As Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow is home to no shortage of things to do in your spare time. However, sometimes it’s great to get out of the city for a couple of days and bask in the beauty of the countryside, giving yourself a breath of fresh air and a break from the madness.

Whether it's a spa weekend at Cameron House on the bonny banks of Loch Lomond or a camping trip in Fort William, there are some amazing things to do in the areas surrounding Glasgow. If you're ready to be left in awe of the stunning nature only a short train journey away from your doorstep, pack a bag and get ready to explore.

While a few of the more secluded spots may only be accessible by car, public transport (whether it be train, bus or ferry) can get you to many desirable destinations. Always plan your mode of transport in advance to avoid getting caught out on the day.

Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park

This national park is home to Loch Lomond, one of Great Britain’s largest lakes, and it's found just 23 km northwest of Glasgow. The train, running from Glasgow Queen Street train station to Balloch, takes just under an hour making this the perfect day trip on a sunny weekend.

Balloch itself is a small town which sits right on Loch Lomond’s shores. It's home to quaint cafes, an aquarium, a tree-top high ropes and zipline course, while it's also possible to rent kayaks or pedalos so you can float out onto the calm waters of the loch. Most importantly, you’re never going to be too far from an ice cream stand. Stroll through the grounds of Balloch Castle and Country Park and, if it’s warm enough, go for a paddle in the loch itself.

For those of you who do have a car, Balmaha is another town located slightly further along the banks of the loch. Nestled at the base of Conic Hill, it offers access to a steep but rewarding walk up to the summit. Here, hikers can appreciate views of Loch Lomond in all its glory, making the trek a worthwhile venture. Finish off your day with a visit to one of the cafes in the town, serving cups of tea and delicious cakes.

Those who fancy a bigger challenge could drive further up the eastern bank of Loch Lomond to conquer Ben Lomond. Standing at 974 metres (3,196 feet), this mountain is classed as a Munro and is the highest of the peaks surrounding the loch. Avid hillwalkers should allow around six hours in order to give themselves time to appreciate the impressive views of the stunning landscape the summit provides.

No matter where you go within this national park, you can be assured you’ll find excellent camping spots, rewarding hiking trails and fantastic scenery, making this corner of Scotland the perfect getaway for those wishing to escape the bustle of the city.

Cameron House

If your ideal weekend away includes a stay at a luxury hotel and spa, Cameron House is your dream destination. Also located at Loch Lomond, this hotel is one of the best locations for a short, pampered trip out of the city.

You can enjoy the natural beauty of Scotland’s countryside with the option to spend sunny mornings on the greens of Cameron House Golf Course and rainy afternoons in the hotel’s spa. The location means guests can still enjoy the relative peace and tranquillity a trip to Loch Lomond has to offer. Currently undergoing renovations, the hotel is set to open its doors again in early 2020.

West Highland Way

Much of Scotland’s beauty can only be truly comprehended if you immerse yourself totally in the landscape and the nation has many long distance walking trails which provide the perfect opportunity to do so.

The West Highland Way is a 154km walk which spans from Milngavie (30 minute train journey from Glasgow City Center) to Fort William, crossing the boundary separating the lowlands and highlands. Walkers can endeavor to undertake the trail in between five and seven days. If you only have a couple of days, why not try some of the shorter stretches?

The walk doesn't disappoint: from the stretch between Balmaha and Inverarnan which follows Loch Lomond all the way up its eastern bank, to the view from the highest point at the top of the Devil’s Staircase, hikers can be sure they will see the best Scotland has to offer. Rolling fields, dramatic valleys, and expansive lochs will give those who do complete the West Highland Way a unique glimpse into Scotland’s magical charm.

Fort William

Not only is Fort William the finishing point of the West Highland Way, it's also a popular destination for those wishing to explore the Scottish Highlands. Glen Coe is also a short drive to the south and is home to a popular ski resort used by many in Glasgow due to its proximity.

The town of Fort William is roughly a three-hour bus or train journey from Glasgow, making it fairly easily accessible from the city. Its rich cultural history means it's the perfect place for those interested in learning more about Scotland’s origins and background. Situated on the banks of Loch Linnhe, there are an abundance of short leisurely walks to be taken which are perfect for an evening wander.

If you're a Harry Potter fan, the iconic Glenfinnan viaduct will be familiar as it featured prominently in the flying car scene in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It's located just half-an-hour drive west from Fort William.

Argyll & Bute

Argyll & Bute are a collection of islands just off the western coast of Scotland, most easily accessible by the ferry terminals in Gourock or Wemyss Bay.They offer plenty of potential for fun weekend trips, whether it's a tour of Inveraray Castle, a hiking holiday in the Argyll mountains, a camping trip in Oban or a whisky distillery tour in the region of Cambeltown. Accommodation is also plentiful, ranging from wild campsites to cosy firelit B&Bs.

Spectacular coastlines and historic landmarks also make this a fantastic tourist destination for those wishing to absorb all they can about Scotland.

The Grand Canyon is quite simply mind-blowing. A formation of eroded rock, the Canyon has unique colors and patterns which are just incredible to look at. It stretches for 277 miles, measuring 18 miles across and one mile deep, so there's a lot to take in when you visit it. I can safely say the Grand Canyon is truly overwhelming - both from its sheer size, and unbelievable beauty.

Here are some top tips for your visit to this National Park, based on my own experience.

More than anything...enjoy it

The Grand Canyon is one of the natural wonders of the world. It's beyond beautiful, magical, and everything in between. Take it all in and really enjoy your surroundings - there is truly nothing like it.

Go for sunrise

It's extremely rare for most people to enjoy waking up in the dark, clambering around trying to find their clothes and hiking shoes, but the sunrise over the Grand Canyon is worth it.

Imagine when that first light breaks over the orange rocks, and how it all glows so beautifully. It's genuinely hard to put into words and even pictures can't do it justice. You will not regret making the effort to get up early and experience this sunrise in person.

Start early

Even if you don't get up for sunrise, it's important to start your hike around the Grand Canyon early. As it's located in the middle of Arizona, it gets hot here quickly. Aim to finish walking by midday and you'll avoid being out for the hottest part of the day and, trust me, you don't want to be hiking when that heat hits. It gets tough.

Remember, you come up after you go down

We forgot this when we started hiking down into the Canyon, but it's vital to know your limits and remember that what goes down must come back up. It's a steep climb back to your starting point which can be hard and hot work.

Know how good you are at hiking, your stamina, and your fitness levels. It's extremely important because this National Park is huge and if you don't leave enough time or energy for the end of your hike then you could end up in serious trouble.

Stay hydrated

Have I mentioned it’s hot? There are no water points in the Grand Canyon so please ensure you bring enough liquid with you to get through the hike.

An important lesson my guide taught me is that if you need the loo, you are hydrated. Do not let yourself get dehydrated during this one because you will struggle.

Educate yourself

There are a huge amount of education programs available at the Grand Canyon every single day. From the information center to the park rangers, take the time to get to know what you're seeing. The extra knowledge will make your visit even more meaningful.

Take photos, leave no trace

Take photos and nothing else. The Grand Canyon is a National Park, and needs to have its beauty preserved for generations to come. Don’t take souvenirs and don’t leave rubbish. That’s common sense.

Birmingham is the UK’s second city and the youngest city in Europe, with 40 percent of the population aged under 25. A significant number of these young people are living in the city to attend university, with almost 80,000 students attending four different universities.

All of this makes Birmingham a fantastic place to be a student and the city has lots to offer. The ‘Big City Plan’ to develop the city center is now well underway, providing new transport links, a £188million state-of-the-art library and a brand-new Paradise Forum, complete with shops, restaurants and office spaces – all before the Commonwealth Games are held here in 2022.

There’s an abundance of activities to entertain you during your time as a student, here are some of my personal favorites.

Shop ‘till you drop

Birmingham is, hands down, one of the best places to shop in the UK. The Bullring, Grand Central and the Mailbox all offer excellent, indoor shopping – the perfect activity on a rainy day.

Head down to the bustling High Street and New Street to continue your shopping spree, stopping by the cobbled side streets where you’ll discover amazing independent retailers. If jewelry is on your shopping list, a visit to the historical Jewelry Quarter is a must, with over 150 designers and retailers to tempt you.

Explore Birmingham’s canals

While studying here, you’ll probably hear proud locals repeatedly mention that Birmingham has more canals than Venice. Hard to believe I’m sure, but there’s a 35-mile canal network winding its way around the city.

You can explore it for yourself by joining a luxury narrowboat tour from just outside the International Convention Centre. Learn about Birmingham’s history and its role at the center of the Industrial Revolution as you are taken past the buildings where it all happened.

Eat ALL the food

As one of the most multicultural cities in the UK, there aren’t many cuisines you can’t find in Birmingham. A must-try is the Balti. Birmingham is the birthplace of this dish – a type of curry cooked and served in a steel bowl – and there are over 100 curry houses for you choose from in the ‘Balti Triangle’ around Moseley.

Or, you could head to the Arcadian in Chinatown for incredible East Asian cuisine at the most affordable prices.

To sample everything the city has to offer, a visit to Digbeth Dining Club is a must. Voted Britain’s Best Street Food Event, you won’t be disappointed with the range of food on offer here, mostly at bargain prices. 

Visit the Custard Factory

Built over 100 years ago by the creator of egg-free custard, what was once an actual custard factory is now the hub of Birmingham’s creative industries. The area is just a 10-minute stroll from the city center and is well worth a visit for its unique shops and galleries. It’s also the perfect place to immerse yourself in the city’s thriving, independent music scene. Visit from Thursday-Sunday and you can grab some street food from Digbeth Dining Club after a day of exploring.

Gorge on chocolate at Cadbury World

Explore the birthplace of the world-famous chocolate with a self-guided tour around Cadbury World. Learn about chocolate production right from its Aztec origins to the current day and even try your hand at making your own delicious creation.

Afterwards, stroll around the picturesque suburb of Bourneville to work off all that chocolate and admire the traditional village founded by the Cadbury brothers as a place for their workers to live.

Visit the city’s galleries and museums

Birmingham was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and there is a wealth of history for you to discover. For a glimpse into the past lives of Birmingham’s working classes, take a tour of the last surviving back-to-back houses on Hurst Street.

There is also the world class Museum and Art Gallery in Chamberlain Square, where you can take a peek at the Staffordshire Hoard – the largest discovery of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found – before immersing yourself in the history of Victorian Birmingham.

The city’s art gallery is famous for its collection of pre-Raphaelite paintings, the largest in the world. If modern art is more to your taste, then definitely check out the Ikon Gallery. There are also a huge number of museums to visit in Birmingham, from the Thinktank Science Museum to Soho House and Aston Hall.

Unwind in the city’s parks

With more than 600 parks and open spaces, Birmingham is one of the greenest cities in the UK. Cannon Hill Park is under two miles from the city center and is the perfect place to relax. You can take a Swan Pedal Boat out on to the lake and enjoy the view or visit the Midlands Art Centre for the exhibitions and art classes on offer.

Have a look at Birmingham City Council’s website to find the best inner-city oasis near you if you need some time to unwind.

Birmingham’s booming nightlife is definitely up there as one of the top reasons to make this city your home as a student. There’s something for everyone, on every single night of the week. Combine that with the amazing student deals to be found and you have a winning combination!

Check out our list below for some of the many amazing nights you can have in the UKs second city.

Club-hopping on Broad Street

If hitting up some of the UK’s biggest clubs and dancing to chart-toppers until the early hours is your thing, then Broad Street will leave you spoilt for choice.

Get the pre-drinks flowing at Walkabout with its Twosday £2 drinks offer before heading to Pryzm. The 2,500-capacity venue is Birmingham’s biggest club and its student-only night on Tuesdays ensures discounts and dancing all night long.

Canalside bars at Brindley Place

If you’d rather a more relaxing, canal-side drink, head to Brindley Place. There are ample places to choose from for both dinner and drinks. If you’re a gin aficionado try The Gin Vault, a cozy bar offering over 350 gins. They have two-for-one cocktails from five until seven every Monday to Thursday.

Or head over the canal bridge to the recently opened and hugely popular Canal House. Here you can enjoy a drink in the beer garden overlooking the narrowboats. There’s also live music every night and a pub quiz on Sundays.

City center cocktails

For the classiest of evenings, make for the business district of Colmore Row where you will find the best cocktail bars in the city, including The Cosy Club, Dirty Martini and The Botanist - to name just a few!

Stroll a little further towards the Jewelry Quarter and you’ll be rewarded with even more crazy cocktails at The Jekyll and Hyde and Island Bar.

Monday to Sunday entertainment in the Gay Village

It is no exaggeration to say there is something happening every single night of the week in Birmingham’s gay village. The Village Inn is the UKs leading live cabaret venue, offering live shows seven days a week. Highlights include Monday bingo – including £1 drinks(!) – and karaoke Wednesdays.

At the weekend, finish your night at Nightingales, one of the UKs biggest and most popular gay super-clubs.

One event during the year which you definitely won’t want to miss is Birmingham Pride. Held every May Bank Holiday weekend on Hurst Street, it is the largest LGBTQ two-day festival in the whole of the UK.

Wacky crazy golf + cocktails = Ghetto Golf in Digbeth

A firm favorite with students and locals alike, Ghetto Golf in Digbeth offers an 18-hole crazy golf experience, surrounded by the work of the city’s best graffiti artists. While you play, you can sip on amazing cocktails and dance along to a live DJ.

Golfing highlights include the video game hole complete with neon lights and Super Mario backdrop, a bowling alley hole and a tricky putt which takes place inside a city bus.

Theater shows across the city

The Hippodrome, The Rep Theatre and The Alexandra are just a few of the theaters you can visit in Birmingham, all offering shows year-round. With Dirty Dancing and Les Misérables recently touring in Birmingham, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to catch an award-winning show.

At the Symphony Hall and Town Hall, you can also see performances from the award-winning Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Royal Ballet. A great option if the family are visiting!

Dance until dawn in Digbeth

Without question, Birmingham’s biggest, craziest and most unique club nights are to be found in Digbeth.

The Rainbow Venues have several locations around Digbeth where you can always find something to suit your taste.

Lab 11 is home to Magic Door, an event comprising mind-bending visuals and outrageous outfits. At Boxxed, a 10,000ft converted warehouse, you can dance next to life-size dinosaur models or catch your breath in the renovated static caravans. Wherever you go, Digbeth always provides a night to remember.

Laugh the night away at Birmingham’s comedy clubs

If you want a break from dancing and live music, The Glee Club in the Arcadian is one of the best-known and most loved comedy clubs in the country. Established over 20 years ago, it has hosted some of the country’s most popular acts and is the perfect place to watch the big names in comedy. Amazingly tickets start at just £5 for students!

Alternatively, try The Comedy Junction on Broad Street. There are often several acts a night on here, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday and tickets are extremely cheap with prices starting from £9.

By Jenny Scott Russell – Local Leo

London is a whirlwind of a city, it literally doesn’t ever sleep. And living in such a hectic environment can get overwhelming, leading to the very common practice among Londoners of not making the most of what the city has to offer! We tend to head home after a long day of university or work and seek refuge at home. But a bachelor’s degree is only three years’ long, or even less if you’re here on Erasmus or an exchange. Utilizing your time to the fullest is important, but how do you do it when you’re so short on cash, time and energy?!

Read on for my tips on how to make the most of studying in London, let’s hope it motivates you to go out and explore as much as possible…

Take the bus and walk more

The simplest thing you can do to make the most of studying in London is take the bus and walk as much as possible. You’ll get a better idea of the layout of London, save money and see more. Yes, the tube is convenient, but the bus is basically a free tour. Pinpoint areas you want to explore, restaurants you fancy eating at and little pubs to visit at the weekend. Make sure you have an Oyster Card or contactless though, because you can’t pay by cash on London buses.

Maximize your free time

Free time as a student is precious, so try not to spend too much of it watching reality TV or Netflix on your own in your room! Instead, if you crave time to relax in front of a screen, go with friends to one of the Roof Top Film Club locations. Even better, go to the Old Vic with your student discount card and see a theater show for £10. There is so much to do and see in London that maximizing your time is integral to making the most of what the city has to offer.

Join Opera Undressed

Through the English National Opera initiative, Opera Undressed, you can get reduced tickets as well as a pre-performance talk and a free drink. It’s designed to get a younger audience interested in the opera scene but even if you only go once, it’s a great thing to be able to say you’ve done. And you never know, maybe you’ll get into it!

Book tickets in advance

This is regarding trains, shows, concerts, basically anything you need to get a ticket for. If you can, book your tickets in advance to save yourself money. It also means you’ll be able to plan your evenings and weekends and make the most of your free time. Search for good deals online, and London can be very student friendly if you’re thrifty enough.

Accept that the weather can be bad

In Austria, where I studied my Erasmus, they say ‘there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing’. This is so true and completely relevant to life in London. Invest in a decent waterproof coat with a hood and you’ll be fine. The last thing you want is to be stuck inside whenever it’s raining. You’ll probably end up becoming a bit of a hermit!

Stay in student accommodation

Potentially a controversial one as student accommodation in London can be expensive. But if possible, try to spend a year in student accommodation. It’s the best way to make friends outside of your course and gives you the opportunity to create relationships with people you’re sure you want to live with in the future. Then you can move out together and find a flat share. Student accommodation is a catalyst for fun and being surrounded by similar aged, like-minded people creates the perfect environment to make amazing memories.

Get a Tastecard

Easy enough, just fill in the form online (ideally when they have a deal on sign-up costs!) and wait for your Tastecard to arrive in the post. This gets you 2-for-1 in loads of restaurants all over London which makes eating out much more accessible on a student budget!

Open a student bank account

Super important for national and international students alike, student bank accounts have many perks depending on what bank you go with. Some provide you with a railcard, others even give a Tastecard! But most importantly you’ll get an interest-free overdraft, which is great to have to fall back on, especially when you live in a city as expensive as London. Not that I would advise you to rely on this too heavily, you want to be overdraft free by the time you finish your course!

Spend as much time out of zone 1 as possible

London is massive and there is so much to explore outside of the central touristy areas. So, try to think of London as different villages mashed together, with every area offering its own distinct character. For instance, East London is nothing like the North or West. You might even find an area you particularly like, I loved Stoke Newington for example and decided to move there!

Get a 16-25 railcard

A railcard gets you a third off train tickets and that includes off-peak tube costs! On a student budget this is really helpful and it also opens up traveling to other parts of the country at the weekends. You can book tickets in advance and with the third off on top it rivals the price of getting a coach and is a lot faster and more enjoyable! That being said, you can get coach tickets from London to Bristol for as low as £5 which is pretty hard to beat!

Download Citymapper

Citymapper is a lifesaver, not only does it show you the fastest route to get you from A to B, it shows you which exit to take from the underground, the cost of the journey and if there are any delays on your way. It makes navigating London an absolute breeze.

Visit all of London’s best markets

I’m talking about Borough Market, Colombia Road Flower Market, Portobello Road Market, Soho Vegan Market and so on! There are so many markets in London to explore and they are always filled with the most eccentric local people and often the best food in the city. You’ll find the bargains of the century in some and visiting a new market is the perfect excuse to explore a new part of the city.

…And free museums

London is amazing for free museums, with basically all of the biggest and most famous ones offering free entry. However, even the smaller ones that charge, offer discounts to students and London is home to some highest regarded museums in the world. My favorites include the V&A, the Natural History Museum, the Tate and the British Museum. You could spend weeks in just these four so do some research and find exhibitions that appeal to you.

…And parks

When the sun is shining, the only place to be is a park. London comes alive in the summer and its parks are at the heart of the change of atmosphere. Regents Park hosts the Open Air Theatre, Victoria Park hosts All Points East Festival and Hampstead Heath is famous for its swimming ponds, to name a few of the great events available to enjoy in some of the nicest of the bunch. Some parks in London also have designated barbeque areas which make them regular haunts of mine!

Enter theater ticket raffles

Cheap theater tickets are not as impossible to come by as one might think! For starters, you need to entre ticket raffles. And if you aren’t lucky enough to win one of those, head down to the theater of choice and in the mornings, as they often sell off unsold seats at a reduced price, even more so for people with student cards!

Invite friends to visit

When your friends come over to visit, you’ll find yourself super motivated to get out and see the city because you’ll want to show off the amazing sights right on your doorstep! Same goes for when your parents visit, you probably won’t do the super touristy sites like London Eye or Trafalgar Square at any other time. Once you’ve lived in London for a while, you tend to avoid these areas.

Go to a summer festival

As I mentioned before, London has a few great festivals in its parks which are 100 percent worth visiting when trying to make the most of studying in London. Research which one best suits your music preferences and book!

Get a London Library card

There are a few different cards to choose from such as a British Library card, SCONUL Access card or Wellcome Library Reader’s Pass so find out which one is most helpful to you, what libraries are near to where you live and sign up. They are free, give you access to thousands of other books and give you a place to study.

Join student Facebook groups

Making friends in London can be difficult so don’t be shy when it comes to joining online groups. Facebook is a great place to start and if you’re feeling adventurous you can join Couchsurfing hangouts or even Tandem, which is a language exchange app. Don’t get me wrong, I hated the idea of posting on a group like this but keep in mind, everyone is in the same boat when they first arrive and generally, people are nicer than you think.

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When applying for university, my naive little heart was set on going to Wales. Wales is a good place to study my chosen subject, environmental studies - lots of nature. I often think about how different my uni experience might have been if I’d gone to a Welsh university. But I didn't. I went to the University of Sussex, in Brighton.

Originally, the University of Sussex was my fifth choice behind Aberystwyth, Swansea, Cardiff and Portsmouth. However, luckily for me my uncle lives near Brighton and suggested I come down to have a look. I went to the university open day and loved the brutalist architecture of the campus. Most of the buildings were constructed using concrete in the 60s, with seemingly little effort put into the design. I remember walking through the Sussex campus for the first time, and thinking it felt like a university. It was raining.

The Sussex campus, much like the rest of Brighton, is littered with green spaces where people congregate in the sun. People playing music, dancing, and performing circus arts. It’s easy to get swept up by it all – I did.

After looking round the uni, I took the train into town to meet my uncle and his little family.  He showed me round, bought me falafel, and said something along the lines of “Brighton is one of those places you live that you’ll never want to leave”. He wasn’t wrong. I fell in love instantly.

The place has an energy. Not a negative, tense energy like London where everyone walks around stone-faced. No, Brighton has a happy, vibrant energy, making the city a magnet for vibrancy and fun. When you're there, you desperately want to be a part of it.

If you’re considering applying to study at the University of Sussex, here are some of the reasons I chose to study in Brighton.

University rankings

The University of Sussex may not be the best-known UK university, but it consistently performs quite well in university rankings. It’s currently just outside the top 30 in the UK in the QS World University Rankings 2019, and is also the best university in the world for one particular subject (development studies).

Close to nature

The Sussex campus is slap-bang in the middle of the South Downs National Park, which means you can see rolling green hills as far as the eye can see out of your student accommodation window. Brighton is a community that cares about the environment too, so you’ll encounter plenty of green initiatives – there’s a reason the Green Party always do well in elections here!

The Lanes

Brighton is famous for The Lanes – a network of streets filled with boutique shops, second-hand wares, hidden treasures and antiques. You can spend all day exploring the shop windows along these historical narrow roads.

The beach and the piers

No matter the weather, the beach in Brighton is always beautiful. When it’s sunny, the beach is bustling with people and has a lovely vibe, while during a storm you may get to see lightning strike the wind farm located off the coast which can look incredibly dramatic.

There are also two piers in Brighton – the one that’s still open is great for walking along, while the second was lost to a fire but it makes for a beautiful photo op!

So, you want to know what studying in Brighton is like? I graduated from the University of Sussex (based in Brighton) in the summer of 2018 with a degree in Ecology and Environment. Here are my key insights into what it’s like to study here.

(Nearly) everyone is from London

You’ll find out pretty quickly that most of the people at university in Brighton are from London. They will probably already all know each other. You will get tired of asking where people are from – it’s almost always London.

The only people who will ask you where you’re from are not from London. All the Londoners already know where everyone else is from - London. The sooner you accept that you’re in London 2.0, the happier you’ll be.

There’s more culture than you can possibly imagine

Need some more culture in your life? Brighton has got you, gurl! Art is everywhere you look. The streets are a living exhibition. There’s live music and dancing around every corner. Street performers and a random man dancing in gold Spandex? It’s got those too!

Studying in Brighton means at least one of your friends will be in a band.

You’ll feel truly free (and lose some inhibitions)

Brighton is a very accepting place. There is a lot of freedom to explore who you really are, and plenty of events to attend which may tickle your fancy, including:

Free the Nipple rally – Once a year, people of all genders get together to walk topless in solidarity against the patriarchal values placed on ‘female’ nipples and bodies.

Naked Bike Ride –  An annual event to raise awareness for cyclist safety but getting naked and riding a bike!

Party in your pants – A blacklight party, where you’re allowed to be as naked as you feel comfortable being. Everyone is given some paint/pens/glitter and you can get arty on a stranger! It’s really great fun!

Pride – Pride is the annual celebration for the LGBTQ+ community and Brighton Pride is a particularly big affair. Brighton is also the gay capital of the UK! So, if you're homophobic, you will not enjoy your time here xx

Silent Disco Beach Clean – Once a month, a themed beach clean takes place, where you can enjoy a silent disco through a pair of headphones. An act of selflessness with an added sprinkling of fun.

Plus, there are loads of other small, local events designed to suit everyone’s tastes!

It’s a veggie paradise

When I left home to go to university, I decided it was a good time to go vegetarian, something I’d wanted to do for a long time. Being vegetarian (and occasionally vegan) in Brighton was so easy and delicious. Every restaurant has a wide range of veggie and vegan options, while of course there are still loads of options for all you meat-eaters. Wherever you go, the food in Brighton is generally just really good.

Here are some of my favorite places to eat, should you wish to check them out:

We❤️ Falafel – this is my favorite food place in Brighton. Costs start from £3.95 for a fat falafel wrap. Always check out the specials.

Oriental Takeaway – A Chinese takeaway on Lewes Road that has so many dope veggie options (perfect for hungover vegetarians).

Moshimo – A reasonably-priced, Japanese restaurant that does deep-fried ice cream

Bombay Aloo – All-you-can-eat vegetarian Indian food for £6.99 (they have a sister restaurant that serves meat).

Terre à Terre – A boujiee vegetarian restaurant. The food there is pricey but incredible. A graduation meal destination for sure.

Pom Poko – Another Japanese restaurant; hot meals at student prices.

Grubbs Burgers – A burger chain exclusive to Sussex, perfect for hangovers.

Burger Brothers – Named the number one burger in the country, a must try.

Troll Burger – You can find these dope burgers in a shack under the station bridge. Guaranteed to please.

Be prepared to get political

It’s easy, when you’re in Brighton, to forget that people aren’t all passionately left wing. You will get trapped in an idealist bubble when living here.

I’m firmly of the opinion we need a lot more people who want the world to be A LOT better and fight for it to be. Brighton is, in my opinion, filled with people like that. Hopefully you’re one of them! Activism is an important part of being a Brightonian.

It’s about as expensive as London

Living in Brighton isn’t cheap. Rent, groceries and bills are going to break your bank, and then your soul. Ultimately, it’s as expensive as London, if not more so.

Rent is going to be at least £500pcm, not including bills. Getting the bus to and from uni costs around £5/6 a day now. Instead of which, I highly recommend getting a bike as the cycle lanes in Brighton are pretty good – you’ll thank me later.

Luckily, there are a couple of Aldi supermarkets which are cheaper than other brands, so eating at home may not be too painful but eating and drinking out needs to be done with care. There are, of course, some cheap student-friendly places to hang i.e. Hobgoblin or Shuffle Bar at happy hour. But Brighton is ultimately an expensive tourist trap, so beware!

You won’t find a more fun place to study

As you can probably tell, you won’t have to look very hard for a good time in Brighton. If it’s sunny you’ll find everyone at The Level or on the beach, soaking up the rays. Brighton really comes alive in the summer, and there’s no other uni town like it.

Pro tip: Try Tuaca! It’s a caramel-flavored liquor which can be found only in Brighton (in the UK, anyway). It can be found at any bar in the city and is delish!