I was ready for something different after growing up in a small town where life is calm and peaceful
I’ll keep raving about the city I’m now lucky enough to call home(Image: Eloise Preater)
In the space of a day I knew where I wanted to spend the next three years. I’d attended an open day at the University of Liverpool in 2023 and sure enough, the city became my top choice. Before then, I was hesitant. I’d never visited Liverpool, and it was halfway up the country from my hometown.
But as soon as I arrived, I knew it was the city for me, and I made it my firm choice. Liverpool offered me the perfect mix of a campus university and a vibrant city lifestyle.
Having grown up in a small town in Wiltshire, where life is calm and peaceful, I was ready for something different. I’d always imagined myself living in a city, and while I’m grateful for the countryside I was raised in, I wanted the complete opposite for university.
Moving four hours north to Liverpool gave me that change. With a population twenty times larger than my hometown, the hustle of the city came with more opportunities and more to do every single day.
One of Liverpool’s best features is its hospitality scene(Image: Eloise Preater)
Nights out, shopping trips and endless activities were suddenly a short walk away rather than a long train ride. What could have been a daunting change quickly turned into excitement – there was simply too much to do to feel homesick.
Now every time I say I’m sad to leave my hometown, my mum laughs and says, “No, you’re not.”
At my first visit to the university, I met people from all over the country, discovered the wealth of opportunities on offer, and was pleasantly surprised at how nice the accommodation was.
But it was exploring the city after the open day that sealed the deal. I wandered down Bold Street to the city centre, completely unaware of how much time (and money) I’d end up spending there in the following year.
Enjoying Liverpool Christmas Markets(Image: Eloise Preater)
From vintage shops to high-street stores, Liverpool offered far more than I expected. Beyond Liverpool ONE, I discovered weekends on Lark Lane, peaceful walks through Sefton Park, and even a beach at Formby – just half an hour away on the Merseyrail, which feels like a friendlier, yellow version of the London Underground.
Watching the sun set at the docks, wandering the Georgian Quarter, or exploring the markets and music in the Baltic Triangle – Liverpool really does have it all.
I’d also noticed the huge number of independent coffee shops and restaurants dotted across the city and hoped I’d get to visit them on a student budget.
After my first year, I can confirm I’ve visited more than a few. Bean Coffee has become my go-to study spot, and I’m yet to meet anyone who doesn’t rave about Rudy’s Pizza.
Now, nearly a year into living here, I feel like I’ve done so much and yet only scratched the surface. Liverpool is a busy, musical, and sometimes windy city – and yes, it’s true, Scousers really are the friendliest people you’ll ever meet.
For me, Liverpool has been the perfect fit: the right course, the right university, and the right city. It couldn’t be further from my quiet hometown in Wiltshire, and yet it already feels like home.
Every expectation I had after my first visit has been exceeded and I’ll keep raving about the city I’m now lucky enough to call home.