Experience in London, United Kingdom by niamh

What is it like to live in London? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

london is a massive city, each area is very different and unique but is well connected with the underground system.its full of galleries, museums, different shopping areas depending on you, oxford street full of high street brands, camden market for the quirky clothes and harrods and dover street market for those who prefer the more designer style. theres plenty of cinemas and parks and days out aswell as cool clubs and bars to try out.

What is the student lifestyle like in London?

it's fairly expensive, travelling costs a lot so it works out cheaper to buy travel passes depending how often you will be riding the tube or they do a student oyster card which will save you some money. there are loads of different options for nights out, it probably works out best to see where they do student nights as it will work out much cheaper, especially if you look on facebook and get free entry on guestlist! depending on your style of a night out depends on where yougo, there are lots of clubs to choose from sread out accross all the different areas of london from zones 1-6. obviously the mian well known ones are more central based but its probably best to plan your night in advance to save costs. most of the big galleries and museums are free for days out unless there are special exhibitions on but they normally have tickets priced cheaper for students if you have a student card, all in all theres lots to do to keep you busy and its so big that youre always exploring somewhere new.

How much does it cost to live in London?

as someone whoe lives in southwest london, zone 6 i am currently spending £125-135 per week, roughly £500 a month plus around £40 for bills however thats zone 6, the closer you get to central london the price increases much more, student accomodation could be up to £700 a month or a bit more plus bills. some areas (i.e Chelsea/kensington) will be increasingly more as that is considered the more wealthier part. normally however, if you're in a univeristy zone theres usually student based accomodation which will be a bit more affordable but just be prepared to do a lot of reasearch and spend quite a bit of money.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in London? Is there any advice you can give?

it's not difficult to find somewhere, londn always has rooms to rent but it's probably best to go into a house share so it works out cheaper but as mentioned previoulsy, it's gonna cost you and you need to do research to make sure youre getting the best deal

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

london has SO many food places everywhere ranging from street food to fancy restaraunts or cute qurirky cafes. camden market is well known for its large market and tasty street food as well as cereal cafes. if your willing to splash the cash and go a bit fancy check out a place called sketch in mayfair for fancy afternoon tea in an adorable pink velvet room. it's also filled with mcdonalds and subways for those who just want to catch a quick bite to eat of fast food.

What places would you recommend visiting in London?

my favourite places are oxford street for the main high street big brand shops, camden maket for the quirky finds and street food, hyde park is beautiful to visit on a sunny day as well as Kew Gardens. richmond is also a nice area to sit on the riverside and have a few drinks. soho is also a fun area, filled with bars and nightlife and fabric shops and chelsea/knightsbridge area is definitley worth a visit just to walk around the beautiful streets and have a look in harrods, especially at christmas time!

Is it good to eat out in London? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

as mentioned before there are lots of places to eat for vrying price ranges to suit everyone. maybe have a look on instagram and find out were some cool spots are,thats what i usually do to get inspiration for cute cafe outings

Is the nightlife good in London? Where is good to go?

depending on what youre into depends on where to go, shoreditch is for th hipster type people and the home of the well known club XOYO which is quite elctro techno, check it out on facebook for wht events they do! it is fairly expensive though. theres also soho, home of Heaven nightlclub and G-A-Y for those of you who are lgbt. i've also visited Bussey building a few times which is like a warehouse club in Peckham, they are home of the soul train nights aswell as raves, check them out on facebook too to get an idea of what different events they put on. theres also clubs like ministry of sound and tiger tiger for the more mainstream vibes and lightbox is a cool club found in vauxhall for those into their techno beats

What advice would you give future students heading to London?

be prepared to spend money, london is not a cheap city, but there are always ways to save your penny's, check nights out on facebook and online, student nights often have free guestlist entry online or at least cheaper student price tickets, plan your travelling so you know which travel pass best suits you. when looking for somewhere to stay its best to houseshare but have fun and go exploring its full of fun stuff to do and you'll never be bored so enjoy it!