An interesting new study has seen Manchester named as one of the best cities in the UK for sober students.
There’s no denying that the stereotypical student experience has a bit of a reputation for its hardcore drinking culture, but nowadays, recent studies and trends have shown that there’s an ever-growing number of young people who are opting to stay away from alcohol – especially when they’re studying at university.
It obviously makes sense then, that when it comes to picking which university to spend their next three years at, drinking culture could be something that some students are keen to consider before sticking an application in.
So, which universities actually offer the best environments for sober students then?
In a bid to get to the bottom of this, student housing provider, This is Fresh, has carried out a new study and analysed the 20 UK universities, which are home to the largest numbers of students, to find out which have the highest number of societies where drinking is not part of the specified culture
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The numbers of pubs and bars in the area, and the support services available for students who may be struggling with the drinking habits and their mental health, was also taken into consideration during the study.
And Manchester has claimed the joint top spot on the list.
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Tying with the Scottish capital of Glasgow, the University of Manchester has been named the best city in the UK for sober students.
While it may be a little surprising, especially due to the fact that both of these universities are in cities where drinking culture is generally a focal point, these two institutions were actually found to be the most well-equipped for students looking for activities that don’t involve alcohol, and on top of this, they’ve also been commended for providing a wide range of support services for those who may want to reach out for help with their drinking habits.
Top 10 universities in the UK for sober students
University of Manchester
University of Glasgow
University College London
King’s College London
University of Edinburgh
University of Leeds
Nottingham Trent University
University of Nottingham
University of Bristol
Coventry University
Sure, drinking culture may be big in Manchester, with a total of 1912 bars that are accessible from the university’s campus and student hub areas, but there’s also plenty of support for sober and sober-curious students too, to counteract this.
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The University of Manchester was found to have 415 sober societies, and 33 support services available to students.
University College London (UCL), King’s College London (KCL), and the University of Edinburgh round out the top five, while the fellow Northern city of Leeds also features in the top 10, as does Nottingham, Bristol and Coventry.
Featured Image – University of Manchester
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Mancs stunned as Northern Lights glow above Greater Manchester in rare solar storm
Daisy Jackson
Greater Manchester was treated to a once-in-a-lifetime display of the Northern Lights overnight.
The skies above our region lit up in shades of pink and green in a shimmering spectacle that had the nation stunned.
The Northern Lights are normally only visible much further north, with many travelling to countries like Iceland and Norway to catch a glimpse – but last night, the show came to Manchester.
It’s all been caused by a ‘severe solar storm, which hit Earth on Friday night, and may continue into Saturday.
Space weather experts issued the rare geomagnetic storm warning – the first in 20 years – on Friday.
But most of us were blown away to actually see the Northern Lights dancing over Manchester.
The huge solar storm predicted by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) supercharged the Aurora Borealis.
They said that ‘additional solar eruptions could cause geomagnetic storm conditions to persist through the weekend’.
Then here comes the science: “A large sunspot cluster has produced several moderate to strong solar flares since Wednesday at 5am ET.
“At least five flares were associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that appear to be Earth-directed. SWPC forecasters will monitor NOAA and NASA’s space assets for the onset of a geomagnetic storm.
“CMEs are explosions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s corona. They cause geomagnetic storms when they are directed at Earth.
“Geomagnetic storms can impact infrastructure in near-Earth orbit and on Earth’s surface, potentially disrupting communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations.
“SWPC has notified the operators of these systems so they can take protective action.
“Geomagnetic storms can also trigger spectacular displays of aurora on Earth.”
If you look to the skies over Manchester tonight, there’s a chance you’ll see the Northern Lights again.
Just try not to cry as much as we did.
In pictures – the Northern Lights over Manchester
Joyful as a big kid. Mesmerising. Real life moment, never seen them before. Anyone else looking up? pic.twitter.com/a7B4kqBkfY
— NOT QUITE LIGHT – NQL (@NotQuiteLight) May 10, 2024
A company has created some extremely sarcastic greeting and birthday cards mocking Co-op Live
Danny Jones
A UK card company has decided to join in with the pile on over Co-op Live’s chaotic ‘opening’ weeks by creating a series of greeting and birthday cards mocking the arena and its ongoing saga.
If you’re a deeply sarcastic person who struggles to be sincere with those you hold nearest and dearest or simply want to get a co-worker something that says we care that you’re leaving but not so much as to let go without one final dig, these are right up your street.
So, with that in mind, greeting card company thortful – who are just as good at novelty as they are being actually thoughtful when it comes to words – have come up with a few clever little ways of wishing someone a happy birthday or congratulating them on their new home at the arena’s expense.
There’s a new home version of this one too.(Credit: thortful)
Not bad, to be fair.
Tim Leiweke, Chairman and CEO of Oak View Group (which owns and operates Co-op Live), recently released a statement offering his ‘sincere apologies’ and explaining the steps being taken during the venue’s ‘short pause’.
He admitted, “It’s not been the smooth start we had planned for, and I know that has caused a huge amount of disruption and frustration to thousands of people”, adding that they are “working incredibly hard to get the building up and running, and we look forward to welcoming you to the arena from 14 May 2024.”
The London-based card company is known for lots of comedy captions and with every Tom, Dick and Harry taking a pop at the venue already, they clearly thought ‘We might as well join in’.
In fact, they’ve been taking the mick ever since the whole thing kicked off.
The date mentioned above will see Manc music legends Elbow arrive as the venue’s new opening act artists after so many other acts ended up having their gigs pulled and we can only hope and pray that everything is on course for next week.
With more and more names being announced for their 2024 and 2025 calendar left right and centre, the most recent being rapper Travis Scott, it looks as though they’re confident that the arena will open and live up to the expectations it has built up given its billing as the biggest indoor entertainment in the UK.
As for thortful and everyone else, we just have to wait with bated breath to see if there’s set to be another twist in this tale and enjoy the light-hearted jokes in the meantime.