Choosing which university to attend based on social scene alone probably isn’t the wisest idea, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t rank high on your list of priorities. Not only are sticky dancefloors and blinding strobe lighting a sort of rite of passage, a good night out can foster the sense of connection and friendship that is key to a student’s wellbeing.
“Three years minimum is a long time in your life, so you need to be happy in the environment you’re in,” says Joe Woodcock, head of community at discussion platform The Student Room. “Students who are not happy tend to be the ones that aren’t able to finish. Being a happy student is so important for getting the best out of your university education.”
That doesn’t mean it’s all budget bottles of vodka and arguing about whose turn it is to pay for the Uber. History and politics student Joseph Thomas, 21, chose the University of York because the city’s nightlife seemed “a bit more down to earth and a bit less rowdy” than his second choice – Coventry’s University of Warwick. “A campus university was right for me because all the students are in one place.” His idea of a good time is playing communal Mario Kart on a projector and discussing music over a couple of pints with the university album society.
Similarly, Rachel Tong Ng, who has just graduated with a degree in business and management, chose Durham University over Manchester for its “more peaceful vibe”.
“Durham has a collegiate system, which I’d researched before, so I think it was a lot easier to make friends,” says Ng, who preferred society events and on-campus sports team socials – both of which her chosen city had in abundance – to pubs and clubs.
But don’t believe everything they tell you about gen Z, says Katie Kirwan, the head of brand at booking platform Design My Night – they’re as partial to a party as their predecessors – they’re just more discerning about where they choose to blow their student loan.
“A couple of years ago we started covering a lot of nights based around musicians – so we had a ton of Taylor Swift nights, and we’ve seen a huge increase in searches for western-themed nights following the release of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album,” says Kirwan. “Britney [Spears] nights have also made a comeback. Nostalgia’s big: gen Z are now discovering all the bands that I used to listen to when I was their age.”
Demand for activities-based nights out, including pottery painting and crafting, is also skyrocketing – with their fixed cost one of the main draws, says Kirwan. As well as a 14% increase in searches for “classes” in the past year on the platform, she’s seen a 43% increase in searches for “affordable” activities.
The eye-watering cost of going out now means that the time-honoured student tradition of cramming into the communal kitchen for pre-drinks is alive and well. “A lot of us do most of our drinking before we go to the club,” says 19-year-old animation student Kami Thomas, who chose the University of Westminster so they could take advantage of London’s LGBTQ+ clubbing scene. They have also used holiday work to give their bank account some breathing room: “I knew I wanted to go to university in London, so I saved £3,000 over the summer so I could enjoy my first term.” Ng’s number one rule for affordable student socialising is setting a budget before she goes out, and refusing to overspend – even if that means one less drink.
So which universities make the grade for their social scenes? “A city like Sheffield ticks all the boxes for diverse, great nightlife,” says Woodcock. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. The University of Sheffield’s student union is frequently ranked best in the UK, while the city’s DIY music scene continues to thrive. “Places like Liverpool and Cardiff, which are cheaper than London and the south-east, also offer the best of both: a campus-centred social scene and city nightlife,” he adds.
For live music, Kirwan recommends Leeds, which has “all the flavour of Manchester” with a cheaper cost of living. Ng, though, doesn’t think it matters where you go – provided you try to enjoy yourself as much as possible. “You only get the university experience once.”
