Welcome To Manchester: A Fresher’s Guide

It’s that time of year again: the kids are back at school, the sun has practically given up on us and Christmas decorations are already appearing in the shops! Autumn is well on it’s way and a whole new cohort of eager students are descending upon the city to start their university career. Freshers arriving in Manchester for the first time are unlikely to have the slightest clue where to start, which is why we’ve created a handy student guide to help you get to grips with your new home.

If you’re a fresher in Manchester the chances are you’ve ended up living in student central – the glorious Fallowfield! You’ve no doubt heard a lot about your future home, the good, the bad and the very ugly, but don’t let that scare you because you’re definitely in for a fun year. You’ll hear Fallowfield and the surrounding area referred to as the student bubble – you could easily spend your whole year hopping on and off the 142 bus from home to the odd lecture or two. It’s got bars, clubs, restaurants, shops, a Sainsburys with everything from kettles to bed linen, and of course, pretty much all of your mates – which means it’s the perfect place to start your freshers adventure.

Further South you’ll find Withington. A lot of people tend to gravitate here after a couple of years of Fallowfield for a more peaceful life – although only slightly. It’s close enough to Fallowfield to still feel very studenty but without the theatrical first year excitement. As well as decent student houses, Withington has a fair few bars and cafes that are great if you fancy heading somewhere different. For vegetarians struggling to find their way through a sea of kebabs and fried chicken, try vege cafe Fuel for a super tasty meat-free breakfast that certainly won’t break the bank.

Withington is also a great place to look for a gym membership as it’s well outside of the city centre and very easy to get to. If you’d rather exercise for free there’s plenty of parks and residential roads to take a jog around in South Manchester. If you prefer your parks with beer and friends, a sunny day in Manchester is, although rare, the perfect time for a picnic and a break from work.

The other side of Fallowfield is home to Rusholme. This is where you’ll find the famous curry mile, a mile-long strip of Indian restaurants, takeaways and other exotic cuisines. Living so close to some of the best curries in the city is definitely one of the perks of student life in South Manchester. The Mughli Restaurant and Charcoal Pit, which claims to have fed David Cameron and Jared Leto in recent years, seems to be a favourite amongst mile regulars. It may be slightly more expensive than some of it’s neighbours but your sparkly new student card will get you a 10% discount.

Rusholme is also where you’ll find Antwerp Mansion, an old rundown Victorian house complete with  boarded-up windows and a suspiciously creaky staircase. Although it looks like it’s at the top of Manchester’s demolition list, it’s actually home to some of the best hip hop nights and live DJ sets in the city.

Heading towards the city centre you’ll go down Oxford Road, which if you’re attending UoM or MMU you’ll become very familiar with after a few weeks, at least that’s the plan. This is where you’ll be attending lectures, tutorials and probably spending countless all-nighters in the library. Oxford Road isn’t all doom and gloom though. You have your Student Unions which not only offer a whole load of freebies during welcome week, but also have great offers on food and drink throughout the year. Other Oxford Road delights include The Whitworth Art Gallery, The Manchester Museum and Manchester Aquatics Centre. It’s also where you’ll likely end up on many a booze-fuelled night of fun. Hop off the bus at the Dancehouse theatre and you are a mere stones throw away from Fifth, Factory, Sound Control, Gorilla and more – all students favourites for drinking and dancing.

Manchester City Centre can seem pretty overwhelming at first but it won’t take long to find your bearings. It’s likely you’ll have to make an emergency dash to Market Street and the Arndale at some point in your first couple of weeks once you realise people weren’t lying when they told you Manchester rains a lot and your coat is far from waterproof. Events at the Printworks, Sankeys and Warehouse Project also draw students in from the comfort of the student sector. Deansgate Locks is host to a strip of trendy bars running along the canal which always proves popular with students. The Beetham Tower is Manchester’s tallest building – those with a slightly higher budget than the average student might enjoy a cocktail on the 23rd floor whilst taking in the panoramic views of the city. The most flamboyant and outrageous nights can likely be found on Canal Street, Manchester’s much-adored gay district. With bars and clubs open until the very early hours, the most fabulous drag queens and disco anthems you thought you’d forgotten about, a night here is guaranteed fun for partygoers of all orientations.

Manchester’s Northern Quarter, which is more often referred to as simply ‘the hipster area’, is full of quirky bars, tea rooms and delicious food. Our favourites include Lola’s and Hula for tasty tiki cocktails and laid-back beach vibes, Lammar’s for drag-inspired glam and disco, The Fitzgerald for an exquisite taste of the 1920s and Rosylee for a stunning Sunday Roast. It’s also home to Afflecks Palace – your go-to for piercings, vintage clothing, tattoos, fancy dress, comics, vinyl, vegan soap and novelty hats. For alternative nights out there’s the Soup Kitchen which hosts Remake Remodel, Night and Day Cafe and a number of venues with live music and open mic nights as weekly events.

Keep a look out for student deals and offers, the city is full of them at this time of year. You’ll often come across student lock in events at the city’s hottest shopping spots – there’s one at Market Place Shopping Centre in Bolton on the 24th of September from 5:30-8pm. Students can expect 20% off their purchases in River Island, Warehouse and H+M, and a much more entertaining shopping experience than usual involving live DJs, beer pong and prize giveaways! Not only are events like this a great way of saving money on your monthly spending spree, they’re great fun as well. Your student card is definitely your friend during your time in the city, you’ll be surprised what you can get a discount on – food, haircuts, taxis, cinema tickets, gym memberships, even spray tans! It’s always worth asking, they can only say no. And, if you’ve gone a bit mad with booze and event tickets during freshers week there’s no need to go raiding bins quite yet. Dominoes and Papa Johns have got your back with two little words that will make all students go weak at the knees… free pizza!

If you’re getting bored in Manchester, you’re doing it wrong. There is always plenty going on throughout the city, especially over the next few weeks. During fresher’s week your halls of residence are highly likely to have put on their own calendar of events so that’s a fantastic place to start if you’ve just arrived and you’re wondering what to do with yourself. But there’s so much going on that you don’t have to feel limited, if you don’t like the look of something they’re putting on, keep looking, it won’t take long to find an alternative. Pick up flyers from your student union and get liking pages on Facebook. If you’re stuck for somewhere to start this month there’s a feminist freshers fair at Twenty TwentyTwo on the 24th, a high speed selfie booth at St Ann’s Square on the 24th and 25th and a summer session DJ set from Everything Everything at Black Dog Ballroom NWS on the 27th. There will be a student takeover at three of the Northern Quarter’s most loved venues – Walrus, The Fitzgerald and Hula – on the 29th, expect exciting offers on cocktails and drinks and live sets from some great DJs.

VIVA’s Top Tips On How To Survive First Year

1. Make lots of friends! Manchester is home to over 70,000 students so you certainly won’t be feeling out of place, and a lot of them will be new to the area too. A strong network of friends will help you to explore and make the most out of the city.

2. Leave the student bubble every now and then. Although you might not feel the need to it is certainly worth venturing away from Fallowfield or Oxford Road for the odd day or night out. The city has got so much to offer, you might discover some hidden gems. Spend some time in the Northern Quarter or Spinningfields with Manchester’s young professionals and you’ll soon start to realise there’s much more to the city than £1 pints and Oasis singalongs!

3. Eat properly. Munching down on a greasy kebab after one too many jägerbombs might seem like a great idea at 4am. But be warned, realising that that’s been your staple diet for the majority of your university days is certain to leave you feeling slightly unwell. By all means take advantage of Manchester’s vast supply of fast food but do make sure you eat a small amount of greens a week, and not just the salad on your McChicken sandwich. No one wants to be the one that returns home for Christmas looking like they’ve taken residence at an all you can eat buffet for the last few months.

4. Try not to spend all your loan in week 1. You’ll probably spend the majority of it, but it’s always a good idea to keep something saved for a rainy day – and we get plenty of those here so make sure it’s a substantial amount! You might have the best fresher’s week ever but if you’re ringing up the Bank of Mum and Dad after just a few days it kind of ruins the moment.

5. Don’t get too hung up on the work. Although your main aim is to get a degree at the end of your years here, it shouldn’t stop you from having fun, especially in your first year. The work/play balance can often be a struggle but if you succeed in finding it you’ll definitely make the most of your university experience.

6. Explore the city! Manchester is a great place to live and work so make sure you really get to grips with your new home. The city centre will link you to pretty much everywhere – head over to Salford Quays and check out MediaCityUK, the fancy new home of the BBC, spend the day shopping at the Trafford Centre or show your support for one of Manchester’s football clubs at their home stadiums. Don’t be shy, head out into the city and fall in love with it!

7. Stay up to date with all things Manchester by checking back with us throughout the year. We’ll help you out by guiding you to the best events for students and giving you a lowdown of what’s on. Follow @VIVAmagazines on twitter or like us on Facebook to keep on top!