Where to Eat

Without a doubt the greatest concentration of eateries is in the Rusholme area of the city (according to its official website it is the biggest concentration of Asian restaurants in the whole of the UK, attracting over 65,000 diners a week), which is a short walk from Oxford road, where the University of Manchester and MMU have their main campuses. Rusholme mainly has Asian restaurants, offering great offers on curries and kebabs etc. Most of these restaurants also have an English menu, so they will serve the usual fish and chips, pizzas etc. From my experience there is a big difference in quality depending on which restaurant you go to.

The first Indian takeaway on wilmslow road is Sangams, which is across the road from the Wilmslow Park halls of residence, although cheap the food lacks taste and is very oily. Apparently they do nice kebabs, but I have got this info from people who were very drunk, you'll probably eat anything when your drunk. I think its best avoided as there are far superior places on Wilmslow road, a short stone throw away.

The Darbar restaurant is a good restaurant offering dishes that taste authentic and the atmosphere is nice as it has been refurbished recently. It is also one of just a few restaurants that has bar, generally the Indian restaurants will be run by Muslims so they will not serve alcohol, so Darbar is a welcomed anomaly. The dishes are also reasonably priced and there is a friendly service.

The Royal Naz is another decent restaurant and has won many chef of the year awards, both local and national. They give you good sized portions and the service is very friendly.

The restaurant Al Bilal is definitely best avoided, as it has as recently as last year been closed for having a cockroach infection.

Outside of the curry mile, there is a good supply of big chain takeaways such as Mcdonalds, Pizza Hut and Subway. There are 2 subway's and Mcdonalds' branches on Oxford Road alone.

Within the University of Manchester itself, there is a large refectory in University Place, which is the large, circular, grey, building with the University of Manchester plastered across it. Although home to the School of Nursing, all students are allowed in. There is a good wide selection of foods to choose from, from Pizza and chips to stir fry, which is freshly made in front of you. Opening in 2008, the refectory is very modern and spacious, but the prices do let it down a bit, average meal will be approx. £2.50. There are also smaller cafe's in both the MMU union and the Steve Bilko Union building.

For vegetarians there is the Eighth Day Cafe, which is open from 9-7pm Mon-Fri and 10-4.30pm on Sat, it is quite a large place offering a huge range of vegitarian and organic foods. Be warned that it can get quite busy and it won't be light on your pockets.

If you can afford it, or as a treat once in a long while, there is a large Selfridges store in the city centre which has a large food area on the ground floor. There you will find a big selection of world foods, including a sushi bar, if that's what takes your fancy. There is also a Krispy Kremes here so if you've got a sweet tooth you'll feel right at home. A 15 minute walk into the Deansgate area, will take you to the Akbar's restaurant, which is one of the largest restaurants in the city. There is a great atmosphere here and the service is brilliant. It is also surprisingly cheap, as for under £15 you will be able to have a full three course meal. The naan breads are must eat as they are gigantic, but mouthwateringly tasty.

Best Websites to Help You Save Money

The following is a list of links you may find helpful and best of all will help you save money. They are all tried and tested by myself so they won't be no cons.

If you think Ive missed something out, just let me know. As I will be updating this blog on a regular basis make sure you click on the follow this blog link, on the right sidebar, to be notified when the blog is updated.

• http://www.myvoice.co.uk/, this site offers paid surveys, the surveys don't tend to be time consuming and normally take a couple of mins to complete. When you have earned enough points for £20 you can apply for a voucher. Basically 1 point is equalt to 1p. so you will need 2000 points in order to claim a voucer, this sounds like a lot but it isn't as I have already received 2 vouchers. The vouchers are actually usable and you can choose from a good selection of shops including all the Arcadia group of shops Topshop, Burton etc, which is great for students who want to look good.


• http://www.studentbeans.com/, is another great site that is free and tells you about loads of offers and competitions open to students, well worth a look. A current offer is buy 12 krispy kreme dohnuts and you can get another dozen free.


• http://www.moneysavingexpert.co.uk/, another awesome website for a student on a tight budget, the website is regularly updated by Martin Lewis and there are also great forums where you can find out about some great deals before everyone else.

Fresher's Week

The first week of University is called Fresher's Week and is specifically designed to help you settle in to your new home and meet as many people as possible. Be prepared for there to be a load of forms to fill in - student cards to apply for, loans to collect, rent to pay for the first term and on a better note be prepared for going out every night during the week - with a selection of events on offer. The point is that you get to know the people in halls, and also the people on your course.

The University of Manchester holds a Freshers Fair, normally held in the Manchester Academy, where you can meet all the different societies and you can sign up (try and join just a couple of societies you can seriously see yourself being a part of, as the time you spend outside study will look good to employers if you spend it wisely) or find out details of taster sessions. For instance there is a ju jitsu taster which will give you an idea of what sort of fight moves you could learn. Be warned that some societies may have an upfront charge for joining such as the Politics Society so its probably not wise to join every society as you wont be able to go to them all. The uni also holds a separate Sports Fair where you can specifically find out about sports clubs, this is normally held upstairs in the Steve Bilko Union Building on Oxford Road. Don't worry too much though as you should get a guide in the post a couple of weeks before Fresher's starts.

During the first week of uni, you are not normally scheduled to have any lectures so it is a good time to let your hair down, but don't go too wild as you don't want to make a bad impression with your new mates. During the course of the week you are also normally required to register, so this is where you will hand in your bursary form if you are entitled to one and you'll also have a photo taken for your student ID card. For more info on the Uni's individual Freshers week's click on the links below.

• The University of Manchester Fresher's Fair
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• Salford Univerity

Generally you should have your timetable by halfway through the week. It will seem like it needs its own degree to work it out, so take care and check if necessary. Make sure you don't miss the first few lectures, as they can be quite important. At the start of term, learning is the last thing on your mind. That's fine - there will be plenty of time for that later, but make sure you have all the bits and pieces you need, and keep up with the lectures. Otherwise it can be real hard to catch up. Although you may have heard that you just need to pass your first year, you still need to pass and gain enough credits to gain entry into the second year. You will also make your first impressions on your tutors and you know what they say about first impressions, so be good.

What Stuff To Take To Halls

You've probably got a lot of stuff in your bedroom, but unless you've seen the hall you're going to move into on an open day, you won't know how big the room will be. You can probably only take as much stuff as will fit in to your car. A fully-loaded averaged sized car is as much as you should take. Don't over-do it though, as you'll have to take the stuff back eventually. Unless you've got a Mini or a Porsche, there's no point in hiring a white van to bring all your stuff. What to Take Firstly, you need to separate what you're going to take into two categories; what you really need and what would be nice if there was room. Once the car is filled with what you have to take, you can decide what else you would like to take. Below is a list of the essentials you will need to take, you can print this out as a checklist.

Bedding

1. 1 or 2 pillows
2. Quilt
3. Underblanket that goes over matress
4. 2 sets of bed covers

Clothes

1. Take enough to not have to do the washing too often
2. lots of socks is essential, as they go missing from laundry
3. Party/Clubbing wear
4. sports Equipment (football boots etc)
5. School Uniform for School Disco

Toiletries

1. Toothbrush and toothpaste
2. Soap/showergel
3. All your makeup/beauty products
4. Flip Flops

Kitchen Stuff

1. A set of cheap cutlery, as they go missing easily.
2. 2 dinner plates and 2 bowls
3. 2 mugs
4. 2 pint glasses
5. Saucepan
6. 1 frying pan - preferably non stick
7. 1 big oven tray - for lots of those chips and pizzas
8. 1 wooden spoon for stirring
9. 1 colander for pasta draining (don't try using the saucepan lid)
10. 1 chopping board
11. 1 sharp knife
12. Washing up liquid and sponge thing
13. Tea towel and oven glove

Work Stuff

1. backpack or bag of some sort
2. folders for work
3. Plastic wallets
4. well-stocked pencil case
5. remember scissors, holepunch, ruler, rubber, pencil sharpener, stapler, pritstick and blutack, and pins
6. Plenty of biro pens
7. Loads of dividers for your folders
8. Laptop/computer - even though the uni might have lots its convenient to be able to work from your room, especially when you have deadlines

TIP: keeping organised is the secret of doing well, it will save you lots of time when it comes to revising.

Stuff That Would Be Nice To Take

1. Hi-Fi
2. TV - although you can get most programmes online through, BBC player, Itv player and 4OD so theres no need really
3. Playstation and other consoles

TIP: All these things tend to be expensive, and most heavy and large so make sure you get insurance for the expensive stuff.

TIP: If your adamant on bringing yout TV make sure you buy a TV license as you could be faced with a £1000 fine.

Other Stuff - most of this you can probably buy when you get there

1. Alarm clock
2. Watch
3. Desk lamp
4. Sports equipment - you'll probably feel the need to start playing loads of sport once you get to university. Make sure you've got your football boots.
5. Washing powder
6. Bin Bags
7. Laundry bag
8. Towels
9. Posters
10. First Aid Kit - plasters, aspirin, antiseptic cream, cotton wool
11. Mobile phone and charger
12. Umbrella - especially since it rains most days in Manchester
13. Camera - record your freshers week memories.
14. Condoms - just to be on the safe side.
15. Clothes Hangers

Leave the following out

1. Expensive Bikes - Bikes are a good idea, but unless you've got one of those rack things for your car you wont fit it in so buy a cheap one there. Bikes are one of the most nicked items in Manchester.
2. Ironing Board - The hall usually supplies one.
3. Toaster - It'll set off the smoke alarm in your room, and then you'll be in trouble. Use the one in the kitchen!
4. Blow-Up Chairs - You probably won't have enough room fit em in.

Where to Live?

The University of Manchester

The uni has 9,200 places in 26 different halls for undergraduates (there are a further 8 halls for postgrads), with prices ranging from £78 a week for a single room with washbasin to £132 a week for a single en suite room. First year students are guaranteed a place in halls as long as they apply before the deadline. Choosing the best accommodation will depend on your needs and what you think you can live without. If you feel you can share a bathroom, this will help to save you money in the long run, so you will have more to spend on nights out and shopping. If you want to rent a house with your mates, prices will start at £55, this sounds a lot cheaper but remember that this will not include bills and there is no guarantee that your mates will pay their rent or bills on time, which will leave you having to help them. For first year students it is recommended that you don't stay in a house as it gives you more time to learn about the area, to make friends and it may be catered so it will save you time on having to cook. With such a wide range of halls to choose from, it may seem a like a difficult choice. Its probably best to find out where your building is and then choose a place to live that is located nearby, this will mean that you can wake up as late as possible to get to lectures and save you money on traveling to uni. If your building is in the North campus then it is wise to choose halls near Sackville St, such as Western Halls or Fairfield halls. The best uni halls for student life are probably the Owens Park halls, but these are located a mile or so from the main campus so you will probably have to catch a bus there, but it is possible to walk. For more information on all the halls click here.

An excellent alternative to university halls are private halls which cost practically the same and tend to be of better quality and give you the opportunity of living with students from different institutions. The only downside is that you will have to pay for extras such as the Internet. Good private halls that give the uni halls a run for their money include, Wilmslow Park, which is very conveniently located at the start of Wilmslow Road home to the curry mile and it is also above a Tesco and Lidl, with a post office and Varsity bar, so pretty much all the amenities you would need are nearby. Wilmslow Park is also just a 5 minute walk to the main site, another decent private halls is Q3 Apartments which is located just behind Oxford Road on Plymouth Road, so you can get away with sleeping in. Both these private halls cost around £4000 per year and offer en suite and spacious rooms. You can find out more information on these and others from the Manchester Student Homes website.

Manchester Metropolitan University

The MMU have a choice of 8 student halls in Manchester and a choice of en suite or catered halls at its Cheshire site. The university guarantees accommodation for all full-time first year students who apply before 31 August. On the whole MMU offer modern student accommodation which is close to their campuses in the city centre and the prices range from a reasonable £70 a week in Cavendish Hall for a standard room. At the other end of the scale for £100 a week you will get a Deluxe room in Wilmslow Park, which will give you a double size bed and spacious room. A good tip for people staying at Wilmslow Park is to become a member of the residents' committee, as you will be offered either a free gym membership or free car parking space (which is extortionate if you have to pay). There are a further 8 halls at the Cheshire site ranging in price from a cheap £63 a week for a standard self-catering room in Daisy Bank House to £80 a week in Booth Hall for an en suite room. More info on MMU's student accommodation can be found on their website. Again there is the option of living in private halls, for which you'll find details of on the Manchester Student Homes website, which is run by the University of Manchester and MMU.

Salford University

Salford has 7 halls of residences for undergrads, 2 of which, Constantine Court and Horlock Court are located on Campus. All other accommodation is a short distance away, but the uni offers a free bus service during term time. The prices range from a very cheap £56 a week for a standard room in Castle Irwell to £78.54 for an en suite in Constantine Court. All the residences require a £200 damage deposit which is payable when you accept an offer and is returned within 4 weeks of your contract ending.

Other Important Stuff to Remember

Another important thing for people who cannot live without a TV is to check whether you will need a TV license. Generally if you bring your own TV you will by law have to buy a TV license, which will set you back £135.50 for the year, you can buy this online or at the post office. Sometimes if there is a TV supplied it will be in the communal area and come with a TV license, the private Q3 apartments do this. It is also important to check whether your rent will include contents insurance, as living in a large city such as Manchester it is inevitable that there is crime and this can be prevented by making sure you keep your stuff out of sight and if the worse happens by having insurance it will be less of a financial burden. Endlseigh is one of the largest companies offering cheap insurance to students, they have a branch in the union of the University of Manchester. A good website to go on is immobilise, which is the UK National Property Register where you can add details of your property so if it does get lost or stolen, the police help you recover it.

Which University?

Obviously this will be dependant on what grades you get, but if you do well then you will have the choice of applying where you want to. Manchester is home to the largest student population in Europe. There are currently three universities in Manchester, The University of Manchester is the largest of these, then there is Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and The University of Salford, which is based in the Salford Quays just outside the city centre.

The University of Manchester

In 2004 when UMIST and the Victoria University of Manchester merged the University of Manchester was created, making it Britain's largest single-site university. Shortly after in 2005 the University won the inaugural Times Higher Supplement's University of the Year prize in 2005. The university is also the most popular University in Britain receiving more applications than any other, in 2007 the University received more than 64000 undergraduate applications alone. Currently there are 25,656 undergraduates with a further 9000 postgraduate students. Without a doubt The University of Manchester is the best university with respect to ranking, in 2008 it was ranked as 40th in the world and 5th in the UK by Shanghai Jiao Tong in their annual list of the world's top 500 Universities. The university has a bold ambition called the 2015 Manchester agenda, in which the university is aiming to become one of the world's 25 best universities. In the most recent RAE (Research Assessment Exercise) The university was placed only behind Cambridge and Oxford in terms of world leading research. The university offers an unparalleled selection of courses from Medicine to Russian Studies, in total offering just over 500 courses. The university's career service is consitently voted amongst the best in the country, appointments can be made before hand or you can just drop in, so you will receive excellent help in applying for your dream career.

The union plays an important role in university life, housing a bar, shop, eye clinic and underground club. Many socieities have offices in the union building, you are strongly advised to join a society as this will add to your uni experience and is a great way of getting to know people and to forget studying. There is a whole host of societies and clubs you can join, from sports clubs to the Sikh society. Next door to the union building is the Manchester Academy, open to the public and students of other universities, which plays host to briliant bands at an affordable price. Past performers have included Amy Winehouse, Foo Fighters, Coldplay and the Arctic Monkeys (to find out more click here).

The University has an excellent location, mainly centred around the Oxford Road corridor and it is just a 10 minute bus ride into the city centre. It is possible to walk into town from the university and it is conveniently located a short walk from the Rusholme area home to the "curry mile" although not exactly 1 mile long there are plenty of cheap Indian restaurants as well as some Chinese restaurants and bars, like Varsity, which are very student friendly.

Manchester Metropolitan University

MMU is one of the largest universities in Britain, offering around 700 courses to over 33,000 students and the majority are from state schools with a 94:6 ratio of state to privately educated students. MMU has a more grown up feel than Man uni because of the high number of local and mature students, with a fifth of the students being over the age of 25. The MMU is more spread out than its neighbour, with the All Saints campus located next to the University of Manchester on Oxford Road, the Elizabeth Gaskell campus (about a mile away from the main site)with further sites in the Didsbury area and sites further away in Cheshire (Crewe and Alsagar). Although not known for its academic prowess, the university was the first new university to achieve a 5* for research in 2001. The university also has good career prospects with 92% being employed 6 months after graduation.

The union building is located at the main site on Oxford Road, which has several bars including the K-Two bar which plays host to 3 or 4 club nights a week. The K-Two has also been a site for gigs such as Eagle Eye Cherry, Trevor Nelson, Chemical Brothers and Dreem Teem in the last couple of years. The Capitol theatre is also a great place to watch plays put on by the drama society.

Salford University

Salford university is the smallest of the three unis in Manchester with over 12,000 full time undergraduate students. Just over a mile away from the centre of Manchester, it is an exciting time to be living in Salford as it is undergoing a big regeneration. The majority of the university's bulidings are modern the campus is very green, so if you want an alternative to the busy cosmopolitan life in Manchester, Salford is a little bit quieter. The university has 3 main sites, Peel Park, Frederick Road and Adelphi, all within 10 minutes of each other where the majority of students are based. There’s also Irwell Valley, a further ten mins from Frederick Road, near the Castle Irwell Student Village. The nearby docklands will be home to 5 BBC departments and is the BBC's largest presence outside of London. This is part of the MediaCityUK development, which will give the area a boost and provide excellent opportunites for media students. There is a good careers service which can help graduates start their own business and provide placements in local industries.

Media courses are the most oversubscribed courses at Salford and there is also a new £8 million law school. The union has three bars, eight cafes, a stationary shop and offers a late night minibus. There are plenty of societies to join. Although Salford won't attract big bands it is a short bus ride into Manchester where the MEN arena is easily accessible and plays host to a variety of major international performers.

Which Student Account?

When should I open an account?

You should open one as soon as possible, most banks will accept anyone with a UCAS offer letter (conditional or unconditional). So it's possible to open an account before the start of term and get preferential terms early. Most students will be receiving some form of financial help, such as grants and student loans, so you will need a bank account for these to be paid into.

Picking the best student bank account
Virtually every bank gives online access and free cash machine withdrawals, so which bank is closest to you should not affect your decision. Therefore you should compare the banks to see which has the best offers. A major factor in picking the best bank account should be the overdraft. A bank may offer the biggest overdraft, but this isn't everything as this will only encourage you to spend, spend, spend so from experience a £1000 overdraft should be more than enough to cover you for a year. Look for banks that offer a reasonable overdraft and make sure it is at 0% interest for the longest time possible, most banks will charge 0% interest until after you graduate. When taking out an overdraft it is important that you follow the following rules:

• Never go over the agreed overdraft as the penalties will be very expensive and your credit rating will be affected, which wont matter to you as a student but will in the future.
  
• As part of your application for an overdraft you will be credit scored and some students may get rejected because there is a lack of data available on you. There may be no solutio to this so just count yourself lucky thta you will not be able to get into debt with an overdraft as this will only add to your debt after you graduate.

The best student accounts for 2009

If you're an English or Welsh student in England or Wales, the biggest 0% overdraft is from Halifax. It offers a maximum interest-free overdraft of £3,000 every year, so the average limit over a three-year course is also £3,000. The problem with this is an upper limit, so you won't necessarily get the full amount immediately. Most people get just £500 to start with. However increases can be requested, but they depend on a credit score and they are not guaranteed but by the end of year one most should have access to the full amount. Annoyingly there's no way to find out in advance if you'll get all this money, but as the same's true for most other accounts, and it offers the biggest 0% overdraft. As I said before it is best to not go for the largest overdraft as this will just encourage you to spend more than you need to.

If you're Scottish the Royal Bank of Scotland offers a 0% overdraft of £2,750, this also gives you the choice of freebies; either £100 free cash or its Travel Package, which includes a three-year 16-25 Railcard (which cuts many UK rail fares by a third) and one month's free bus travel in Edinburgh, Glasgow or Aberdeen. Plus, apply online and you'll also get a free webcam.

Another good bank account is NatWest. It offers a free five-year 16-25 Railcard worth £120 so if you're a regular train traveller, this is well worth it as it will cut a third off many fares. The railcard is renewed each year provided you’ve used the bank account within the previous three months. NatWest gives a much lower 0% overdraft of £1,250 in year one, £1,400 in year two and £1,600 in year three, but this is a reasonable amount which will help you to save in the long run.

Welcome!

If you haven't already guessed, in this blog I will be letting you know what its like to live and study in Manchester. I'll be telling you about the best places to shop, eat and party. I will also give tips on how to save money whilst your living on a tight budget as a student. I won't talk too much about myself, but I am currently a student here so most things I tell you will be from experience. I will be updating this blog on a regular basis so its a good idea to click on the become a follower of this blog button on the sidebar at the right side of the page. Please feel free to give me your comments and share some tips of your own.

Thanks for looking
Harpal