Leeds or Sheffield?

[curiouserand]

DD had accepted Sheffield.

Has now got cold feet after finding most accommodation gone and wondering whether she'd actually prefer Leeds.

She visited Leeds briefly but doesn't remember it much; she visited Sheffield twice and I think quite liked (but not loved it).

She needs a grade higher for Leeds and thinks it is more prestigious. Worried Sheffield is dull. But also worried Leeds might be too full of party animals?

Needs decent accommodation as gets very stressed when surroundings too noisy, manky.

Any advice from people who know one or other? Are the kinds of people who go to the two universities different overall, eg one more of a party city? or one quieter etc? or are they similar? Do employers care?

Hello *curious" my DS has also firmed Sheffield and tonight we've been looking at accommodation - he wanted me to help him write his profile! He has read on student room threads that there will be more flats released soon so may be worth your DD calling the accommodation office to see if her favoured ones are coming up again.
With regards to Sheffield or Leeds I don't know Leeds but we did get the impression that Sheffield is far from dull. I know that the course my son is doing is very highly regarded by the sector he is going into. There's lots happening in the city (DS has already booked arctic monkey tickets for Freshers week & and many clubs & societies to suit all interests/sports etc.
DS wouldn't click the button on a flat tonight. He found one in the block he wants that had 5 flatmates already that seemed well matched - or as well as you can tell from a few sentences. He can't decide whether to start a new flat and see who joins him. I'm not sure the profile system makes it easier or not.

It's such a hard decision for them isn't it? I'm sure that wherever your DD choses though they'll be fine..

I think they would both be great places to go to. Not helpful but true! Might she struggle to find quiet accommodation at either place.

There are some really nice private halls at Sheffield. Some have a lot of students from overseas but if you prefer to be with U.K students many will group UK students together. Not sure they will be quiet though.

Could you visit either of them again for a final look?

My sons at Hallam uni. Sheffield is a lovely place to be a student, there’s thousands of them between the two unis and lots going on. It’s a friendly and I think mostly safe place.

I hear very good things about Leeds too.Not sure I’ve helped!

Sheffield as a city is far from dull!

Both good cities for students!
Sheffield probably cheaper for accommodation for 2nd year onwards and nights out are probably cheaper.
I have a DD at Leeds who likes to go out a bit but not over the top. She is enjoying the university. I love the campus as does DD.
She has friends at Sheffield who are also enjoying their time there.
Sorry, not much help!

Sheffield is not remotely dull for students. I know it quite well as a city and friends have DC there. In fact, it’s a bit of a fun university. I think Leeds can be like that too but it does depend who you make friends with.

At Sheffield, I know the flat one DC is in has already lost one flatmate due to her not wanting to join in. The remaining “lads/ladettes” have a drinking and stay up late culture due to limited lecture time! The swankier halls may be a bit quieter. I don’t know anyone in them, so I can’t say.

DC I know who went to Leeds wouldn’t say it was quiet. I don’t think either of these universities are known for being dull and quiet. I would not turn either down on this basis though. Most people do settle down and your DD needs to think about which course is best. If the Leeds entry requirement is higher, put Leeds as firm and Sheffield as insurance. My DD visited a hall at Leeds when she visited a friend - reported to me it was disgusting! Choose wisely there too! I know there are new flats on campus because we stayed in one when we visited the university for an open day. Those might suit your DD but they are no doubt top of the price range. I wouldn’t be too sure how easy it would be to make friends living there.

Why doesn’t DD contact Sheffield accommodations office and ask what might be available. It seems early for flats to be full.

Thanks.

Sheffield has a new system this year where instead of the uni allocating rooms as previously, you now choose one according to other people's brief descriptions of themselves. She didn't know this and was dithering over choice of uni. When she finally decided and went to choose accommodation, she found that most of her preferred locations were full and the few she could find either had v dull people whose profile said they like to stay in and be quiet, or the complete opposite, party animals. She wants a happy medium - going out a few nights a week, but able to get to sleep and have an early night/study in peace and quiet if she wants to. You'd think that wasn't so unusual?!

mumstaxi2 - glad dd is not the only one having this problem! Maybe my dd and your ds should share when one of the new flats come up?! She also didn't want to be the first one to put her name down in a new flat as then you have no control over which weirdos join you!

Curious - I think the profile process make it harder and in many ways if they're just put in a flat at random it takes the pressure off them. My DS has put that he enjoys going out but also needs a good night sleep. - has also gives his interests/sports so hopefully others can see he won't be partying every night (after Fresher's that is!). He's looking at Allen Court as Iike's the idea of being 5 minutes walk to lectures and closer to the sports centre. I'm trying not to interfere too much though as if he doesn't get on with his flatmates I'm sure I'll be blamed

It is hard for them to decide, isn't it.

DD put a very brief bio but a lot of people don't seem to have put one at all, which makes choosing harder. And she's still looking at Leeds.

As you say, you can't decide for them. I personally think the fact you can at least pick your location in Sheffield is helpful, as at Leeds you can ask but they allocate.

My DS first year wasn’t that great in terms of his flat mates. His room was fine but they are completely disgusting in terms of kitchen hygiene, where he is not and also seem to have little interest on anything , maybe a bit of gaming but not particularly sociable. Luckily he has lots of friends in other places and he’s got a beautiful ( and expensive) flat next year with five really good friends and he’s very excited about that.

On the plus side he’s had a lot of peace and quiet which isn’t a bad thing.

"But also worried Leeds might be too full of party animals?"

Sheffield is as much a party town as Leeds.

I prefer Leeds as a city to Sheffield, but that is not from a student perspective.

I think the people who say they are party animals will calm down! Sheffield will have its fair share of people saying this to find their tribe (ditto the ones who don’t want to go out) but I might be inclined to look at people who haven’t said much at all. They probably sit in the middle! Like some social activity but not every night.

DS of friend is in the Ranworth area. He’s happy. I was a tongue in cheek about the going out but one girl just wasn’t on the same wavelength as the rest of the flat. The young man I know is lovely but he’s spinning his parents tales of riotous living in Sheffield. They are easily shocked though, so he’s probably just a normal student really.

As she has firmed Sheffield, I think you just have to make a decision about accommodation and live with it. Unless you are completely out of synch with your flat mates, everything is normally fine as long as you are prepared to join in.

I studied in Leeds and can't reccomend it enough. The city centre is small enough that you get to know it really well and never get lost, but big enough that you feel like you're living in a city. Leeds has such a diverse population of students- there's uni of Leeds, Beckett, trinity, arts university, northern film school and music university. This makes for a broad range of nightlife with loads for every taste so if your daughter is not a 'party person' whose into late night raves there's enough going on that she'll never feel left out or like she's not socialising as much as the party people- for every lively nightclub there's and equal amount of Secret cinema screenings, jazz nights, food feasts at belgrave music hall, a buzzing music scene- I could go on! Like in any university there will always be party people but your daughter will find her people and Leeds offers loads of social stuff to do that's not just going out out.

I have the most amazing memories as a student in Leeds so am definitely biased! The accomodation thing is stressful but as long as she doesn't pick one of the super popular ones (henry price, central village) she will likely be allocated the place she has chosen. My suggestion would be that she visits both cities again (on her own not with you or her friends) for a day to get a real feel for them as a city rather than just looking at the uni.

With regards to whether employers care that comes down to her specific degree as they are both in similar positions in general league tables.

Current second year at Sheffield. Which accommodation has she been looking at? I was in the Endcliffe Village and it was much better than the accommodation at Leeds. I was also stuck between Leeds and Sheffield a couple of years ago, and it was actually the accommodation which swung it for me. Leeds has a huge spectrum of accommodation (I think the very modern very oversubscribed one was Central Village (??) but I also had many friends who ended up in Lupton Residences (?? Again!) and it was a completely different story. I liked the Sheffield accommodation as the majority of it was the same standard across all of the locations. Endcliffe Village was a wonderful place to be for my first year and I couldn’t recommend it enough. Saying that, I have course friends in the Ranmoor and City villages that loved theirs equally as much. Can’t provide comment on the new profile system as it wasn’t in place when I applied, however out of my first year flat of 10, 6 of us really gelled and ended up living together in second year.

Let me know if you need any more information!