University of Exeter - but it’s in Cornwall?

[77seven]

Hi, just wondering if anyone has DC at, or applying to l, Exeter as I find the website a bit confusing, to be honest. It states there are three different campuses, but the main one is quite far flung from the other two and is actually in the far end of Cornwall, by the look if it Is this where they would be based for a subject such as Geography? Would anyone know? Also, it states that this campus is shared with the University of Falmouth, so how does that work?
Many thanks if anyone can help..

@77 seven that's just the degree that DS was considering and had on his UCAS form!

Where did he end up ModelArmy (if you don’t mind saying)? Hope he’s enjoying it, wherever he is.

Don't worry about the BSc/BA distinction. It only exists for historical reasons and has very little impact on the course. For most programmes the first year mixes human and physical geography courses then you can increasingly specialise (in either human or physical and NOT tied to BSc or BA.
In my professional opinion the best places to do human geography in the UK are LSE, UCL, Bristol, Newcastle, Sheffield, Southampton, Durham, Manchester.

UEA and yes he is (thanks for asking). One of his cousins is at Penryn doing something geography/space-related. He's enjoying it but he's probably a more go-getting type of guy than DS (and he sails and surfs).

I think Exeter Penryn asked DS for AAA in his offer (but he didn't go with it) but in Clearing last summer they were looking for BBB for the same course. FWIW Durham was his firm choice but he missed the grades by a margin and didn't get accepted.

Good luck to your DC with whatever he decides.

I’ve heard great things about UEA too. So many decisions!

fivepies - Thankyou for that. He doesn’t feel a massive urge to go up north when unis such as Durham or Manchester are asking for the same, if not higher grades than LSE or UCL. He likes the fact you can incorporate a language module into the course at LSE and also UCL (I think). This would be something he would definitely do.

I must admit, I like the idea of being able to just pop and meet him for lunch if he’s around Holborn way

I see what you mean about the BSc / BA label. I just somehow got the impression the Bristol course has compulsory modules in statistical data analysis, that kind of thing, which, while extremely useful as a skill I’m sure, wouldn’t be the most exciting module for him I don’t think.

Anyway, I could be wrong, of course. I think we just need to actually get out and visit some unis in different areas.

statistical data analysis, that kind of thing, which, while extremely useful as a skill I’m sure, wouldn’t be the most exciting module for him I don’t think. DS is doing that as a compulsory module at UEA, OP. Certainly in the first year, the BA/BSC courses seem to have lots of overlap and they are mostly taught together.

Yes well, thinking about it, it’s probably a fairly vital skill, so take no notice of me A very employable skill too, I’m sure.

My son is reading for a BScin geography at Bristol University and loves it. He probably had Exeter on his original list but ended up choosing between Durham and Bristol offers. His grades were AAA. Durham would have been equalkly as good but it is quite far (although I am certainly not against it - my father and uncle went there and I was originally from the NE).

I just looked at the links above and had not realised Exeter had those two places for geography and it does not seem to be BSc at one and BA at the other either.

My children avoided London for university as we live in outer London as they wanted variety., 2 are at Bristol where my older daughter went.

My son at Bristol is really enjoying the course. I do not thikn he has struggled with any maths or stats particularly but it is certainly the hardes bit (he was quite good at maths GCSE but did not do A level) and he did economics A level. However a lot of his modules are on really interesting topics. I can just tell from our conversations about the subjects how he likes it all there in Bristol. One of my daughters did Geography BSc in Nottingham. She had some science A levels/ AS levels. She is now a lawyer in London as is her older Bristol U sister and indeed my geography BSc son has a place at law school in London in September. Not that I have any plan they all become lawyers - they can do anything they like.

I see what you mean about the BSc / BA label. I just somehow got the impression the Bristol course has compulsory modules in statistical data analysis, that kind of thing, which, while extremely useful as a skill I’m sure, wouldn’t be the most exciting module for him I don’t think.

You are right that Bristol have compulsory mathematical/statistics modules and they make a point of saying this at the open day talks, and acknowledging that this means their course will not be for everyone. I think that transparency is to be welcomed!

Sorry pressed button too soon. Bristol -

Compulsory module year 1 : Intro to quantitative geo.
Compulsory year 2: spatial modelling

I do think employers might look at which campus and it’s likely A level results will give them a steer. They do know there is a difference. If he’s likely to get good grades, I would look at Bristol and Nottingham for Geography. Or Sheffield.

Bubbles, what evidence do you have, or it it just a personal opinion.

You may be surprised but the boy we knew who studied at the Penryn campus landed a seriously sought after summer internship ship in the City with a major and famous international bank. The sort of internship Oxbridge and London grads fall over themselves to apply for.

He did very well in Penryn. There was an unexpected hiccup with his A level results, but he has done very well since and contributed hugely to wider campus life. Perhaps that is what employers are looking for? This may be different for home counties engineering firms. However my understanding is that many City firms are interested in spreading the net further to achieve a broader more diverse intake, as long as applicants are properly skilled and qualified.

Penryn still gives you a RG degree.

You seem to have quite a narrow view of what constitutes an employable graduate.

I work with some of the biggest name employers in the financial services industry with their grad schemes. Many of them have taken all info regarding qualifications & degrees out of their selection criteria. They would not care one iota which campus a geography degree came from.

I’d imagine you could fly to London from Newquay. You certainly can from Exeter. I have no idea what the £££s are but return from Exeter by plane us just over £100 and takes an hour.

Add another £100 for the cab from Newquay to Penryn!

not all those recruiting are taking off institution in deciding who gets a job and bigger law firms for example require AAB A level grades and a 2/1 so wherever you go it can be a good idea to get high A level grades.

Random question , do you / your DC know about the HEAP guide? It lists, by course, all the universities offering that course in order of the grade entry requirements. It also highlights if any particular A Levels are essential.

It's so useful, but I'm never sure if students use it. I would imagine most 6th forms will have a copy .... so you can see immediately which universities offer the course, and typical offers. In this case, could look at geography and select stretch, achievable and back up, and then do the research about those unis...

OP my sister went to Exeter Penryn for English (same situation - course run on dual campus). All her lectures, classes etc were in Penryn.
And
It
Is
Miles
Away

A six hour train journey pretty much from London.

Long term her degree just says 1st from Exeter, not Exeter Penryn. Penryn is bloody beautiful but I wouldn't do it if your DC is likely to want to come home (apart from during holidays) or not outdoorsy.

I agree Xenia. They generally ask for A level results and if they don’t ask for university, what merit is there in the fact the degree is from Exeter? On that basis none at all. Employers know, in general, Exeter in Exeter is more difficult to get into. Plenty of employers do want to know which university or why bother with Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial etc?

There are always DC who prefer the seaside vibe of Penryn but I agree it’s remote and not for everyone. More for locals who don’t want to travel to university perhaps? It’s viewed, I think, as an insurance if you cannot get into the main campus and Exeter offer places at Penryn as a compensation to those who don’t make the cut there. So even they don’t see it as the identical. They see it as second class.

A naive question. Why is it always assumed that DC want to study law?

Elsewhere University can cut relatively little ice. DS, who was at LSE, found himself at interviews for public sector internships with people from Universities like U of Westminster, Oxford Brooks, and Glasgow. Inevitably there would be a skills test, which he, as he was taking a very technical degree, found easy but which would have weeded out some of the others. But equally others will have brought other skills and aptitudes to the table which DS might not have had. The big example was for a grad scheme where DS, with a distinction in a well regarded Masters in a very relevent technical subject, ought to have been a perfect fit. The first sift was a computer strongly agree/strongly disagree type personality test. He failed (I suspect he does not have strong opinions on anything until he has seen the data so probably ticked the middle box throughout) and so did not even progress to the Skype interview. Bizarrely he was wait listed for the US equivalent so presumably his expectation of an interview were not unrealistic.

Times have changed. FWIW I think the boy we know who went to Penryn is very personable and potentially very employable and, assuming he has the desired skill set, would be as strong an applicant if not stronger than some of those we knew who went to Oxbridge. Presumably the merchant bank who offered him the sought after summer internship felt the same. I cannot see that three years of a full campus life with a beach attached, will have done him any harm. Indeed recruiters might see people with a range of academic backgrounds as a positive. There is a very London funnel, right nursery, to right prep, to right secondary to Oxbridge which often does deliver DC to the right jobs, similar to the ones their parents have. But stepping outside and seeing a broader world can also be useful. Plus there are plenty of talented young people who dont come from London and the home counties and who are equally capable of making a strong contribution.

That said Penryn is bloody remote.

I suppose we only get back on to legal careers because quite a few of mumsnetters are lawyers as am I and 2 and potentially 3 of my children. There are loads of careers out there all of which I hope my children consider.

However on the whole it is better to get good A level grades for most careers and go to a good university if you can manage it and it damages teenagers if parents tell them the university institution does not matter. there are even some people who will check university attended on line dating when they are choosing whom to meet on a date.

My son has certainly chosen to step into needmore's wider world - didn't make his grades for Exeter, graduated from Reading and very happily was a postman for 3 years and now delivers groceries (probably to some mumsnetters). My view is lower pay gives you fewer choices in life so teenagers might as well go to the best place they can and perhaps start on high pay and then drop later if they chose. However personal happiness can be found at all kinds of income levels.

I usually say pick work which is intellectually interesting as we all tend to spend so much time at work we might as well like it. Secondly pick work which ideally ils high paid and thirdly work where if you choose you could ultimately own your own business/firm/set up on your own.

I certainly don't disagree about keeping as many doors open as possible and that this is best achieved by picking the right subjects, getting on the best course and getting the best grades you can.

However the problem with focussing on law is that it is something that generalists do and which can be quite (old fashioned) specific in its recruitment.

A good friend of DDs has landed a sought after place on a good national training scheme after Reading. However she has a relevent degree and Masters, in a subject that is not offered by Oxbridge. She is also sensible and hard working and very employable.

The same may apply to OPs son. I have known of people who use data skills obtained from degrees like geography to parry their way into consultancy or the city. Depending on course content various degrees may allow graduates to head in the direction of town planning and urban regeneration, or geology. Even planning law!

Getting good grades always helps, but given Penryn's degree certificates have Exeter on them, if living on a creative campus near a beach will help you grow as a person, and if the course content is right...why not.

Thank you for this thread. DS is only 13 but the Exeter Penryn campus is a possibly for it's environmental studies. I didn't go to Uni so I'm trying to filter out what's important and what he might benefit from.
Being in Cornwall wouldn't be a hardship for him.

Hi everyone and thanks for the discussion. I think the reason Geography appeals to DS is that it’s a broad discipline and overlaps into Economics, Politics, Sociology, International Development and more. He’s more interested in the human side. He’s doing A-level Economics which he enjoys a lot, but can’t do this as a full degree as he’s not doing Maths A-level. He’s writing an EPQ on the economic and social impact of migration over a given time period. He wants a degree that gives insight to the changing world around him and with travel opportunities. Funnily enough, his dad studied Geography with Economics at a not too “prestigious” uni, but got a first and later did an MBA. He had a stint as an options trader before leaving banking to found his own IT related companies. Now his a non-exec director for various companies and also still has his own businesses. But who knows what the future holds for young people today. A lot of the jobs they’ll be doing probably haven’t even been invented!

I would have thought a good degree is a good degree regardless of where it’s from? Who knows what emphasis employers will put on having studied at certain unis as opposed to others?

I’m surprised Exeter is asking for A*AA when this is the same as Cambridge, but LSE and UCL are asking for AAA. I’ve heard LSE is most competitive for this course though, due to the high numbers of overseas applicants.

The tentative plan as it stands would be to apply to Cambridge as a big stretch; UCL and LSE and then maybe Kings London which looks like a great course but requires AAB. In a way, there’s no need to leave London, but I think it may go him good and also there must be something to be said for the social life and calmer environment of campus unis, especially ones in a beautiful area. Contrast could be a good thing!

Thanks again for all the comments and experiences.

The Geography syllabus content varies hugely at many of these universities. I’d be researching which course is of greatest interest, based on modules and research interest of academics.