Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton is a city located in the West Midlands area, England. With a population of 251,462 you can find the city at a distance of approximately 11 km from Birmingham and 85 km from London. Founded in year 985 by Lady Wulfrun, the city was first known for its woolen trade and later on, developed into a major industrial center focused on mining and steel production. Nowadays, the city is known for its engineering nature (including a large aerospace industry), as well as its service sector. As far as public institutions go, Wolverhampton has two theatres (The Grand Theatre and the Arena Theatre), three museums (Wolverhampton Art Gallery, the Bantock House, and Bliston Craft Gallery), a central library, and a football stadium/concert venue (the Molineux Stadium). Other places of interest include St. Peter’s Collegiate church, the Victorian style Wightwick Manor, the Molineux Hotel, and the statue of Prince Albert, which is located in the Queen Square.

The University of Wolverhampton

The University of Wolverhampton has its roots in year 1835 when it was known as a mechanics institute. Throughout its history, it gained three other names and it was only in 1992 that its status of university was recognized. Located on four campuses, the university is comprised of eight academic schools, focused on areas such as arts, health and wellbeing, science and engineering, social sciences, as well as multiple research institutes and centers. Located in the center of the city, the Business School has a history of 80 years and some of its goals are: pursuing excellence and scholarship, enhancing the employability of students, and sustaining collaboration, innovation, enterprising and internationality. The school offers Bachelor degrees in business management, with the option of specializing in the final year in the fields of Economics, Enterprise, Finance, Human Resource or Marketing.

Tips From Previous Exchange Students

Living

• Accommodation can range between £250-400/month
• Landlords might ask for your previous rental agreements
• You can choose between staying in a campus dorm room or renting a private apartment.
• Interior heating may be an issue in some areas.
• Plan your housing ahead in order to avoid any extra fees or problems.

University

• Focused on presentations, essays and self-learning.
• Wolverhampton library help desk offers detailed information about the online material you might need
• Harvard referencing is a must
• Carry your student ID with you at all times
• Book an appointment if you want to contact a teacher.
• 5 courses chosen by Metropolia, one chosen by yourself.
• Find the right group! You are a double degree student in the last year of MBS, in terms of timetable and courses.
• Change your status to a third year student in their system
• Take the acceptance letter and the boarding pass for the university with you.

Lifestyle

• Register as a resident of the UK right away
• Get a bank account ASAP, the process of opening one can take a long time.
• Be patient as some things might move slower than you might expect
• Buy train tickets in advance and get the rail card for a discount
• Healthcare: register to a general practitioner (GP) as soon as you can
• Trips to other cities are organized by the Student Union
• When it comes to activities and hobbies, Birmingham offers more choices compared to Wolverhampton
• Heavily fast food reliant
• Be polite. “ Please” and “Thank you” are customary words there

 

Olivia Nastase