Plymouth

PLYMOUTH UNIVERSITIES

The University of Plymouth was founded in 1862 and is ranked in the top 3% of higher education establishments in the world that grant degrees. It is one of the largest universities in the UK, with over 23,000 students from all over the world. The campus is located within the heart of ‘Britain’s Ocean City, sitting between the sea, Dartmoor and Cornwall and it is widely renowned for its reputation as an excellent teaching and research university. It is home to 23 Higher Education Academy National Teaching Fellows.

Walking the ten minutes from our glorious Plymouth student accommodation to the University of Plymouth campus you’ll have access to one of the best examples of a balance between city life and green space that you can find anywhere in the UK. As a student in this fine city you have quick and easy access from campus to your home at Plymouth Cross House, to the seafront and the spectacular views of the coast, or to the high street for the shops, restaurants, bars, and student nights out.

The library at the university provides access to over 350,000 books, e-books, and other types of study material, including 14,000 current journal subscriptions for a wide range of academic subjects. Within the Students’ Union, there is an emphasis on volunteering programmes, with part-time jobs readily available within the Union itself. The Students’ Union has won several awards, including Plymouth Best Bar None ‘Best Student Venue in the City’ in 2016, NUS Green Impact Outstanding Excellence, Investors in People Gold Award, to name just a few. There are over 60 sports clubs for students to join and over 100 societies, and each year the Summer Ball is the largest student event in the South West of England, with some big names from the world of music performing each year.

The Careers Hub provides a steady and professional level of support and guidance, from career planning advice to postgraduate study options, placements and job search assistance. There are over 300 employers as part of the large career fairs throughout the year – including access to guest lectures, mentoring, and mock job interviews – ensuring students are fully prepared for life after university.

Plymouth Marjon University is a small university within this lovely city, situated within a green and spacious campus. It has an ambitious programme of study and utilised world-class facilities to help students achieve specialist careers in fields such as teaching, sport, business, performing arts, health and wellbeing, and social sciences.

The innovative approach to teaching can be seen in the Criminology department where the new crime-scene house allows course leaders to set up scenes for students to analyse over a few weeks in order to play detective. Students also have access to a mock police cell and court.

The Futures team at the university helps students to look at potential future careers, put together development plans and find specific training. It also continues to be available to students for up to three years after they have graduated.

Plymouth College of Art is also close to our student accommodation in the city. It has a range of short courses, pre-degree, undergraduate, and postgraduate courses and is a specialist art college. Students have access to masterclasses and careers advice before and after graduation, and the Student Union has a number of societies and clubs for students to enjoy, from photography to surfing and much more. The college has a rich history, having first opened as Plymouth School of Art in 1856.

EATING OUT IN PLYMOUTH

There is plenty to explore and to find in new cuisines to turn your taste buds on when living as a student in Plymouth. Whether you are looking to treat your senses or stick to a budget, there are loads of good places to eat and drink – and they’re all located just a short walk from your Plymouth student accommodation.

If you are looking for the comfortable high street chains that you know and love you’ll find that here in Plymouth, including tasty chicken dishes at Nando’s or cheap budget-friendly food at Wetherspoons. There are a couple of Pizza Express restaurants in the city, and they always have delightful student discounts on offer, including 40% of the bill on Mondays and Tuesdays with an NUS card, and 20% off the bill on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sundays.

Chiquito is another restaurant with great student offers. Head on over to Barbican Leisure Park any day of the week and your student card will entitle you to 25% off your total bill. Here, you can stock up on a proper meal, and why not have some cocktails whilst you wait for the grub to arrive? Bella Italia is another chain with great student discounts (50% off Classico Pizza and pasta dishes). There are two of their restaurants in Plymouth – one at Barbican Leisure Park and another next to Theatre Royal Plymouth.

It isn’t just chain restaurants that you can find plenty of in Plymouth as a student. Caffeine Club is located next door to Plymouth College of Art and is open 24-hours a day! You can come here for a hangover breakfast cure, a lunchtime break, or line the stomach before a night out. They provide big meals, smaller snacks for you to grab on the go, and other options for a good student-friendly price. You can also try some of the tasty cocktails they have on their drinks menu!

Within 30 seconds of Caffeine Club, Jake’s is a student institution in Plymouth, one of the favourite places for takeaway, especially when you’ve got a hangover and need breakfast to cure your ills! From burger and chips to baguettes, and breakfast choices, Jake’s is always a friendly place for students. Mr Wok is another centrally located restaurant and takeaway, with cheap yet tasty noodles, all freshly cooks and priced around £6 that makes it a student hit! Slightly out of town in Mutley Plain, Goodbody’s is another 24-hour café, with genuine all-day breakfasts on offer, three-pint milkshakes, gorgeous puddings and a wide range of pub meals. It’s cheap, cheerful, and also has a basement jazz bar.

PLYMOUTH NIGHTLIFE

Within the boundaries of this lovely south coast city, you’ll find an eclectic mix of pubs, clubs, and student-friendly nights out in a few different areas of town – from the city centre to North Hill and Mutley Plain. There are loads of bars, cocktail places, clubs, and pubs to explore throughout your time as a Plymouth student. The best thing of all is that any night out your plan is really close by, with plenty of places reachable by foot from our Plymouth student accommodation, or just a short bus or taxi ride away.

Plymouth was ranked as the safest place in the UK for a night out as recently as 2017 (by Best Bar None). To live in a city that has a wide range and variety of nights out, clubs, thriving cultural scene, big art scene, relaxing chill-out spots, club nights, busy bars and pubs, as well as tasty food and delicious coffee shops, and know it is the safest place in the country, is a real bonus for any student coming to Plymouth.

One of the biggest draws for students is live music at Plymouth Pavilions. Here you’ll have access to regular live gigs from some of the biggest names. To make the most of the Students’ Union, why not take in one of the three bars at the University of Plymouth campus, or start a big night out at the Marjon University Student Union?

There is such a broad range of student nights out to choose from in the city. OMG pride themselves on being the most euphoric gay venue in the UK, and at Plymouth OMG students can get £1.50 drinks all Wednesday night alongside free entry and prizes throughout the night! Pryzm is the biggest club in Plymouth and is home to four different rooms, open up to five nights a week. Monday night is the official University of Plymouth students’ night, with ‘Quids In’ on a Wednesday offering £1 drinks and celebrity guests.

Q Bar is another firm favourite on the Plymouth student scene, with two-for-one cocktail deals every night, £1 a pint, and long opening hours that leave you coming out into a brand new day at 6am after a cracking night out. Switch is located right next door and is popular day and night – offering teas, coffees, and cakes during the day, and cheap pints at night. Staying in this part of town, on Gibbon Street, Fresher & Professor always has some of the best drinks promotions in town, as well as plenty of live music, DJ nights, and themed student nights.

If you fancy discounted drinks, delicious cocktails, good value food, and two rooms of music until 3am most night’s head on down and get a Revolution Card. Fever & Boutique is next door and has two rooms, two DJs, live events and plenty of drinks offers including Wednesday Clique where you can get a range of drinks and shots from £1.50.

SPORT IN PLYMOUTH

As a Plymouth student in love with sport, you’ll want to explore what the city and region have to offer in terms of professional sports. Plymouth Argyle is the local football club, playing in League Two at its Home Park stadium. The ‘Theatre of Greens’ also has plenty of discounted tickets for students, with cheap tickets and regular promotions for those aged 18-21. If Rugby Union is more your thing, head on over to Brickfields Sports Centre to watch National League 1 level rugby and Plymouth Albion. For basketball on the other hand, Plymouth Pavilions is home to Plymouth Raiders (making good use of the space that is usually home to big name visiting music and comedy acts).

The Pavilions is also the place where you can go ice-skating. Visit the main ice rink at the Pavilions and find a daily session that is most suitable to your experience. There are countless gyms around the town, some with a good fee that is suitable for a student budget, such as McCauleys, PureGym, or TruGym.

Of course, with Plymouth Hoe and the stunning coastline right on your doorstep, Plymouth is a city that provides plenty of opportunity for long walks in beautiful locations, access to great cycling routes, as well as great hiking trails close by at places such as Wembury Point and Plymbridge Woods, the South West Coast Path, or within Dartmoor National Park. Especially during the warmer months of the year, it is a truly beautiful and awe-inspiring part of the world to live, study, explore, and keep fit and healthy with an active lifestyle. You’ll find access to horse riding, rock climbing, sailing, surfing, and swimming in Plymouth. The UK’s first artificial reed with the sunken HMS Scylla is a beautiful place to try out some scuba diving.

If you want to get involved with the sport through the University of Plymouth there are over 50 different sports clubs to choose from. They are all run by and led by students, offering you the chance to make new friends, play competitively or just for fun, and all within a safe space where an excellent sporting experience is delivered. The best athletes also get the chance to compete at a regional and national level, representing the University of Plymouth against other universities and colleges.

SHOPPING IN PLYMOUTH

If you love shopping you’ll have a lot of fun from your base at our Plymouth student accommodation. There are loads of different shopping areas in the city, from the big name brands to independent boutiques. There really is something for everyone, and we know that for many students it’s important to live on a budget.

The City Centre has many wide, tree-lined streets that have been pedestrianised, leading to a continental feel and calm shopping experience. The hub of city centre shopping with its big brand names and major retailers can be found starting from the beloved Sundial on to Cornwall Street, New George Street, and Armada Way. The Sundial and Piazza is the perfect place to meet friends and start a day of shopping. It is this area where stalls and rides are set up during the holiday season, for big events and cultural experiences. Armada Way runs from the railway station and is home to the Armada Centre and its undercover shopping centre, and ends up at Plymouth Hoe.

There is, of course, a selection of shopping centres for you to explore in Plymouth. Drake Circus is a modern, fully covered shopping centre that is home to a large bookstore, many different shoe shops, clothes shops, a chemist, a music shop, and mobile phone shops. It is located right in the centre of the city, making it easy to reach a shopping destination for everyone. Plymouth Barbican is a unique experience, just a short walk outside of the city centre. You’ll find yourself wandering along the cobbled Elizabethan streets, with plenty of gift shops and other unique stores to enjoy, from art galleries and jewellers, to Blackfriars Distillery (home to Plymouth Gin), boutiques and crafty shops, antiques, chocolatiers, fish and chip shops, and restaurants. It’s a beautiful part of the city to wander on a nice day, especially with the harbor by your side.

The independent shopping scene is thriving in Plymouth, and not just in the Barbican area of the city. Venture to the West End of Plymouth and you’ll find a wide variety of independent stores, including gift shops and toy stores. It has been redeveloped in recent years and has improved with the help of new paving, street furniture, and trees along its routes. Frankfurt Gate is a lovely square that has a selection of independent stores that you won’t find in the city centre. Just opposite here is Plymouth Pannier Market, an Aladdin’s cave of treasure troves to be found in its undercover stalls.

PLYMOUTH EVENTS

The beauty of living at our stunning Plymouth student accommodation is that you have the best of both worlds – life in a thriving and busy city centre, balanced with a beautiful historic part of the world that is home to the Hoe, the Barbican, as well as many local beaches and stunning coastline.

Plymouth Hoe sits at the heart of the city, a natural harbour that is home to Tinside Lido, Smeaton’s Tower, and some truly spectacular views across the Sound. It is a stunning place to go for a walk at any time of year, but is obviously busier during the summer months and a pleasant place to spend a few hours. This is also the space where many big events take place, such as Ocean City Sounds, Armed Forced Day, Race for Life, as well as live MTV events.

Across to the Barbican and Sutton Harbour and you’ll find some of the top tourist attractions in this part of town, including the Aquarium, the world-famous Plymouth Gin Distillery, and many different shops, cafes (check out our article on the best Plymouth cafes) and restaurants. Royal William Yard is another popular destination within walking distance of the city centre, with many different places to eat and drink whilst taking in the harbour views. In the summer months, it hosts big outdoor cinema events alongside open-air Shakespeare.

If beaches are more your thing there is certainly nowhere better than living in Plymouth as a student. There are several really beautiful beaches close to the city, and easily reachable via public transport. Bovisand is popular for snorkelling, with Wembury Beach a popular place for rock pooling. Whitsand Bay offers stunning views and a beautiful sandy beach. Plenty of beaches are great for a day of relaxation, to paddle and play in the water.

Just 15-minutes outside of Plymouth, Dartmoor Zoo is a fantastic day out if you want to take some time out from the stress of study. It is home to 72 mammals, 38 birds, and 21 reptiles and was the zoo used as inspiration for the Cameron Crowe directed film ‘We Bought a Zoo’.

Back in the city one of the biggest venues in the South West is the Theatre Royal Plymouth, literally over the road from your Plymouth student accommodation. It has two performance spaces, and welcomes some big West End touring shows to the city throughout the year, live music concerts, comedy shows, as well as the ever-popular Christmas pantomime.