Jose shares his top five favourite things to do in Preston when he is not studying.
Preston is a small city and you might be wondering what can I do when I’m not in lectures or studying? Well, the answer is a lot! In my experience, small cities such as Preston offer the advantages of city life without the hecticness. Whether you want to experience the student nightlife, shopping or want to get out in nature, there’s something for everyone. Keep on reading my guide to all things to student life in Preston….
Low cost of living and no need for transport
The cost of living was a big factor when I was choosing a university. Living in Preston is very cheap, with plenty of budget supermarkets, shops and many student offers on nights out, for example. The lack of need for transport is a big plus, everything really is just a short walking distance from campus. So if you need to do your weekly food shop, you’ll never be far regardless of where you choose to live and won’t need to pay for taxis or buses if you don’t want to.
Large parks and green spaces
Something that isn’t talked about a lot when it comes to Preston is the large parks and green spaces it has. Avenham and Miller Parks, which isn’t far from campus is the perfect destination for a walk or to relax on a sunny day. This is my personal favourite place to go as it’s such a large park and I really love the Japanese garden it has too. Another highlight is the Guild Wheel which is a 21-mile circular route that can be explored on bike or on foot.
Great transport links
The bus and railway stations are both just a short walk away from the centre of campus and can take you to other cities such as Manchester and Liverpool in under an hour. This is really convenient for days outs and when you want to explore further afield.
Shopping and eating out
Preston is home to two large shopping centres (St Georges and Fishergate Shopping Centres), where you’ll find all your high street favourites. Best of all, both shopping centres are within walking distance of campus (so never far to walk with shopping bags!). Preston also has a large variety of restaurants and takeaways from around the world, many of which are unique to the city itself.
Clubs and Societies
As a student at UCLan, I have enjoyed extra advantages due to the university having many sports clubs and societies. This has enabled me to try a lot of new sports and social activities such as kayaking and swimming, which I had not done for many years before coming to Preston. However, the best part of it was the people I’ve met and become friends with. I was very surprised at how easy it was to communicate with everyone and they even helped me to improve my English.
