societies which can be really cheap (i. e any drink 1 or 2 pounds).

There are also offers for students to help with living arrangements. You can get a tax exemption paper so that you won't pay the tax that is included in the rent. This really saves you a lot of money. I am not sure but I think I would have paid 100 pounds more each month if I had the tax. Moreover, you can get a student travel card for travelling the bus for free for a term. These usually cost around 150 pounds for 3 months. Considering that a bus ticket costs 2. 10 pounds, it will save you a lot of money if you plan on going to uni by bus.

Also, the library of Birmingham is recently renovated. It might be a good place to study or to research.

Overall, you have lots of opportunites as a student in Birmingham.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Birmingham to other students?

I am not in Birmingham University, I am in Aston University. It is also in Birmingham. I would recommend Aston for business students. I am not a business student myself but from what I have heard, it is one of the best business schools in UK.

I would recommend living in Birmingham if you are not so into historical places because Birmingham does not have too many historical places or architecture. Also, as it is in the middle and the second biggest city in England, travelling to other places from here is very easy and cheap. So if you plan to visit a lot of places, Birmingham is the city for you. However, be aware that you will spend more money in Birmingham than if you were living in a small city. But do not forget that as Birmingham is a big city, it makes finding jobs for suitable for students easier.

What is the food like?

There are not many options for food in UK in general. So just get used to the idea of eating the same things again and again. English people love their sandwiches and teas so you have a lot of variety in that area. Typical English foods are fish and chips and pies with any ingredient you can imagine. Both are really good.

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I suggest that you do your own grocery shopping and cook for yourself because if you don't, you may get bored from the food quite fast. But there are also lots of different ready made meals sold in markets which you can eat after heating them up in microwave. So, if you have no idea how to cook or you are just too lazy, you still have great options.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Birmingham?

It was very hard for me to find accommodation in Birmingham. If you are doing Erasmus for only one term, do not even bother to get a room in private student accommodations. I tried every private student accommodation in Birmingham and most of them didn't even respond. But there was one called Sanctuary Students that promised me a room and cancelled 2 weeks before I was supposed to go to Birmingham. So just stay away from student dormitories and go for student house shares. They are cheaper than private halls and offer you more flexibility.

So yes, it did cost me to find my accommodation in Birmingham since I had to come to Birmingham first and stay in a hotel until I found a place. Most of the houses you consider to rent requires a viewing. The landlords will usually want to meet with you before they let you take the room/house. Thus, you have to find a place to stay in while you are there for the viewings. Also, you have to arrange the viewings before you arrive because it will be too late if you try to get viewings just one or two weeks before you would like to move in.

How much does it cost to live in Birmingham?

It all depends on where you are living in and what type of lifestyle you have. If you live a walking distance away from the city and your university, you won't need to pay for any transportation in the city. And on top of that, if you cook for yourself then you will probably spend around 120-160 pounds on grocery shopping each month which is a lot cheaper than eating out. Usually, the parties and drinks over there are cheap so no need to count them in.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

Well, if you are able to read and understand everything that was written on this site then you will be fine. But there is still the accent factor to count in. You may think that the English accent will be challenging for you to understand. It is that way at first but soon, you will get the hang of it. But the problem in Birmingham is not the accent of native English people. I have met more foreign people than I have met English people. I would say 70% of the people I met in Birmingham are foreign and have an obvious accent. It can be really hard to communicate with those people when you have a foreign accent as well.

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And yes, there are language courses available in the university. You can either take them as a part of your study or you can pay for them and it would not be included in your courses.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Birmingham from your city?

The bus is the most economical way to travel to/from Birmingham. It will take you longer than the train and will be less comfortable but it is more affordable. Usually, the cities with just 2 hour drive from Birmingham cost around 4-9 pounds to travel with the bus. Of course, the fairs will get bigger when you want to travel further away.

The most easiest way to travel would be taking the train which goes about everywhere. It is more expensive than the bus but if you plan your journey at least 2 weeks before, you will get a fairly nice price.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Birmingham?

The Broad street is the party place in Birmingham. The whole street has a ton of party venues and it is only 15 minutes walk from the city centre (Bullring or New Street).

Also, tucked into the Broad Street, there is a canal. This canal actually crosses the Broad Street and the canalside is home to the loveliest pubs and restaurants. So if you are looking for a night out with your friends where you can actually here each other, canalside is the perfect place.

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And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Birmingham?

There are a lot of cheap places where you can get baguettes or burgers in Corporation Street. But for a nice place to eat in, I will recommend the forementioned canalside or the small restaurants inside Selfridges in Bullring.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Visiting the Art Museum or going to a concert in Symphony Hall would be really nice. The library also has a stunning view from the roof, you should definitely go there. You can also visit places like Aston Hall which are kind of away from the city.

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Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Birmingham in the future?

Just try to find your accommodation as early as possible or you will end up living very high away from the city with an ostentatious rent. In addition, if you don't want to spend too much money, the most efficient way to be on budget is to cook your own meals.