Which unis are campus & RG please?

[Snowglobes]

I’ve tried googling ‘RG campus universities’ but I get links to one of the other and not both. I know there’s Warwick, Birmingham and Nottingham but where else please? Is Reading?

I know she can use buses, but as we live rurally the novelty of being able to walk out of her front door and get into town without using public transport has been a massive draw for her. Besides, a little walking does her good.

I'm struggling to understand why so many people don't get why some students prefer city universities to campus universities.

I do get it, gin, honest. I did find UEA a bit detached when I visited (I had no clue where Norwich was !). I just like to point out that York is less so.

That said, by the same token , I think some on MN are a bit dismissive of campuses so it cuts both ways. Different strokes!

I'm struggling to understand why so many people don't get why some students prefer city universities to campus universities.

I do understand it. I was a student in London (undergraduate and postgraduate). I was just making the point that walking distance shouldn't be a deal-breaker if other parts of being on a campus are appealing. If having everything nearby is a top priority, campuses become less appealing. That said, at most universities students won't live on campus after first year anyway.

That said, at most universities students won't live on campus after first year anyway.

and that is why Campus Universities that are outside towns or Cities, can be less appealing for some - you have to either have transport or be getting buses in and out every day once you move in to your 2nd & 3rd years, and, in your first year, getting work can be difficult as you can find yourself unable to get home (to campus) from work without using 1/2 your wages on a taxi.
If you are in a City, (even on a Campus within a City, like Nottingham or Birmingham) then your 2nd /3rd yr house is usually still walkable, and usually there will be all the pubs / cafes / shops you can get to, and even if you need to get a taxi - if you work into the early hours - it is still likely to be cheaper than going outside of the City.

Of course there will be exceptions.
We know that some students really like the 'fell' of the Campus 'being' their town. Which is great, as we are all different and tomorrow's students have masses of different Universities to choose from.

See ,now, none of that was an issue at York. I lived off campus and had a job. The houses most students live in are within walking or easy cycling distance of uni and city. I would say the same distances as my DS is walking now on his city campus uni, honest! But that wouldn't be the case with Warwick, necessarily, or Keel or Lancaster.

I can't remotely remember what (If!) I ate in my first year at uni as there definitely was no supermarket near campus! There were dining halls in each college but I don't think I used them and the kitchens were awful. That may well also be true of some town and city based unis. It seems these days, anyway, that many students get their shopping delivered ! That was certainly true at Aberystwyth where otherwise getting to a supermarket (and back up the Hill Of Doom) would be an absolute chore.

Just check who will be teaching the courses. You want to avoid unis that use temp staff and phd students to cover undergrad teaching.

If you are in a City, (even on a Campus within a City, like Nottingham or Birmingham) then your 2nd /3rd yr house is usually still walkable

Back in the day, and I'd guess moreso now as there's more students, a lot of the 2nd and 3rd years lived out along the train line eg in Kings Norton. The line makes it really easy to get to the city centre too.

Lancaster looks to be an easy enough cycle from the town and there's loads of buses along the A6.

Just as a note on different people's preferences taking these two as examples - b'ham is great for shopping, lousy if you like the Great Outdoors; Lancaster is the opposite. It's great there's so much choice available!

Tbh you can check as much as possible but the reality is that courses and modules change partly due to academic staff moving on but also funding etc.

It’s also important for students to realise that open days etc are effectively sales orientated except at a few very selective places ( I loved the low key, no freebies approach of St Andrews for this) In our experience a few years ago at popular a RG The reality is very different with class sizes being higher and modules being cut and course structures changed with little or no notice.

I think I might be misunderstanding what people mean by campus.

I went to Leeds Uni in the 1980s and although most of the University buildings were all together we were a 10 min walk from the city centre and student accommodation was all over the place - Headingley and further out towards Adel. We were surrounded by normal people and families. That isn't a campus to me.

I did a PGSE at Edge Hill. The University was completely separated from any towns and civilians and was surrounded by fields. I understand that Lancaster Uni is similar. In my mind those are campus universities.

So RG and that type of campus might be tricky. I'm assuming that type of campus tends to be more modern while RG is largely the old 'red brick' Universities.

I'd take 'campus' to mean that the teaching departments are largely on one planned site, with halls on the same site or close. Birmingham - the red-brickiest of all - is of this sort, regardless of the fact you can easily walk out to Selly Oak.

I suppose historically it would depend on whether the university was purpose built (eg late 19/early 20th C redbricks like bham and the 'plate glass' era) or if it evolved from existing city centre institutions eg Manchester

Unis seem to use the term campus much more widely now to mean the site the teaching buildings are on.

I think most take 'campus uni' to mean a large green site with all buildings, including accommodation on one site and, sometimes, teaching within 'college' buildings. Classic campus unis are York, Lancaster, Warwick ,Keele, Hull amongst others.

It is interesting to see different people's interpretations

I'd liken York to B'ham and Nttm, tbh - technically York isn't in the City, but, being literally attached to the edge of it and York being such a tiny City, then it isn't an 'isolated' site, separate from the local town and people, in the same way Lancaster is.

The OP asked about RG. That’s up to her to decide what she asks. RG has been shown in studies to produce higher salaries for grads overall and very clearly in some subjects. Niche subjects are often found in non RG and of course very good universities are not RG. However it’s best to look at course lists. History ranking would be very different to Nursing for example.

If you don’t know which universities are RG and which are not, OP, check the subject ranking. Then you cannot go wrong except that your DC should also have some idea of career to make a final choice. What’s best for what DC might end up doing?

Also commuting into a campus for years 2,3 and possibly 4 is like going to work! It can be great but it can be a slog!

Agreed, but likewise she has said a campus is preferred so people should also be sticking to that criteria.

What a weird thread.

If OPs DC is interested in economics Warwick is seriously fab, and employers of economists will know this. Top courses for quite mathematical economics are generally agreed to be Warwick, UCL, LSE and Cambridge. (Other places, eg Oxford PPE are good for less 'pure' economics.) But as a result, is seriously competitive to get into.

Technical skills are important if you want to be employed as a pure economist. I have no idea where MN gets this batty idea that it is the University rather than course and course content that matter. Lots of 'quants' in the City.

Also in Warwick's defence, the city comes to them, with a top class concert hall/theatre and really good sports facilities, both used by local people as well as students. So not as isolated as some people claim.

Also throwing it out there, by some definitions LSE could be regarded as a campus. Its buildings are really close to each other. But in the centre of the capital rather than in a field.

Isn't Bath also v good for economics?

Piggy, its course is less mathematical.

Obviously it depends on the role, but many recruiters like people who can crunch the statistics.

Bath has some real strengths, including employability. They offer some really good options for the year in industry, and some good accountancy of finance course options.

As an academic above suggested, it is worth prioitising the course. If you dont enjoy maths (probably to the level of A in FM...though that wont be a formal requirement as not everyone can take FM) you probably wont enjoy Warwick economics.

Ditto employers. If they want someone who can immerse themselves in stats and forecasts, they will prefer Warwick grads. If they are looking for someone more generalist with an understanding of economics, accountancy and finance and the benefit of work experience, then Bath is good.

Courses vary and employers needs vary. Well worth considering course content closely.

Typo: accountancy or finance.

Who is actually going to be studying, OP, yourself or an offspring? If the latter, what year are they in, currently, if they are rather hazy about what subject they want to study? And have they themselves actually had a look at university websites etc at all, e.g. at various Maths / Economics / Finance courses to see what sounds most interesting / the best fit for future plans, then what the universities running their favourites from that list look like?
A lot of sixth forms take students to their nearest UCAS fair at some time in year 12, where the students can talk to representatives from lots of different universities and get an idea of what it is actually like to live and study there.

Ah, I see , that makes sense need. I am just sort of peripherally ware that Bath is a 'business' focused university of excellent reputation (and very sporty!)

DS2 may look at it for MFL and business in a couple of years but certainly is not a natural mathematician!

Bath isn’t great for MFL by the way. However it is great for Business courses.

I did stick to campus universities in my recommendations but agreeing what campus actually means and even what is RG seems to be an issue. The top universities for certain subjects are still the best way to sift. Most will have a great reputation with employers and then DC can look at the components. For example FM is good to have for the more mathematical courses but not often required. If DC is less mathematically inclined there are great options.

The city really doesn’t come to a university campus like Warwick. It simply cannot. There are many activities to choose from but they are student led, not community led. Personally I just would not look at campus because it’s too narrow for the criteria. Look at the best courses that suit DCs needs and attributes and what DC wants to achieve after graduation. Not everyone is at the level of Cambridge - LSE. So look at what’s realistic too. Bath might be just perfect!

Yes, the MFL/business combo does require a small sacrifice for one of the subjects ,I feel.

www.thestudentroom.co.uk/university/apply/list-of-campus-unis-in-the-uk

russellgroup.ac.uk/about/our-universities/