Tuesday 22-11-2022 - 13:10

Your student officers are coming up with monthly articles for you. All designed to focus on a different theme with the best tips, tricks, and hacks to save you time, money and make your student experience even better.

This month’s guide is brought to you by Letitia, your President.

If you’re an international student and wondering how to get the best out of Manchester, keep reading.

 

 

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Manchester’s a metropolitan city that rose from humbling Roman settlement beginnings. It’s a dynamic city where dreams are made, and legends are born, that also warmly embraces Manchester’s international students.

The vibrancy of the city can be felt whilst experiencing attractions, magnificent architecture and most of all, the spirit of its people. Whether you travelled 150 miles or 6,000 miles, you’ve landed feet-first to begin your journey as a Manchester international student; you won’t forget it.

 

So, where do you start?

Don’t fear, your student officers are here. As an international student from the United States, coming to the UK was still a bit of a culture shock.

I’d never had a sausage roll, or sushi on a conveyor belt, and the cars are on the wrong side of the road. But it didn’t take long for me to learn all of Britain’s quirks.

 

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Here are my 4 top tips to immerse yourself in the Manchester experience:

 

Media City

Media City is home to the BBC, the nationalized broadcaster for the UK. It is the world's oldest national broadcaster, and the largest broadcaster in the world by number of employees.

Some iconic British shows to have a look at are:

 

Doctor Who depicts the mad adventures of The Doctor, a Time Lord traveling through time and space in the TARDIS with his trusted companions. The TARDIS is a blue British police box. Combatting foes, and saving civilisations across the stars, are all in a day’s work for The Doctor.

 

Sherlock, a crime drama television series based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson, this series is set in the present day, with a one-off special featuring a Victorian period fantasy.

 

Downton Abbey is a British historical drama set in the early 1900s in the fictional Yorkshire country estate of the same name. It depicts the lavish lives of the fictional and aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants in the post-Edwardian era.

 

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Manchester’s Music

They say music can tame savage beasts and while I hope none of you are howling at the moon, music is a unifying experience.

Manchester is home to music legends Oasis, The Smiths, Joy Division and The Stone Roses. There’re vast numbers of music venues like Oxford Road, the Royal Opera House, to Albert Hall.

Whether you’re interested in smaller venues like the Deaf Institute or The Academy, or even the impressive Manchester Arena, you're never far from a good gig.

 

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The Curry Mile

From Manchester Royal Infirmary to Platt Lane, right down into the centre of Rusholme is the locally famous Curry Mile. The name is self-explanatory: this is the place to go for restaurants, takeaways and kebab houses specialising in the cuisines of South Asia and the Middle East.

Notable stops are Moonlight Milkshake, home to the best milkshake in the city, as well as Jaffa, a bustling storefront where Middle Eastern desserts will delight your taste buds. You’ll find it dominating a corner on the Mile, boasting great value for money with fast and friendly service.

 

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Manchester Sports

Manchester has produced countless Olympic medallists over the years and is famously home to Manchester United and Manchester City football clubs.

Manchester Aquatics Centre, a legacy of the 2002 Commonwealth Games, offers something for the casual weekend swimmer to the semi-pro athlete.

The Regional Athletics Arena, the National Squash Centre and Manchester Velodrome are other world class facilities that offer world class training and experiences.

 

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So what are you waiting for? Open your door and you never know what adventures await you. Around every corner there is a Manchester experience just waiting for you.