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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To study primary teaching at Northampton instead of Brighton?

45 replies

blapbird · 08/04/2012 11:58

I have been offered a place a both, I have no children so that's not holdin me in Northampton, but I just Love my (rented) house, all my friends live around here, I wouldn't have the upheaval of moving.
BUT
A lot of my older (very academic) relatives said that I should go to Brighton because it's very high on the league tables and will help when it comes to getting jobs later.

So scary trading in my secure network of friends to live in a busy city but maybe it's for the best?

would IBU to choose an inferior university when I have been given a golden opportunity to study somewhere great?

Help!

OP posts:
MyCarHasBrokenDownAgain · 08/04/2012 13:32

I work at Brighton Uni, and I will say (not sure I should tho! Wink) parking at Falmer (where the School of Education is) is a PITA, but there are very good transport links. Lots of places to rent in the town centre, though again parking is crap, but there are some great villages just outside. We do have a great Accommodation Service though, who will help with finding accommodation. Nothing beats being able to go down to the beach on hot summer days!

Original poster
blapbird · 08/04/2012 13:33

Thanks I'm moving down to Brighton with my partner, so we are hoping to share a house just us two, I would love to live in a village outside of the city

OP posts:
MyCarHasBrokenDownAgain · 08/04/2012 13:36

TBH I bloody hate the city itself (ok, it's alright in small doses!) - where I live, between Brighton and Eastbourne, it's much cheaper housing wise (even my car insurance went down when I left just outside to 13ish miles outside!). You also have the port at Newhaven if you want to pop to Dieppe for the day!

CecilyP · 08/04/2012 14:15

Brighton's is great for young people from in and around London, as it is ideal for getting away from home. But you sound older and happy and settled in Northampton, so I would stay put, if I were you. Accommodation in Brighton is expensive, so probably a room rather than a rented house, and the Teaching College is way out in the boonies - nowhere near the sea - so you could be anywhere. Whilst parking is limited in town, cycling through Brighton traffic would be terrifying, so factor in public transport costs. The course is demanding so that will have to balanced against the demands of moving home. It's a large college, so will turn out loads of newly trained teachers each year, all hoping for local jobs, so probably you would then have to move again. Of course, there is no guarantee that you will get a job in or around Northampton, but I assume you would be much more prepared to move for the right job.

The choice is yours but YA definitely NBU to choose Northampton.

Original poster
blapbird · 08/04/2012 14:20

Thanks, my dad just said on the phone.. 'Do what is easiest Blapbird, a teaching degree is a teaching degree don't do anything which will make yourlife harder'
I'm still leaning towards the Northampton option but it's nice to have the option, I am very interested in all these opinions it's helping greatly with evaluating this choice.

OP posts:
Pandemoniaa · 08/04/2012 14:23

If you are going to go to Brighton, be in Brighton. There are some lovely villages in the area (I live in one as it happens) but you won't get the proper Brighton experience if you do. Rent for rural properties in the villages near Brighton is very expensive and there are limited supplies of it. There's nowhere near as much to do either and public transport is OK but not wonderful. Unlike Brighton where you really can live quite happily without a car.

I'd definitely choose Brighton over Northampton (and I do know Northampton because some of my family came from the Northampton area back in the day) but would strongly advise you to start in Brighton rather than bury yourself in a village at the outset.

RedHelenB · 08/04/2012 14:23

Is it 4 years or 1 year we're talking about? Cos tbh on my 1 year PGCE I didn't really socialise as I did on my undergraduate course due to travel 7 work load & niot being at uni all the time. So, PGCE Northampton but maybe Brighton for the four year course as it probably has more to offer sudent life wise.

Original poster
blapbird · 08/04/2012 14:30

It's the 4 years BA Primary age 3-7.
TBH I don't really want 'the student life' I'm 28 and have been with my DP for two years, have already travelled extensively, I just want to have a safe and happy little home with him with few distractions, I'd rather be in a village because I need to run my car for placements.
There is a lot of family pressure from my mums side, to go to Brighton as they all perceive it to be a historically 'Good' institution.

OP posts:
DustyDen · 08/04/2012 14:38

Looking very briefly at rent prices, Northampton is far cheaper. A reasonable one-bed place in Northampton seems to be about £300-500, whereas the same would be £500-800 in Brighton. We've had to move several miles out of Brighton to be able to live somewhere within our budget. However, if you do run a car anyway, then one of the nearby villages or towns might suit you, since they are far cheaper than Brighton itself.

ImperialBlether · 08/04/2012 15:23

Are you talking about Brighton or Sussex University?

Original poster
blapbird · 08/04/2012 15:25

Brighton uni.

OP posts:
ImperialBlether · 08/04/2012 15:32

Brighton's only been a university since 1992 - are you sure your family are not getting confused with Sussex?

NiceHamione · 08/04/2012 15:32

I don't think it particularly matters in terms of job applications where you do your PGCE. However for personal development I would want to study at the best place possible. However I do not know if Brightonnis better.

In the long term it is very likely that you will have to me to get a job.

NiceHamione · 08/04/2012 15:34

"I just want to have a safe and happy little home with him with few distractions."

A PGCE is hard work and will be a major distraction .

Original poster
blapbird · 08/04/2012 15:40

Oh yes I've just found that Brighton is 53 on the league table and Northants is higher at 43 so they must be thinking of Sussex.
One more for the N'hants basket

OP posts:
Original poster
blapbird · 08/04/2012 15:41

No I mean few distractions from my work, I want to just work really hard and not get too engrossed in the'student life'

OP posts:
NiceHamione · 08/04/2012 15:43

Sorry now I understand.

I have been thinking abut this , the quality of your PGCE provider will affect your placement . We do not offer placements to one college as we have found the trainees they send us to be of quite a low calibre. Instead we offer placements to another college who seem to be more selective in their intake,

NiceHamione · 08/04/2012 15:44

Just seen your last post. Enjoy Northampton then.

Good luck

EGGteacher · 08/04/2012 16:28

I would look very carefully into the jobs situation. It is really, really hard to get a primary teaching job these days. In some places there are 100s of applications for one job.

Lots of students get their first job in the area they trained in so I would go to the place with better prospects in terms of landing an NQTship.

jandymaccomesback · 08/04/2012 17:26

Bedford used to be better than Npton for Primary and is not too far away. Don't know if that is still the case.

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