Most Popular Student Cities in the UK — Birmingham

Hey! Here we have the third interview of the Most Popular Student Cities in the UK Project.

This time, it is Birmingham’s turn. Our contact, Anisha Parmar, Regional Manager at Aston University, shared with us some interesting facts and information in the cosmopolitan and international city of Birmingham, as she describes it.

1. Who are you and what’s your connection to Birmingham?

My name is Anisha Parmar, and I am Regional Manager at Aston University. So you can know a bit more about me, I was born and raised in Birmingham, it’s my home town.

Three years ago I came back to the city, and I have been documenting how Birmingham and its landscape have been changing. Now it is a busy, cosmopolitan and international city.

2. Why is Birmingham considered to be a perfect student city?

Birmingham has a mixture and balance of everything a student would want.

First of all, it is incredibly well connected as it counts with trams, buses, airports, and so on. Students love the fact that it is only 1h 50 minutes away from London.

As you may know, it is the second biggest city in the UK, and thus, an important part of the economy. It attracts a lot of international global companies. Opportunities are looking ahead, students are going to be able to really embrace them, employability is great. Moreover, the cost of living in Birmingham is still very affordable.

Nowadays, Birmingham is a very international student city, it has 120,000 students. There are a lot of activities available for them too: exploring the city and visiting incredible places, finding more about its history, going out with their friends and much more.

And finally, students at Birmingham are very conscious of being proactive with the planet. The city is very eco friendly and we are very proud of it.

3. What’s one hidden attraction that students don’t usually know about?

The Library is a hidden gem, from the outside it looks nice, but it is actually when you go inside when you discover how incredible this building is. There is a fantastic secret garden on the roof. If you go there you will be able to see lovely views of the city.

What’s more, Birmingham counts with other amazing places such as the Canal network, botanical gardens or the aquarium.

4. What’s the best student night out or is there something special for that city party-wise?

Birmingham is generally known for Broad Street. It is an incredibly insane part of the city which has around 30–40 bars and clubs for students.

Apart from this, I would recommend students to try places which are located in other areas such as King’s Heath or Harborne. These are away from the more generic clubs.

5. How would you describe Birmingham with one sentence?

Amazing.