My experience in Manchester after 9 months living here

Hello, everyone! I am just coming to the end of my Erasmus exchange, and, after 9 months, I think the time has arrived for me to give my opinions and advice about my Erasmus destination (Manchester), which could be very useful for your future stay here.

To begin, the most important thing, at least in my opinion, is finding accommodation. Manchester has quite a lot of variety in terms of student residences and shared housing. Obviously, residences are usually more expensive, but, at the same time, they are in a better location and have more mod cons. I am going to tell you a little more about my situation. I signed a contract for a residence from September to July 15th because it was the shortest one that they offered. My rent is £103 a week - you have to bear in mind that it is paid weekly here, unlike in Spain where we pay monthly. But, in any case, my residence offers lots of different room types. Personally, I have a medium-sized room, and I share a bathroom and kitchen with 3 other people. Internet, water and electricity are included in the rent price. My residence has a games room with a snooker table and ping pong, a terrace and a gym. You can come and go at whatever time you want, although this is pretty common of all student halls in the UK. Finally, my residence is located between the centre of Manchester and the universities, which is great for both going to class as well as going for a walk in the city centre.

Now, I want to talk to you a bit about my university destination. I could choose between MMU (Manchester Metropolitan University) and UOM (University of Manchester). In the end, I chose the University of Manchester after having read a little bit about them both. I wanted to take full advantage of my Erasmus exchange academically because it seems like a waste of a year going somewhere where you aren't going to do anything, or where your classes aren't going to help you with your degree studies. To this day, after having finished my classes for the year and only having one more exam to complete, I am very happy with the choice that I made. I have had the opportunity to take some incredible modules that they don't have in Seville, nor in any other Spanish university I imagine. I have used some totally new study methods, ones that are much more effective than the ones that I already knew. Also, I have met some truly professional academics, ones that make you excited to wake up and go to class in the morning. Obviously, it hasn't all been great because, during the exam season, I haven't been going out very much because the university is very demanding academically, but anyway, if you want something you have to work for it. You cannot forget how beautiful the campus is at the University of Manchester, which would also liven up your day.

With regards to Manchester itself, the climate is pretty average, although you get used to it quickly - well, at least this was what happened in my case. It rains a bit, but it's not normally drizzle. Nobody really carries an umbrella around with them, so the majority choose to wear a coat with a hood, and this is normally sufficient. It's also usually quite cold; this isn't Spain, after all, where there are three really cold days a year (speaking from my own personal experience in the south). In Manchester, a normal winter's day will see temperatures sit at around 2 or 3 degrees Celsius.

If we are talking about food, I can tell you that Manchester has an infinite places that you can eat out at: restaurants, bars and coffee shops that don't currently exist in Spain and that you are going to love (mainly if you like fast food). The places that I am definitely going to miss are: Nando's (Portuguese food), I recommend the chicken wings and garlic bread; Archie's (American style burgers, shakes and waffles that are to die for); Vapiano (Italian restaurant where you they make the food right in front of you and whose pasta is the best that I've eaten in my life); and, Domino's Pizza (I know that we have it in Spain, but it's nowhere near as good as it is here). Apart from fast food, Manchester has restaurants with cuisine from lots of different places. For example, in Chinatown, there are a thousand and one places with different Chinese and Japanese food. On the Curry Mile, there are endless Indian restaurants. And, in the city centre, you have the typical range of places: Italian, American, English, etc. If I have only given food 3 stars, it's for the fact that the quality of the produce itself, compared with that of Spain, is not even half as good (fruit, vegetables, meat, etc. ).

Finally, I am going to talk you a little bit about a Manc night out. My favourite nights out are the ones when Erasmus parties are being held, as the clubs have several floors and one of them is always dedicated to Spanish and Latin music. The events are held in a different place each time and they let you know through Facebook. After, if you want to try going to a typical English club, the best ones are ARK and Tiger Tiger. There, you won't find any Spanish people (if that's what you are looking for), unlike the Erasmus-populated clubs that are always full of both Spanish and Latin people alike. Also, ARK is located on Deansgate, a street full of English clubs, so if there are a lot of people in one, you can always go to the next one. Manchester is a city with a really lively atmosphere, irrespective of whether it's a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, the clubs are always full of people. Normally, club entry in Manchester costs £5 or £10.

If you like the sound of Manchester University for yourself, maybe there's another British university you'd like too! Here's a link to the top 10 universities in the UK.