7 Things All Students Should Do While Studying in Birmingham (Once Quarantine Ends)

The city of Birmingham has a rich history and culture. Even though it’s second in population to London, Birmingham is more ethnically and culturally diverse than the capital. This mix of different people and ways of living has produced a range of interesting places to visit, foods to eat, and sights to see.

Below, we look at just a small selection of things available in Birmingham that all students should experience. After the COVID lockdown, you could go down this list and choose something to do with your friends to catch up. Alternatively, something on this list might make a nice date experience for you and your significant other.

1) Dive into the National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham

The National SEA LIFE Centre makes for a wonderful day out, with loads to see and experience. With over 2,000 sea creatures, you’re very likely to find your favourite animal. Some events take place throughout the day including talks and feedings. You can also enjoy a close-up look at the sea life by walking through the 360° ocean tunnel. The SEA LIFE Centre is very easy to visit, being just a short walk away from Birmingham New Street.

2) Indulge Yourself at Cadbury World

Located in Bournville, just up the road from the student village of Selly Oak, visiting the famous chocolate factory is a unique experience. On a self-guided exhibition tour or the factory, you can learn about the history of the brand, how the chocolate is manufactured and shipped around the world and have a go at making chocolate. Of course, there will also be plenty of opportunities to eat chocolate along the way!

3) Get Spicy with a Balti

One of Birmingham’s claims to fame is being the birthplace of the classic Balti curry. While there are copious Indian restaurants in the UK that can cook up a Balti, to get the full experience you’ll need to visit one of the original ‘Balti Houses’ that make up the ‘Balti Triangle’ in the south of Birmingham. Luckily, this is just a short taxi ride away, or you can catch a couple of busses.

4) Peruse the Custard Factory

The Custard Factory is a great place to spend a day looking around shops and finding interesting experiences. This beautifully restored Victorian factory is a creative hub for many different independent shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. The Mockingbird Cinema & Kitchen is a great place to visit for your first time at the Custard Factory. You can easily walk to the Custard Factory from Birmingham New Street.

5) Treat Your Taste Buds at the Digbeth Dining Club

Birmingham’s award-winning street-food market is a popular event in the Midlands, where food traders around the UK come together to provide a quality dining experience. Whatever you’re fancying, whether it’s burgers, hotdogs, waffles, pies, or burritos, there’s likely to be a vendor for you. Digbeth Dining Club is just a short jaunt away from the Custard Factory, making it easily accessible for students via Birmingham New Street.

6) Learn Something New at the Library of Birmingham

The Library of Birmingham is the largest public library in Europe, spread over 10 floors with over 800,000 books and numerous collections. The architect referred to the building as the ‘people’s palace’, and it’s easy to see why, with so much knowledge freely available to the public. The library also includes other facilities, such as an outdoor amphitheatre, garden terraces and a panoramic viewing gallery at the very top. Located in the city centre, you can easily visit the library from Grand Central.

7) Partake in Beer and Hotdogs at the Christmas Market

The Frankfurt Christmas Market is yet another result of the cultural diversity in Birmingham. The market is a great reminder that Christmas is on the way and is a great way to spend time with friends. You can find all sorts in the German Market, including carol singing, classic German food and drink including pretzels, schnitzels, bratwursts, glühwein and Weissbier, and handcrafted decorations and toys. The Christmas Market runs from mid-November through to the 23rd of December each year.

Having a bucket list of the things you’d like to see, try and do while living in Birmingham is a great idea, but first-things-first, you’ll need somewhere to stay during your studies. Unihousing offer student accommodation in Selly Oak, just a short walk from the University of Birmingham. We have a selection of studios, houses and apartments which can fill your requirements. We can also cater for student couples, with one of our twodio properties.

Don’t miss out on your choice of the best student accommodation, contact our friendly reception team today to register your interest and book a viewing.

6 Tips for Effective Home Study

During this strange time, many people are having to work from home. While some of us are used to home study, this can be difficult for others. Distractions, poor working environments, and a habit of procrastinating are all potential causes of ineffective home study. It’s become more important than ever to find a solution to these problems so that you can continue to learn and develop your skills.

There are a number of steps that you can take to give yourself the best chance for effective studying. Some of these are as simple as giving yourself a good area to work in, whereas others are more about tricking your brain into “studying mode”. Giving yourself the best chance possible to study effectively will help you retain and improve your knowledge until you get back to uni.

1) Keep to a Routine

Losing your daily structure can massively impact your ability to retain information. It’s very easy to accidentally switch to holiday mode, and start waking up later, but this can hurt your studies. You should focus on getting up at the same time each day and stick to your normal routine for attending lectures and studying, minus leaving the house.

Keeping to a daily structure can help your motivation and maintain your mental health. A good routine also means that you can fit in some exercise, and still have time for relaxing in the evening. Not to mention the ability to regulate your sleeping schedule, which can often deteriorate when you lack a routine.

2) Don’t Succumb to Laziness

We all know how tempting it is to spend all day in your pyjamas when you know you don’t need to go out. However, getting dressed in a fresh set of clothes each day can trick your brain into work mode, and give you an energy boost. This also has the same benefits as the previous tip; keeping to this routine can help you stay motivated.

3) Take Regular Breaks

It can be easy to fall into the trap of studying all the time while you’re at home. Without the need to go anywhere, and without the clear divide between home and university, you may find that you’re studying for a lot longer than you realise. This can cause extra stress during this already stressful time, which will hurt your ability to study.

Taking a break regularly, and finishing your studies exactly when you should, can help you maintain the uni/home divide. A break can involve simply going for a walk around the house and getting a cup of tea. Alternatively, you can make your break more involved, by doing something more active such as yoga, or watching an episode from whatever show you’re currently on.

4) Create a Tidy Working Environment

Your working environment can influence your ability to retain information. Studying in a messy or crowded area can cause distractions or may lead to you not being able to study to the best of your ability. This extends to your digital working space as well; by reducing the number of distractions on your computer when you’re studying, you’ll be able to study more effectively.

You can start by having a clean and tidy desk to do your studies from. You should remove any distractions and give yourself plenty of space to write any notes or read any books. If you find that you’re spending too much time on your phone, try putting it in another room and only checking it when you have a break.

5) Use Technology to Help

Technology really can help make your life easier when studying. Several companies are also offering free access to their services during the coronavirus outbreak; make sure you do your research as to what’s available, and how trustworthy the company offering the service is. For example, Zoom, while easy to use, has many security flaws.

If you need to work on a project with other people, Google has lots of resources that can help. Google Hangouts allows you to talk to your project members, while Google Docs and Google Drive can help you collaborate on your work. There are also programs such as Google Calendar which you can use to manage your time.  

6) Stay in Touch with Your Friends and Family

Now, more than ever, we should be spending time keeping in touch with our friends and family. Reaching out to people can help if you feel alone being at home, and you may find that you’re helping others by giving them someone to talk to. This is especially important if you’re still staying in your student accommodation and haven’t returned home.

Staying in contact can be as simple as giving someone a call, but you can also use apps to video chat with your friends and family. Facebook Messenger and Facetime are both free apps that you can use to video call with other people. You could make this a regular part of your routine, which can give you something to look forward to.

Unihousing Student Accommodation

Being prepared for the next academic year at university can help reduce some of the stress caused by the COVID-19 lockdown. Unihousing is still open and can assist you in finding your ideal student accommodation at the University of Birmingham. By contacting our reception team, they can take down your requirements and send through details of any properties that may suit you.

All our Unihousing student accommodation, including our Selly Oak studios provide good working environments for home study. Our quality student lets feature a spacious study area, with enough room for your computer and any study material. Many of our student studios also include free internet in the cost of the rent, so you can study effectively and stay in touch with loved ones.

Talk to our friendly reception team today so you can find your ideal student accommodation for the next academic year.

Contact Unihousing Today to Discover What We Can Do For You!!