‘I love the atmosphere’: Asking Manchester students what they love most about the city

The Manchester Tab spoke to undergrad and postgrad students about why they chose the 0161 for their studies

2 months ago | UPDATED 1 month ago

On the global stage, Manchester is often renowned for its sporting fame, particularly football. Beyond the roars of stadiums and the passion for football, this city is equally famous because of its thriving music scene and as a hub of creative people.

Manchester has over 100,000 students, and more than 40,000 are estimated to be international. What has attracted so many students to this rainy, cold, industrial city?

To find out, The Tab embarked on a journey through Manchester’s streets and asked several students what makes Manchester so special to them:

‘I go by bike everywhere, so that’s very useful’

Octavia, originally from Shropshire, is doing her postgraduate degree at the UoM. After studying in Exeter, she moved to Manchester as its “good and vibrant, I’m glad I came here.” “What I like most in this city is the space that you can just sort of walk around. I like the cycle paths because I go by bike everywhere, so that’s very useful.”

‘The main thing about Manchester is the music’

A massive music fan, Joe Dunn moved from Durham to Manchester because of its vibrant music scene. “In my spare time, I am always with my guitar, I’m big into the music scene. Sometimes I go for a walk as well. But yeah, sometimes I feel like this city is overwhelmed. But like compared to Durham city, Manchester has a lot more to offer”, Joe said.

‘Manchester is so dedicated to education’

Siheng, an undergraduate student at the University of Manchester came from Beijing for the quality education that British Universities offer. He said: “I picked this city because of my studies, I want to change some educational opinions of my country.”

Apart from the education in Manchester, there are other reasons why Siheng chose this city: “Especially the football atmosphere. You can never find something like that in Beijing. There are football teams in Beijing, but it’s completely different. It’s not on the same level. It’s more competitive.”

‘I love the juxtaposition between the urban city and the rural parts’

“It has a unique geographical structure. look how close the peak district is” Joe, an undergraduate student opened the conversation. “I love walking. I love this city’s juxtaposition between the urban city and the rural parts.”

Originally from the outskirts of Manchester, Joe said: “Every year thousands of people come to this city for different reasons.” He also added that Manchester has been “a revolutionary city since ancient times” and that “the history, as well as the music scene” are reasons he chose to study here.

‘Manchester just has so much to offer’

Senalp is originally from Cyprus. He mentioned “Manchester’s great economic program” being part of the reason he loved the city. Outside of his degree, he said he loves “how student-orientated and vibrant the city is, which makes for a really enjoyable atmosphere.”

He continued: “I studied in Barcelona before coming here, and when I compare Barcelona as a destination and Manchester as a destination, I realise that Manchester has much more to offer in terms of education and just as much in terms of social life.”

‘I just love the atmosphere of the city’

Sam Pierce, a student of liberal arts already fell in love with this city before making his final move from Surrey. “This city’s building architecture, music, and freedom” were quoted by Sam as being the reasons he was drawn here. “I love the music. I love the atmosphere, I love just walking around the Northern Quarter. I love the liberality of this city.”

“There’s not much going on (In Surrey). It’s very peaceful compared to Manchester. Manchester is very lively in comparison. I love music here and the atmosphere here” Sam added.

We’ve heard from seven different Manchester students, and now we want to hear from you. Let us know what brought you to Manchester on our Instagram and Facebook pages.