Erasmus Experience in Sheffield, United Kingdom by Emma

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

I wanted to improve my level of English, and I have always loved England. The large cities don't appeal to me, yet I didn't want to live in a small town, and Sheffield seems like a good option. Plus, it's close to lots of important cities.

Sheffield is close to many important cities

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How long did you stay for? How much money did you receive as help?

8 months, I received 3000 euros, but this didn't even cover half of my rent.

How is student life in Sheffield?

Great, there are two universities in the city and there's basically more students than adults. Also there's a lot of cultural diversity, as there are loads of international students, and there are hundreds of societies that you can be a part of regardless of what you like doing, and you can meet new people through them. And in general, everything is very student-friendly.

The University of Sheffield

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Sheffield Hallam University

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

Definitely. I don't regret going there at all. Although if you're a fan of huge cities, Sheffield may be a bit small, but it has so much to do you will not get bored.

How is the country's food?

There's not much traditional food, apart from fish and chips, Sunday roast and a few others. Also, fruit, vegetables and meat are pricey, as is England in general. The best restaurants are honestly the Indian and Chinese places... if you want a burger it's worth eating out; they're cheap and delicious.

Sunday roast in a pub in Sheffield

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Was it hard to find accommodation in Sheffield?

No, it's said that there are more houses than students. I found accommodation online and I'm very happy with it, but it's simply down to luck. There are also loads of student residences, although they are a bit more expensive. If you come for six months, you'll find it more difficult to find accommodation, and in general the houses come with a 10 to 12 month contract.

A student residence

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How much does it cost to live in Sheffield?

About 400 euros a month for accommodation and as for what you spend here, it depends a lot on what trips and plans you make, but in general 150/200 minimum. Overall, it is expensive. You have to come mentally prepared and with some savings.

How is the language? Did you take a language course at the university?

Personally I didn't have problems with it, but it's true that the northern accent is harder to understand than the southern one.

I didn't attend any sort of language course although I did go to the English-Spanish tandems.

What's the cheapest way of getting to Sheffield from your city?

By plane from Malaga to Manchester, and a train from there, which costs between 23 and 26 pounds, it's much cheaper if you buy it in advance.

What places would you recommend for a night out in Sheffield?

The Students' Union organises good events. I recommend Pop Tarts (retro music, Saturdays), Tuesday Club (house music, Tuesdays), and the parties in Climax (LGBT, once a month).

Pop Tarts

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Tuesday Club

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Corporation

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Also, I recommend Corporation, a decent place which hosts parties where you have to come in school uniform fancy dress.

Paris is also good and I like it quite a lot.

What about eating out in Sheffield? Can you tell us your favourite places?

The Swim Inn: they have great hamburgers for 5 pounds. There's also cheap places like Taco Bell, pizzerias like Pizza Express or restaurants like Nando's.

Taco Bell Sheffield

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What about for a cultural visit?

In the city itself there's not much to see, I guess the cathedral is the most important thing, aside from monuments like the City and Town Halls.

Near to Sheffield is Chattsworth House; it's worth visiting if you can find a good discount. The Peak District is stunning, it's a natural park, so I don't know if it counts as a cultural visit!

Peak District

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Do you have any advice you'd like to give to students coming to Sheffield in the future?

Come to Sheffield, enjoy the experience and join in with some societies if you would like to get to know native students.