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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Bristol or Leeds University?

43 replies

goingmadinthecountry · 24/02/2012 20:10

Has anyone chosen one over the other and why? Dd was keen on Leeds but after post offer day at Bristol has changed her mind! Would appreciate any experience on why you or dc preferred one or the other. All her conditional offers (except Reading) are the same so that won't be a deciding factor.

OP posts:
Kaloobear · 24/02/2012 20:12

She should visit both and decide based on where she feels most comfortable, assuming there's no marked difference in the academic quality of whatever her department is.

goinggetstough · 24/02/2012 21:07

I have a DD at Bristol (she declined Leeds before she had even seen it) so can try and answer any questions by asking my DD if you have specific ones. The one thing I would say is not to be put off by the fact that the majority of the Catered Halls are up at Stoke Bishop. It is a 35 minute walk to lectures or a bus ride (pass included in Hall fees). The distance was never a problem and if you have a sporty DD then you are near the pitches etc. I believe there is a good night life too.
What subject is your DD applying for?

Dontgetpithywithme · 24/02/2012 21:14

Know both and would say that Leeds is the 'tougher' city. Assuming both courses are equally well regarded and dd likes them both, I would choose Bristol, even though I went to t'other one.

MsWeatherwax · 24/02/2012 22:04

Depends on the subject! But yes, visit both, look in detail at the courses on both. Leeds is a vibrant city with a lot of up-and-coming culture, Bristol has a lot of cultural stuff too but I guess more established and mainstream-y. Bristol's more expensive than Leeds as well.

Dontgetpithywithme · 25/02/2012 09:51

Otoh, Leeds has Harvey Nics

Original poster
goingmadinthecountry · 25/02/2012 11:59

They are both for Law, she's visited both and both courses seem great. Bristol was a bit of a surprise - didn't think she'd particularly like it but went this week and was very impressed. Also met up with someone from school in 1st year there now who loves it. It all seemed quite an easy decision before! She's keen to go somewhere she can study abroad for a year, which both have great programmes for.

Apparently nearly all the others visiting had parents there. Oh well. I'm not much help anyway - I like everywhere and would quite happily go back to university myself tomorrow!

HN really won't be on her student budget! Says the woman who spent her student grant on Russell and Bromley shoes and going out.

OP posts:
puds11 · 25/02/2012 12:10

leeds is rougher, but more of a cliche student place. The majority of accomadation in leeds is shocking!
I have never known anyone who went to bristol uni, but have holidayed in bristol and thought it was lovely

DonInKillerHeels · 25/02/2012 12:11

Six of one, half a dozen of the other. Both are well-regarded RG universities (though I THINK Bristol is slightly higher up the Times Higher Education top 200), both with good Law courses. Both have beautiful countryside on the doorstep, both pretty much equidistant from London.

Leeds is cheaper to live and is a bigger city with absolutely great night life and shopping and lots of opportunities for part-time work (more than Bristol), if those are things your DD cares about.

DonInKillerHeels · 25/02/2012 12:12

(And Leeds is hardly "rough"! Not like it used to be.)

Lilymaid · 25/02/2012 12:19

For law - probably Bristol. But for any university choice it is best to go for the place she feels most comfortable about as she will be living there for three years.

peppamum · 25/02/2012 12:28

Bristol has a Harvey Nics too (irrelevant!). Bristol Uni is very public school based i.e. a very high proportion of students come from public schools comapred with others, Leeds included, I would imagine.

Original poster
goingmadinthecountry · 25/02/2012 12:45

Thank you all - this morning Bristol is edging ahead a bit. She'd already found Harvey Nics in Bristol she just informed me - is there no hope for my bank account?? And she's just the first of my 4 children....

OP posts:
JugglingWithTangentialOranges · 25/02/2012 12:51

Bristol - I went there in the late 80's - It's a great City and a great Uni too !
Made lots of friends (and found a husband ) Stayed for ten years as a student nurse there too as I liked it so much ! (Don't know much about Leeds but feel I'd rather be a bit closer to the sea - Leeds sounds a bit industrial. Bristol Georgian and charming especially around the central Uni buildings Smile

TheCrunchUnderfoot · 25/02/2012 12:57

Bristol!

It's better regarded for law and as a university generally. And Leeds is my nearest big city (don't live there though!) and of all the many big cities I've known well, it's by far the least nice. Bristol, which I also know well, is lovely.

JugglingWithTangentialOranges · 25/02/2012 15:12

Interesting you say many of the visiting children had parents who went there ...
Makes me think either DD or DS might go there one day. I guess it would be something to say at the interview, you know, "My parents met here" ....
But knowing young people that's probably the last thing they'd ever think of saying Grin

Original poster
goingmadinthecountry · 25/02/2012 21:23

Sorry, didn't mean they had parents who went to Bristol, just parents who turned up on the day!

My poor dd travelled from SE all alone - mind you, she's been driving for months, has been to Africa without me and will be living independently in a few months. We jointly decided she'd be absolutely fine on her own. I know what university is like as I've been to 2 so left her to it. The guilt|

Dd is now decided on Bristol, Reading as reserve though she didn't like the town as much as the department. Was discussing pros and cons of various halls (Wills Hall is top of list) with someone today. Just 3 As for A levels now then. No stress there.....

OP posts:
JugglingWithTangentialOranges · 25/02/2012 21:57

You only had to get a B and two Cs in my day goingmad Smile

Wills Hall is nice - but was just for the boys in my day.

Goldney is great too (more central and rooms around a central area in style of little flats) There are two other central ones too, including Manor Hall where I went. OK but long corridors/ old fashioned - Nice garden though

Good luck to your DD Smile

thetasigmamum · 25/02/2012 23:33

Bristol is much better regarded. Also, Bristol Uni is in Bristol and Leeds Uni is in Leeds. Which will make it a no brainer for many people (although supporters of both cities will assume the 'no brainer' option is their city of choice Grin ). I've known people who went to both but the only lawyers I have worked with who went to either, went to Bristol.

lisalisa · 25/02/2012 23:36

I went to Bristol Uni in late '80s. was excellent then and I understand is still v highly regarded now. Was full of oxbridge rejects in my day ( I awas one too!!!). I would choose Bristol

Quattrocento · 25/02/2012 23:43

Leeds is a lovely city! Piles nicer than Bristol IMHO.

Bristol's the more highly regarded university. What's your DD like, OP? Bristol's got a very high proportion of public school children. I've got a firmly held belief that it's a bad thing for future careers (even in law, where an incredible and frankly shaming proportion of people have a public school background) for children to stay in their own bubble.

So if your daughter's got that public school background, I'd suggest Leeds to bring her down to earth a bit and get her mixing with the rough kids (tongue in cheek, before you all start with the biscuits). The converse works as well. If your daughter's a rough kid, get her to Bristol so she can work out which knife and fork to use.

northeastofeden · 25/02/2012 23:47

Bristol, definitely. Lovely city, great uni, less cold.

birdofthenorth · 26/02/2012 00:09

I studied at Bristol but think Leeds is a better city by far. Bristol is warmer, drier, more leafy, more expensive (though Leeds has gone up heaps in recent years), and considerably more snobby and formal. Also cannabis was everywhere in Bristol, my boyfriend at the time and his housemates smoked it for breakfast, though I imagine that's true of most places rich kids congregrate in big numbers!!

Leeds is a good city for Law, most magic circle law firms have a big presence there so heaps of work experience opportunities (essential as it's incredibly hard to get a legal training contract in this economic climate even with an unblemished academic record)

Quattrocento · 26/02/2012 00:15

It is not correct to say that most magic circle law firms have offices in Leeds. In fact, I don't think any of them do.

What I would say is that Leeds has a much, much bigger population of lawyers than Bristol. Although this may not be relevant to undergraduates.

Yellowtip · 26/02/2012 08:20

If it's for Law, then Bristol.

Mytholmroyd · 26/02/2012 11:15

My DD1 graduated from Leeds recently - I am not convinced by the posters who say Bristol has more upper class students - all DD's friends were from "down south" and considerably wealthier than us, i.e. mulberry's coming out of their ears, smart apartments overseas, and two had brown signs to their houses! Confused She loved being a student in Leeds - and has walked into a very well paid job - not in law though!

Also, her university halls were lovely. Most universities have a range of accommodation with prices accordingly - the worst student digs by a long way that I have stayed in while attending conferences were in Oxford and Nottingham!

Bristol University certainly isn't particularly highly regarded in my own field but I am not in law - as an undergraduate this probably doesn't matter though as most choose the city and University with little regard for the ranking of the subject nationally. That's more important I guess at post-grad level.

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