It can be overwhelming to pick the right place for your higher studies. After careful research, I chose Bournemouth as my study destination. Here are my top 5 reasons:

1. Safety: As a petite hijabi woman, safety is my top priority when choosing a place to live. Surely, everyone can resonate with the fact that no matter how beautiful or economical a place is, if you do not feel safe there, you would not want to live there. I have never feared for my safety during the nine months I have spent in this lovely town. As with anywhere in the world, basic measures to protect oneself and using common sense to stay safe goes a long way.
2. Student town: Bournemouth has a large student population from all over the world. My class alone has students from Morocco, Greece, Jordan, Turkey, Ireland, Lebanon, India, and the UK – talk about diversity! Moving to a new place is overwhelming in itself, but it gets easier when you are surrounded by people who are in the same boat as you and you can relate to them.
3. Something for everyone: Whether you like to enjoy a quiet book in one of the numerous cafes around town, take a stroll in the Lower Gardens and watch ducks wade in the stream, have a quiet day at the museum, shop till you drop, go ziplining or paragliding on the beach, or go clubbing- there is something to suit everyone’s taste. Talking about food, there are numerous budget friendly places where you can shop for ingredients from back home or enjoy cuisines from different countries – it makes you miss home a little less.
4. Sunny days: If you are coming from a sunny place like I did, UK can seem to be the epitome of a cold and grey place. Bournemouth begs to differ – it is not as cold and grey as some parts of UK. There are beautiful summer days (like now) where its bright and beautiful but not too hot. You also get to experience winters that won’t freeze you to death.
5. Sandy beaches: That alone could be a reason to pick Bournemouth. The beach is an absolute beauty at any time of the day. You can while away hours walking on the coastline. In addition, there are many places to eat and drink near the beach. You can even rent a beach hut and open your eyes to the sands and sea as your first sight in the morning.