My favourite parts of living in Selly Oak
Why Selly Oak is a student favourite: living with friends, green spaces, vibrant nightlife, and a close-knit community just minutes from campus.
After your first year at the University of Birmingham, most students go on to live in the private sector in a house in Selly Oak. This has been one of my favourite parts of university and as a final year student, I’m here to tell you why!
Living with your friends
When entering the private sector, you are lucky enough to choose exactly who you live with. This is a real benefit as in the first year of university, you live with people you have never met. Choosing who you live with, whether that is people from your course, your current housemates, or friends you have met along the way, means something new from first year, and a really friendly living environment! I have made some of my best university memories living in my current house with some of my closest friends.
Summer at Selly Park
In first year, the Vale is often the communal space for all students to congregate and enjoy the Birmingham sun (when it appears!). Luckily, this is not lost in the following years of university thanks to Selly Park! Selly Park is a short walk from most of the housing in the area and people often bring picnics, barbeques, and sports games on sunny days. It is a great way to get out into some green space and spend time with your friends.
Everyone lives nearby
Even if you had to go separate ways with some of your friends when choosing housing, there is no need to worry, as all the popular student housing roads in Selly Oak are right near each other! Unlike most universities, Selly Oak provides a real student community even after the first year, meaning no one is ever far away. This means that making plans and meeting friends before and after classes is never difficult. This is one of the parts I will miss the most when leaving university!
Nightlife
Most of the popular University of Birmingham student nightlife is located in Selly Oak, just a walk away from most housing, meaning no taxis are required and a walk home with friends is easy and safe. Selly Oak is home to Circo, a really popular student-only club which sells pizza, has a beer garden, and student deals many days a week. There are also lots of pubs, such as The Goose, The Pear, and The Country Girl. Due to the huge community of students living here, there are always friends around, which is great.
Things to do
On top of the nightlife, there are things to do too which is great! There are many places for a catch up with friends, a look around the shops for essentials, gyms, and places to do work if you’re tired of campus. There are also restaurants and lots of takeaway restaurants if you want to treat yourself!
Decorating your house
Finally, when living in Selly Oak, you often have a whole house to decorate, rather than a room which is so much fun. We have decorated for Christmas and birthdays every year, whilst also putting lots of everyday decorations up, this helps to make where you live at university feel like a proper home, whilst also having fun with your housemates in the process!
There is so much to do in Selly Oak, and it is such an exciting place to live as a student! I hope that my favourite parts have made you excited to live here. Which bit are you looking forward to the most?