Sheffield Student Accommodation: Our Experiences
Unsure where you want to live for your next year in Sheffield? Don’t worry: our team of ambassadors are here to help you make a well-informed decision. Here you can compare and contrast living in different areas of Sheffield, alongside the different types of accommodation provided by the University itself.
Endcliffe Village
Emma, Year 1 BA Education, Culture and Childhood Student
“I live in the Endcliffe Student Village in the Derwent Apartment Block, which is opposite the Village Store and The Edge. I was very keen to live in Endcliffe because of its great student atmosphere, its convenient location near shops and great pubs, and because it’s only a small walk from the university.”
What is your accommodation like?
“My room is spacious and serves as the perfect student room; it has a desk, shelves, wardrobe, full-length mirror and even an en suite toilet and shower room! There are five boys and five girls in my flat, who are all from different courses; this gives me the opportunity to meet people outside of my own course and who have different interests and hobbies to me. This opens your social life up so much — we often pop to The Edge for a burger and a beer all together on a Sunday night to do the pub quiz, which we still haven’t managed to win (yet), but there is a prize if you do! I feel so lucky to have been put in a flat of nine other students who I really like and get along with.”
What are the best things about living here?
- “You are surrounded by other students. If you walk around Endcliffe, you will see it is buzzing with life. Students are everywhere, and it is so easy to meet new people by visiting other flats before nights out, playing pool or watching the football at The Edge, or sharing taxis to the student union for a fun Saturday night at Poptarts. In the self-catered accommodation, which is what I chose, you have a big kitchen and living room area where you can chill with your flat mates, have dinner and chat after a day of lectures. As you can see, there are plenty of chances to socialise, but you can always go to the quietness of your room if you need a break or some time to yourself.
Moving away from home can seem daunting and many students can feel lonely when they first arrive, but in Endcliffe, there are always things to get involved in and you settle in so fast that university will soon feel like home. - Residence Life. Living in university accommodation makes you a part of the ‘Residence Life’ scheme, and this is something to make the most of. Every week, Residence Life provides loads of activities (most of which are free) that you can get involved in. This can include park runs, fitness classes, dodgeball, table tennis, yoga (my personal favourite to go to at The Edge on a Tuesday night), and so many more, not forgetting the discounts you get if you want to go on a trip away! You can learn more about residence life here.
- Location. Endcliffe is located in a lovely area of Sheffield, about a 25- minute walk from the central campus, where there is lots of greenery and is a bit more peace and quiet. However, getting into the buzzing city centre of Sheffield is easy; you can take the 120 bus or take a 30 minute walk and you will find yourself in the lively town centre. Here there are plenty of shops and quirky cafes to meet your friends in for a coffee and a brownie, or if you like to party you can go to the many bars and clubs on and around West Street. A bit closer to home, there are some nice pubs in Broomhill (trying a Nottingham House pie with chips and mushy peas is a MUST), a Morrisons, Sainsburys, Tescos and a lovely fruit and vegetable shop.
Lastly, I mustn’t forget to mention how close Endcliffe is to the beautiful Peak District. Take a bus or hike for an hour or two and you’ll find yourself surrounded by stunning landscapes, hills and nature — it really can’t be missed when you are living so close!”
What advice do you have for people coming to study in Sheffield?
“If you’re planning to come to The University of Sheffield, I would strongly recommend Endcliffe to everyone as over 3,000 students live here and, in my opinion, it is best place to live. However, I will admit that people walking around campus late at night can occasionally disturb you. This behaviour is not allowed around exam period so please don’t let that put you off, but if you want a quieter, more peaceful year, Ranmoor Village is located very close to Endcliffe and is a bit smaller and less busy.
Feeling unsure with your choice of accommodation is totally normal at the start of university and no doubt you will settle in soon. However, if there are problems, there are some opportunities where you can change your mind and move in somewhere else so don’t worry if you don’t love where you live; the Residence Mentors will always be there to listen to any problems you have and will do their best to help you out to make sure you are as happy as possible at university.”
Ranmoor Village
Nathalie, Year 1 BA Education, Culture and Childhood Student
What is your accommodation like?
“I live in Ranmoor Student Village, which is owned by the University of Sheffield. I live in the Kinder Apartment block, which is towards the back of the Village and close to the car park. I live in an en-suite, self-catered apartment with 10 other people (5 Girls and 6 Boys).”
What are the best things about living here?
- “It’s a bit more laid back. I picked Ranmoor Village because it’s the smaller student village on offer from the University, which meant that it would be slightly quieter because I like to sleep.
- Location: nevertheless, Ranmoor is still close to Endcliffe Village, which means that you’re never missing out on the action. It’s also close to Broomhill- a great part of Sheffield with a variety of shops and pubs dotted around.
- The parks. Ranmoor is also very close to Endcliffe Park and the Botanical Gardens, so you don’t have to be stuck inside all day.”
What advice do you have for people coming to study in Sheffield?
“Take time to consider your accommodation choices, but don’t get too caught up if you don’t end up in your top choice (when it comes to which student village you live in and who you live with, you have a preference, but it’s not guaranteed). Ranmoor and Endcliffe are close to one another, so you don’t miss out on anything.
People might be put off living in a big group of people or living with the opposite sex, but really, it’s just a lot of fun. Living in a big flat means someone’s always around to socialise with (but you do have your own space as well). Living with the opposite sex can be a bit different for some people but it’s a great experience.
If you only plan to live in a student village for a year, make the most of your time here! Most people go off to private accommodation in second and third year, so make use of the facilities while you can!”
Sheffield 3
Lindsay, International Student, MA Education
What is your accommodation like?
“I am a postgraduate student who lives in Sheffield 3, the University student accommodation near the English Language Teaching Centre, and is 10 minutes’ walking distance from the Students’ Union.
I live in a 4-room flat with a shared kitchen and en suites. All of my roommates are postgraduate students: it is a mixed-gender flat with three Chinese students, one student from Iraq, two of which are male and two female.”
What are the best things about living here?
“There are several reasons that I choose Sheffield 3:
- Convenience. Sheffield 3 is near the tram station, a big Tesco and two gyms. Sheffield International College and the English Language College are also just a short walk away. Every day after my classes, I can go home by tram then go to the gym do some exercise and buy some staff from Tesco.
- There’s always something to do. Sheffield 3 provides a great service and will hold some activities frequently in common room. These include free breakfasts on Wednesday, Halloween parties, Chinese New Year parties and make-up workshops.
- A great living space. Sheffield 3 provides a big common space, giving you the opportunity to meet new people and make the most of your leisure time. The common room also includes a large screen TV with Sky, a pool table and a table tennis table, as well as areas dedicated to sitting and relaxing.”
What advice do you have for people coming to study in Sheffield?
“Go to the University’s official website to have a look: there you can compare different student accommodation, and take account of reviews from other students who have lived there.
When you are looking for where to live, make sure you take everything infor consideration, from the price, amount of traffic, cost of living, quality of facilities and the safety of your environment.”
Broomhill
Lucy, Year 2 BA Education, Culture and Childhood Student
What is your accommodation like?
“My second year accommodation is a 6 bedroom flat above a restaurant in Broomhill. We chose to look for accommodation in and around Broomhill because we already vaguely knew our way around the area from the walk through it to uni from halls during first year: this meant that we already knew the shops, restaurants, pubs and facilities. It is also known as a fairly safe area, as well as being busy with a large student population. This attracted us to Broomhill as it’s so important to feel safe and at home in your new house.
My accommodation has a small kitchen/living room area. It’s really nice to have the kitchen and living area as one communal space and is great to have everyone all together whether you’re cooking, eating, watching TV or sat on the sofas. This is definitely something I would look for in a house again.”
What are the best things about living here?
- The Supermarkets. The best thing about living in Broomhill is definitely how close 3 supermarkets are. With the choice of Morrisons, Sainsburys and Tescos across the road, we no longer have that trek to the supermarket when you’ve forgotten an ingredient for your dinner. It’s so easy and has also significantly reduced my weekly grocery spending as you can buy daily, based on offers etc rather than buying all of your food at the start of a week.
- Things to do. Broomhill is also so great for the choice of student-priced pubs and restaurants including Notty House, The York, Fox and Duck, Proove, Thyme Café, Primoz, The Bloomery etc. It’s also great for myself as my society has rehearsals in union venues and Endcliffe venues and so is only 10 minutes from both along a main road.
My biggest piece of advice that I could give for people looking for accommodation (particularly those in first year) is not to rush it! Honestly, the people you live with is far more important than how fancy the house that you’re in is. If finding the perfect group of people for you means waiting a month or two longer then it will be completely worth it. We didn’t sign for our house until the end of February, due to a variety of problems throughout. It may not be the most amazing house but it’s homely, in a great location and most importantly, I ended up with a great group of friends to live with.
