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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

University of Birmingham- safety issues?

41 replies

bamboowarrior · 28/08/2023 21:51

Is the university campus safe? And the student area of selly oak? How safe are the students ?

Many thanks

OP posts:
SabrinaThwaite · 29/08/2023 11:20

He absolutely did not want to live in the Vale as it's too far out

It’s a mile to the campus - a 20 minute walk or a few minutes bike ride?

ZebraStripes10 · 29/08/2023 11:30

SabrinaThwaite · 29/08/2023 11:20

He absolutely did not want to live in the Vale as it's too far out

It’s a mile to the campus - a 20 minute walk or a few minutes bike ride?

DS lived on the Vale in the first year, it was a 10 minute walk to his department.

I also studied at Birmingham (a long time ago) and lived at the top end of the Vale in my first year, so the furthest point from the university. It took 20 minutes to walk to my department from there.

It's really not far.

SabrinaThwaite · 29/08/2023 11:39

ZebraStripes10 · 29/08/2023 11:30

DS lived on the Vale in the first year, it was a 10 minute walk to his department.

I also studied at Birmingham (a long time ago) and lived at the top end of the Vale in my first year, so the furthest point from the university. It took 20 minutes to walk to my department from there.

It's really not far.

Show quote history

I know! I was in Maple Bank so just about the furthest point in the Vale and it was a 20 minute walk to the Aston Webb building.

Selly Oak was popular for years 2 and 3 because it was so close, but you could get much better and cheaper housing further out.

ZebraStripes10 · 29/08/2023 11:48

@SabrinaThwaite I was in Maple Bank too, in 1996/97. I then moved to a rented house in Balsall Heath which was cheap and cheerful but lots of fun!

Blarn · 29/08/2023 11:50

As PPs have said, its a very safe area. I think the problem is that the student housing off campus is all so close together, there are streets upon streets of student terraces which are obviously going to be a target for break-ins as there are likely to be several laptops, ipads etc in each house. Do check the price of car insurance though as I know lots of people who have lived around there who's car insurance (as proper grown ups with jobs and families!) is extortionate. Narrow roads, on street parking and lots of new young drivers mean that scrapes are frequent!

I don't live there but frequent the soft play near the station often and the whole area is safe and friendly (but strewn with overflowing bins...)

mimbleandlittlemy · 29/08/2023 13:14

SabrinaThwaite · 29/08/2023 11:20

He absolutely did not want to live in the Vale as it's too far out

It’s a mile to the campus - a 20 minute walk or a few minutes bike ride?

Well his Bournbrook accommodation was about 4 minutes to campus and his first year property overlooked Old Joe so he was very happy, and he won't go to the Vale in Y4 either. Different folks, different strokes I suppose. He really hates the Vale, but I've no real idea why tbh and as he pays for his accommodation, it's up to him.

SabrinaThwaite · 29/08/2023 13:34

@mimbleandlittlemy

I just thought it was useful to put into context that even the furthest part of The Vale is only 1 mile / a 20 minute walk to campus.

It’s not like Bristol Uni, that has been offering accommodation in South Wales in recent years.

ZebraStripes10 · 29/08/2023 13:54

Well his Bournbrook accommodation was about 4 minutes to campus and his first year property overlooked Old Joe so he was very happy, and he won't go to the Vale in Y4 either. Different folks, different strokes I suppose. He really hates the Vale, but I've no real idea why tbh and as he pays for his accommodation, it's up to him.

DS would have hated to be that close. That was what put him off York - the accommodation either overlooked the academic departments or was a bus ride away. The Vale is perfect for him - still on campus but he doesn't open his curtains and see his lecturers walking by.

I have a nephew at Bristol and the accommodation situation there is shocking.

mimbleandlittlemy · 29/08/2023 13:59

You are totally right, Sabrina, Bristol to Newport is definitely a fair old trek! Totally understand putting it in context.

I am still cogitating on a ridiculous and deeply unhelpful remark someone made on one of the A level results when someone had finally sorted a place at Portsmouth and a 'helpful' MumsNutter came on to say 'it's a bit stabby'. As my ds said when we discussed it, London is a bit stabby, Manchester can be a bit shooty and stabby, Liverpool can be a bit stabby, Birmingham can be a bit stabby, Nottingham can be a bit stabby... and so on, ad infinitum - but not usually to students or on campus. The one thing I would say if my student going to uni was a daughter is be very careful with spiked drinks but that happens all over the country and usually at nightclubs which are off campus.

ZebraStripes10 · 29/08/2023 14:07

My eldest went to Aberystwyth (pretty much the opposite of UoB in terms of location) and spiked drinks were a huge problem there at one time. Which just proves that you need to be careful anywhere.

Original poster
bamboowarrior · 29/08/2023 15:10

Thanks for all your postings and offerings of balance! So appreciated 😍

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 29/08/2023 16:32

I think it tells you a lot about experiences of the place that we have all wandered off to first world problem ramblings about walking distances and supermarkets!

SabrinaThwaite · 29/08/2023 17:33

@mimbleandlittlemy Oh yes, I saw the Portsmouth comment too. I grew up in a new town with a polytechnic (now a uni) that was definitely quite stabby.

I was put off going to Manchester in the 1980s by a helpful student showing us around the student halls and pointing out where his mate had been mugged at gunpoint in the stairwell.

Piggywaspushed · 29/08/2023 18:09

Bloody hell, I grew up in Glasgow. Stabby and slashy. And headbutty.

I miss the place.

ProggyMat · 29/08/2023 20:31

Piggywaspushed · 29/08/2023 18:09

Bloody hell, I grew up in Glasgow. Stabby and slashy. And headbutty.

I miss the place.

@Piggywaspushed As per a ‘Glasgow kiss’? 🤣
The ‘colliery lads’ around Durham don’t put up shite either but that doesn’t mean that any potential student applying to the University should feel ‘unsafe’ in the city.

MarchingFrogs · 29/08/2023 22:46

Not the point of the thread but does anyone know if they are going to refurb Aldi in Selly Oak? My dd shops there every week.

@BoohooWoohoo that stirred a niggling memory that I saw something, somewhere about that when we were up for DD's graduation last month (went over to the nice falafel place over from Aldi to get wraps for lunchSmile). Can't for the life of me remember what, though.

I did find this just now

www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/selly-oak-aldi-extension-gets-25825396?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target

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