Student life at Birmingham

There is a thriving student community at Birmingham and we very much look forward to you being part of it.

To hear what student life is like for our students, have a look at our video below.  Also, if you are unable to travel to campus yourself, visit our You Tube Channel to watch films of our beautiful campus. 

Students from Turkey at the University of Birmingham

Student societies

Many nationality groups form student societies during their time at the University of Birmingham. This is an excellent way to keep in contact with home and also provides an opportunity to highlight your culture and customs in the UK.

Student societies are also a useful point of contact for prospective students to Birmingham who may want to contact current students for information. 

For a full list of student societies please visit the Birmingham Guild of Students website.

Student Profiles

DogusOzuyar02-Cropped-165x116Dogus Ozuyar - PhD Physics and Astronomy
"I chose the University of Birmingham because it is the only University that meets expectations about my research field. Doing analysis of data coming from space-based telescope is what I have enjoyed the most. The most challenging and time consuming part was learning a computer programming language.

I live outside of the University. My accommodation has two big rooms and a living room. There is also a small dining room as well. The house is cozy and one of the best in close proximity.

Birmingham is a student city, the transportation system is well-developed. Local people are quite warm.

The advice that I would give to students thinking to study at Birmingham is that there is nothing to think about. Come and join the family! "

Ayse-Icoz-01 165 116

Ayse Icoz - MA in History of Christianity and PhD in Theology and Religion

"I chose the University of Birmingham because I got a very good experience during my MA degree so I wanted to pursue my studies here. The staff are very helpful and the library has all the main sources which I need for my research. I enjoy very much every bit of my study


I am living in a private student hall. All rooms are en-suite, we are sharing the kitchen. We all have our own private space while we also have a chance to see each other in the kitchen and socialize. The place I am currently living is quite close to the main campus so I have 24 hours access to the campus and the main library. 

Birmingham has great access to the places like London, Oxford and Cambridge so you can have a day trip to these cities to visit the libraries or attend the academic events such as conferences.

I am member of Turkish Scholars Association which is an independent organization founded with the mission of creating a common platform for all Turkish scholars who are recipients of the merit-based Turkish government scholarship to study abroad. Sharing our knowledge and maintaining an open channel between the scholars and policy-makers in Turkey, we are trying to help to improve the positive experience of our members in their studies abroad.

To any students thinking of studying in the UK, firstly, I would advise them to improve their English before they start studying in the UK, secondly they should be prepared for the culture shock if they are coming from a different culture. It is a little bit challenging at the beginning, but it is really a great experience and definitely worth thinking about.

I think Birmingham is one of the biggest universities in the UK. It has a very good scientific reputation and the library has very rich sources for research. The staff are very friendly and helpful." 

Ceren--Topaloglu-03

Ceren Topaloglu - MSc Marketing (graduated 2010)
Current post: E-Marketing Specialist at Smart Live Markets-Gkfx

"I had my previous degrees and jobs in finance but I was interested in marketing strategies, e-advertising, and consumer behavior through a couple of elective courses I took before. University of Birmingham helped me discover my true passion and gain different perspectives in a multinational learning atmosphere.

I chose the University of Birmingham because it has a good reputation and excellent professors, and expertise in the business department. I also was mesmerized by its beautiful campus.

I did my previous degree in USA so first of all the systems were brand new to me. I had to go through loads of reading, the marketing literature and recent articles every day and instead of memorizing facts, it challenged me for understanding and criticizing the ideas, different approaches. It was great to be in the same room with other students from all over the world and brainstorming about new subjects in every class.

To other students interested in studying my degree programme I would advise that you should decide what your true interests are and what area you want to specialize in carefully beforehand. You really need to love what you study in order to commit yourself truly and get the most out of that degree because after all it is going to be your job for the rest of your life. I also definitely recommend not isolating yourself and networking, participating a lot instead, through the organizations and social events held by the department and in classes.

I think Birmingham is a diverse, vivid and beautiful metropolitan city. I also like the fact that it is easy to walk around, with short travelling distances to other beautiful regions of UK, and there are loads of other students based there to socialize with.

I made lifelong friends from my class which was one of the best parts of my memories. Especially the Team Building trip to the Lake Area was unforgettable."