Reading

Reading is a large town in the south of England. It has a distinct character and is well-known as a great student town, despite its proximity to London. It is the main town of Royal Berkshire and has been a home to many since around the year 800, and has steadily grown to a huge area, being the home to over 250,000 people. Overall, it is a great place to study with no lack of things to do outside of study time, with an abundance of shopping, catering, businesses and other opportunities for leisure.

It is also located close to London, being just 25 minutes from the centre, so those with an inclination to travel out their town will have no problem finding somewhere to go! Even if that isn’t the case, it’s hard to find yourself bored in a town such as this.

The academic institution itself – The University of Reading – has plenty going on for its students, and has strived to make it that way since its origins in the early 1950’s. Today it is home to many British and international students who can choose from a huge range of degrees and course types, whether you want to study full-time, in the evenings, or part-time.

A Busy and Social Life

Those who have decided to study will find enough to keep themselves busy on-campus between studying and socializing. A sports park is located nearby, offering a tennis court, fitness centre, a football pitch and a hall for dance practice. The Students’ Union also provides shops with all the necessities, numerous cafés, bars and multiple clubs; there’s enough here to keep you busy without even needing to go into town! The accommodation on campus is modern and provides plenty of space and all the right facilities, while there is 24-hour library access for students, who can work all through the day and night with full access to computers and the Internet, so you can complete your work whenever suits you best.

In Reading town centre, however, there’s plenty more to see and do, starting with The Oracle Shopping and Leisure, a modern shopping centre full of all the right shops for clothes, shoes, electronics, music and other goods, along with supermarkets, restaurants and cafés. Outside of the town, it is difficult to not spot the many good pubs, bars and clubs that are around the area; Reading has around 100 nightclubs to enjoy, as well as 50 sports pubs for the football fans.

Travel Options

When travelling to/from London, Paddington Station provides a great connection to make it as easy as possible to get out the town. From Reading’s town centre and train station, however, you can catch a bus on its extensive network around the town. If you would like to explore Reading and are visiting from overseas, the best airport to book a flight to London Gatwick Airport, where you can catch one of the hourly trains directly into the heart of the town, and take just over an hour to arrive. With such a unique character and absolutely no lack of things to do around town, prospective students would be recommended to visit.