Living in Manchester gives you the opportunity to visit loads of different places, however this year I didn’t really visit as many places as I’d have liked. Here is my personal bucket list for things I have done and things I have yet to tick off during my time as a student at Manchester Met…

What I have done…

1. Belle Vue Race Track – I’ve watched stock car racing with my Dad since I was very young, and so I’ve visited this race track several times. It’s near Rusholme, south east of Manchester, so is a little out of the way. This is very specific to me but I thought I’d add it as it means so much to me. If you love watching racing, you should definitely visit.
2. Bierkeller – Bierkeller is a German style pub, which, as I love a good lager, there’s no better place to enjoy one than at Bierkeller in Manchester. The music and the fact that you can dance on the benches make it such a great night.

3. The Christmas Market – the Manchester Christmas market is really beautiful. As I have family who live near Manchester, I’ve been there a few times, and last year was no different. It’s full of all types of food, mulled wine, and stalls. If you weren’t feeling festive before, you will be after it

What I haven’t done, yet…

1. Visit the Etihad – I’ve supported Manchester City football club since I was about 9, and I had a club poster up in my room for years, so visiting their home ground and watching a game would be a dream come true, it’s a shame I can’t afford it on a student budget.
2. Escape Rooms – escape rooms are pretty self explanatory, basically, you go into a room and figure out a code or technique of escaping it. A few of my friends on my course have done it already, so next year I aim to go because I’d really like to see if I can think my way out a situation as well as I think I can.

3. Cycling around the City – I used to do a lot of cycling a few years ago, so I’d love to get back into it, and cycling around Manchester seems exciting and an opportunity to explore the city further, which is something I really want to do next year. I’m bringing my bike up to uni to get to lectures in September, so this should be well within my reach.

It’s very difficult to do everything in Manchester with a student’s budget, but I am saving up over the summer so I can treat myself next year. For me, personally, getting a house with my friends was on my bucket list, so that’s ticked off. It’s not all about things you can buy or pay for, simple things like making new friends and actually passing the year (which I did, luckily).