Best student town: Birmingham

Birmingham’s student population is currently at an all time high, with 250,000 of us living, studying, and of course, partying, in student heaven. It also attracts a huge number of tourists, recently coming fourth in the Office for National Statistics’ ‘Top ten UK destinations for international visitors’, beating Liverpool, Oxford and Cambridge, amongst others. So what is it exactly that makes Birmingham such a hot spot?

Nightlife

You can’t talk to students about Birmingham without mentioning the Mecca that is Broad Street. With Oceana and Risa to occupy your Monday and Wednesday nights respectively, every student’s clubbing wishes are officially granted. On top of that, a Flares and a Reflex give you the chance to relive your youth with cheap shots and addictive pop. Broad Street is 600 metres of sheer student satisfaction.

For the more indie-driven of you, Birmingham won’t leave you wanting. The Carling Academy offers Ramshackle, a great club night every Friday, with guest DJs who in the past have included The Ting Tings, Bloc Party, and Editors.And for the more hardcore fans? Air Birmingham is one of only two Godskitchen sites in the UK, showcasing spectacular acts of trance, techno, and drum and bass every Friday and Saturday night. Enough to leave your head pounding for several days and lectures to come.

So whatever your idea of a great night out is, be it a Corky’s shot downed to the rhythm of Greased Lightening, or manically dancing to Rihanna’s Umbrella on a podium, Birmingham can fill the diary of even the most selective students.

Shopping

After wearing your favourite outfit on what turned out to be the best night ever, the next thing to do is buy a new one! Your student loan has to be used for something, and it’s almost impossible to come back from a shopping trip in Birmingham empty-handed. There’s a huge range of stores in the city: from high street favourites like H & M, Gap and River Island, to top-of-the-range designers such as DKNY and Calvin Klein. By way of the student wardrobe staple that is Primark, all budgets (and tastes) are accounted for. The Bullring alone means a fantastic shopping trip, as do the two main high streets - New Street and Corporation Street - but some great shopping can be done a little further out of town. Diesel, Urban Outfitters and Joy all have stores in Birmingham, and it’s sometimes nice to leave the rush of the high street.

But it’s not all clothes. The city centre is full of huge chain stores: Waterstone’s, HMV and Zavvi all allow you to buy those all-important text books, DVDs and albums - educational of course - while 02 and Orange shops help you keep in touch with friends and family back home.

Food and drink

If you need to relieve your arm muscles from the numerous shopping bags you’ve accumulated, Birmingham’s perfect for sitting down with a coffee and watching the world go by. With every coffee-shop chain you can think of, from Starbucks to Pret A Manger, you’ll be spoilt for choice for a light lunch while you plan the rest of your day, or just rest your feet.

For a more substantial evening meal, there are some great restaurants in this jewel of a city. Brindley Place is perfect for sophisticated cuisine in an equally refined setting at parent-friendly prices (perfect for when they‘re moving you in and out of halls), while The Mailbox is great for reasonably-priced but delicious food with a multicultural edge: sushi at Shogun, antipasti at Zizzi, nachos at Red Peppers or, my personal favourite, tapas at Bar Estilo: every taste bud will be satisfied no matter where you choose to book.