Jake – Sheffield Hallam University, England
Semester 1, 2017
Bachelor of Justice
So, if you asked anyone from Australia to pinpoint exactly where Sheffield is in the United Kingdom, you’d be pretty far stretched to find someone who actually could. Well, I want to put Sheffield on the map.
Over the past year, I spent my time studying abroad in the most underrated town and university in the UK. Okay, so maybe I’m a little biased because my girlfriend lives there, but hear me out. Sheffield Hallam University, or SHU as it’s fondly known as, is amazing, not because it’s old or in the top 10 unis in the world, but because it’s real. SHU is the kind of uni actual English people go to, not just exchange students. It’s the real Northern England. I mean come on guys, we go to the ‘Uni of the real world’ and this place is authentic.
I love the fact that I never heard another Australian accent once, in fact for the whole year I was at SHU I don’t think there was another Aussie there. Sheffield is also extraordinary, it’s a town specifically built for uni students; there are heaps of bars, and everywhere you go has student discounts.
The amount of students helps reiterate the fact that Sheffield is one of the safest cities in the UK, and it’s cheap compared to most major cities. Sure it’s not London or Manchester, but hop on a train and you can go anywhere soon enough. I still travelled all of Europe from Sheffield as well (and yes I found a little bit of time to study).
SHU is great for another reason too, they have more students coming out the whazoo to come to QUT, so I got to apply late to go, and study abroad at QUT doesn’t usually allow you to stay for two semesters at one UK uni but hey, at SHU you can. Not to mention the staff from SHU helped me out tremendously and I almost received a round of applause for helping a SHU student be able to see the sun in Brisbane.
I’m still picking my brain as to why no one wants to go to Sheffield Hallam, it’s awesome and I’ve come back to Australia wishing I was there instead of trying to understand the northern accent (don’t try to, just nod and say yes) and eating greasy cheesy chips from a shop with questionable hygiene.
Study abroad for me wasn’t about the class and sophistication Cambridge university, it was about having an authentic and real experience.
If you want to pretend you’re a real English student, attend a three-letter uni, meet genuine people, go to Sheffield Hallam.
