January 30, 2015, by International students

Tips for international students: the best areas to live in Nottingham

Choosing a place to live can be exhausting and frustrating for students, especially international students. In general, the majority of first-year students move out of their catered halls and live with their close friends in a house, therefore here are some inside tips that will help you to choose a place to live for the next year.

Tip # 1 – The earlier, the better

Most of the students would start to find a house during January and February. The most popular area for students is Lenton which is the perfect combination of the city centre and the University. Therefore, if you are planning to live in Lenton, you should begin your house-hunting early. But for international students, Dunkirk seems to be more popular. I have lived in Dunkirk for one and a half year now!

Tip #2 – Find the right place

There are several areas around the university that students live. The main areas are 1. Lenton 2.Dunkirk and 3. Self-catered apartments which include Nottingham1, Raleigh Park, Manor Village and Riverside.

Lenton

Savoy Cinema, Lenton

Pros – Savoy Cinema is right in the heart of Lenton. There are two local Sainsbury’s and one Tesco Express. There are several bus lines passing through the main street so it is very convenient to go to the city and to the campus. It would be a good choice for people who study in Jubilee Campus.

Cons – the cost of rent can be relatively more expensive compared to the price in Dunkirk. It could be loud at night when people come back from the party – but I guess that is not a big problem.

Dunkirk

City Road, Dunkirk

Pros – Dunkirk is a quiet area but at the same time you don’t feel like you are alone. I have lived in Dunkirk for almost two years now and personally I would prefer Dunkirk than Lenton for so many reasons. Firstly, Dunkirk is right next to QMC and University Park, therefore, you could wake up at 8:20 and still be on time for the 9 o’clock lectures!! Trust me I do that every day. Secondly, since Dunkirk is also known as the area for international students, this place is not empty during the holidays. That’s because most of the international students don’t go back home and stay in the UK during the holidays. That’s good because I find it quite safe even though I am the only person in the house. The average rent per week is around £65-75, but it could be higher for a very new and beautiful house. The post office and the bike shop are in the area.

City Road, Dunkirk (taken by Timothy Jungnitsch)

Cons – The bus lines are sufficient except during the tram line construction when the 34 bus stopped coming to Dunkirk. But I guess, by the time you move to the house next year, there would not be a problem about this. It’s quite hard to do the grocery shopping if you live in Dunkirk. I used to go to the city or Beeston every weekend to buy groceries at Tesco and took a bus back. The best way to shop if you live in Dunkirk (or anywhere else) is to order it online. Tesco and Ocado are the famous ones that people normally use. If you need anything urgent, there is SPAR that can help you.

Taechasit Danjittrong, international student from Thailand studying Medicine at The University of Nottingham.

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