Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in the North Western England. It comprises of the 10 metropolitan boroughs i.e. Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the cities of Salford and Manchester.
Know more about the City Greater Manchester, United Kingdom:
The Pennines which is dissected by deep valleys rises to the east. Coalfields flanking the uplands form lower plateaus and benches. In the west, you will find glacial clay-covered lowlands traversed by the River Mersey, which rises in the Pennines.
The Greater Manchester is the second most visited place in the England after London. As many as 200 languages are spoken by the 514,417 (approx.) population of the city. It is 34 miles to the nearest beach at the Southport.
There are 600 bus services registered in the city and it is a well-connected city. With the industrial revolution, the county developed and now a major commercial center of the country.
Greater Manchester is home to five universities i.e. the Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Bolton, the University of Law, the University of Manchester and the University of Salford.
Accommodation
As there are five universities and many students flock to study in Manchester, these universities provide on-campus accommodation i.e. University halls of residence. These accommodations are of various types and various budgets. So, you can choose one as per your requirement and budget.
The options are wide and varied from traditional to modern, en-suite to shared facilities, single sex to mixed, catered to self-cater and you can select as per your lifestyle and budget.
Students can also choose to stay at the private accommodations and can seek help from the university staff and student welfare communities.
Cost of Living
Manchester is a reasonable place to live and very popular with students especially who are on a fixed budget. Students can avail of the various discounts available on a wide range of goods and services which include transport, fashion, and entertainment etc.
Here we are giving the approximate cost of living for a student staying in the university halls of residence:
Undergraduate Cost of Living
| Accommodation (self-catering) | £4,850 |
| Meals | £1,495 |
| Books | £415 |
| Clothes | £415 |
| Transport | £540 |
| Other | £1,540 |
| Total | £9,255 |
Postgraduate Cost of Living
| Accommodation (self-catering) | £5,925 |
| Meals | £2,025 |
| Books | £505 |
| Clothes | £505 |
| Transport | £685 |
| Other | £1,930 |
| Total | £11,575 |
Part-Time Jobs
To support their studies and to learn the skill sets required to work in an organization, students are encouraged to take up a part-time job which not only helps them to lessen the financial burden but also make them industry-ready. There are number of on-campus jobs like helping a professor in research work, typing jobs, assistance ships
Climate
The climate of the Greater Manchester is mild and you can experience maritime temperature with cool summers and mild winters. The country receives average annual rainfall of 806.6 millimeters as compared to the UK average of 1,125.0 millimeters. The humidity level is slightly high and snowfall is not a common sight in the built up areas. There are certain areas like the Pennine and Rossendale Forest hills where one can witness snowfall.
Transport
All three modes i.e. Trains, Plains, and Buses are extensively used and are well-connected. Manchester airport is the third busiest in the United Kingdom with flights to many worldwide destinations than any other airport in the UK.
Greater Manchester has the highest percentage of the motorway network than any other county in the country and according to the Guinness Book of World Records, it has the most traffic lanes side by side (17), spread across several parallel carriageways (M61) at Linnyshaw in Walkden.
Food and Shopping
One will never be short of food & drink options in Manchester. The city is indeed a multicultural medley of gastronomic delights and serves with cuisine from practically every nation and to suit any budget.
Manchester city center is well-known for its shopping facilities, which comprise brilliant British designers, reputable worldwide brands, and quirky independent one-offs. For a grander retail and leisure experience, you can take a short bus ride to Intu Trafford Centre, with over 200 stores under one roof.
Entertainment
There are a number of theaters and venue which showcase major West End musicals, alternative productions, comedy acts, variety performances and shows. The city has many cinemas showing both mainstreams as well as independent films. There are plenty of places to get entertained and relaxed in your free time.
You can visit the award-winning museums and galleries of Manchester and many of these offer free entry. These museums and galleries cover everything from modern art to classic masterpieces, internationally important textile holdings to ancient Egyptian artifacts, the campaign for social justice in the history of football– there is something for everyone.
Culture
Manchester’s enduring energy and cosmopolitan creativity can be seen in its impressive array of festivals, thriving arts, and culture, lively music scene, and nightlife, multicultural cuisine and passion for sport.
