Tag: students

These are a few of my favourite things ????

As the hope and warmth of Summer approaches, now is as good a time as any to reflect on the best things about Selly Oak. Whether you live or work here, Selly is a diamond in the rough…and here’s why we love it.

There’s always somebody around to have a chat with. The Selly Oak community is a vibrant one, with families, young professionals, retirees, students, business owners, and more calling this place home. When the sun and the BBQs come out, this is even more apparent – lazy afternoon parties across multiple back gardens and people walking down to Aldi to get more ice or extra burger buns!

There’s everything you could need. Your weekly shop is covered with a whole choice of stores including Aldi, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and a handful of independent supermarkets. There’s a few pharmacies, a vintage shop, a hardware store plus a Homebase if you really need to grab something in a hurry. There are countless takeaways and restaurants, including the beloved Nandos on the new shopping park. Don’t even get us started on the TK Maxx, the great (and cheap) pubs, and of course the convenience stores (Campus Wines for the win!). Oh, and there’s our very own train station.

It’s easy to get into town or out to the countryside. Between the train station and numerous bus routes, getting into Birmingham city centre is really easy. You can also go in the other direction towards Longbridge and Reddich, with the Lickey Hills not far away by train. Birmingham is one of the greenest cities, but it’s also one of the youngest, and getting to events on Broad Street, Digbeth, and the Jewellery Quarter costs £2.80 on a railcard and takes about 15 minutes tops. We prefer a picnic in Lickey Hills Country Park to dancing the night away at Lab11 but there’s nothing in your way…even if you want to do both!

We could keep writing for weeks, but we want to hear what’s your favourite thing about Selly Oak. Comment below or on social media!

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5 reasons to lock your door at uni

Brought to you by Endsleigh Insurance

When you’re rushing around campus handing in assignments and trying to get to lectures on time, it can be easy to let the simple stuff, like locking the door to your room and house, slip through the cracks.

“It’ll never happen to me”, you think to yourself as you head out for a quick seminar leaving your door unlocked. But according to research* by Endsleigh, 46% of students (or someone close to them), have experienced theft from their home, making it all the more important to take extra steps to make sure you, and your belongings, are safe.

But besides protecting your belongings, here are five other reasons why it might be a good idea to lock your door while you’re away at University!

*Endsleigh Lifestyle Survey 2017-18

1.    You’d lock your front door at home…

… so why do it any different at uni? It can be devastating (and expensive) to have your home or your car broken into, so treat your uni room exactly how you would your parents’ house. It’s also a good habit to get into for when you move out of student accommodation and live alone for the first time, as at that point you may not even have your flat mates there to remind you to lock up as you leave.

2.    To avoid pranks

Everyone’s seen the multitude of photos online showing what can happen when your room is left unlocked at uni. From rooms filled with cups of water to walls plastered with post-its, if you don’t want to be the subject of any number of uni pranks then it’s probably a good idea to lock your door when you leave…

3.    Some space to breathe

Sometimes university life can be pretty hectic and you may feel like you never get a moment’s peace. Going to your room for a couple of hours and locking the door to deter visitors may give you some much needed alone time.

4.    Keeping track of your keys

We’ve all been there – when you’re in a rush to get to your lecture but your keys are suddenly nowhere to be found (and you can’t remember the last time you used them, either). If you’re constantly using your keys as you come and go, then chances are you’ll know exactly where they are at all times.

5.    Peace of mind

The simplest way to ensure that all your valuables are safe and secure is to lock them in your room whenever you go out. The beauty of halls is that there’s an unspoken ‘open door’ policy, but even if you completely trust your flat mates it’s best to keep your door locked just in case someone you don’t know does manage to get in. For everything that could go wrong, it’s really worth that quick turn of the key to put your mind (and your wallet) at ease.

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