Being a Student in Southampton
Southampton is based on the South East Coast of England, in Hampshire and is one of the UK’s major ports, attracting thousands of visitors every year not to mention over 35,000 students.
Understandably with the city being famous for its large port, you’ll find a whole load of maritime museums and events to explore. The RMS Titanic departed from Southampton before it’s catastrophic ending, which you can learn more about in the SeaCity Museum. Or why not enjoy Skandia Cowes, the world’s biggest sailing regatta that takes place in the water between Southampton and the Isle of Wight every year. Equally, if you’re looking for a career at sea, then Southampton is the place to study, as both the University of Southampton and Solent University embrace the city’s heritage with degrees designed to support a career in the marine and maritime industry.
Obviously being by the sea, you are bound to find a club called Oceana – which is definitely one to add to your list of student nights to try, but if you really want to get to grips with student life, then Jesters and Sobar have to be your first stop as both are firm faves with students. The Cultural Quarter is where you’ll find all your firm favourites for a night of entertainment, the Mayflower Theatre and the O2 Guildhall are both based here along with a variety of bars and chain restaurants lining the outskirts of the quarter.
In Southampton it’s impossible to forget you are by the sea, as even an outing to the cinema will see you heading to Ocean Village to watch the latest releases at the aptly named Harbour Lights Picture House, known to screen a host of nostalgic films as well as the latest blockbusters.
Despite being by the sea, Southampton doesn’t have its own beach but with other popular seaside towns like Bournemouth, Brighton, and Portsmouth only a short train ride away, you have ample choice for a day by the beach!
Student Accommodation in Southampton
One of the most popular areas for student living is Portswood, which has a vibrant high street packed with shops, bars, cafes, and restaurants. Portswood is a good base when staying in Southampton as it has great transport links via bus and train in and around the city and an ideal location if you are studying at the Highfield or Avenue campuses of the University of Southampton.
Another popular student area is Swaythling due to High Road’s population of takeaways and convenience stores, the housing options in Swaythling are often larger shared houses or large houses that have been converted into apartments, so ideal whatever the size of your group and has good access to the University of Southampton.
Highfield, as the name suggests, is perfect if Highfield is your university campus but also the Avenue campus too, as it sits between the two. It's a small residential area, that can be a little more costly to live than others but its proximity to the university can outweigh the increased rents for many.
Two other large residential areas popular with students are Bassett and Shirley, both of which are great locations for students studying at the Southampton General Hospital, or the many sporting facilities that form part of the University of Southampton.
The University of Southampton and Solent University
Across the five campuses based in the city, the University of Southampton is home to 24,500 students. Studies here are varied, from medicine to marine biology, with the waterfront campus being the world's leading centre for the study of ocean and earth sciences.
The university has another two campuses, one in the nearby city of Winchester and the other as far away as Malaysia.
Solent University, named after the stretch of water between Southampton and the Isle of Wight is located in the city centre. The university is proudly industry focused and works closely with local businesses, to encourage employability with partners including Southampton FC and B&Q. The smaller of the two universities in the city, Solent still welcomes 11,000 students to study and benefits from a £100m investment in the campus by 2020.