To ask if Loughborough University is any good?

[Weekendwolf]

DD 17 is looking at uni’s for when she’s finished her A Levels (she’s going into her last year of A Levels in September). She’s looking at Loughborough as well as few others, is Loughborough any good? DD would be doing media and Communications with the aim of having a career in PR.

YANBU - Loughborough is a good university
YABU - it’s not as good as most other universities

Loughborough was a wonderful experience for me and I didn't study anything sporty. Still friends with fellow students 20 years later. We are going to each others weddings now!

I wouldn't worry about whether your DC is sporty or not. My dc is the least sporty person in the world and went to Loughborough to study a STEM subject. Got a master's and then went elsewhere for post-grad (only because it was something Loughborough didn't offer, or they would have very happily stayed there) and is doing very well in their chosen career. The town is small, but we enjoyed our visits there. Transport links were good - right by the motorway and good train links for the odd weekend visit home. Halls were great, very friendly - DC is still friend with people they met in halls. Town is small enough that if students choose to live out , they can often walk to campus rather than need buses (though at least one route went right through campus at the time, not sure if it still does).
Can't comment on the chosen course, but DC's experience is that Loughborough is definitely respected in the outside world.

I don’t agree with people advising against a media and comms degree if she is sure she wants to work in media and comms. I work in TV and always interview media graduates as it shows they are passionate and that they have some relevant knowledge and experience. I did a more general degree and still ended up in my preferred industry but I know I would have enjoyed a media degree a lot more. Communication is also going to be useful for any industry. She sounds very savvy and like she knows where she is headed.

My DS is currently there studying Computer Science and now is in his second year - for the previous poster who asked if it's a good CS uni all I can say is we completed extensive research and decided that Bath and Loughborough were our top choices - DS is having a fantastic time generally and says the course and tutors are as good as he hoped and feels that he made the right choice. You'll probably know it's voted as having the best halls overall in the UK.

Despite it's (well deserved) reputation as a sporty uni, of the 20 halls of residence only 1 is dedicated to elite sports grads - and not even that is filled with sporty types - so don't let that put you off.

My son was the very opposite of sporty - much more into music. He did Chemistry in Loughborough and loved it. He wasn't really into the social life of the campus at weekends as his girlfriend lived nearby and he got married at the end of his first year but he was really happy there. And on the day he got his degree he was offered two jobs in his field.

DH did a media type degree and then worked in the film/TV industry (he did well working on some very big films etc), he says his first degree is his biggest regret. It did nothing for him in that industry and accrued a pile of student debt. He's subsequently done a second degree in a more traditional subject and left the media world behind retraining in a different industry.
She might be better off with a more generic degree such as English, and try for internships/summer jobs in the PR field.
Loughborough itself is fine as a university.

I know quite a lot of people who went to Loughborough who are not in the slightest sporty. Seemed to enjoy it but it depends what they want from university life. There's that much scope as there may be in other places - Manchester, Cardiff, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool etc

Loughborough uni is completely stonewalled and for that reason I will recommend to my daughter it is one she gives a wide berth to.

at a university that is bang in the middle of the country, just off a busy motorway, with good public transport links, close to three large cities and a lot of high profile engineering and technology businesses being 'in the middle of nowhere'.