Southampton Student Guide
The city of Southampton can be found in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. The city has a student population of over 41,000.
Nightlife
Southampton has a thriving nightlife. The Joiners is a popular live music venue on St Mary Street and is a great place to catch up-and-coming bands- Coldplay, Radiohead and Oasis all played at The Joiners before they made it famous. There are a number of small clubs and late bars dotted throughout the city centre all catering for different tastes. Reflex is a nightclub known for playing cheesy chart classics and offers cheap drinks.
Cuture
Culture vultures should check out the Mayflower Theatre, the largest theatre in southern England. The theatre has recently undergone a refurbishment and showcases a varied mix of performances from ballet and musicals to comedy and opera. City Art Gallery can be found in the centre of Southampton and boasts an impressive collection of over 3,500 works of art. The gallery takes visitors through six centuries of European culture including Italian Renaissance and French Impressionism.
Shopping
Southampton is the perfect destination to indulge in a spot of retail therapy. The city offers a great mix of shopping centres, markets and retail spaces. WestQuay is a shopping centre located in the heart of the city centre and includes over 90 shops. Major stores at WestQuay include French Connection, Coast, Zara and River Island.
The centre also includes a comfortable food terrace with a range of eateries from Nandos to Pret A Manger. Bargate Market can be found every Friday and Saturday in the city centre. The market has over 50 stalls and is a great place to save money on your weekly shop. Fruit and veg at the market can be a lot cheaper than the supermarkets so it’s worth a look. Offerings range from various fruit, veg and cheeses to make up, accessories and handbags.
Where Can I Study?
There are two universities in Southampton: the University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University.
The University of Southampton (also known as Southampton University) is the larger of the two and provides places of study to over 24,000 students ever year. Southampton University is a public research university and is a member of the Russell Group and the Worldwide Universities Network.
The university is split across six campuses including a School of Art in Winchester. Highfield is the main campus and can be found in a residential area north of Southampton centre. Southampton University has a reputation for academic excellence and places a strong emphasis on research. Southampton consistently ranks high in the university league tables and was placed 127th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
Southampton Solent University is located in the centre of the city and is home to over 17,000 students. The main university campus is located on East Park Terrace and includes a recently renovated performance fitness centre. Southampton Solent has modern facilities including a state of the art library, learning centres and specialist IT and computing resources.
Students at the university are offered full and part-time courses and there is a considerable focus on student access to information. Solent On-Line (SOL) is a recently developed online learning environment, which offers students the opportunity to study off campus on blended learning courses. Southampton Solent has a good reputation and performs consistently from year to year. The Complete University Guide placed Southampton Solent University 111th in the league tables.
Should I Study in Southampton?
A student’s honest opinion:
“Soton is great (that is a common nickname for the city)! It has a bit of everything. It has a bit of the hustle and bustle of a city without being as big as London or Birmingham but at the same time it is green and only 20 minutes from the countryside of the New Forest. It’s a port city, but if you want to go to the beach you can visit Portsmouth which is 30 minutes away. You can even get the ferry to the Isle of Wight!
The nightlife is pretty standard for students- a few cheesy nights here and here with cheap drinks. In a taxi it should take only 5 minutes to town, but you could probably walk it in half an hour. You have all the usual amenities here like good shops and facilities as well as ongoing regeneration to boost the city.
My time here has been enjoyable and once I finish studying I think I will stay on in Southampton- I feel like it offers more than most cities and the atmosphere just makes me want to stay.” James, 21