Honestly, living in Coventry isn’t that bad

It’s coming up to that time of year where you have to sort out next year’s living arrangements.

The stress from choosing who to live with, deciding how many of your friends are bearable and whether you should pick that 21 bed house in Leamington Spa can make you go crazy.

The majority of students tend to live in Leam after halls, without even considering the perks of Coventry. After having a housemate drop out last minute and as a result having to look for an awkward seven-bed house ASAP, I was forced to venture out of Leamington. However, it was not as terrible as it originally seemed and I actually loved the benefits of living in Coventry. Having lived in Earlsdon, I thought I’d give you a few things to consider before rushing off to Leam.

The bus is considerably cheaper and shorter

Forget the U1, it’s all about the 11. It’s a ten minute journey to uni from Earlsdon and the 12 goes from Leamington Spa as well. The buses tend to be less crowded than the U1, especially when you’re coming home during rush hour. Plus the bus pass is cheaper, it may only be by a tenner but every little counts, eh?

Primark

Let’s be honest with ourselves; the shopping in Leamington is lacking. The Topshop is a little empty, the New Look’s stock is dire and the only decent shop the parade has to offer is Planet Bong. Coventry, on the other hand has Primark – every student’s dream. With three humongous floors, Primark meets your every need. You can come home with a new wardrobe and be guilt free as it only cost you twenty quid!

Coventry city centre is actually really nice

Scoff all you want, but I actually really loved Coventry. With its connection to Coventry University, who we are well known to have a feud with, its title of “University of the Year” in 2015 has rejuvenated the infamous city. It’s full of great eats and bars and pubs and has a lot to offer for Warwick students. We just need to give it a chance. It may be ugly but still has its charm.

You are within walking distance to campus

If you’re living somewhere like Canley, you won’t even have to fork out for a bus pass as Campus is just a short walk away. Just think how many Vodbulls you can get with the money you save!

You are far away from Smack

Just think about it. Not feeling as though you are on the brink of an epileptic seizure from all the lights on the walls and floor. No obscenities all over the walls that you cannot avoid. No queuing,  just to get in to leave within the hour. Coventry has so many other options than Smack. Widen your mind, widen your opportunities.

You get a lot more bang for your buck

Compared to where I’m living in Leamington now, I was living the dream in Coventry. For a considerable amount less, I got a swanky refurbished house with huge bedrooms, a modern kitchen and decent living area. Right across the road was a Spoons and the Co-Op was a little further along. In Leamington, for an extortionate amount of money, we arrived to a dirty house with a tiny kitchen and an awkward living area. Yes the house has a charm and we’ve made our mark but at the end of the day, but your money does go further in Cov.

You get Kasbah

I mean, you have the mecca. You can get your face painted for free. What more is there to say?

In all honesty, Coventry is decent and has a lot to offer and Leamington is only one stop on the train if you really miss it!