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Higher education

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

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Original poster

York or Exeter?

48 replies

msminerva · 19/02/2015 15:50

DD has identical offers and needs to choose between them for firm. York is current favourite. Still needs to visit one of the insurance unis (again two identical offers one grade lower) so won't be making final decision just yet but the department at York made a better showing on the open day. I feel the York campus is bit cut off whereas Exeter is more mixed into the town but not my decision of course! Any one else making this choice?

OP posts:

Littleham · 19/02/2015 16:02

My dd has an identical choice! Difficult decision as there are pros and cons to both. She likes the course at York, but Exeter is a lot more convenient. York is four / five hours away.

What subject is your dd studying?

Original poster

msminerva · 19/02/2015 16:10

Thanks Littleham, we're the opposite in that York is much closer to us and quite a usual choice from our school whereas it is virtually unknown for someone to go to Exeter. As you say pros and cons and the bottom line is both are probably absolutely fine.

OP posts:

Zebrasinpyjamas · 19/02/2015 16:16

I went to one and my db went to the other. York campus is not cut off from town if that is what you meant. It is a nice area to live in for years 2 and 3 too.
Both places are fun to be studying at. I suggest she compares the courses in detail and if not go with gut instinct after considering travel time and cost from home.

UniS · 19/02/2015 16:21

Does she like hills? York is basicly flat and Exeter is very not flat. York is easier for cycling, but Exeter would keep her fit.
York campus is somewhat removed from city centre, Exeter much closer. Both have students ghetto areas.

grovel · 19/02/2015 16:21

I like the fact that you can walk everywhere in Exeter. From halls to campus to the city centre. Hardly a huge point but, all other things being equal, it might swing things for me. On the other hand, I think it's great for kids to get to know another part of the country. I said on another thread that my SE-centric DS now has an abiding affection for the NE after three years at Durham.

Still...................nice problem to have for your DDs! Well done to them.

Littleham · 19/02/2015 18:16

Interesting arrangement at York, with departments being located within the colleges. Never seen that before. Any advantages or disadvantages?

Exeter is the last offer day for my dd - not until March, but they don't have to decide until May.

MrsBartlet · 19/02/2015 22:19

I went to York and the campus is an easy 25/30min stroll into town - we did it all the time and rarely took a bus. Most of our social life took place on campus and with all the different colleges, going to a "bop" at one of the other colleges felt like going out! I had a Saturday job in town and walked there.

Littleham I did History which was in Alcuin when I was there (many years ago- so don't know if it still is) but I never found it an issue. I had seminars and lectures in various different colleges. At York your college is very much for living and socialising and teaching is university-wide like at other non-collegiate universities.

MillyMollyMama · 20/02/2015 18:02

Exeter is a university of choice for privately educated students and is viewed as an extension of boarding school! York is not quite as popular on this front. Just choose where you think you fit in.

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 20/02/2015 18:05

DD1 rejected York on the basis that there was duck poo everywhere . Can't help with the dick situation at Exeter.

HocusUcas · 20/02/2015 19:13

"Exeter is a university of choice for privately educated students and is viewed as an extension of boarding school!"
"Can't help with the dick situation at Exeter."

Myvisions , I am sure lots of them are lovely albeit privately educated

I do know it was a typo but it made me smile.

Roseformeplease · 20/02/2015 19:17

Exeter. There is the beach.

I went there and had a great time.

UniS · 20/02/2015 20:06

Sadly some of them at Exeter ( they sound like the, privately educated daddy has given me a car and a house and I can damm well party all wednesday night if I please , ones) are dicks. And manage to really cheese off their non slone ( and non student) neighbours with their anti social behaviour.

Not all, some are pleasant bright young people who work hard and also hold down a part time job and would also like to get some sleep on wednesday night,.

Roseformeplease · 20/02/2015 20:09

We used to call them DBIs (Daddy Bought It). But, like everywhere, there are all types.

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 20/02/2015 20:09

Typo at least vaguely appropriate this time

HocusUcas · 20/02/2015 22:23

myvisions - just v funny - especially after (and this is honestly the first time I have heard this ) that duck poo is a factor in considering York - you've quite cheered me up during a relatively stressful time

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 20/02/2015 22:37

To be fair, I was at the uni this week and didn't notice much in the way if duck poo, but DD1 spent a whole week there, so presumably has more direct knowledge. OTOH her reasons for disliking unis were "interesting" - smelled like a doctors surgery; it rained (on the day we went); the bit we went to for a thing was too far from the station.

So don't take duck poo as gospel . Probably safe to assume dicks in most places though

Littleham · 20/02/2015 22:47

Saw lots of water, but didn't notice the poo! Is that bad?

Mental note to self - avoid wearing red hat, park away from red cars. Anyhow, hopefully I will be holed up in one of the sixty tea shops.

So, it is duck poo v possible arrogant poos (but I'm sure lots of lovely non-poos as well).

Poisonwoodlife · 20/02/2015 23:57

I think the big issue for undergrads in colleges near the Lake is not so much the poo as the tendancy for ducks and geese to be up and skwarking at dawn...... A distinct advantage to the non Lake colleges which may be 5 mins walk to campus.....

But then the Sloanes will be braying and bantering drunkenly at dawn at Exeter.

And you are more likely to find the latter at Exeter possibly the proximity to Salcombe aka Chelsea by the sea and Nottingham, Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh and St Andrews than York.

But it must surely be an attraction for some since it is a source of popularity then again as with no mumsnetter having an ecstasy popping, binge drinking, clubbing, Malia holidaying DC, it appears none have Sloaney offspring either, in spite of all the private school threads

Poisonwoodlife · 21/02/2015 00:00

Littleham Betty's is the only tea shop to hole up in, just try to avoid a day when they are inaugurating a Bishop as it feels like everyone around you was either in Rev or Father Ted........

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 21/02/2015 08:02

queue outside Betty's was horrific on Tuesday, we went to M&S instead.

MrsBartlet · 21/02/2015 08:32

There were plenty of sloanes at York in my day, known as "Derwent-yahs" as Derwent college seem to have more than its fair share. I remember one asking me in Freshers week which school I had gone to and thinking what an odd question as he will not have heard of the comprehensive that I went to. It was actually years later that I realised he was expecting me to say some public school that he would have heard of There were lots of people driving around in cars that daddy had bought them whilst my best friend and I reassured ourselves that we would appreciate our first cars so much more as we would pay for them ourselves!

Littleham · 21/02/2015 14:58

Which college would suit my daughter? She likes music (as in orchestras, wind bands...) and prefers a quiet hall where she can sleep. Any ideas appreciated. She is from a comp. & happy to mix with anyone, although she might not fit in with the crowd that poisonwood described!

We were lucky with the Betty's queue. Didn't wait for long, but when we came out it was really long. I didn't realise there were two Betty's in York, so we ended up at the small one.

MrsBartlet · 21/02/2015 16:52

Littleham it was the end of the eighties when I went to York so much has probably changed since I was there. I am sure your dd would be happy in any college. It wasn't a wild party place. Each college should have a mix of people. Most of my friends were made in college but we attended university-wide events all the time and mixed with people from other colleges.

I know of someone through my in-laws who is doing music there at the moment and she loves it and is happily involved in orchestras and music groups. If your dd gets involved in the orchestras then she is bound to make friends from all different colleges and so it will matter even less which college she is in.

MillyMollyMama · 23/02/2015 16:08

Poison - All the universities you mention are popular with boarding school pupils. I guess they go where their friends go - like everyone else. Not all privately educated people are braying drunk idiots. People usually sort their friendships out and find people like them whether its music (wind bands) or music (the tour date of a favourite group). I don't see why it is such a virtue to have a dead end job whilst at university either. If you are on a campus, you will pay travel expenses. In this day and age it is far better to do something, even if that means volunteering, that gets you ahead in your chosen career.

Poisonwoodlife · 23/02/2015 20:45

Milly I am perfectly aware that not all privately educated pupils are braying drunk idiots, but some of them certainly are. In the case of my DDs familiarity with both sloanes and cool party crowd over the seven plus years of private education in which they did indeed find their own friendship groups, has bred contempt and both avoided those Unis, if all else, courses etc., were equal. They have really enjoyed having a chance to be in a greater social mix and both have ended up in friendship groups that are sociable but not exclusive or disrespectful of others, something they have had enough of.

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