Freshers, here are your Sheffield red and green flags

Between Sheffield Hallam and the University of Sheffield, around 60,000 students live and study in this great city, enjoying the busy nightlife along with having a shopping trip to Meadowhall or exploring the Peak District.

Whilst there are many green flag aspects of Sheffield that make it an ideal city for students to live in, there are also things that aren’t quite as likeable, red flags if you will.

Whether you’re looking for advice on the best night clubs, or if you want to know which places to avoid, this article is your guide to living in Sheffield as a student.

The great nightlife – Green flag

For most students, clubbing and partying are the main things that you go to university for, other than studying of course. Whilst Sheffield isn’t as big of a party city as places like Manchester and Leeds, it still has great nightlife making it easy to find some sort of event on every night.

The main street for clubs and bars is West Street which is located by the city centre and is within walking distance of student accommodation. My personal favourite is Molly Malone’s, an Irish bar that turns into a club of a nighttime. With reasonable prices on drinks and a mix of new pop and old classics, Molly’s is the perfect place to dance the night away with all of your new friends.

Another student favourite is West Street Live as it is known for its insanely cheap drinks, making it a budget-friendly and fun location for your next night out. Some other bars that are widely loved by students include Bierkeller, Tiger Works and of course the famous Leadmill

Leadmill – Green flag

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After opening in 1980, the Leadmill has had many big names grace their stage including Oasis and the Arctic Monkeys.

It has three different rooms playing various types of music, so whether you’re a pop or an indie fan, there will always be something to suit your taste.

Now, it holds club nights, gigs and even quizzes for students to attend, meaning the Leadmill is a club that you definitely have to visit during your time in Sheffield.

Having to wait in long queues – Red flag

Although Sheffield has a great range of places to go for a night out, there aren’t as many venues here compared to the likes of bigger cities such as Liverpool. This means that many students find the queues at their favourite bars and clubs to be very long, especially in the cold weather. Whilst this is likely to be an issue found in most cities, it still counts as a red flag to most students who just want to get inside and carry on their night of fun.

With this being said, the queues are usually the longest in certain periods such as Freshers’ Week and after returning to university in January. So most of the time the queues aren’t too much of an issue, and definitely not big enough to put you off coming to Sheffield and enjoying the nightlife that the city has to offer.

Sheffield’s greenery – Green flag 

One of the things that makes Sheffield such a lovely place to live in is its balance between having greenery and a sense of city life. As a student, I found this to be very beneficial as moving away from home for the first time can be very daunting and intimidating.

So, instead of being a huge city like London where it is easy to feel lost, Sheffield gives students a sense of independence without feeling out of place.

The Peak District being on your doorstep – Green flag

Unlike other cities, Sheffield is a very verdant city, with one-third of the city sitting in the Peak District National Park. Many students enjoy driving or taking a short bus journey to get into the Peaks to enjoy the countryside and take a break from university work. Plus it’s a great way to spend time with your new flatmates and friends that’s not clubbing.

The number of hills – Red flag

However, as good as this green flag is, there’s a red flag that comes hand in hand with it. Having such a green city, Sheffield has its fair share of steep hills, to say the least. Many students are shocked at the hilly nature of the city as it makes walking anywhere a harder task.

One road that is notoriously known for being a killer is Conduit Road in the Crookesmoor area, which has students struggling up and down it every day. Whilst the steepness of Sheffield is a key feature of the city, it is definitely worth it when you get to travel a short distance to go to the Peak District and even just enjoy the many parks and green areas around Sheffield.

Hopefully, this article has given you a bit of an insight into different aspects about Sheffield and made any freshers feel a little bit more prepared with what to expect when moving to university.

Regardless of its long queues and steep nature, Sheffield is an amazing place to live and study as a student, providing you with (hopefully) the best few years of your life so far.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

Here are the top nights out for students in Sheffield, according to a third year

All the best spots in the Peak District to reconnect with nature after your brat summer

Everything upcoming freshers ACTUALLY need to know about Uni of Sheffield accommodation