Campus universities with beautiful old buildings

[Trewser]

I know, i know. But dd2 is reluctant to go to any open days, and this is her (childish and silly i know) requirement. I thought if we could at least do ONE she will start to be more open minded!

[Mammyloveswine]

York St. John is a lovely university, nice and small, right in the centre of the city... I loved my 3 years!

[SirTobyBelch]

The Russell Group Universities are traditionally the big universities (with a medic school).

Anglia Ruskin, Aston, Brighton/Sussex, Edge Hill, Keele, Kent/Canterbury Christ Church, Lancaster, Leicester, Lincoln, Plymouth, St George's, Sunderland, Swansea and University of Central Lancashire all have medical schools. None is in the Russell Group.

[Aurea]

Glasgow or Aberdeen. Both ancient universities with lovely buildings. Or of course St Andrews.


https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=glasgow+university&safe=strict&client=safari&hl=en-gb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi-4boz--kAhXQxoUKHcleBC4QAUIEygD&biw=1194&bih=744&dpr=2#imgrcc=

https://www.google.co.uk/search?safe=strict&client=safari&hl=en-gb&biw=1194&bih=744&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=f0eNXeDhDcqlwSho7ZI&q=aberdeen++university&oq=aberdeen++university&gssl=img.3..0l10.9233.12678..12960...0.0..0.190.1330.13j3......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......0i7i30j0i67.5E9KCa6wN7M&ved=0ahUKEwigndSB0OkAhXK34UKHaGRDQkQ4dUDCAY&uact=5

[Trewser]

Bristol definitely on her list for a visit bubbles ditto Birmingham.

[Trewser]

Swansea has one of the nicest campuses I've seen but only for the engineering part, it's also great for medicine but dd2 is humanities through and through!

[SinkGirl]

I went to Birmingham, the campus is beautiful - although very surprised that they replaced the library and left Muirhead Tower standing!

[EleanorReally]

Royal Holloway
Goldsmiths

[EleanorReally]

I think she needs to rethink her criteria op

[ifigoup]

Hmmm, this might sound odd because of the “old buildings” requirement when it’s a redbrick, but might she consider Exeter? There are properly older buildings - like a Georgian manor house - on campus, though most of the halls and teaching buildings are newer. But for beauty of campus (trees, flowers, lakes, green spaces, high-up views across the city out to the hills) and quality of life (half an hour to beaches and moors) it can’t be beaten. It also has the “small, safe city” thing that it sounds like she’s going for, plus excellent pastoral care.

[ifigoup]

PS By the way, I don’t think it’s at all silly of her to have physical space / built environment as part of her criteria. It’s really, really important to feel physically and aesthetically at peace somewhere you’re going to live for three years or more. Happy students thrive and do better at their studies.

[pazwaz70]

Daughter goes to Newcastle University. The grounds and buildings are beautiful.

[Grafittiqueen]

Glasgow

[TryingToBeBold]

Not so much the University but I attended Coventry and one of the best things was being able to sit and eat lunch around and in the ruins of the old Cathedral.
I was so happy just doing that between lectures so I don't think it's silly at all. Somewhere she really wants to be will help her relax so much more.
My University knowledge isn't extensive but I have just looked at Durham and that's very beautiful

[stucknoue]

Just a tip then, don't go now to the places she likes the aesthetics of - if she falls in love with x university and it's totally unrealistic there will be upset, happened to so many people I know. Instead take her to a local university so she can see the lecture halls, halls of residence and course structures plus how open days are run (it's very similar) it will give her an idea on how to shortlist next May/June

[Trewser]

stucknoue that's a really good tip, thank you

I went to Cambridge and was so just so happy sitting among the old buildings and history. Aesthetics aren't her main criteria, but thank you to all those who've understood!

I love Glasgow. Might be far too far but I'll suggest it.

[ErrolTheDragon]

She's too scared by the idea of Leeds. Durham perhaps but not sure she'd quite get the grades, but I'm assuming Durham is triple A star might be wrong.

When DD and DH visited Leeds, the only green space they could find was a graveyard and they thought the buildings were ugly. A lot of students love it but one size doesn't fit all.

OTOH, afaik there's nowhere with a triple A star requirement for English, Durham is at the top end of requirements with A*AA.

[Shimy]

When DD and DH visited Leeds, the only green space they could find was a graveyard

😂😂 @ErrolTheDragon Sorry, that just made me laugh.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Me too. Looking on a map I suspect they weren't trying very hard tbh!

[BubblesBuddy]

Trewser: I think, like most students, she will need one aspirational university, three attainable and one insurance to consider. With humanities and English it is vital to get to the best university you can get to. If she wants a competitive job. Other avenues of Employment are of course available but DDs friends who have done English at Cambridge, Manchester and other similar universities have not found getting employment easy. All are struggling to get their careers on track. Only one who went to Southampton via clearing is doing very well in her chosen avenue of work. It’s not a given that English students, even from the top universities are snapped up by employers. They have to join an orderly queue with many thousands of similarly qualified humanities grads. Therefore don’t overthink course content. Do seriously consider the university and it’s ranking and how DD wishes to use her degree afterwards. Going into hugely competitive fields of work in the arts is extremely difficult.

We didn’t look at our local university because it didn’t do my DDs subjects and it would have been a waste of time. It’s near the bottom of most league tables too so not the greatest. I would start looking on line at realistic options and maybe do a couple of weekends away to get a feel of possible cities. Some DC don’t need acres of green space. Some DC stay in their rooms gaming. Getting a feel for a city might be more helpful than trekking round a university your DD has no intention of going to.

[GreatBigNoise]

Sorry if I'm repeating other posters comments but While the Royal Holloway main building is fab the area is boring. Egham is especially dull and boring. Staines isn't much better.
The student union actual closes on Saturdays. 😅. Lots of students go home for the weekend.

The gym is also too expensive and small.

[Trewser]

bubbles believe me I know! I did English at Cambridge and I worked for a pittance in publishing for years. I have genuinely tried to talk her out of it! She is hoping for ABB as a minimum, hopefully AAB but one of her best subjects at gcse she 'only' got a low 7 and made lots of silly mistakes so needs an achievable insurance which is hard for humanities. She won't want to go for 'the experience' of uni, she will want something decent.

[ZandathePanda]

Dd went for a combination with English and is going to fully throw herself into Uni life to give her lots of experience/interest for her CV. She really studied the course modules (she knows they can change) to get a feel for the departments so it she would be studying parts of literature she was most excited about. She has gone about it a different way - with all her criteria there were only 2 suitable ‘candidates’ she put down on her UCAS form. It does help if they are confident about their grades with this strategy! She’s absolutely in her element at her first choice.

[Applepieco]

Look at Keele. Beautiful campus surrounded by countryside. One of the highest student happiness rated uni’s.

[ZandathePanda]

Ah cross posted Trewser - your Dd doesn’t sound similar then. Interestingly Dd rejected the idea of Cambridge (the school were keen for her to go)! I think a combination may still be the way to go if you’re thinking about the jobs market later.

[Trewser]

zanda she's happy to do a combo. probably Classics or philosophy.