Unfortunately, Ipswich is now well-reknowned for the terrible goings-on from three years ago. However, don't let that put you off visitng this town!
There are two good-sized shopping centres, which hold New Look, Topshop, Warehouse, Boots, Julian Graves and more! They also often have mini-stalls selling customised bags and t-shirts which is great if you want something individual.
The shopping streets are well laid out, two paralell streets which run from one to the other, which makes shopping pretty straightforward.
The nightlife can be a bit varied to be honest. As an East Anglian town it's no surprise to find an abundance of pubs. There is also available an Ollie's cocktail bar, and recently a string of other bars have sprung up near Pals. Now for clubbing this is a different matter. I would highly reccommend NOT visiting the Fire and Ice club, it is empty and quite a dark and dingy club. Liquid however is usually pretty good - great size, and offers a variety of nights, including alternative nights for rockers, cheese nights and ladies nights!
There is also a large Cineworld with a grouping of nice restaurants such as Ask and Nando's. It is a bit of a walk to get there but worth it, and right by Liquid if you want to make a night of it.

Negatives to Ipswich are that you need to keep in mind it is really not up to the 'city' name the council hope to claim to soon. As a university town I would say it doesn't have anything against larger, more well-known cities for student life. However, it depends on what suits you. Ipswich is actually a relatively safe town as long as you stay in the centre. It is well-policed, with good shops and lots of cafes and locally run shops.