Hi ya Flame,
Doesnt sound like your friend has much staying power. One term is hardly long enough to judge a whole Uni and it doesnt sound like they did an awful lot of the research you sensibly suggest. personally I was a part time student who didnt have to live there but having been brought up in the area I have a reasonable grasp of what it has to offer.
i guess it depends what it is you want from your years spent at Uni. If you want it easy and not too stressful then I would suggest a sociology course...lol! Most of your study can justifiably be done in the pub! If you want a decent grounding in engineering then you have to be prepared to work for it. Maybe sponsorship by your employer would be a better way to approach it giving you the experience and the education in one handy package. Thats what alot of the guys on our course were doing, but success depends on your motivation levels.
Cheers m'dear, JJ