During the 1st year of my PhD studies, I had the privilege of living on campus and I was given my 1st choice of halls of residence, Lakeside which provided en-suite accommodation. I truly enjoyed living there as my room and flat was comfortable and I had the tranquil and serene view of the grounds around Lakeside.
At the end of my 1st year, I moved off-campus to a private student accommodation in Coventry city centre, England’s 9th largest city. Despite being not as popular as Earlsdon or Leamington Spa for the 1st choice in terms of location for student accommodation among most Warwick students, I found the following pros and cons after living here for the last 7 months.
Pros
Public Transport
It is fairly easy to commute to the university campus as Bus 11 and 12 run quite frequently from Pool Meadow Bus Station and it will only take you 5 minutes to walk from the clock tower in Coventry city centre to get to the bus station. The bus station is in a more central location than the train station but don’t let that demotivate you to live here. It is also very easy to travel in and out of the city to other cities as it is only a 5 minute bus ride from Pool Meadow bus station to the train station in Coventry. Thus, connectivity is easy and you can also get taxis at the taxi stands in the city centre near Iceland, Sainsbury’s and near where most of the banks are located.
Places to Visit
Coventry is one of the main cities in the UK and there are many places to visit on weekends. People have told me it is like a smaller version of Liverpool or Manchester.
I’ve had a few surprises as I go for walks during the weekends as each time I pass by St. Michael’s Cathedral (also known as Coventry Cathedral), I see a different side of this magnificent historical building, the best known landmark in Coventry. It was only recently that I discovered the roofless ruins of the old cathedral. It was bombed almost to destruction in 1940. I really love the tower which can be seen in the picture below. It is the tallest structure in the city and is the 3rd tallest cathedral spire in England. It does feel wonderful to walk pass it daily as I’m making my way to the bus station and going on my way around the city centre. There’s still so much to discover and I’m looking forward to actually go for a complete tour of the cathedral.
In early spring this year, I decided to visit the Transport Museum as I was curious about this building which is literally opposite Pool Meadow Bus Station. I walked pass it daily and finally made a trip there on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Did you know that admission is free? Yes, it is completely free and I was thrilled to see such a lovely exhibition with the largest collection of British-made road vehicles in the world. I also learned that Coventry is the birthplace of the British cycle and motor industry. The various models of vintage and modern vehicles displayed there will take any visitor on a journey of nostalgia back in time and I have to say that I do appreciate Coventry city centre more after visiting this museum. The museum is currently undergoing a £9m project to transform it by June 2015 and I can’t wait to visit it again to see what’s new.
In April 2015, I was fortunate to work with a team of Doctoral Researchers from Warwick to produce and record a radio programme at the BBC in Coventry. It was a fun filled day with an intense morning producing the programme on campus and then heading to the BBC to record it. As we took a taxi from campus to the BBC, it came as a big surprise to me that the BBC is located just next to Sainsbury’s which is opposite Pool Meadow Bus Station. I had been walking pass it daily and never realised it was so close by, in a central strategic location.
Coventry city centre also has the UK’s 1st IKEA city centre store. It is located just behind my current accommodation. I find it a breeze to just cross the road and go over to get any supplies I need such as files, storage boxes and household items which are affordable and durable.
I believe there are more surprises in store for us when we visit Coventry city centre and what more if that is where one chooses to live. You won’t know what else you will discover on your days out and about the city centre. At the moment, I’m just enjoying the easy access to everything around me, such as the post office opposite my accommodation block, the market and shops just minutes away, cinema and lots of places for sight-seeing. Next on my list is to look out for an art gallery which I heard is located in the city centre too.
Availability of Food
When I was living on campus, I used to order groceries online from hypermarkets as it was easily delivered to the halls of residence. My shopping and eating habits have changed since moving to Coventry city centre. I don’t need to buy groceries in bulk nowadays and I don’t need to pay for delivery of groceries either. I can just buy the items I need after I get off the bus at Pool Meadow bus station and just walk across to Sainsbury’s since this branch closes at 8pm on weekdays. There is also another option of going to Iceland which opens at 8.30am every morning and closes at 7.00pm on weekdays. Sometimes, I buy my food early in the morning before heading over to the bus station to get the bus to campus. On other days when I come back later, I find it easier to go to a Tesco Express which is just 3 minutes on foot from where I live. The opening hours are from 7.00am till 11.00pm every day of the week.
One big advantage of living in Coventry city centre is I am also able to buy food that is fresh as I also live a stone’s throw from the Coventry Market and China Mini Market. Thus, it has been really easy to buy some ingredients I need for cooking oriental food here with all these options available. Furthermore, I find it much easier to dine-in or take-away food from restaurants, fast food joints or the local kebab shop on days I don’t feel like cooking. There are just so many options to choose from and anyone won’t be spoilt for choice.
Initially, I thought this lifestyle would cost more but I was wrong because on days when I returned to the city centre around 5pm, I have been quite lucky to find and purchase food which has been reduced from £2 or £3 to 20p or 40p. It is still good to be eaten on that day and makes a value meal for dinner. Indeed, I have saved quite a lot of money buying food just before some stores close at 6pm and this keeps me on my student’s budget.
Cons
Transport
One of the disadvantages of living in Coventry city centre is the necessity to purchase the student travelcards or bus pass. For the Spring Term, it costs £108. Students have the option to buy the travelcards every term or annually. I took the option of buying it termly as it allows me to manage my finances based on my scholarship allowance which comes in according to each semester. Alternatively, other students may find it easier and cheaper to buy an annual student travelcards.
On another note, the journey by bus from Pool Meadow bus station to the city centre would take about 20-30 minutes depending on the time and traffic situation on the road. If one travels early in the morning before 8am or after 7pm, the journey will be approximately 20 minutes from the city centre to the university campus. However, if one is travelling at peak hours, you may have to factor in time of at least 30 minutes on the bus ride and another 30 minutes to wait for the bus. Thus, it is vital to leave an hour earlier before the time you need to arrive at the university. During winter and if there is snow, the journey would take even longer and you may be delayed at the bus stop in the cold weather. There was a time when I had to wait for more than an hour to get on Bus 11 or 12.
In conclusion
I have enjoyed my stay after moving from campus accommodation to Coventry city centre and the slight hiccup of spending more on purchasing a student’s travelcard has been worthwhile as I have experienced more advantages than disadvantages of living in the city centre. It has also given me another perspective of living in Coventry and an enriching experience of having the experience of living on campus as well as off campus right in the heart of Coventry city centre. What more could I ask for?
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