Liverpool, a great city to study and have fun! (University of Liverpool in general)

Member Name: powsucks

Product:	University of Liverpool in general
Date:	19/08/09 (89 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great facilities, friendly staff, good nightlife and friendly atmosphere.

Disadvantages: The weather can be pretty dreadful!

I am currently studying BA Geography at the University of Liverpool, having recently completed my first year i am currently enjoying the summer break before the real work begins during the second year!
Full university status was achieved in 1903 and has since grew in popularity and established itself as a first class university. There are currently over 20,000 people studying at the University of Liverpool, 16,800 of which are undergraduates whilst the remaining 3,800 positions are filled by postgraduates. The main campus is situated close to the city center and dominates much of the surrounding area, a map is available if you visit the University of Liverpool website; http://www.liv.ac.uk/
First year student typically live in halls, there are two to choose from, Greeenbank and Carnatic. I personally opted for the latter and was pleased i did, my room was large and equipped with everything i needed. Yes, the first night or so you feel as though you are in a prison but that feeling soon vanishes once you plaster the bare walls with posters and photographs. I lived in Dale which mean just one major downside, no showers! Instead you share a bath with your next door neighbor, which in actual fact is a fairly good deal. I personally would choose that over a communal shower, and besides a £5 shower adaptor is suffice and easy to get accustomed to. The food situation is fairly clear, catered accommodation is the more popular option and therefore places are abundant. I am personally glad i opted for a catered position, but be warned the food is hit and miss. In October at the beginning of the academic year i was initially, really impressed, we were spoilt on a daily basis by the dinner ladies, who were outdoing themselves! Unfortunately, things soon changed, it soon became clear they had blown their budget early on so the food standards subsequently flopped, much like an unsuccessful soufflé. Luckly each corridor is provided with a basic kitchen, containing a sink, fridge-freezer, 2 microwaves, 2 kettles and utensils suck as cutlery. Our corridor also clubbed together to buy a grill machine which is really useful!
As for Greenbank i was not overly impressed, although it is newer when compared to Carnatic, i did not enjoy the atmosphere there nor did i like the rooms. this may have something to do with the rivalry between the two halls however! There is even a facebook group entitled, "I'd rather live in Baghdad than Greenbank"
Both halls have a number of facilities, including a Bar (which is a good place to meet people early on in the year) washing room, games room and sporting facilities. Carnatic has a full size Snooker table, Table Tennis tables, Tennis courts and squash courts on site. I used the Squash courts regularly because they are located within a 2 minute walk from Dale hall.
The teaching itself is predominantly completed by PhD students in the form of Lectures, there are some Seminars but i personally did not complete many, five in the whole year in fact. The Seminars are extremely close and really allow you to gain a good understanding of the subject at hand, I would like to see more which, from what i understand occurs in the second year. The lectures are impersonal affairs which simply get the job done, they are however on the whole extremely interesting and well taught. In addition to this every student is part of a tutor group, usually groups of 5-10 they are headed by a Phd student. Students are offered advice and encouraged to develop skills such as essay writing techniques and presentations abilities. The work from these sessions contributes towards the final years grade which i found to be a good incentive to work hard during this time.
The nightlife is an important factor for any University location, it was one of top reason why i chose Liverpool, I came with high expectations and i wasn't disappointed. Freshers week is a week of pure madness, the university organise a themed night, for every night of the week! These range from School Disco to Roller disco and anything in between! It's a great way to socialise and get to know the people you'll be living with for the following year.
Once freshers week has been and gone, you can now explore what the city really has to offer. There are a huge number of bars a clubs to choose from, offering just about anything you could possible want on a night out. I personally tend to visit clubs such as Barfly, Django's Riff and The Magnet, these all offer live music most nights, playing anything from Jazz, Indie, Heavy Metal, drum and Bass and Dubstep. I love the variation and it's a nice change from the usual cheesy clubs such as Vodka Revolutions or Heebie Jeebies.
Nights out are also cheep, there are frequent student nights of which offer cheep drinks, 2 for 1 etc There is also a bar called 'The Razz' which charges £1.50 entry, then all pints cost 70p. This is only for student, so you must show your student ID when entering.
Liverpool city center during the day time is a lovely place to either relax or shop, it was voted European Capital of Culture in 2008, this bought lots of regeneration work to the city, which was, in my opinion desperately required. Liverpool One is a new shopping centre, completed in May 2008 it has totally revamped the center or Liverpool. Aesthetically it is stunning, the modern design really suits the surrounding area as well as the ethos currently surrounding Liverpool.
Addressing the preconceived image many people still hold when considering Liverpool, of which i was guilty of before i visited. I changed my opinion within 2 days of experiencing the city for what it can offer a young student such as myself. Yes, there are some scallys who choose to cause trouble, and yes sun beds do seem to be extremely popular! However, this only extends as far as the minority, on the whole the people of Liverpool are extremely kind and well natured.
To conclude, the University of Liverpool is a great place to study, the facilities are brilliant, especially the Libraries which are fabulous! The city has a wonderful vibe which other cities can not match in my opinion. If you are considering studying in Liverpool i would advise you to take a trip to see for yourself what a great time you'll have!

Summary: Liverpool is a great place to study and enjoy yourself!