I am a few months away from finishing off my third year at Salford and there are quite a few things I will miss being a student here…

1- Living in a city

So I originally came from the outskirts of Chester (near the border of Wales) so I was so used to living in a small town and having to travel to get into the nearby cities like Chester or Liverpool. I knew how busy cities could get, but I never knew the full extent until I lived in one myself, especially living on my own for the first time in my life. Manchester is just down the road from Salford, and has been great for me through the last three years as a place to hang out with my friends or go on a day out. I feel like I have enjoyed being around the city life more than I thought I would!

You can find some inspiration on how to explore the city for free (ideal for students!) here.

Photo of a train going on the runway in the city center

2- The campus

I have spent the majority of my three years on Peel Park Campus, which has been the hotspot for most of my course; that’s something I will really miss. I really love nature and I have absolutely loved having a park right by where I go to classes. I have so many memories from around campus and so many good memories with friends and classmates that I will always remember being on campus. A lot of those memories for me revolve around being with friends in the library, being at Atmosphere (our bar and kitchen at the SU) having lunch or taking part in events around Chapman Square. I feel like the campus is one of the main parts of what makes Salford such a desirable place to study.

3- The atmosphere

Manchester has been a place where I’ve not only grown in age but also grown as a person. Living on your own is hard and is a very big change from what you would normally do living with parents. A really big part of living alone is giving yourself an atmosphere that makes you both comfortable and happy. Manchester in general has a really amazing atmosphere, being so inclusive and colourful has really opened up my eyes about who I am as a person. Manchester has been the perfect place to help me start off on a journey in my 20’s and discover what I want to do.

4-My favourite food spots

I am a really big foodie at heart and throughout my time here, I’ve started to find some of my favourite spots to go and eat in Manchester (and I sadly won’t be able to go to them as frequently after a few months!). Quite a few of these are in Manchester, including around China Town (Wuzuzhi) and in the Arndale (Slim Chickens!). I will definitely be coming back up to visit to get some food!

5- My friends

Throughout my time living away from home, I have always had my friends- the people I’ve met studying here and the people I always turn to whenever anything happens. I can safely say I have found some of the best people through my time living in Salford. When things got tough, we supported each other and I will always be grateful for them all. I’ll miss living close to them and being able to just go out whenever we feel like it. I will miss the lectures, the lunchtime chats, games night, getting fast-food at 1am, hugging on the sofa and laughing until my stomach hurt on the floor of our kitchen.

If you’re also finishing at University of Salford soon (like me), you should check out our post all about things to do before you leave, and it also gives some handy tips on alumni perks you can get involved with! Read the full post here.