Move from Liverpool to study in London?

Question

I've lived in Liverpool all my life and although i love it here i've decided to move away for university next year. I want to go somewhere similar to here, by which i mean quite cultural, busy, good night life etc.

I'm considering London but it's so massive i wouldn't know where to start. I want to study Journalism or Media, and i'm looking for a uni that will accept average grades (but a good one... not a dunce uni!) because i know i'm not gonna leave college with all A's.

Anyway, i'm just really at a loss about where to study. I'm also worried about the cost of living down south, i barely scrape through up here!

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Answer 1

I was in the same situation but from Leeds (sound a bit like Trevor!) I know what you mean when you grow up in a great city, London is the only option. Other northern cities may be cool but I'd say definitely make the move. I had a fab time in London and met some great, down to earth people from all over the country and all over the world. I went to Middlesex Uni in North London. It's very multicultural and definitely not snobby! The teaching was great and the tutors were always around to help etc.

Lots of my friends did media and journalism courses there and theres loads of stuff in that department like publishing and creative writing etc.

The cost of living is higher than other places. First year I was in halls paying about 50 a week but second and third year shared a flat and and was paying about 80 quid a week (2 years ago.) I got a bar job to help out with the money and with the student loan (which is a higher rate for London) I was fine.

I really miss London, sometimes more than Leeds (I work abroad now) but reckon if I move back, London's the place.
Good luck!

Answer 2

I guess I was in a similar situation to yourself although it was Leeds I'd always lived in. At 18 I moved to London and I didn't like the place at all. Many people are too wrapped up in themselves and if you asked them the time of day or for directions they'd ignore you or look at you funny. I found a lot of people (not all) to be quite arrogant, unfriendly and selfish. I've been to every city and large town in the UK and London would come bottom of my list of places to live. Fantastic to visit but not nice to live there.

You'll find that Newcastle, Glasgow, Sheffield and Leeds are quite comparable to Liverpool. By and large they're all friendly places to live and have good night life, Newcastle has an excellent reputation for nightlife although it's many years since I was there myself.

Another thing I found living in London is that many people tend to steroetype people - they consider all Glaswegians to be violent drunks, all Liverpudlians to be theives, Mancunians to be drug addicts etc. Within a week I think you'd be bored senseless of jokes about cars up on bricks.

London is an expensive place to live and although you may get into halls in the first year you might then have to rent a place and that could cost a small fortune, it may not even be that near to your uni. Rentals are expensive whereever you are but much more so in London.

Answer 3

Can't help you with the uni bit but there are lots of very very poor areas in London and consequently low cost supermarkets and street markets. It is not as expensive as people perceive it too be. Rent is about £400 to £500 pounds month or less if you don't mind a bedsit.

Answer 4

I am moving to London too.. daunting isn't it.

You might want to ask your local student bodies about schools in London, I can't really help there since I am new too... But I have done some massive searching on places to stay, do let me know if you need help or are looking for a room/flatmate. [e-mail]

Cheers!

Answer 5

somewhere similar to liverpool?
let me think ... beirut? baghdad?