Basic life in Sheffield
by Shuyu Wang
Hey guys, nice to see you again!
Today I’m going to show you four basic parts of my life in Sheffield.
And I hope it will help you with your future life!
#EATING
As a student, I cook in my apartment for most of time. There are all kinds of supermarkets here in this city.
The first one is Marks&Spencers (usually named as M&S), located in the city centre. Food there are always fresh and of high quality.
If you are not good at cooking, instant food there can always be a great choice!
Ps. According to my personal experience, things in M&S usually have a discount (with a yellow label) after 16:30 every day.
The next comes to HangSingHong, a Chinese market nearby.
From frozen gyoza to dry materials, it’s almost a “home market” for Asian students. Of course, students from other countries are also welcomed to try these special foreign food.
To most of international students, the nearest and most convenient Tesco is on West Street.
Food there are often inexpensive.
I personally recommend dessert lovers to have a try for their freshly baked shortbread cookies — high calories, extreme happiness.
#CLOTHING
Weather here is rather cold for me, since I have been living in southern China for years. But it’s nice to experience a different kind of climate.
To keep warm in the cold and windy weather, down jacket is a must.
I bought one from Zara online. Online shopping here is more convenient than expected. Almost all brands can be bought and delivered on the official websites or apps, and I can receive the parcel within a week or so.
There is no big shopping mall in the city centre, so I sometimes go to Meadowhall, which may be the nearest mall in Sheffield, by tram.
#HOUSING
With the library, Diamond, as the centre, the student apartments are basically distributed within one kilometre. There is no exaggeration to say that student housing is the most common place in Sheffield, and the rent here are cheaper than bigger cities like London and Manchester, so international students don’t have to worry about their accommodation problems.
As for household items, IKEA is a good choice. We can either go to IKEA by tram (which is one stop before Meadowhall), or shop in their app. Besides, most supermarkets here also sell household products, such as the second floor of M&S.
#TRANSPORTATION
Since the teaching buildings of our school are located all over the city, and are not far from apartments, we usually walk to school or take the bus when it’s rainy. There are many slopes here, so commuting every day is also a way of exercising, isn’t it?
If we are going to another city or places far away, like Darcy Manor and Alton Tower, we can either take the train or book a taxi. By the way, it should be noted that, there is almost no mobile phone signal on trains and highways, so don’t forget to download important things in advance!
That’s all for my brief introduction of life in Sheffield.
See you next time!
Shuyu Wang is a student on the MA Education course at The University of Sheffield.
