Compare Exeter to Warwick

[voilets]

Just that really. What are the pros and cons of each? Arts/ humanities degree equally matched more or less on league tables.

[voilets]

Thank you all. Great source of information.

Helped my DS get more information about how to build a CV/PS and then get into his competitive uni course by just doing this - asking questions. Mumsnet has been a great source of support and information for us in preparing for uni over the years.

Have taken choices seriously and my DS is very happy. So hopefully, when DD decides, she'll choose what's right for her too.

[FannyUmbongo]

DS didn't like oxford at the open day, not entirely sure why. He firmed Exeter and insured Warwick, same grade requirements.

He's loving Exeter. Hugely competitive sports wise and he has made lots of friends. Definitely the right match for him.

He was concerned that Warwick would be a bit dull, and the location did bother him. He likes being able to walk back from a night out in town.

Warwick campus looked nice to me though

[user1469682920]

Agree again 'gut feel' is so important - along with course content and nature of the course/teaching style etc. DD2 went to Cambridge just out of curiosity expecting not to like it and to feel she didn't fit in but in fact found the opposite.

[voilets]

People seemed nice at Oxford , it was eight week terms and intense teaching which were the stumbling blocks. Also course not quite as appealing as another uni course. Also, the perception that you have to be perfect at Oxford. Not logical, a feeling - but feeling confident and happy is most important. Feel sad as i think DD would do well and her school will be disappointed but I support her gut feelings. So we look for unis other than oxbridge.

[user1469682920]

Agree. Went to Cambridge with DD3 for both open day and interview and found it much more down to earth and diverse than visits to Exeter, Bristol etc which were more obviously middle class private school. I was surprised by that

[errorofjudgement]

What course is your DD looking to study?

[KatherinaMinola]

I would say that Exeter is posher and less diverse than Oxbridge (if that's their concern). It's more like St Andrews.

[voilets]

Thanks for the insights.

Went to Oxford today - very impressive but the two girls I took found it scary! Both actually would stand a good chance but horses for courses - whatever feels right.

So back to pondering over Exeter or Warwick.

[user1469682920]

Sorry can't type on the phone - that's meant to say - depends on the student. One DD at Exeter ....

[user1469682920]

Back to the original question - I think it friends on the student . One did at Exeter and likes the small town clean safe atmosphere. Second dd discounted it as would hate that and the relative middle class private school dominance and lack of diversity. Depends what us important to the dc.

[user1469682920]

Whoops sorry - accept slapped wrist back, wasn't meaning to judge just sometimes surprised at the level of parental input out there now which sometimes seems to cross the line from support to management/control of the process. Also wonder whether that's linked to current focus (at least on mn) on standard of accommodation, distance to town, perceived safety, aesthetics whereas surely main focus should be whether the course content and teaching style excites or at least interests the students - they will have to study the fubjrctvfor 3 years ! Which may in turn be linked to the seemingly high number of students not happy with their course and dropping out. Just a thought - but I can see that's not relevant in your case violets so not meant to be a judgement in you

[voilets]

I won't rise to the slapped wrists
I found this thread useful and hopefully my DD will. Of course, she'll find her own information.
As soon as threads become judgemental I bow out - whatever the topic/ whoever the finger is pointed at.
But thank you for the many interesting opinions.

[GoatsFeet]

Indeed ...

[user1469682920]

Surely you mean she ll have to scrutinise course further !!

[voilets]

Sounds like she'd like it!! Will now have to scrutinise course further. I think her course would be on main campus from what I read.

[senua]

would leamington feel boring. She would like historical, oldey worldy aspect.

Boring compard to what? That's the problem - we don't know what your 'normal' is, so we don't know what we are comparing to.
Warwick is a good University so it gets a lot of naice MC students. You see lots of swishy-haired, Jack Wills types around Leamington town centre; they create a certain critical mass. That's not to say that the town is over-run with them - there are lots of locals too without wanting to be accused of stereotyping there are lots of Joules/Kath Kidston type shops and lots of ethnic / corner shops.

There is plenty of Olde Worlde to be found if she looks - in Stratford, Warwick, Coventry and numerous little chocolate box villages set in lovely countryside ("this other Eden, demi-paradise, this blessed plot" to quote a local poet). Leamington is too new (Regency) to be very historical but it does have the feel of a typical Spa Town - vivacious, fun-loving and a bit raffish.

[SheStoodInTheStorm]

Warwick uni does have countryside near. Leamington is a lovely town, a great high street and night life. Lots of places to eat, free places to visit and lots going on. (Birmingham is easily accessible too). A huge union and sports centre. Warwick arts centre that has a variety of acts etc.
Which campus would she be based on? Education etc is on Westwood which isn't on main campus.

[voilets]

We will do a lot of delving into courses but anecdotal opinions are useful. Surprisingly, student room reviews of my Ds's course were surprisingly accurate. Luckily, the course is mostly really good but it felt a minefield to choose between his final two. Admissions officers for each course were quite enlightening.

I would thank more opinions, i think they offer a valid insight.

[Crumbs1]

Goats feet - my reference to needing formal dress should have the need in inverted commas, perhaps. It is my little princess who 'needed' ball gowns rather than an actual requirement. That said definitely more richer students at Exeter than Keele.

[GoatsFeet]

Just that really. What are the pros and cons of each? Arts/ humanities degree equally matched more or less on league tables.

You know, it's not a very productive question really - the pros and cons are not "objective." What might be a pro for some (isolated campus university ie Warwick) might be a con for others & they might prefer Exeter's location only 5 minutes walk from the City centre.

What you've got in this thread are simply other people's preferences. Or what they noticed. Or what they've heard (rumour & hearsay).

Far better to collect your own information via league tables - which you've done. But you know that league tables are not objectiove measures either? They're made up from publicly available statistics by newspapers & other commercial entities. And not all league tables are the same? (The Guardian doesn't include REF/research scores which is just silly). If you do use league tables, you know you can sort them (online) by the different criteria. So you can make comparisons of, say, staff-student ratio, or REF scores, or value-added scores, etc etc.

Your question asks an unanswerable question: you need to think about what are the things you're interested in in a degree course, and a university, and then research those.

Take what people say here as simply personal preference - but I'd be sceptical of all but first-hand experience. Sometimes this forum has as much hearsay & bad information as The Student Room!

For example, the "needing" formal dress at Exeter - well, when I taught there, I don't think my students did many formals - most of them seemed too busy doing musical theatre. So you need to take things with a pinch of salt.

The other thing most people don't realise is that if you dig into university websites you can find out a lot about current teaching, and on the student union website you can generally dig into student life - online editions of the campus student newspaper for example. At my place, you have to get past the UCAS selling pages for degree courses, and go to the Departmental website. (Although at post-92s, that's hard as they seem to want to hide the actual day to day stuff).

Have a look at the biographies & publications & other activities of the academic staff in fields you're interested in. See whether they are the people writing the work at the cutting edge - at a research-led university in the Humanities they will be teaching it as well.

[Leeds2]

Good Luck to her Crumbs, sounds like a fabulous placement if it comes off.

[Crumbs1]

Not sure league tables are all - depends on KPIs used. Ours turned down Oxford as she realised course wasn't linguistic - she wanted fluency in two languages as primary outcome. I,think it's about what's best for her. Ours is hoping for placement in Milan with Armani for Erasmus- but then so are several others...

[voilets]

Really helpful posts must say league tables say warwick languages higher at moment. However, buzzy town, friendly, social sounds good. As does sea.

So hard to tell which will offer best education. Warwick online - so virtual perception seems more modern but would leamington feel boring. She would like historical, oldey worldy aspect.

We will go this summet

[errorofjudgement]

@ KatherinaMinola

[Crumbs1]

My youngest is at Exeter - better by far for languages. She loved it from outset and hasn't looked back. Her friends are also lovely. They don't really use union but socialise in the city - which is lovely.
In terms of whether it suits -
Lots of very affluent students with large percentage from top public schools. Only one in my daughter's hall is state educated. My daughter 'needed' ball gowns and lots of black tie events.
Sports and leisure clubs very, very competitive. Trials for hockey etc take place before freshers. Clubs include lacrosse, rowing, golf etc
Very friendly and open atmosphere, lots of meeting up in holidays.
Expensive accommodation in halls and in city.
Lovely outdoor pool and short trip to beach.
Pret on site says it all really.
Good pastoral support and nice healthcentre.