Looking at Universities for 2017

[Smithbat]

I am asking if anyone has any thoughts on Universities good or bad, my daughter is hoping to study English Lit and History or Archaeology and History BA.

She has narrowed it down to 9 places and we are going to visit them all over the next few months. Not having attended University myself I am grateful for any insights. The nine are

Birmingham
Canterbury Christ Church
Keele
Leeds
Lincoln
Nottingham Trent
Reading
Southampton
Swansea

Thanks in advance.

 

[gavgav]

I play cricket with a lad who goes to Southampton. He seems happy there.

 

[AndyRM]

My sister in law did photography for a bit at Swansea and absolutely hated it.

My sister worked at a refinery there and absolutely hated it.

Not entirely related on either count, but enough for me not to recommend Swansea!

Birmingham is a cracking uni, and a great city, which I admit I've only come to appreciate recently.

 

[Pale Rider]

How the degree is regarded by potential employers could also be a consideration.

I'm a bit out of touch, but at one time a degree from Keele would not be well-regarded.

There may not be any justification, the degree could be just as intellectually rigorous, but the prejudice is - or was - there.

Similarly, the judgment can be subject specific, so an English degree from one university may not be as well-regarded as English from another.

 

[Hill Wimp]

Canterbury is a lovely city and i have had various things to do with the University there.

I have a friend whose daughter is at Keele who loves it. She is quite a geeky girl in the nicest possible way so not your average student raver but she is very happy there.

 

[cisamcgu]

I have added what I know about some of them.

Birmingham - Big, impressive campus. Close to the city but leafy and secluded.
Canterbury Christ Church ?
Keele - Lovely green campus, a little isolated but very good community spirit
Leeds - Nice big city University.
Lincoln ?
Nottingham Trent ?
Reading - Again, superb campus. Suffers from lots of people going home at the weekends, so it can feel empty and lonely if you crave company
Southampton - Small city but a "big" feeling University
Swansea - Never been, but I have been to other Welsh Universities. I liked them, but every single thing is written in two languages - can be wearing maybe ?

 

[Smithbat]

The Guardian does a university guide - well worth looking at:

http://www.theguardian.com/education/universityguide

Birmingham has a nice campus (and in the past I've collaborated with people there - it was friendly)
Leeds is great (again I've got some colleagues there)
Reading is a great campus university
Southampton is a good place and my old boss is now the VC there. He's very go ahead (and did wonders for the University of Surrey)

I was a management academic and have very little knowledge of the arts subjects you mention, but having worked in higher education, I'm happy to help, if I can.

Thank you

 

[Smithbat]

Another thought.....look at the league tables, look at the grades that they are asking for, draw up a suitable shortlist and then go to the open days. It's really important to get a feel for the place (and the staff) if your daughter is going to spend three (4?) years studying there.

We have done the shortlist and the grades and reduced it down from 106 to this 9. We went to see CCCU yesterday and were really impressed. Daughter seemed engaged with the History and Archaeology people. When we asked about the grades she would need and said that she is predicted ABB they said - no worries at all then, she will be fine .

Its just that I have no frame of reference at all, I didn't even do A levels!

 

[Smithbat]

Canterbury is a lovely city and i have had various things to do with the University there.

I have a friend whose daughter is at Keele who loves it. She is quite a geeky girl in the nicest possible way so not your average student raver but she is very happy there.

My daughter is a geeky girl as well, she is not the getting completely wrecked type. Well she isn't at the moment....

 

[Hill Wimp]

I did lots of open days with my Goddaughter a few years back as her mother was not er "available". It was great fun and it certainly helped her make her choice. She plumped for Bournemouth in the end for an Arts degree and absolutely adored it.

 

[cisamcgu]

In the end, she needs to go somewhere that "sparks" something - which is why open days are essential.

 

[Smithbat]

How the degree is regarded by potential employers could also be a consideration.

I'm a bit out of touch, but at one time a degree from Keele would not be well-regarded.

There may not be any justification, the degree could be just as intellectually rigorous, but the prejudice is - or was - there.

Similarly, the judgment can be subject specific, so an English degree from one university may not be as well-regarded as English from another.

I ddnt even know that, I just thought that a degree was a degree, like an A level is an A Level!

 

[Smithbat]

I did lots of open days with my Goddaughter a few years back as her mother was not er "available". It was great fun and it certainly helped her make her choice. She plumped for Bournemouth in the end for an Arts degree and absolutely adored it.

Him Indoors and I enjoyed yesterday as much as she did. Made me want to go to Uni myself

 

[cisamcgu]

A degree is a degree to all intents and purposes. Oxford and Cambridge have a definite edge, as do a couple of others, but by and large every University is equal now a days Keele is as well though of as any other.

 

[summerdays]

Go look around a couple of them, start thinking about things like whether she wants a campus experience, or big city? I've got one at each and they both liked their experience. Sometime you turn up at a place and make a snap judgement that it's not for you, but it might be nice to whittle the list down a little so you didn't need to visit them all.