8 REASONS TO STUDY IN THE UK’S COUNTRYSIDE

2017-04-10ByZiyiZhou

疯狂英语·新悦读 2017年3期

关键词：英国校园大学

⊙ By Ziyi Zhou

翻译：Wendy

8 REASONS TO STUDY IN THE UK’S COUNTRYSIDE

到英国乡下上学去

⊙ By Ziyi Zhou

翻译：Wendy

如果有机会到英国留学，你会选伦敦，还是利物浦，或者是爱丁堡呢？有想过到英国乡村去深造吗？这可不是开玩笑，位于英国乡村的大学并不比在大城市的大学逊色，而且还有着其他你意想不到的好处。看看过来人是怎么说的吧。

Choosing a university is never an easy thing to do. Many international students regard large cities like London or Edinburgh as their dream places to go. And they are great—the diverse culture, smart transport systems, and reputations of exciting nightlife. But from what I’ve experienced over the past two years at Lancaster University (on acampus[校园]in the countryside of Lancashire, north England), studying in the countryside has its own uniquewonders[奇妙]that large cities cannotmatch[比得上].

Here are eight reasons why I love living and studying in the UK’s countryside…

1. Low Cost of Living

Living in the countryside will save you a lot of money, especially on the cost of accommodation. For example, some of my friends in London pay £150 per week foren suite[套间]student accommodation, but in Lancaster it’s only £90. And you will save the money on transport as well. If you live on campus, transport will be free—it’s only a 10-minute walk from your room to your classes!

2. Safety

The UK has a relatively high safetyindex[指数]anyway, but the countryside is particularly safe. My personal experiences can prove this perfectly—once, I forgot my phone in a public ladies’ room for a whole Saturday afternoon. All my friends and I thought it must have been stolen. But when I went back to look for it, without hope, it was lying right there on the sink where I left it. It hadn’t moved at all!

3. Peace and Quiet

The UK’s countryside is not only safe,but also quiet. Here you will be away from traffic noise and enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep every night. And I should warn you, this silence will be extremely helpful when there are deadlines approaching.

4. Friendly Atmosphere

Local people here are also friendly and helpful. They will smile at you, talk to you, and make you feel welcome. Last year, I joined the annual town festival named Light Up Lancaster. In the festival, the whole town made me feel like I was part of a huge family! Because I went there on my own, many local people came to talk to me and asked me to join them.

5. Large-Scale Facilities

Unlike some universities that arelocated[位于]in city centres, most universities in the countryside have a lot of land, which provides the space for a variety of sports grounds and function rooms. My university is an example—it has 360 acres ofparkland[公用场地], with not just an indoor gym but also outdoor sports grounds for basketball, football, tennis andcricket[板球].

6. A Lot of Festivals

With all this land, many universities in the countryside take the opportunity to hold frequent school festivals. We have two large festivals andnumerous[多个的]smaller activities each year, including the annual Lancaster Carnival and an annual sports competition called The Roses. Activities like these give you a more energetic, more colourful student life, as well as a strong sense ofbelonging[归属].

7. Relaxing in the Countryside

Nothing could be better to calm your nerves than walking in the countryside. Living on campus means you can take a long walk every day—you can breathe fresh air andgaze[盯]at the incredible view of endless greenmeadows[草地]. There is no point being stressed here, because every second feels like a fresh new start.

8. Fun, Convenient and Affordable Nightlife

Countryside nightlife might not be as exciting as in cities, but I think it’sdefinitely[明确地]more student-friendly. In Lancaster, bars in town usuallycooperate[合作]with student unions or societies, so students can enter for free. Best of all, in order to attract students, some bars hold different themes each day. So be prepared to have fun in the same bar two nightsin a row[连续]!