Sheffield ranks as the UK’s best city for student downtime
Taking the time needed to relax, socialise and unwind can be very beneficial when studying at university, with Sheffield having a great reputation for making students feel at home
Universities across the country are currently in the middle of a defining period for many students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
As attention turns to the summer holidays, many students face exams, essay deadlines, dissertations and all kinds of other projects which could play a crucial role in deciding their grades and whether they are in a good position to get the job of their dreams after graduating.
Studying and being punctual to lessons and lectures is hugely important during this period, but at the same time it’s also crucial that students don’t suffer from burnout and give themselves sufficient time to unwind - whether that’s a walk in the park with friends, a trip to the pub or bit of exercise at the gym.
Sheffield, which is statistically the greenest city in the UK, has those things in abundance - and according to a new study from Canvas Student is judged to be the best area in the UK for student downtime - beating off competition from other major cities such as Glasgow, Liverpool and Edinburgh among others.
Canvas Student criteria was based on a range of factors including gym membership costs, the number of local gyms, access to quality green spaces and walking trails, levels of noise and light pollution, public transport affordability, the average cost of a pint, and the availability of free attractions.
The areas where Sheffield scored highest unsurprisingly were green spaces with a score of 87 out of 100.
The Steel City also boasted the best rating for walking trails with 478 while the average cost of a soft drink at £1.57 was the second lowest behind Hull.
Here are the top 10 cities in the UK for student downtime based on the recent study.
1st: Sheffield
- Gym membership: £33.16/month
- Green space score: 87.5/100
- Noise & light pollution: 40.62/100
- Walking trails: 478
- Gyms: 1.8 per 10,000 people
- Pint: £4.40
- Soft drink: £1.57
- Public transport: £3.00
- Free attractions: 138
2nd: Glasgow
- Gym membership: £32.69/month
- Green space score: 83.19/100
- Noise & light pollution: 41.07/100
- Walking trails: 373
- Gyms: 2.9 per 10,000 people
- Pint: £4.90
- Soft drink: £1.58
- Public transport: £3.10
- Free attractions: 219
3rd: Liverpool
- Gym membership: £26.00/month
- Green space score: 80.47/100
- Noise & light pollution: 40.15/100
- Walking trails: 84
- Gyms: 1.3 per 10,000 people
- Pint: £5.00
- Soft drink: £1.71
- Public transport: £2.00
- Free attractions: 273
4th: Edinburgh
- Gym membership: £40.05/month
- Green space score: 81.6/100
- Noise & light pollution: 34.15/100
- Walking trails: 191
- Gyms: 2.2 per 10,000 people
- Pint: £6.00
- Soft drink: £2.03
- Public transport: £2.20
- Free attractions: 342
5th: Hull
- Gym membership: £28.50/month
- Green space score: 75/100
- Noise & light pollution: 25/100
- Walking trails: 74
- Gyms: 1.5 per 10,000 people
- Pint: £3.25
- Soft drink: £1.50
- Public transport: £3.10
- Free attractions: 66
6th: Dundee
- Gym membership: £39.60/month
- Green space score: 81.82/100
- Noise & light pollution: 22.73/100
- Walking trails: 67
- Gyms: 1.4 per 10,000 people
- Pint: £4.30
- Soft drink: £1.86
- Public transport: £2.50
- Free attractions: 62
7th: Bath
- Gym membership: £34.50/month
- Green space score: 75/100
- Noise & light pollution: 45/100
- Walking trails: 169
- Gyms: 4.2 per 10,000 people
- Pint: £6.00
- Soft drink: £1.82
- Public transport: £2.65
- Free attractions: 96
8th: Southampton
- Gym membership: £30.65/month
- Green space score: 66.67/100
- Noise & light pollution: 52.78/100
- Walking trails: 356
- Gyms: 2.2 per 10,000 people
- Pint: £5.50
- Soft drink: £2.34
- Public transport: £2.30
- Free attractions: 68
9th: York
- Gym membership: £36.33/month
- Green space score: 75/100
- Noise & light pollution: 22.22/100
- Walking trails: 184
- Gyms: 2.3 per 10,000 people
- Pint: £5.00
- Soft drink: £2.14
- Public transport: £3.00
- Free attractions: 132
10th: Bristol
- Gym membership: £37.00/month
- Green space score: 69.85/100
- Noise & light pollution: 47.06/100
- Walking trails: 197
- Gyms: 2.8 per 10,000 people
- Pint: £6.00
- Soft drink: £1.82
- Public transport: £2.50
- Free attractions: 145
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