Loughborough. What’s it like

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A. It’s in the middle of nowhere
B. Is it all preening sports folk with attitudes? Son is very gifted sportsman but very modest, can’t stand preening.
C. Any other info.

The course looks ideal. Just worried by Loughborough

Loughborough isn't in the middle of nowhere it's just in the middle of the country. I had a nice Thai meal there last year. So that's good.

When I went to interview there, I didn't even stay for it... It just seemed to be a muddy field in the middle of nowhere. No regrets.

I didn't go to uni in Loughborough or come from there but I live there now.

It's definitely not in the middle of nowhere, who told you that? You have Nottingham, Leicester and Derby all within easy reach and Birmingham is only 1 hour away.

There are plenty of restaurants, night clubs, two cinemas and afaik lots of things going on on campus. I don't know if students venture far as they have most stuff on the doorstep

As a resident I would say that the students can sometimes come across as arrogant, I don't live in the town centre but there are constant issues in the student areas with inconsiderate behaviour. That may apply on other uni towns but wasn't a feature of my home town which has a big unversity.

As a positive I like living in an area with such an fitness feel, my DC have access to all different kinds of sports that are offered at or around the uni. There are runners everywhere, all the students are tall and athletic looking. If your DS does go there he won't need many clothes, there is a standard uniform of tracksuits/shorts and flip flops

What sport is it that he would be training for, where would his training base be, if he's not spending much time at the uni a lot of this may not be relevant

DS is in his first year at Loughborough and is absolutely loving it! In general, the university has a great reputation with employers and is highly-regarded for teaching, research, student experience, etc and of course - sport! DS is sporty and very fit but his main sport is water-based so Loughborough not the best place for that! However, he is not doing a sport-based degree so that wasn't a factor in deciding where to go. He absolutely loves the facilities there and revels in being surrounded by elite athletes. I don't know about "preening" but there seem to be so many international sports people who have represented their country or who are on an Olympic pathway that any showing-off would be short-lived.

From a parental point of view, we have been impressed with all our interactions - open days, interview days, move-in etc have all been very well-run and staff and students alike seem very enthusiastic about the uni. There is a wide range of accommodation so probably something to suit everyone. DS seems to mostly socialise on-campus which I quite like as cheaper and feels safer if you just have to stagger home from the Student Union rather than get a late-night train, bus or taxi from somewhere else.

I don't know who runs their social media but they do a very good job - their FB page is very slick, topical and full of positive news about the uni. All in all, we are very happy that DS chose to go there!

Just wondering (as it's on DD's very long shortlist of universities), what is Loughborough like for students who aren't sporty? DD likes the look of the campus, course, facilities, halls of residence, etc, but is wondering if there would be a disadvantage to being at a uni where so many of the students are elite athletes? Sorry to hijack your post OP

Loughborough is 10 mins from Leicester on the train, hardly the middle of nowhere.

DD in 3rd year at Loughborough, thoroughly enjoying herself. Although she is sporty, she has friends who are not and they seem equally happy! Shops in town are pretty good, personally love the ice cream parlour, and, as PP said, Leicester is 10 mins by train for other stuff. It has good road links, reasonable rail, and East Mids airport for when your DS competes internationally.

From DD’s experience, the serious athletes are expected to be as focussed on their studies as their sport - when she first told the staff on her course that she had been selected for an international comp, they just rolled their eyes, pointed out that at Loughborough she was hardly unique, and that it was entirely her responsibility to make up any work she missed, no excuses, no extensions. So between studying, training and competing, most of them won’t have time to preen!

DS is 1st year doing engineering and enjoying it.

He’s takes part in all sports for his halls and has taken up climbing. He has no exposure to the elite athletes, they stay in a separate dedicated hall with specific catering facilities geared for them.

DC is on a great course, good support, good accommodation on campus and pretty easy to find off too. Seems like quite good links to other cities but social life seems very much on campus. Has joined a number of sport based clubs and taken up a new one, hasn’t met anyone preening as far as I know. To be honest what would be the point as there are so many gifted students that one more national or international player would be a bit of a non event? Everyone I have met has been perfectly nice and normal - if a little enthusiastic! First day there was like joining a cult with lots of very smiley people, great organisation though.

they're coming well out of it in terms of listening to students and staff in the current dispute

a university that cherishes its staff is likely to get good teaching out of them

Campus universities can seem isolated and they can feel like a bubble. If students don’t have a car, do they make much effort to get to the station and commute elsewhere for a night out with the difficulties of getting back to the university? I guess sporty types don’t do this, but it could seem a bit claustrophobic.

If a DC wants lots of cafes, a theatre or two, music venues and art galleries and the whole variety of life that can be found in s city, then Loughborough won’t tick the boxes. If DC like the relative safety of a campus and don’t want a wider experience of a city, then Loughborough is a very good, highly respected, university.

Sporty types at school are always Gods aren’t they? Never come across a school where they were not celebrated above the merits of other students! Their heads can grow with the status afforded to them by the schools.

My son did a taster course there. One thing it did determine was that he didn't want a campus university. As the poster above suggested, he felt like it was like being in a bubble. Needless to say it wasn't one of his choices.