I am in the process of applying for a place at Birmingham city university, to tell you the truth the student room has been giving me some major Valium level anxiety about whether Britain is the place to be right now.
75%+ off it’s users appear to bigoted about something, and I am concerned that this may b in fact be representative of the general population. I want to live in a place where I can feel safe, you know.
Has anyone got any advice for me?
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I find that Brits overall are a pretty tolerant and inclusive bunch. Birmingham in general is safe.
What bigotry are you seeing in their student group? Racial, sexual orientation, anti semitism, misogyny? What exactly? Is it the same person over and over? Are you just perceiving a lot of bigotry, or is it just a bunch of posts over a certain time period, say a few days when maybe some tr-olly type people were online? Is it many different people commenting? Could it be that there are a lot of members who aren’t active on message boards?
In terms of street safety, it’s a big city, so you have the usual risks in a big city: pickpockets and muggings, but those things are easily avoided with a bit of common sense.
Without more context, it’s hard to advise you.
Why are you applying to Birmingham City, not University of Birmingham?
Why a university in the UK?
Are you applying through UCAS or CommonApp?
What “course” (major) are you applying for and did you make sure you had all the pre-req courses?
Having lived in the UK for 6 years way before Brexit, I would say that the reality of the UK is not at all what you see on PBS. I highly suggest you visit before you commit to going there.
You can read some local newspapers online, or look at the bbc UK regions pages. Also, if you are female read about the University of Warwick sexual abuse problems. British schools just don’t have a handle on the issue. Another problem: bias against Northerners ( those who don’t speak with the British accent that Americans seem to love) at Durham.
Where I lived, it was quite rural, and I knew people whose sons had gone to the closest city where they were attacked violently. Just because they weren’t from that town.
With all the problems of Brexit, the fact that the country is having a very hard time keeping their shelves stocked in the supermarkets, there is the problem of the conservative government breaking the NHS. People are tense over there, personally, I would question whether or not it is a good time to be there.
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We all have our connections and sources of information. My connections are that half of my family is British and currently lives there, plus many friends. I was there myself six weeks ago. No one is starving in England. There are no riots in the streets. I am very skeptical of the postapocalyptic scenario painted in the previous post.
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hi! i actually live super close to Birmingham and spent a fair amount of time there (I’m British and looking to go over to the US for uni and stumbled across this post). Birmingham Uni is a Russell group, which is basically the UK equivalent of the ‘ivy league’, and from what I’ve seen of it and heard from my friends, it’s a great school, the academics are great and the people in general are alright. The surrounding area can be a bit intimidating if only for the fact that it’s so busy, so if you want a fast-paced environment then that’s great. It’s filled with shops, restaurants, bars and so so much to do and so so connected to other areas (multiple train stations and buses, even trams) so it’s feasible to get a train to have day trips across the UK for a reasonable price. As for the ‘bigoted’ worries you have, Birmingham in general is quite accepting, and it’s a very diverse area. If you’re also worried about the knife crime over here, it’s becoming a lot less of an issue, and the police in Birmingham have quite a heavy presence (a lot different to US police officers!). Finishing note: stay well away from the student room, it’s so toxic!
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@graciekate : I agree with you wrt Birmingham (the city and the university) but @Cancelled_ALICE, oddly, seems to be considering Birmingham CITY U, the former polytechnic. It’s located in a different part of the city than University of Birmingham and “being aware of your surroundings at all times” is an official university recommendation (no checking your phone or listening to headphones while walking). The campus has been improved in the past ~10 years. How would you qualify/describe Birmingham city U and its surroundings, based on your observations?
I think the best comparison would be Temple v. UPenn or perhaps Drexel v. UPenn?
@lindagaf: while it’s not postapocalyptic, the situation has clearly deteriorated even compared to 6 weeks ago. Every problem most developed countries have been encountering recently (supply chain issues, food shortage and truck drivershortage, inflation…) has been exacerbated by Brexit. Fights breaking out due to certain empty shelves and general petrol shortage have been making the news almost daily. It’s such a problem that the Johnson government has tried to reverse some of its defining stance on European workers (because a lot of truck drivers were European and have left – so they’ve been promised a 2-month work permit if they return… except there’s a shortage of drivers in Europe too, where they don’t need a permit and especially not for just 2 months of work, so the latest solution to the continuing problem has been to allow more deliveries to those still there…) The mood is despondent/worried/anxious. I hope your family are alright.
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Other than people queuing for gas, there have been no reports from any friends or family. Family and friends live all over the country. My D’s bf is currently in London and in fact has raved about the selection at grocery stores. Admittedly not Birmingham. My sister in law lives an hour outside of Birmingham. She hasn’t even mentioned the gas shortage.
Shortages are temporary. The media sensationalizes as it sees fit.
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A quick google search shares that Birmingham was voted the most unsafe city in the UK in 2018. (A shocking 42% indicated that they feel unsafe living in Birmingham.)
Additionally, Birmingham currently suffers from high unemployment & low level of dispoable wages.
Th shortages are temporary but annoying.
I was using reports from students currently there (Cardiff, Aberdeen, Brighton, Belfast, Stirling, Bath) and they were pretty philosophical about the food shortages (ie. “I’m not that into fresh vegetables anyway” or “you can substitute”). It’s not that there’s nothing to eat but rather that sometimes what you’d come to expect isn’t there, so they switch but it’s been going on for a few weeks now and they’ve never known supply to be unpredictable. No one is starving and it’s a few things here and there.
(There have been TV reports about toys and Christmas but that doesn’t worry them at all).
Student in Belfast said he knows tensions can be high but everyone does their best so that it doesn’t flare up (“yeah sometimes we hear stuff went down where locals live but it’s not in our area”). People in Scotland are pretty riled up because they didn’t vote for Brexit and didn’t vote for Boris Johnson yet are stuck in his world so that exacerbates things. The student villages seem pretty insulated but they do hear about it and they say they cross the street at gas stations. They’re not worried about knife crime or anyone pulling a gun and obviously it’s neither postapocalyptic nor a civil war but they do report tensions that weren’t there before.
Three did report being insulted for speaking their native language (one got the “excuse”: “sorry, I thought you were Polish” !!! Which I found very odd.)
I emailed them specifically to know how they were impacted, if they were (+ mental health, etc).
@Cancelled_ALICE : overall, I’d say look at universities in Scotland, or collegiate universities such as Durham. Beyond that, Russell GroupUnis would generally be a good choice if you want to experience grad school after high school (very specialized, very autonomous work).
Britain remains an advanced democracy with an advanced economy and excellent universities but don’t romanticize it either – even if you may well be insulated from the current unpleasantness depending on where you live (and it may well be quite temporary, or not, think about your level of tolerance for minor disturbances such as missing some stuff you wanted at Sainsbury’s): read, watch BBC or ITV news, etc. and try to form your own opinion about where you’d be most comfortable.
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Where we live, more empty shelves at grocery stores and out of stock items are taking longer to be re-stocked. Prices for some products have also gone up a bit. But people are generally managing okay.
Well, as I said, the tension there is growing, as you can see in the sad news today. It may seem fine for now, but I sense boiling point is being reached. My spouse is British and there is no way that we would move back.
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My observations and concerns about the US are similar. Agree, though, that it hasn’t been so great in the UK since the 2016 referendum. Both countries seem to be falling apart, at least politically.
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I feel vastly more unsafe walking the streets of San Francisco than any place in the UK. And my car is far more likely to get broken into there than in the UK: Report: San Francisco sees 753% increase in car break-ins in tourist areas - ABC7 San Francisco
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Point of correction: “Russell Group” is the UK equivalent of “Association of American Universities” and definitely NOT the equivalent of “Ivy League”.
As for the main discussions about Birmingham, I live in the UK, and I can say that, like any other UK city, Birmingham is safe to study and live in.
We don’t have the violence (aka gun crime) issues of some parts of the US. I can’t think of any city (or part of a city) that I would be nervous to visit; not even if it was 3am in the morning and I am walking on foot. Note that I am not saying crime does not exist nor am I saying that I could not face crime; I am saying the UK does not have No-Go areas.
The knife crimes that you might have heard about, mostly take place in London and is mainly amongst local residents, of a certain age range and of certain demography. It is the bloody least of my worries; less than the rapid and unexpected change in weather when I am out without my jacket. I would walk past thuggish wannabe-looking youths without a worry in the world; and they too would not even notice me. I am not a candidate for “What is he doing in our postcode? Lets give him a street surgery”.
The main challenges you will likely face relating to any specific UK city is the opportunity of stimulation if you are a big city/night life person. Some cities just don’t have much of this to offer; Birmingham is not one of these cities.
And, NO, London Bridge is not falling down because of fuel/gas queues or supply chain challenges. Things are okay and everyone knows it is temporary.
I go to my local supermarket (which also has a fuel/gas station in the complex) roughly every 2 days, and I am yet to see anyone fight or even raise voices against one another.
KFC runs out of chicken and we adjust by switching to kebabs. McDonald’s has no milkshakes? No worries, we will get a soda/chocolate coffee drink somewhere else.
Yes, some in the UK are definitely worried about inflation and getting Xmas presents delivered on time. But if, despite the challenges to majority of people around the world, the latter is a major worry for UK people, all I can say is “Bleeping First World Problems”.
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While I agree the problems the UK is encountering right now are “first world problems”, we do not know how temporary they are, because they’re shared with most of the developed world (same causes, same effects) but exacerbated by Brexit and Brexit is not going away. Most importantly, we do not know what @Cancelled_ALICE 's level of comfort is with such problems and how she would react to them, since she has not returned to this thread.
“Note that I am not saying crime does not exist nor am I saying that I could not face crime”
In general, British cities and the UK in general are safer than big US cities but many urban areas in the UK are not that safe. The concept of safety is broad and it’s important not to portray British city life as idyllic so I hope OP will read your sentence and take it to heart. Birmingham as a whole is safe, but there’s a reason Birmingham City U officially recommends that one be aware of one’s surroundings at all times when walking the side streets. (OP is oddly interested in Birmingham City U, which she might confuse with UBirmingham.)
We don’t know that OP isn’t of a certain age range and demography. You might be telling OP that s/he’ll be targeted.
Based on this website’s demography, you could assume OP to be 15-18, high achiever, probably well off. From “Alice”, you can assume girl or nonbinary. We do not know whether OP is Black, White, Latina, has Pakistani or Chinese parents, etc.
"I can’t think of any city (or part of a city) that I would be nervous to visit; not even if it was 3am in the morning and I am walking on foot. "
This tells me you are not a woman and probably not small as a man.
“violence” =/= “gun crime”
“The main challenges you will likely face relating to any specific UK city is the opportunity of stimulation if you are a big city/night life person.”
Just FYI, an American 18 year old would find ANY British city teeming with nightlife: in the US, “nightlife” is limited to the 21+. They can’t enter bars or nightclubs (there may be special 18-21 evenings, usually from 8 to mightnight, where no alcohol is served.) Some can’t even enter bars if their favorite band is playing. I agree that Birmingham, like most British cities with a lot of students, would have tons of exciting things to do for a young person! 
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[quote=“MYOS1634, post:16, topic:3592755, full:true”]
In general, British cities and the UK in general are safer than big US cities but many urban areas in the UK are not that safe. The concept of safety is broad and it’s important not to portray British city life as idyllic so I hope OP will read your sentence and take it to heart. Birmingham as a whole is safe, but there’s a reason Birmingham City U officially recommends that one be aware of one’s surroundings at all times when walking the side streets. [/quote]
Yep. The UK is far more safer than the US.
As for what Birmingham City Uni officials said about “one be aware of one’s surroundings at all times when walking the side streets”, I honestly can’t think of any major city on Earth that that advice would not be relevant when living in it. So, I would just not read much meaning into that.
[quote=“MYOS1634, post:16, topic:3592755, full:true”]
We don’t know that OP isn’t of a certain age range and demography. You might be telling OP that s/he’ll be targeted.
Based on this website’s demography, you could assume OP to be 15-18, high achiever, probably well off. From “Alice”, you can assume girl or nonbinary. We do not know whether OP is Black, White, Latina, has Pakistani or Chinese parents, etc.[/quote]
Yeah, I know.
But the criteria I gave was made up of 3 parts “local residents, of a certain age range and of certain demography”. If the “street surgeons” heard an American accent, they would not feel it is a rival, feel threatened or feel the person must have disrespected them in some online track and would probably leave the person alone. Their targets are usually those known to them that “strangely” feel it is okay to pass through another post code as part of their daily journeys.
[quote=“MYOS1634, post:16, topic:3592755, full:true”]
This tells me you are not a woman and probably not small as a man.[/quote]
These are right but I am definitely not that huge though.
[quote=“MYOS1634, post:16, topic:3592755, full:true”]
“violence” =/= “gun crime” [/quote]
I know. But gun crime is the main difference between the US and its peer countries in EU and like Canada, Australia and New Zealand, hence why such crime was highlighted.
Pub fisticuffs are of little worry to most.
Nice and noted.
Kind of had that knowledge at the very back of my mind but did not factor it into my post. Good one.
As someone who presents as female, I am worried about the police and how sexual assault is dealt with in the United Kingdom. Apparently the rate of rape convictions are so low that rape is effectively legal in the UK.
I am going to be taking nursing, so in theory college ranking is irrelevant. UoB is more expensive. According to the student room at least dislike of ex-polys is based on classism and that’s not something I want to participate in. I am an IB student, so I think my qualifications should be recognized every where.
Also I am aware that BLM doesn’t have as much power and support as it does over here, my question is why? Many users are routinely critical of BLM the movement on TSR and the posts aren’t removed despite the website committing to ‘anti racism’.
And obviously Nigel F***** and JK R****** live in the UK- it’s a really small place. How much influence do they really have?
Here’s someone who doesn’t feel so safe:
And if there are shortages at KFC or Macdonald’s, good, that is probably better for your health.
I’m a Brit living in Britain - in a large urban city, though not Birmingham (the UK’s second largest city) - and when I read our headlines I wonder what our country is doing. ‘Brexit’, ‘40,000 new Covid cases a day’, ‘Petrol shortages’, ‘empty shelves’, ‘Christmas cancelled’. We don’t even hear about all the knife crime or the 80 women killed since March. I just want to stay at home and cocoon myself in a cake induced stupor 
and. Then I get up and go to work and buy petrol and food and really if I can’t get turkey at Christmas, I’ll eat something else.
However, when I read the headlines from the US - son is studying there - I think pretty much the same. Abortion rights removed from Texas, electoral rights being challenged and that not all 50 states own that women have equal rights. When we were visiting in 2019 I was shocked that a packet of 20 cigarettes was cheaper than a loaf of bread. But I know that all reading this will also get up go to work and wonder what the world is coming to.
We each choose to live where we want or where we have to and we make informed choices. So many Brits living in America say they would not return to Britain - many Americans living in Britain love it here. We each get up every morning and get on with our lives.
To the poster: if you want to spend 3 years in a vibrant city and experience another way of life - to broaden your horizons, go drinking at 18 (this is something that really must be taken into account. There is a big drinking culture at UK universities - it was one reason my son liked the idea of studying in the US.) be close to Europe. Instead of a Spring Break week in Florida you could spend weekends in Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, Vienna. If you know what you want to study: law, medicine, architecture, vet or even just English, History, French, UK universities offer this without having to go through the ‘liberal arts’ programme. This is one of the reasons my son went to the US because he didn’t know what to do.
I can’t tell you that you won’t get your room burgled, or your phone stolen, (our home was burgled in February) but I think you would be hard pressed for anyone to say that these things would never happen to you wherever you choose to study. I can’t even tell you that you aren’t going to get caught up in gunfire or knife crime. But the chances are very slim and a lot slimmer than in the States. (Son has first hand experience of both in the 3 years he has been in the States.) If you are willing to take that risk in the States then you should be happy to take that risk here in Britain.
Am I helping? Most probably not. I just wanted to say that nowhere is paradise, nowhere is perfect, nowhere has no risks.
I’m going to move to Nowhere 
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