If I could go back in time to my first year in Sheffield and punch myself in the face, I think I would.
I kept to myself too much, confined to the blue walls of my student accommodation. Not scared to explore, more apathetic, complaining about how nothing ever happened but rarely trying to engage with anything, assuming, I think, that the world would come and find me.
But Sheffield’s not a city that comes to you; it’s a city you need to explore – an ideology I’m so glad I picked up as my second year rolled around. Gone were the days of staying home and complaining; now I went out and explored the city I’d been calling home for a year and a half.
The biggest change for me in Sheffield was the people. In a university city like this, you’re bound to meet people from all walks of life, some you’d never expect to connect with. As much of a socialite as I may appear to be, meeting new people has always been a bit of a challenge.
Maybe it’s the ‘all walks of life’ aspect that helped, but the people I’ve met in Sheffield have only ever been kind, supportive and, most importantly, really social. I’ve never felt awkward, insecure or out of place around these new people. With many of the friends I’ve made, it feels like I’ve known them forever.
I’ve always thought that people need people to be people, and I’m truly glad I’ve found the right ones.
When you make friends like that, they’re bound to change you. Confident in my ability to interact with others and, now, in myself, I opened up to the possibility of new experiences and opportunities, something the Steel City is never short of.
I’ve always lived in big cities – from the Middle East to London, I’ve always known skyscrapers and traffic noise. I’ve never been fully satiated with suburbia, even when forced into it after moving to the capital.
Even then, I’d take a 30-minute train into the heart of the city whenever I grew tired of the quiet hush of Zone 7.
Sheffield was strange for me. It was somewhere between a big city and suburbia, but with a mountain range not so far away. It’s an odd cacophony of areas I’ve slowly learnt to love, though I still haven’t fully explored it all.
I’ve climbed mountain ranges and wandered through the city centre all in the same day. It’s been a real age of exploration for me.
What makes the city work for me is its walkability. I’m not reliant on public transport – metros or buses – I’m reliant on me, on my feet. Sure, there’s a tram, but I’ve mainly used it for one-off journeys to Meadowhall (or a few times to Utilita Arena to watch professional ice hockey!).
Every journey is a maximum walk of 30 minutes – from my home to Kelham, Weston Park to the station, or The Moor to Sheffield’s Students’ Union. Even less if I really put the burners on. I’ve never felt more active or healthy.
Even with my newfound community, or maybe because of it, I still let myself be independent. I’d go on long walks on my own or go to the cinema solo. Months ago, I’d have felt embarrassed or lonely to do that. Not anymore – not since Sheffield.
Sheffield has done the one thing for me I’ve been waiting for. It’s made me more confident, more sure of myself and, most importantly, it’s taken me out of my shell. From the people I’ve met to the places I’ve been, every part of my experience here has been so important to me.
By forcing myself into something new, I’ve discovered a part of myself that otherwise would’ve stayed hidden. Never would I have done this were it not for my time in the Steel City.
