Five things I wish I knew before moving to Sheffield

Your nice clothes WILL get ruined on a night out

3 years ago

1. Aldi is your best friend

When it comes to weekly or monthly shops, Aldi is your go-to. If you’re a student who wants to save or is working on a tight budget, you won’t get better deals for food than at Aldi, especially if you want to stock up on pasta, rice, noodles, and all other essentials. Compared to Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and definitely Waitrose, you’ll be doing yourself a favour by shopping at this godsend. Most of the time it’s packed with students.

This leads me on nicely to the fact that packing your shopping at the till is an EXTREME sport which can only be done by the elite. A good tip for this is to have a trolley so you can quickly catch all your shopping after the cashier is done launching it at you at around 100 miles an hour. Nonetheless, you will definitely see the difference in savings by doing your regular shops at Aldi.

2. Your nice clothes WILL get ruined on a night out

Whether that’s at The Leadmill paint party where (you guessed it) you’re getting paint chucked at you, or Corp’s Skool Disco night where your shoes get ruined from spilled drinks, your clothes will get messy. That’s not to mention the face paint which is nicely done for students at the start of the night but ends up being completely ruined by the end of it.

Drinks are pretty cheap in most clubs – such as Code and Corp, from around 90p. This means you’ll find yourself buying loads which makes it more likely to be either spilled, dropped, or accidentally tipped over by another person in the club. Make sure you ditch your heels for trainers and dress casual in general, because Sheffield embraces comfort.

3. Visit the Peak District as soon as possible

When you move to Sheffield, visiting the Peak District is non-negotiable. Apart from the fact it’s the perfect chance to cure the hangover from Freshers’ Week, the fresh air and scenery are matchless. The park’s stunning landscapes is definitely one to capture and take in whilst walking on one of its routes and bonding with friends or housemates.

It’s also the ideal space to catch a break from student life- work, stresses, and deadlines, by seeing the countryside. The key tip is to visit as soon as possible when you move – otherwise, you’ll keep pushing it back until you’re bombarded with work and can’t find the time to visit. A trip down to The Peak District is the golden chance to create memories, bond with friends, and enjoy breath-taking views.

4. You will go to Spoons way more than you think

To put it plainly, you won’t have to worry about where you’ll have your next pint because Sheffield is filled with Wetherspoons. This is great and means you are highly unlikely to run out of options when going out.

In Sheffield City Centre, there is a Spoons right opposite another Spoons. Whether that’s to go for a drink or two with a friend or a full meal with a group of mates, there’s always a pub nearby to chill out, have a drink and be social.

It’s useful to make most of the deals that are usually on, such as two-for-one cocktails and club deals such as Steak club, Curry Club and Sunday brunch. Be prepared to tap away on the Spoons app much more frequently when arranging a meet-up with friends, colleagues or coursemates.

5. You will rarely buy meals from university cafes

Understandably, you would have thought you have come to Sheffield to study, therefore, you’ll enjoy meals at university at well, but I can assure you that the chances of that happening are very slim. There are endless options of places to eat and order takeaways in Sheffield, from Maccies and Subway to Bella Italia and Cosmo’s.

There is such a wide variety of fast-food places and restaurants that you may not even want to go to university buildings to buy your lunch on that essay break. This means that you will never actually find yourself sitting in a university café for lunch. If you do, it will be on an odd, rare occasion.