Why I chose Huddersfield for music.

There are so many reasons that made me chose to come to the University of Huddersfield. It’s hard to actually pin them all down.

Open Day

Firstly, when I came to look around on the Open Day it was a really relaxed day and everyone seemed very friendly. My previous experiences of Open Days at other universities had been frantic and stressful but Huddersfield was different.

When I went to look around my course (music) building I was so impressed by the modern facilities that it hugely swayed my decision to come to Huddersfield.

The staff were so kind and I felt like they really wanted me to come to this uni. They sold the course and the university so well and were so positive about me applying. I was made aware of all the opportunities such as getting involved with the Contemporary Music Festival (the biggest contemporary music festival in Europe) and the local orchestras and choirs I could be part of. The university also has connections with Opera North, which means we get the opportunity to sit in on dress rehearsals for free at the Leeds Grand Theatre. These are to name just a few of the benefits of studying at Huddersfield.

The town

One thing I loved was that my mum and I could just pop into town for lunch on the Open Day. This is something that I still love to this day. I cannot emphasise enough how handy it is to have the town centre right next to the uni. It means that anything you need is so accessible and lunch/coffee dates are no hassle at all. Adding to this it also has made my friends and me more spontaneous because we can decide what to do there and then instead of having to plan transport arrangements; we can just walk into town. (Another pro: very little/no money spent on buses and public transport).

The size of Huddersfield is perfectly ideal.

The size of Huddersfield is perfectly ideal. I personally would pick it over Leeds and Manchester any day because everything in Huddersfield is so accessible. Coming from a tiny village though it was always going to be big enough for me. Because it’s not too big it means I know it so well and therefore know the best places and coffee shops/cafés. Northern Tea House (pictured) is a particular favourite of mine!

It also means that shopping is a lot less tiring... However, if you do think you would miss or want a big city, Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield are so close by train, (not expensive either with a railcard) it makes for a lovely day out, but what I like is that you can then escape the stress of a big city to come back to Huddersfield at the end of the day because personally big cities for me can be a bit hectic!

Nightlife

Another bonus of coming to Huddersfield is that on a night out you are almost always guaranteed to bump into your friends from many different areas of the university. There are two main clubs and whichever you chose to go to you will definitely end up bumping into another group of friends. Huddersfield isn’t an intimidating place, which makes nights out fun and friendly.

Accommodation

Another massive contribution that pushed me to choose Huddersfield was the lower cost of living. On average a student house comes in at around £70-80 a week. For this you can get a good house in a good location, near to the university which is the most important aspect in my opinion and also bills are usually included in the rent.

In comparison to Manchester and Leeds, these big cities prices can be a lot higher. The average student rent in Leeds is £90 a week potentially more in a private rented house. As the cities are so big you tend to get less for your money and often have to settle for living far from the university and city centre. The price of a night out in Huddersfield is also usually cheaper. The clubs have discount entry and student nights have great deals on drinks!

Overall I liked the friendliness of Huddersfield

Overall I liked the friendliness of Huddersfield and I loved the excellent facilities on offer and the closeness to the town centre. It’s a great place to study and you can have a great social life without breaking the bank!