QS Best Student Cities ranking: 118^th

Known for its rich history and green surroundings, Leicester is new to the Best Student Cities ranking, coming in at 118^th overall, and 14^th in the UK. Leicester boasts two leading universities; University of Leicester and De Montford University, with both featuring in the most recent QS World University Rankings® Leicester ranks highest for the ‘Student Mix’ indicator at 23^rd, which reflects the wide diversity of the student population.

Leicester has excellent public transport links, making travel easy when you want to explore the surrounding areas, or even travel further afield, with direct trains to London St Pancras taking just over an hour.

If you’re looking for something to do after lectures have finished, there is always plenty to entertain you in Leicester. Those interested in history will be able to enjoy the King Richard III visitor center, built around the former car park where his remains were found in 2012, as well as Leicester Castle (which is only a few minutes’ walk from the town center). Those who are more into sports will be able to study in close proximity to The Walker’s Stadium - home to both the world-renowned Leicester City FC and the Leicester Tigers Rugby Union.

Anyone who likes a bit of retail therapy in their spare time will love Leicester’s Highcross shopping center, with over 120 shops, plenty of restaurants and even a large Cinema de Lux where you can unwind with your friends. Leicester also has an excellent nightlife, teeming with a large variety of bars and nightclubs, making it a popular hit with students.

Have you studied in Leicester? Share your experience.

Internationally ranked universities in Leicester

More about Leicester

To find out how each of the above categories is calculated, view the methodology.

Since the late 80s/early 90s, Manchester has cemented its place as the mecca for all things musical and cultural within England. Musical institutions such as the Hacienda Nightclub, the Free Trade Hall, and even the Albert Hall steered the youth of the time into an era now called the ‘second summer of love’. Bands such as the Stone Roses, Oasis and The Happy Mondays just to name a few, have all exported the vibrancy and energy of this northern city worldwide.

Standing on the shoulders of this huge legacy before it, Manchester has pushed itself into the new millennium and only continued to blossom and grow. Whether you prefer the laid-back sophistication of a cocktail bar, the high intensity of an all-night rave or the chance to see the next big band over an inexpensive pint, Manchester has it all! Read on for a selection of our top picks in this vibrant city.

The Deaf Institute

A three-floored venue, The Deaf Institute is located just off Oxford Road, a perfect location for students attending Manchester Metropolitan University, whose campus surrounds the area. The main bar is tastily furnished with leather booths and sharing tables, ideal for enjoying the wide range of craft beers and local ales on offer. With an elaborate menu, covering vegan and meat eaters alike, it is the perfect place for a bite to eat before making your way to the party atmosphere of the next floor.

On the first floor you’ll find the heart of the Deaf Institute, which is a sight for the senses. Immediately you are dwarfed by the enormous mirror ball that dances from the domed ceiling, surrounded by velvet curtains and vibrantly decorated walls, you are instantly transported. Deaf Institute hosts a variety of club nights; such as “Girls on film” Manchester's most celebrated retro club night, playing the best pop, rock and guilty pleasures from the 80’s and 90’s. Or if rock and metal are more your thing, attend The Deaf Institutes “Kickstart My Heart” night, taking you back to the days of hair metal and big sing along choruses. There is rarely a night in the week where The Deaf Institute doesn’t play host to a live band or artist, so pass through their doors and you too can claim to have seen the next world-dominating band in such a small venue.

Bunny Jacksons

Bunny Jacksons is the all-American experience, wander through their doors and you could easily believe you’re not in the streets of Manchester, England, but in the mists of the United States itself! Everything here is catered to give you the American dive bar experience. With American football, basketball and baseball games shown on their TV’s, and a wide range of American whiskeys and beers, Bunny Jacksons will take you stateside with only a short walk through the Manchester streets. Bunny Jacksons is the perfect place to go and socialize in the days off studying, bring out your competitive side on their many pool and beer pong tables, or get a bite to eat with their famously cheap chicken wings, the cheapest costing only 10p!  

The Liquor Store

Situated just off Manchester's famous Deansgate, Liquor Store has become a popular nighttime retreat for students from across the city. Combining the subtlety of American bar culture while still paying homage to the great and good of Manchester gives the Liquor Store a truly unique feel. Sample their plethora of liquors from around the world, watched on by portraits of Manchester's extensive alumni. The laid-back and quirky atmosphere is then amplified come 5pm, where the sound of your favorite indie, rock and roll and pop music is played well into the night, only closing its doors at 3am.

256 Wilmslow Road

Located in the southeast of the city, 256 Wilmslow Road blends the perfection combination of stylish open space and sophisticated bar culture. With a large wooden cladded beer garden, Wilmslow Road is the place to be on those sun-soaked afternoons. In the evenings the bar is frequented by students of Manchester searching for cheap drinks and a great sociable atmosphere. Wilmslow Road also brings a vast range of events with a packed schedule of entertainment. DJ sets, local bands and comedy nights keep both students and locals returning.

South Nightclub

South prides itself as Manchester's number one original underground club night, and with good reason. Launched in 1995 by the promotions manager of the famous Hacienda, it has continued to stand on the shoulders of Manchester's historic club and underground scene. Located in Deansgate, South Nightclub provides an extensive range of club nights and awe-inspiring DJ sets. Friday nights “Flight Mode” is a constant favorite, playing a range of house, techno and minimal well into the early hours. So if you're a student looking to dip your toes into the famous music culture of Manchester, South is the place to be.

Dive NQ

Supplying you with everything you would want from a pub as a student in Manchester is Dive NQ. Placed in the heart of the vibrant streets of the Northern Quarter, Dive NQ is a multifaceted venue that caters to all your needs. An affordable menu offers an extensive range of custom burgers, burritos and chicken wings. With 11 ultra HD screens dotted around the venue, it’s no surprise that Dive HQ has been selected by Sky Sports as the best place to watch live sports in Manchester. On your lecture-free weekends pay a visit and find it transformed into vibrant nightclub and dance away the stress until the sun comes up, since Dive HQ’s doors don’t close until 5am! Whether it be a pub quiz, a burger with friends, or cheap pint watching your favorite sport, Dive NQ is the venue for you.

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Sponsored by University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)

Medical school can be one of the most rewarding, exciting and unforgettable experiences of your life. However, there are times when it can also be among the most stressful and worrying.

Stress is a common problem among medical students, and it can feel impossible sometimes to stay on an even plateau when you’re working and studying for 12 hours a day.

Fortunately, over the last couple of years the conversation surrounding mental health and wellbeing has really taken off, especially when it comes to university students. Promoting a better understanding of the subject can only ever be a positive, so we’ve teamed up with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and spoke to one of their MBBS (bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery) students to find out how you can maintain a healthy body and healthy mind during your studies at medical school.

Use your university’s support services and resources

It’s no secret that medical school requires long hours, massive amounts of studying, and can result in high levels of stress. So, it’s important you try to be as open and honest as possible with both yourself and with others if you’re starting to find things difficult and are struggling to cope.

Dean Hardy, a second-year MBBS student at the University of Central Lancashire tells us his thoughts about studying medicine: “The course is tough and requires long hours, organization and commitment to care, but it doesn’t come without the support of others.”

The MBBS course at UCLan offers a warm and welcoming environment for students from all over the world, and as universities become very much aware of the importance of ensuring there is substantial support when it comes to the wellbeing of their students, the University of Central Lancashire provides a dedicated Counselling, Mental Health and Wellbeing Service for all students who wish to use it.

Organization and time management is essential

Plan, plan, and plan some more.

“Your mental wellbeing at medical school largely relies on being free of stress and anxiety. My way of ensuring this is to keep on top of revision from the off. Write notes up before lectures, and revise the notes after lectures. Being organized helps your mental wellbeing and reduces anxiety and stress,” says Dean.

Keeping track of your progress as well as setting targets can also help. “Each Sunday evening I set targets for the following week, which keeps me motivated and reduces my anxiety and stress,” adds Dean.

Eating healthy is a recipe for success

As tempting as it is to reach for the carbs and sugar, as a medical student you’ll know the importance of nutrition and having a well-balanced diet.

Your body is going to hit rock bottom by the time it’s stopped bouncing off the walls after you’ve finished your fifth Red Bull, cappuccino or Coca-Cola. Instead, reach for healthy study snacks such as nuts or fresh fruit and veg. Their natural sugars will help boost your energy and concentration levels.

Get active and stay active

Even if it’s just going for a 15-minute walk each day, it’s nice to have a change of scenery and be able to refresh your eyes as well as your mind, and take some time away from your books.

“Studying medicine requires you to be sat down for hours on end revising, so it’s important to do some form of physical activity,” advises Dean.

“Many medical students join sports clubs or societies, some go running, others go to the gym as well. The gym isn’t for everyone, so it’s important to find what makes you happy. My biggest advice is that you do some form of exercise as it’ll really help your positive wellbeing, as well as improve your ability to study.”

Sleep is key

Although medical school comes with inconsistent schedules, you should try and make sure you go to sleep at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning.

Sleeping is just as important as studying – without it, you can’t function properly. In fact, the average adult needs between seven and nine hours of sleep per night in order to function at their best.

Although this is easier said than done, there are a number of apps out there as well as more traditional sleeping techniques that can help you catch up on well-needed rest.

Remember it’s ok to relax and have some chilled time

Finding a way to relax and relieve stress is something that’s personal to you. Everyone has different ways of achieving it, whether it’s meeting up with friends, going to the cinema, baking, reading, or even going away for a short weekend break.

Dean says: “I always use Monday to Friday as my study time, working hard from 6.30am all the way through to 8pm. I do this so I can have Friday night, Saturday and Sunday off to do anything I like.”

“We also like to go travelling and have mini breaks in European cities, which is actually a lot cheaper in some cases than going to London for the weekend. We go out at night, eat out, sight-see and explore the local culture.” 

Healthy body, healthy mind

Both are as important as each other, and when you’re a medical student it can seem like a real cliché of practicing what you preach. Good self-care is a basic survival tactic, and it’s important you listen to both your body and your mind.

If you’re feeling down or anxious and are finding it excessively difficult to cope, it might be a good idea to seek the closest professional help available to you, whether it’s talking to your local counselor or contacting your GP. Extreme and prolonged feelings of despair or dread may be signs that something more serious is going on, and may require further support.

本文由金山大学赞助

再过 11 年，也就是 2030 年，你很可能会从事一项甚至还不存在的工作——不，我们不是在谈论制造飞行汽车或开发世界上第一台时间机器。 工作世界正在迅速发展，这意味着您必须弄清楚如何为无法预测的未来工作角色做准备。

当然，没有一个水晶球可以准确地告诉我们需要哪些技能，哪些不需要。 然而，在金山大学的帮助下，我们提出了五项技能，我们相信你需要在未来的职业生涯中取得成功，无论最终结果如何。

认知灵活性

数字技术的崛起意味着你需要能够处理随之而来的大量机会和挑战。

你是否有能力适应变化并同时构思复杂的多种想法？如果是这样，你就表现出了高级多任务人员所具有的素质，这些素质是雇主和招聘人员所高度重视的。

数字素养和计算思维

随着世界继续依赖高度技术化和不断发展的技术，对具有数字技能的人的需求也在增加。

你肯定听说过STEM，但你听说过SMAC（社交、移动、分析和云）吗？虽然看起来我们正在被数字流行语轰炸，但当涉及到新兴技术，如人工智能（AI）、机器学习、物联网（IoT）和数据科学时，具备数字知识所提供的能力超出了人们曾经认为的可能性。

"金山大学副校长兼校长亚当-哈比布教授说："我们需要培训学者来应对21世纪的挑战，有些挑战我们可能还没有遇到过。

"我们需要跨部门合作，开发所需的技术，让我们跨越贫穷、失业和不平等的年代，并以此创造一个新的世界秩序，将人类放在利润和权力之前。"

人工智能或电子科学的硕士学位可以帮助提高你的数字技能，加速你在这些新兴领域的技术敏锐度，从学习数据可视化和探索，到计算智能，以及自然语言技术。

判断和决策

尽管机器人和自动化技术在其他方面可能比人类更好，如计算和诊断解决，但仍将是人类处理数据分析的主观方面。

考虑到我们正处于第四次工业革命的边缘，我们仍然需要有人能够向世界展示数字的含义及其意义。

情感和社会智力

对于可以被数字技术和人工智能取代的一切，情感和社会智能仍然是人类独有的能力。

在某些领域，这些品质绝对是至关重要的。例如，医疗保健领域的工作需求正在增加--这表明一些角色将永远需要人类元素。你未来的工作很可能包括与他人密切合作，因此，拥有同理心、合作能力以及出色的沟通技巧是你最需要的东西。

创意和创新的心态

尽管世界经济论坛在2018年的一份报告表明，机器人自动化创造的就业机会将多于它们所取代的工作，但你仍然要做好保持你的创造技能和保持创新的心态。

与拥有出色的社会智能感一样，自然的创造力是最新的数字技术无法轻易复制的东西。只要你能跳出盒子思考问题，你就会好起来。

来源：阿联酋大学

2014年，《福布斯》发表的一篇文章讨论了高等教育发展的未来及其如何依赖于创新。五年过去了，这个话题现在变得更加有意义起来。

随着高等教育成本变得越来越高，数字技术对教育体验的作用变得越来越大，高校不得不调整商业模式、服务方式，以保持与社会、经济尤其是学生的关联性。

阿联酋大学就是一个例子，它正在精心策划一场变革，绝不仅仅只是快速解决、简单调整。

为什么创新和战略思维对大学的长期发展至关重要

现在只要一提到“高等教育”这个词语，紧随其后肯定都会出现“创新”二字。尽管是老生常谈，高等教育的创新不仅仅只是前缀，而是在全球不可预测的环境中保持不掉队和可持续发展。

也不仅仅是简单地打乱教育和学习方法，而是战略性地重塑这些方法，以便培养新思想、增强创造力、鼓励合作以及促进包容性和多样性。

因此，随着高等教育的标准越来越高，院校有必要跳出局限思维，挖掘自己的创新思想。

通向“未来大学”之路

由于科技的进步和毕业生就业市场永不停歇的竞争，高校需要尽快做出适应，为学生提供正确的教育，让他们为毕业后迎接必然的挑战和机遇做好准备。

作为阿联酋领军的国家高等院校，阿联酋大学计划在多个领域开展前沿研究，并教育学生探索和创业精神，通过此种方式让自己成为具有战略意义的核心高校。

这是一个名为“未来大学”的综合性项目计划，在过去两年里一直是阿联酋大学的核心项目，旨在培养最优秀的本土领袖人士，并吸引国际学者共同创造一个充满活力的互动研究和学习环境。

该计划为创业类研究活动做出贡献，并在战略选择的优先领域开发强势的跨学科课程项目，这些课程项目将由该大学的研究中心管理。然后他们会将研究生课程项目与这些领域结合到一起。

在此基础上，该大学的目标是建设高技术创新社群、吸引商业和国际投资，从而促进知识交流。该校还将与知名国家机构、行业和国际机构合作。

这对学生意味着什么

在缩小自己的大学选择范围时，高等院校的幕后故事可能并不是你首先考虑的因素。然而，随着申请学生人数不断增加，学校需要确保能够做到脱颖而出，为学生提供一段值得的教育经历。

在考虑市场需求的同时，定期修订学术课程对于发展健全的学术课程来说至关重要，以便培养学生的竞争力、国际化特质、批判性思维、创新性、创造力以及终生学习的态度。

例如，阿联酋大学计划采用有助于知识传授和吸收的技术，并激发学生的好奇心和批判性思维，从而实现对学习方法的采纳和修订。

这在实践中有何成效？

阿联酋航空航天工业的持续发展刺激了近期学生们去阿联酋大学读取航空航天工程学理学学士学位的热情。这就是该所大学面向未来提供教育的一个例子，它将与已经开始启用的航空航天中心合作施教，所提供的课程正好迎合了阿联酋目前与太空活动相关的增长趋势。

学习该门课程意味着你将学会如何熟练使用最先进的工程学工具和技术通信，发展自己的创造力和领导能力，以便应对快速发展的航空航天工程学技术需求。

你还将学会高效地设计、管理、执行和评估航空航天工程系统组件，根据设计规范和要求满足客户/市场的需求，并培养自己对那些与航空航天工程科学相关的社会、经济和环境问题的高度认知。