Erasmus Experience in Sheffield, United Kingdom by Claudia

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

I chose Sheffield because it has a good location and it would allow me to visit different places and cities from there, such as York and Peak District. In addition, Manchester airport has great connections and cheap prices, so I had the opportunity to travel to some places that, in other case, it would have been much more expensive and less accessible. Also, I heard that the University of Sheffield has a good reputation in terms of Literature, which is what I'm studying, and a great students' union, which is the organisation that manages all types of entertainment, activities and parties in Uni.

Source

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

It was 10 months long and I received 3. 489 euros in total, but the scholarship was not sufficient to cover all costs of living abroad. It covered nearly all the rent of my house, but I needed more for food and going out.

What is the student lifestyle like in Sheffield?

It is really, really good. There are so many activities and parties that I was not able to attend all places. People are very nice and they are always ready to help you, both teachers and staff, as well as students. Organisation in the University is very different from Spain, you will notice it since the first moment. In addition, there are usually several stands giving away free ice cream, posters, pizza, drinks, etc.

Students Union also organises trips every weekend.

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

Of course. Sheffield is not the typical city to visit because of its monuments nor anything like that, but there is always something to do. You will love it just the way it is. You can't be bored if you don't want to.

What is the food like?

Food is not as good as Spanish food but burgers are amazing and there are a lot of Mexican restaurants, really nice too! Also, it is very usual to order food to take away, and there are a lot of places with Just Eat service, so they send you the food to your address quickly and cheap!

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Sheffield?

Yes, to be honest. I paid a deposit for a house but the landlord told me that he couldn't rent the house a month before moving. But luckily I found another house sooner than I thought and me and my former roommates paid the new deposit.

How much does it cost to live in Sheffield?

I paid £325 per month for a house of 4 people. Apart from that, it is better to find cheap supermarkets, such as Aldi and Poundland; Sainsbury's is also good but not as cheap as the previous ones. Drinks in the clubs were cheap, depending on the day of the week (weekends were more expensive than weekdays).

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

In Sheffield the accent is difficult to understand at first because they speak fast and not as correctly as in the south but you will get used to it. Personally, it was really hard for me to understand the first week but I have improved my English after my experience there.

There are plenty of language courses, but if you get involved with native people you won't need it. I went to a German course just to learn more languages.

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

The easiest way: flight from Seville to Manchester and train from Manchester to Sheffield.

The most economical way: flight from Malaga or Faro to Manchester and train from Manchester to Sheffield.

Train station

Never go from Seville to Liverpool because there is a stop in Barcelona and then you need to take a bus from Liverpool airport to the train station, and the train to Sheffield is like 3 hours long.

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

TigerWorks, Players, Area, Viper Rooms and Crystal are the most popular and "cool".

Plug, Corporation and The Leadmill if you like rock, electronic music and less fancy parties.

Bierkeller is a peculiar German club with live music where people dance on the tables and it is really funny but expensive.

In the Students Union there is a party each day of the week; the most popular ones are Roar on Wednesday and PopTarts on Saturday, but there is also Karaoke on Thursday (I think? ) and much more.

La Cubana is also nice if you want to dance reggaeton and salsa!

Revolution is nice for cocktails but it is usually very crowded.

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

Wetherspoons is my favourite (there are four or more in Sheffield), Bar One (they have 2x1 in burgers), Taco Bell, Frog and Parrot, Cosmo (massive buffet), Lucky Fox and Nando's (it is very popular although personally I don't enjoy it very much).

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Not many, but the Botanical Garden is big and nice. You can see squirrels and amazing landscapes in Autumn. Peace Gardens and the City Hall, the Theatre is beautiful inside and Graves Gallery has modern and cool stuff. Weston Park and its museum are nice!

Peace Gardens

Weston Park Museum

The Lyceum Theatre

City Hall and Peace Gardens

Graves Gallery

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

It is usually to be called "love" or "hun" (honey) by someone that you don't know. They are affectionate people.

Go to Meadowhall if you want to spend your day shopping. You have to take a bus to get there but it is massive!

You will have to face a lot of hills so prepare yourself for that. It is normal to be freezing and get to your class sweating because of the hills.

The library is amazing, especially the Diamond, nothing like Spanish libraries. Wake up early if you want to find a seat, though.

If you need to buy a train ticket, it is better to buy it in advance. But, although Trainline is the most popular web, do not use it, because you have to pay a commission. Instead, use Crosscountry, Transpennine Express or National Rail.

Visit the Christmas market! it is beautiful and there's a lot of tasty food.

Don't go to Glasgow on a day trip! you will spend more than 10 hours in a bus and you will have very limited time to visit the city. My experience was exhausting.

Go to Circle Festival on September.

Travel if you have the opportunity and you will see how big and different is the world!

Apart from that, enjoy! You will love Sheffield.