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..

The research done by the Institute of Fiscal studies clearly demonstrates that where a degree is from matters. Any good degree simply isn't the same as a good degree from a highly ranked university. They cited a degree in Economics from LSE and Wolverhampton. The same degree on the face of it, but after 5 years, a LSE grad was doing way better financially.

Environmental studies (science) offers the worst pay of any sciences after 5 years. Far better to do Geography if you can and take Environmental modules to keep doors open for a wider variety of careers.

If employers didn’t care about university, how come the IFS found RG university grads enjoyed bigger salaries after 5 years? Maybe they are just better suited to the workplace? Or they get the more highly paid jobs? Whatever it is, if you want to stand a better chance of one of those jobs, university attended does matter.

Bubbles FFS. Have you read the course content for Economics and Wolverhampton.

It is possible to get a degree in the former by taking only two economics courses out of the twelve you have to take. DS, who did manage three, had a higher percentage of maths in his degree than many (most?) friends who were studying STEM subjects.

Yes economists with strong quantitative skills are in demand, mainly because there are not many of them. Would I recommend that someone chose LSE over someplace else if they did not have a yearning for studying data sets. Probably not.

Lie, damn lies and statistics. Headline numbers rarely tell you the whole story.

There is a weird MN adherence to a rigid concept of right and wrong. I don't know if it is a lawyer thing. If Martin Lewis says something it is "right", it is assumed to be right, even though he approaches things in strict financial terms rather than as an economist looking as propensities and satisfaction. Ditto University league tables, or that bloody IFS report.

In life the answer is usually "it depends". Yes lots of factors to weight up and take into account, which advice/experience on this board ought to help with, but not a simple right or wrong, or a simple better or worse.

Calm down!!! My point was that they sound like the same course “Economics” but in reality they are not all the same! That was exactly what I was saying. You would pick a fight with your shadow! Also from what I can see neither of your DC have entered the job market yet.

But like geography, economics degrees vary widely. Few would think they were the same. It is different from law where I assume there is greater commonality.

I think I explained that public sector recruitment is very different to law and perhaps the financial sector. Most recruitment is institution blind. So other than possessing more technical skills which will help in an aptitude test, going to LSE rather than Wolverhampton does not offer obvious advantage. You need to be able to tick the boxes, which, so far, DS has failed to do. Fine as once he has a PhD he is more likely to be hired as a technical expert.

I asked upthread where you got your certainty about employer preferences from, but you did not answer. I appreciate you have a high powered background in law and your DH hires engineers, but public sector is different. They have to be very equalities conscious and ensure unconscious bias' don't creep in.

I am not trying to pick a fight. But I am concerned when informs posted which seems to be based not on experience but on a couple of headline stats and a dollop of personal prejudice.

What personal prejudice? I really don’t understand your points. I merely said, and I still maintain, that some students do not realise there is a difference between these degrees in terms of desirability and likely outcomes in the jobs market. No, I didn’t analyse each course but I referenced the study that exposed the differences in outcomes in the jobs market. We all know there is a difference on MN but sadly lots of parents and DC don’t understand the differences. Especially DC of parents have not been to university themselves and go to less than great schools. It is important that DC are given facts and figures about universities and outcomes and not just glossy brochures and marketing blurb from the universities. Surely we can agree on that?

77seven - my ds is in exactly the same position as yours, wants to do Geography at Uni, or Economics but isn't doing Maths A level (despite my warnings!). He chose English instead. He also wants to apply to Oxbridge, but will be a big stretch for him so definitely need some other options. We live in London so he doesn't want to do Uni here. He is very keen on Exeter but I wouldn't consider Penryn, too far away for him and us. I have just booked the Open day for end of May for Streatham campus.

Not sure where else to look, but this thread is helpful, will look at Bristol and Durham...

Vargas - is he worried that going to a London uni would mean that he wouldn’t get to leave home? If he applied to LSE or UCL, they still get to live in halls for the first year. I doubt they’d be back much!

My DS says if he’s going to be in a large city (eg Birmingham or Manchester) he might as well stay in London. He wouldn’t mind somewhere “different,” but he says he doesn’t feel the need to go as far as Cornwall or St Andrews or even Durham when there’s so much in between.

I had a look at Bath which has a campus (unfortunately not with architecture that remotely resembles the rest of Bath). They do a course called “Economics and Development Studies” (I think that’s what it’s called). You don’t need maths. I think they’re asking AAB. They also lower the offer to something like ABB if you have a grade A in a relevant EPQ. No geography course listed there though which is unusual.

Otherwise, Southampton, Warwick or UEA might be good? We’re in the process of looking at those ones online, but I think you need to visit really.

Not much of UEA's architecture looks like much of the rest of Norwich, but the setting is beautiful and Norwich city centre nice and quirky.

(Obviously, if lots of greenery, around a large body of water doesn't do it for you and quirkiness is not a positive as far as you are concerned, please feel free to ignore my value judgments there).

Marching - yes I remember visiting University of Kent once and it was a similar story. Beautiful position on a hill overlooking Canterbury and it’s cathedral, but weird hexagonal concrete architecture for the actual colleges. It must have made sense at some point
I don’t think young people notice or care about this kind of thing though.

Bath don't offer Geography. Nor any arts subjects. It's basically a STEM and social sciences uni plus languages. Warwick offer Global Sustainable Development, but not Geography, if that's of interest??

Nottingham is excellent for Geography and take a look at Sheffield. I know Geographers from both who are all doing great grad jobs now.

don’t think young people notice or care about this kind of thing though.

Except DS2, who is obsessed with the very
concreteness of UEA's architecture, in particular the Ziggurats. To be fair, he is also keen on the (History of Art) courses available. Unfortunately not so re Kent, so may be destined never to experience that view, unless I can convince him to go along to an open day anyway.

I think the UEA campus manages combine Brutalist architecture with a setting that makes it anything but!

History of Art - the Courtauld! Aim high.

My son is studying marine biology at Exeter Cornwall campus, it's bloody miles away! But he's quite happy to get the train (or Megabus!) We flew down for the open day, and are relieved that they will be starting flying from Gatwick again. They can catch the bus from the airport 🤣
He is incredibly happy down there, he's not into clubbing but loves the laid back vibe. One of his housemates is studying geography, there are 3 arts students and 3 Exeter students sharing the halls, and because it's a new campus the halls are very spacious and en-suite. Free bus to asda from campus 😁

DS2 has had a think about the Courtauld and decided not. His decision. Also his decision if he changes his mind about it, of course.