Bournemouth Student Life – The Ultimate Guide to Living in Bournemouth as A Student

Bournemouth is a vibrant, cosmopolitan seaside town and has a lot to offer students who are looking for an exciting university experience. With seven miles of sandy beaches, restaurants, cafés, shops and a buzzing nightlife, there is plenty of things to do when you aren’t studying.

In this guide, we have broken down where you can study in Bournemouth, what there is to do and the cost of living, so you can get a feel for what living in Bournemouth is really like.

Things to do in Bournemouth as a student

There is so much on offer to students in Bournemouth, so we have covered our top things to do so you can make sure you don’t miss out.

Visit the beaches

Bournemouth is renowned for its seven miles of beautiful golden beaches and is ranked as best in the country by Tripadvisor awards, so it’s top of our list of places you must visit during your stay. The beach is surrounded by a variety of cafés, restaurants, ice cream parlours and bars, so there is plenty going on for you to make a full day out of your trip to the beach.

During the warmer months, Bournemouth beach makes the perfect spot to socialise with friends. Bring some food, drinks, a speaker and a ball and you will be entertained for hours! Or for a chilled Sunday, why not walk along the beach to Sandbanks? Sandbanks is a much quieter beach but is just as pretty, making it an excellent spot for a relaxing afternoon.

If you are bringing your car with you, then it is worth paying a visit to the surrounding Dorset coastline. Just a 45-minute drive from Bournemouth town centre, you will find the stunning Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, which are part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and are extremely popular beauty spots.

Explore the night life

Bournemouth is home to a vibrant and diverse night life and offers something for everyone no matter your budget or favourite music genre. Most of the main student clubs and bars are in Lansdowne, right next to our student accommodation and stretch towards the town centre.

If you are looking for a wild student night out, then Cameo, The Old Fire Station and Halo will be the best destinations for you. However, if you are looking for a more relaxed cocktail evening, then there are plenty of fantastic bars dotted all around town, so you are truly spoilt for choice!

You can find out more about Bournemouth nightlife and where to go in our ‘Ultimate Bournemouth Nightlife Guide’.

Activities in Bournemouth

There are plenty of fun activities to do in Bournemouth all year round. No matter the weather, there is always something to keep you busy. We have listed our top destinations that are perfect for days out with new friends and family:

• Bournemouth oceanarium – located on Bournemouth beach, the oceanarium makes a fun day out, whatever the weather. Explore the 11 naturally themed zones and discover the likes of penguins, crocodiles, jellyfish and more. You are also able to get student discounts on your entry fee to help save on those all-important pennies.
• Mr Mulligans Crazy Golf – Mr Mulligans is jam packed with fun activities and features three indoor crazy golf courses, electro-darts, pool & ping pong. There is also a licensed bar and restaurant so you can grab a snack after your round of golf.
• Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf – on a sunnier day, we would highly recommend Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf. The 18-hole crazy gold course is located just off Bournemouth beach and provides discounted prices for students.
• PierZip Bournemouth – if you are feeling adventurous, then PierZip is the place for you. PierZip is the world’s first pier to beach zip wire and launches off Bournemouth pier along a 250m zip wire.
• BH2 Leisure – is a modern leisure complex located just off Bournemouth gardens. The complex features a multiplex cinema and a variety of top chain restaurants.
• Centre VR – is the largest virtual reality centre in Europe and features 30 stations with top VR headsets. You can choose from over 100 different games, so it’s certainly not one to miss.
  

Explore the restaurants in Bournemouth

Whilst Bournemouth is home to a variety of chain restaurants, such as Nando’s, Prezzo, Zizzi and more, there is also a variety of independent restaurants to visit during your time in Bournemouth. One of our favourites in Ojo Rojo’s, a Mexican tapas and Mezcal bar. The menu features a range of delicious tacos, nachos and cocktails.

The Noodle bar is also a favourite amongst the students and is just a 5-minute walk away from our accommodation. They often have a range of deals allowing you to make some large savings on your bill.

Shopping in Bournemouth

If you have a little bit more of a budget to spend, then there are plenty of shops to explore in Bournemouth town centre. Located just a 15-minute walk from our student accommodation, you can find the likes of Zara, Primark, River Island and also a mix of independent boutiques.

Or if you fancy a day out of town, then you can take a short 45-minute train ride into Southampton, the home to Westquay shopping centre. Westquay is one of the South Coast’s most popular shopping destinations and features over 100 shops.

Cost of living in Bournemouth

Whilst Bournemouth may not be the cheapest place to study, it is certainly cheaper than other towns in the South of England, meaning your student budget will stretch that little bit further. For example, prices in Bournemouth are estimated to be 5.46% lower than Brighton and 7.42% lower than Guildford.

We have listed the average costs of some essential student items, so you can see how much you get for your money:

• Pint of beer - £4.00
• Regular Cappuccino - £2.75
• Taxi per 1km - £1.53
• Loaf of bread - £0.98

(source: Numbeo)

Where to study in Bournemouth

If you are thinking that Bournemouth sounds like the ideal student town, but haven’t made your final university choice, then you have a few options: 

Bournemouth University

Bournemouth University is the largest university in Bournemouth, with around 17,000 students. Bournemouth University provides courses covering a range of subjects, such as Business Studies, Archaeology, Computer Animation, Health & Social Care and many more. Bournemouth University places a strong focus on academic excellence and graduate employability.

Find out more about our Bournemouth University student accommodation.

Arts University Bournemouth

AUB is a leading university that specialises in art, design and media degrees and are renowned for producing industry ready graduates with an outstanding employment record.

Find out more about our student accommodation for AUB students.

AECC 

The AECC is a specialist in health sciences and is one of the largest Chiropractic colleges in Europe and is globally recognised, allowing you to work anywhere in the world.

Find out more about our AECC accommodation.

Discover student accommodation in Bournemouth

If you are looking for student accommodation in Bournemouth that is located within a short distance to local amenities, then Lulworth Student Company is the perfect option for you. Located just a ten-minute walk from Bournemouth beach and a 5-minute walk to the best bars and nightclubs, Lulworth student accommodation is perfectly situated so that you can get the most out of student life in Bournemouth.

Our quality, value for money student accommodation is available to Bournemouth University students, AUB students and AECC students. For more information, visit our booking page, or contact a member of the team.