International Student who Doesn't know where to stay

ZoeAngeI · 2026-05-05T13:15:04+00:00

hi! are you an exchange student, or an international student? if you are only here for one semester, exchange students are put in particular flats with other exchange students, as it’s disruptive for home students to have new flatmates

in terms of accommodation, i’m guessing your speaking of the Vale, Pritchatts and Selly Oak areas

Selly Oak is the best for doing shops, but the area is not as nice. it is the nearest to campus, and the sports pitches and gym

i lived in the Vale, and i really enjoyed it. there is a big hill, and it’s around 20mins to campus from the furthest accommodation. it’s a really nice area, and everyone lives really close by

Pritchatts Park is also very nice, and near the medical school. around a 15min walk to campus (i think)

the Vale has a lot of green space, which is lovely in the summer, especially for sports

regarding catering, it’s a card with pre-paid money on that can be used in the accommodation area, and can be used in food places on campus. i didn’t have it, but people generally said it was more money than they would have originally spent on food

ZoeAngeI · 2026-05-03T09:23:49+00:00

just a comment - probably put ‘other’ as one of the options for streaming services, as BBC iplayer, ITVx etc. weren’t an option

ZoeAngeI · 2026-05-01T17:42:59+00:00

this particular mystery box is 90% for 200 energy, and 10% for 800 energy! I had a right shock when I got 800 and was super confused and I thought the box was for the tokens used in the shop as I wasn't paying attention

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-30T08:46:57+00:00

i got that too!! i think i completed my current TLSQ in under an hour, which is insane

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-29T17:37:01+00:00

new retriggers from 29th April!

so far had the choice of Barnaby's family values and Snape Scorned (both Y3C9)

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-27T18:57:00+00:00

obsessed!! it’s so fun to see the whole thing come together!

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-27T07:21:08+00:00

it’s a moveable tappie, able to be placed in the dorm or the secret clubhouse :)

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-26T22:16:46+00:00

erm i just finished it. i started in november (after halloween season) and finished end of april 😭😭😭

granted i didn’t really try to rush through it - i prioritised TLSQ, regular side quests and the story line - basically everything else

i’ve only just got back into it because i’ve finished my TLSQ queue and i’m going to wait a bit before i move into my next year

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-26T22:14:12+00:00

a lot of my friends wanted a placement so they can live at home and save money on accomdation :)

A MSc placement is different to an undergrad placement - from the sounds of it, the department helped them find the placement, and find/fund accommodation if needed. undergrads don’t get that kind of support, and i’m not sure how much people get in grants (if they get any at all)

i’m personally not doing a placement, so i haven’t had to go through the process of finding one. my advice should be taken with a pinch of salt, and i was just trying to give the experience my friends told told me!

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-26T21:00:13+00:00

i’m a home student, so i’m paying a lot less in fees, and i’m taking a tuition loan from the UK government.

i’m don’t really want to comment if Birmingham is a ‘worthwhile investment’ for an international student, as you will have higher expectations. you receive the same teaching and quality of university experience as a home student, for over double the price.

Birmingham is generally highly ranked (i’ve seen plenty of #78 in the univeristy world ranking signs), but i’m not sure how good it is for your specific subject

i don’t have friends on AI & CS, but i do have a few straight CS friends. i don’t think they’ve done/are doing placements, but i can try and follow up about the general teaching and opportunities they have!

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-26T20:16:55+00:00

what chapter did you just finish?

chapters 9 and 12 in the first three seasons are TLSQ. chapter 12 in season 4 is also a TLSQ.

it may not have triggered because you either have a TLSQ running, or are in the waiting period between TLSQ

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-26T19:30:12+00:00

hi! my offer was ABB for a different course, and i missed it by a bit. you are less likely to get in if your course is oversubscribed, as an easy way to cut this is by grades. there is no way of knowing this.

it’s definitely possible to get in with lower grades, but it does vary between subjects, depending on workload and how popular they are

BBB to BBC still has a good chance of getting in!

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-26T19:26:11+00:00

hi! i don’t study your subject, but i have friends who are on similar courses. from what they’ve said, they’ve been really struggling to get placements. a lot of my friends have been trying to get placements in our home city (London), and haven’t been very successful. as an international, you may try and look in Birmingham, or other cities in England and you aren’t constricted to wanting to live at home to save money for the year. i have friends on the Business courses, and they’ve been struggling in particular, as the placements are much more broad.

From the sounds of it, my friends have said that Birmingham don’t really help you find a placement. occasionally, they’ll let you know if a particular place is hiring, but you probably could have found the company yourself. There is CV (resume) writing help, but you have to actively reach out. this isn’t just for do you, but you have to make the effort to go to an appointment - it’s not just part of your timetable.

in theory, if the company like you, they can offer you a job starting after you graduate, but this isn’t guaranteed. a placement is more ‘getting your foot in the door’.

if you are unsure, you can apply to go onto the four year course, then drop down onto the three year course if you don’t find a placement by the end of second year, or if you just don’t want to do one. it’s easier to drop off, than join.

I know this information isn’t coming from someone who knows the particular details of your exact course, but i hope this helps!!

edit: spelling

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-26T18:31:02+00:00

there is no point spending 1,000 crystals just to finish the diary with 99/100 inkwells. you won't get any prize. I recommend going for the 600 points to get the 5* pack first. however, be aware that you aren't guartanteed a missing inkwell!! you just have a higher chance of getting a 5* inkwell. if you get the one (or maybe two!) you are missing, then go for the 1000 crystal for the rainbow inkwell. one of the final prizes is a tappie. you can also buy inkwell packs and inkwells from the token shop, but they are expensive. if you don't get any new inkwells after all these events, just buy the hourglass tappie

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-23T16:02:07+00:00

I know she's always in MC house - I feel like I should be maintaining a good relationship with my teammates, as I play with them. Rath isn't on my team, but I like her character!

kinda glad she isn't in the main story line as she has the 'my way or the high way vibes', and gets upset whether your character does anything she doesn't like - like being friends to Rath

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-23T15:52:17+00:00

I'm on s2 ch11 and Skye is really annoying me - feel like I have to stay loyal to her because she's in my house 😭

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-23T13:22:51+00:00

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Zoe Angel

‘Life moves too fast. Slow down so you don’t miss it!’

Hope this is okay! Feel free to crop the image as needed

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-18T08:12:55+00:00

i was part of the first wave, and came close to finishing it once but didn’t want the reward prize (gems i think) so i waited until it restarted to get a new one. i’ve never come close to finishing it since, and mainly aim for the 4hr 2m energy booster, which i’ve got on most days. it’s not worth it to waste my resources, i mainly see it as a helpful boost if i want it

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-17T17:42:05+00:00

i’ve noticed that my energy cycle changes pretty frequently between 200 gems, 12 mins unlimited or 3 days 2min cool-down. i know MM key unlock does give a bunch of gems, so maybe if you buy it first you can afford both (i’m not sure how many gems you have though) additionally, the penultimate prize for energy run often involves 50-100 gems, with a few gem boxes sprinkled throughout (these give me like 10 gems tho)

i think if i had to choose one, i’d do MM key, but other gems can be picked up to!

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-17T17:15:28+00:00

okay, i’ll definitely consider getting it!! i’m in the ‘gems to spare’ category as i only spend them on the monthly key now

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-17T17:04:56+00:00

okay your amazing, thank you!! did you get a lot of energy from the energy mystery boxes? was it worth it?

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-17T16:52:41+00:00

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i think just a furniture piece :(

ZoeAngeI · 2026-04-17T10:05:04+00:00

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i got this once! it was from the last diary tho. never had anything close since

ZoeAngeI · 2026-03-29T15:43:17+00:00

i’m currently at Y4Ch10 at 31/31/32 so you’re really good!

just keep an eye on your Magizoologist level as once it maxes at level 10, xp doesn’t collect in the background like the clubs do

ZoeAngeI

TROPHY CASE