nottingham trent - great for creativity as well as other things (Nottingham Trent University in general)

Member Name: shopaholicleo

Product:	Nottingham Trent University in general
Date:	11/09/08 (590 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great course, library, shops, nightlife and transport

Disadvantages: far from home, that's about it

I'm just about to go into my second year here, and I can't wait. I chose Trent because it had the creative course that I wanted, and the city seemed nice, with trams reminding me of nearby Croydon. I hadn't heard about it's reputation for gun crime or anything else really until I'd confirmed my place, and even then I wasn't totally put off. Sure, my halls were near a gun shop but it wasn't really aimed at the general public, and there was Aldi and a masive shop called Dunelm Mill round the corner.

I'd heard negative stories, but luckily nothing happened to me mainly by being sensible. I wouldn't talk to random people. I would be careful with ipods and things, maybe change the headphones over, but i'd say this anywhere really. Wouldn't advise walking around past 10 really but thats just a precaution. Taxis are quite cheap so I'd recommend using them on a night out, especially if there's more of you.

Now enough about safety, the uni is the important part. Being a Fashion student, I've only seen a part of it, which is the airy and modern Bonnington building. There is a nice litle cafe, with a handy little shop to stock up on sketchbooks or pins. Most bits are cheaper than Smiths, but it is always good to shop around. The facilities are great, as the building has only been open a few years, and there is an atrium area where you can put on fashion shows, do some work or just catch up with friends.

The only other parts I've really been to, are the library, Chaucer late corner shop and SU. The library is huge, with about four floors and they have a great selection of books, plus you can search for books and reserve them online from the comfort of your own bed. There is an area that's open 24 hours, so you can technically still do your essay the night before a deadline if your computer crashes. There's wireless access and plenty of study areas, even study rooms which can be booked if you need to work on a presentation with friends. It's got everything you need really, places where you can watch videos/DVDs (programmes related to relevant courses are often recorded) and access expensive trend prediction magazines and even past dissertations if you need help building up your bibliography.

There are also numerous places to eat around uni, I've mentioned the Bonington cafe, but there is also the legendary Bocca sandwich shop. A sausage sarnie is only £1.50, and you can get various baguettes for little more. At the bottom of the SU, you can get a fry up or burger and chips for £1.99 and at the Glo Bar there are also decent lunch deals and drinks offers. There is also another Cafe inside the Chaucer building and loads of nearby pubs such as Varsity, Horn in Hand and a Wagamamas (which is never tired of taking out many 2for1 vouchers). So basically, you won'y go hungry in this town.

Nottingham is also great for shopping. Many places do a student discount, such as Topshop, French Connection and Peacocks and there are other high street names destined to take a huge chunk out of your student loans. The shops are also quite a decent size, the New Look is bigger than my nearby Bromley one and nicely set out, and H&M has plenty of the ranges you'll have seen in flagship stores. There are also lots of independent boutiques and vintage shops such as Ark, Cow, Pink and Lilly situated in the Lace Market. Plus it's easy to get around since the tram will take you from the Uni, then to the shops and on to the train station.

Nightlife is also great here, with student nights at Oceana, Ocean, The Market bar and Stealth. The drinks are cheap and everyone has a great time. Trent students also love to dress up, so it's good to bring anything remotely suitable for fancy dress, as you'll save money later on. Carnage is a great night to go on, a pub crawl which starts at Revolution and ends in Ocean. Everyone buys a t-shirt, which is your entry to the club and customises it to the max to suit the theme. Anything from pimps and tarts to schoolgirls to beach babes, it's up to you to interpret it as much as you want. I've had some great nights out here, and there is always somewhere a new bar or night out to discover, which I shall do all in the name of research.

Nottingham is also near lots of other great places such as Alton Towers, and there is also a forest, which I haven't yet been to but i hear it's a great day out if your family come to visit. It's home to the oldest pub ever, Ye Olde Jerusalem which is full of history (a great reason to visit) and caves to explore. It's also not far from Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham so handy if you have friends at these unis or if you want to visit a mate's hometown. The is also a massive fair called the 'Goose Fair' with loads of stalls and rides and excellent fireworks displays in November.

Well I hope you've enjoyed my review of Trent and it's surroundings. If I go to anywhere else decent, I'll pop it in here or if anyone who reads this has any ideas or suggestions, I'd love to read them.

Summary: you won't regret it