Whilst the university campus itself is obviously a top priority when choosing where you want to study, I cannot oversell the importance of the city you choose. Yes, it’s important that the facilities and resources at uni are up to scratch, but people often forget they aren’t just picking a degree, they are picking a home for the next three or four years of their life. For a lot of us students, Canterbury is our first experience of independence, living away from home-cooked meals and a laundry basket that magically empties itself.
Although it’s small, Canterbury is full of character – and amazing places to eat. My personal favourites would have to be Chocolate Café (death by chocolate is the only way worth going), Pork and Co. (£5 for a roll of heaven- you can’t ask for more) and Posillipo (family run Italian that gets it’s mozzarella straight from Naples – need I say more?).
Sorry, where was I? Oh right, character. If you’re heading to Canterbury for an open day and can spare the time, the cathedral is a truly beautiful building – and you can imagine yourself graduating there in cap and gown! Plus, the surrounding streets are packed with quirky gift shops and cafes that I defy you not to love. If you catch us on a sunny day, you can go punting down the river Stour (Oxford and Cambridge eat your hearts out) and learn more about the amazing history of this city.
As you can probably tell, it’s not only the uni that stole my heart, I fell in love with the city of Canterbury too, and I guarantee if you take the time to check it out, you’ll understand why!