I've never been to Canterbury, but what I've heard it's lovely and despite being a small town, there is big student population...so while it certainly won't feel like NYC, it's not like your in the middle of South Dakota or something. Plus London is only 1.5 hours away if you need an escape! I am attending university in England at the moment and I'd say the best part about it is travel. During the winter months you can find dirt cheap flights around Europe. I'm flying to Dublin for St. Patty's Day and my roundtrip airfare was $20!!!