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The City

Birmingham takes its name from the old English words describing an anglo-saxon settlement: Birm (a name) ing (tribe) and ham (home). The town became famous for manufacturing and was nicknamed the ‘city of a thousand trades’ for its many industries. Through the ages it came to specialise in metal work and jewellery. Best-known brands made in Birmingham are Cadbury’s chocolate and the Mini car.

The city is now the second largest in England, with a population of more than one million people. Birmingham’s growth was fuelled by coal from the surrounding Black Country. Today it is best known for its complex road systems, namely spaghetti junction, the Bullring shopping centre and the Brummies’ strong regional accent.

City Centre

Birmingham is split into seven quarters, with the city centre defined by the Middle Ring Road. Much of the city centre is pedestrianised, with one side within easy walking distance of the other. The centre has a vast number of train, bus and metro stations that make Birmingham one of the best connected cities in the country.

Aston Triangle

Aston Triangle stretches from Digbeth Millennium Quarter to Five Ways interchange and is dominated by Ashton University. The higher educational institute is near city science and technology business parks, Millennium Point and Aston Science Park.

Bullring Market

The Bullring has been the city’s focal point for trade since the Middle Ages and remains one of the busiest shopping centres in the country, attracting more than 35 millions of visitors each year. It was one of the first malls to be built outside the United States and one of the few UK cities to have a Selfridges store.

Birmingham Convention Quarter

This is the seat of fun in the city. The National Indoor Arena (NIA), International Convention Centre (ICC) and Town Hall and Symphony Hall can be found here. Nightlife bustles along Broad Street, which bisects the area. By day the Sea Life Centre and Number Nine The Gallery attract a good crowd, by night it’s the turn of the Gas Street Basin and Old Turn Junction canal areas.

Jewellery Quarter

Although the number of manufacturers has dwindled to 700 in this area today, these businesses produce almost half of Britain’s total jewellery output. The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter was created out of the former Smith & Pepper jewellery firm. Have a look around for free.

The Universities

Birmingham has four universities, according to the city council. The most popular is the University of Birmingham, which dates back to 1900. It attracts 4,000 international students from 150 countries to lectures spread across two sites: Edgbaston and Selly Oak. English language support is on offer on the pre-entry foundation courses provided here.

Birmingham City University is the old city polytechnic formed out of a Mechanics’ Institute in 1843. Since then it has annexed many other city colleges, including Birmingham School of Jewellery. More than 25,000 students are part of this university, which puts financial support for international students high on its list, after more than a quarter revealed this was their biggest concern about studying in the UK.

Almost 2,000 international students choose to study at Aston University, which dates back to 1895 and has strong links with the professional community in Birmingham. It promises to give third-year students a taste of working in industry and support students who need further help developing their English language skills.

Newman University College is a small Catholic educational centre eight miles outside the city centre, overlooking Bartley Reservoir. It is Birmingham’s newest university founded in 1968, and claims its small class sizes create a friendly learning environment which attracts an average of 40 international students. Newman runs Erasmus student exchange schemes.

Transport

The Birmingham International Airport is the sixth busiest airport in the UK, flying to destinations all over the world. The airport train station, Birmingham International, runs nine trains per hour to the city centre’s Birmingham New Street train station, with a journey time of no more than 20 minutes. Students can receive discounts on train fares by buying a young person's rail card.

International students may be able to use the electric train line Midland Metro to and from the city centre. Combined n network metro, train and bus tickets are available, with some services accessible to certain residents for free. Find out more by phoning foreign language line 0121-214-7878. To plan a journey online, international students can visit Transport Direct. One million people choose to travel around the region by bus, with long-haul services in Birmingham departing from Digbeth Coach Station. A temporary coach station has been put in place while station refurbishment is carried out. Megabus services, with fares which start from £1.50, leave from this location.

Food and drink

Birmingham has plenty of markets to pick up cheap food and drink, and the Bull Ring Open Market’s 1,000 stalls have been voted the best in the UK. There are farmers markets at locations all over the city, including at the University of Birmingham. For discounted restaurant and bars, the Birmingham Student Card is a must-carry and website Student Beans has many vouchers for money off.

Birmingham is home of the Balti, a Kashmiri dish which may have been created in the area. For decades, the area between Highgate and Moseley has been known as the Balti Triangle for containing some of the oldest - and hottest - Balti restaurants in the UK. Visiting one of more than 50 restaurants in the Balti Triangle was recommended as a must-do by the authors of the Rough Guide to Britain. The Royal Naim restaurant is a favourite among students for its cheap and tasty Balti food.

Other locations, such as the Mailbox shopping centre, Brindley Place and Broad Street are popular student haunts. For cheap English meals, the Studio offers cut-price dishes in an opulent atrium and terrace, while the Old Crown offers old-fashioned food the whole family will enjoy and the Old Joint Stock pub theatre serves up British fare in a Grade Two-listed entertainment centre.

Birmingham’s Chinese Quarter offers a large range of restaurants and specialist supermarkets, while one of the main places to order Kosher food remains Gees Kosher Butcher and Deli in Birmingham, which serves Jewish restaurants all over the country. A vegetarian take-away that attracts meat-free fans from miles around is the Jyotis on Stratford Road in Sparkhill, which has 90 veggie dishes on its menu.

Things to do

There is one thing you will not be in Birmingham, and that is bored. As the busiest city in the UK outside London, there are plenty of museums and galleries to enjoy as well as several sports teams and activities to pursue.

Cadbury World celebrates the legacy left by George Cadbury, who worked to improve housing and social standards in Birmingham as well as make chocolate. His village of Bournville is the site of a lot of student accommodation to this day. Meanwhile, the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter allows people to explore hidden city treasures while Millennium Point and ThinkTank are science-based attractions. Restored buildings that provide a snapshot of what life was like in Birmingham include Blakely Hall, Sarehole Mill and Soho House.

For galleries, go to the Barber Institute of Fine Arts and Gas Hall inside Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery to see a range of classical and modern works from Europe. The IKON Gallery on Brindley Place and Number Nine The Gallery have a more contemporary takes on art, with experimental paintings, sculpture, ceramics, glass and rock art on display. If you like sport, you will love the number of top league football clubs to watch in and around Birmingham. Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City, Coventry City and Wolverhampton Wanderers all have grounds within easy reach of the city centre. Warwickshire County Cricket Club is only three miles from the middle of Birmingham and there are about 40 local rugby teams in the vicinity, with the Pertemps Bees and Moseley at the top. As well as sports clubs to join, there are plenty of leisure activities to take part in. It is never run-of-the-mill in Birmingham with go-karting, ice-skating, ten-pin bowling, paintball and snowboarding and skiing Tamworth Snowdome on offer.

Out on the Town

Birmingham nightclubs are mainly confined to two main areas: Broad Street and The Arcadian Centre near the Chinese Quarter. The Arcadian Centre harbours a few surprises, including entry to one of the best super-clubs for dance music in the country, Gods Kitchen, at Air’s three dance floors on Heath Mill Lane. The Medicine Bar around a courtyard pool of what used to be, and is still called, the Custard Factory in Digbeth is also a student delight. For more dance music cross town to The Works’ Gatecrasher nights on Broad Street. Add these venues to places like Indi, the Rococo Lounge and Gas Street canal area and international students have a choice of clubs that put other cities to shame.

If you want a cheap night out on the weekend then you can't beat the weekly events at BUGS (Birminham Uni Guild of Students). They run nights on Friday and Saturday, both of which are paid entry (ticket only) but are great value and great fun. If you do want to got, plan your night in advance because they sell out quickly!

Check out flyers and posters around campus for cheap student nights around time on weekdays. Wednesday is traditionally a good night out.

For bands and other big stage acts, check the listings of the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and the O2 Academy - stages one and two - for the largest performances. Birmingham Town Hall and Symphony Hall provides space for class acts and the Custard Factory has a go at attracting performers as well as The Glee and Jongleurs for comedy.

With the biggest concentration of live theatres outside London, international students going to university in Birmingham are spoiled for stage shows. There is The Alexandra, the Birmingham Repertory for experimental plays, the Mac (undergoing refurbishment) and the Hippodrome for musicals and touring shows. The Library is somewhere budding starlets can cut their teeth with more unusual amateur dramatics on at the Old Rep Theatre.

If it is stars of the silver screen you are after, look no further than Star City, which, at 30 screens and 6,000 seats, is arguably the biggest cinema in the country and shows a wide variety of films to boot, including Bollywood, art house and classic cinema. Art house is also shown at the atmospheric 1909 Electric Cinema, which was recently restored.

Day Tripper

Sutton Park is eight miles north of Birmingham and is perfect for international students who like the outdoor pursuits. Angling, walking, mountain biking and horse-riding are available across 2,400 acres of park land. Watch wildlife in-between the wetlands, marshes and seven lakes. Check the visitors’ centre on Park Road in Sutton Coalfield for details of festivals and activities. For outdoor-lovers, Derbyshire Dales and Peak District national park are also only short train rides away.

Birmingham is slap bang in the middle of the country, within easy reach of many of the UK’s main attractions. Alton Towers theme park is less than an hour north by car and is a great place for adrenaline junkies to spend the day on rides, shoots and flumes. Occasional discounts and competitions are available from the Alton Towers website.

International students studying English might want to pay the birthplace of Shakespeare a visit on an adventure to Stratford Upon Avon an hour south. The Royal Shakespeare Company performs here and visitors have the chance to go on tours to find out more about the famous playwright’s life and times.

How to make your life easier

Invest in cheap food at Birmingham’s award-winning markets to bring down the budget and use student cards and discounts wisely, but try to make the time and money squeeze in a Balti! Due to the vast number of students in the city, there are plenty of discounts at pubs, clubs and restaurants. Try to opt for an integrated rail, metro and bus travel to explore the area around Birmingham to the full.

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:: Faye, London | 30 Jun 2008

Its great!! Would strongly recommend anyone who is thinking of studying in Birmingham. I have had a brilliant first year. Im not an international student but shared a flat with those who were. There is so much to do both at the Uni and in the city itself. Really looking forward to next year!!!

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