Exeter or York for History

[aibutohavethisusername]

DD is trying to decide between York (History) & Exeter (Ancient History & History). This will most probably be for her insurance as she is loving UCL at the moment.
Any thoughts on either of these? She has offers from both.

My DD is currently in her first year studying History at Exeter - from a similar part of the world. It's about 2.5 hours by train. I can assure you it's not sloaney, posh or 'basic'. How rude! Just the opposite - everyone seems friendly and no-one is judgemental. The course seems good so far, challenging and the uni is good. The only thing I would say is that if you want the bright city lights Exeter is quite quiet so would be very different to UCL. York and Exeter have similar rankings though I believe the entry requirements for Exeter are slightly higher.

Absolutely not my experience ... I will never forget end of term at Holland Hall with students throwing their bedding and crockery into a skip because they couldn't be bothered to pack it up. The uni had made charity collection points in hall but the skip was far easier ... not everyone, of course, but far too many.

That sounds extremely wasteful. My pretty well off sons had to take their duvets off their beds at home for going to Bristol! No new duvets here when we have adequate ones at home.

Thanks @Moominmammacat

I have to say, when we looked round, I didn't speak to / couldn't find a single other person who was there who was from anywhere North of Bristol, which was quite odd.

A girl I taught (state school, north of London) was on a corridor in Halls with Peter Philips, back in the day!

I do think part of Exeter's affluent southernness is geography. It's quite inaccessible from many parts of the country but, it seems, easier from the southern Home Counties. Anywhere north of London involves going through London first. Likewise, Aberystwyth is full of Brummies because it is basically the only major urban centre with a train line across Wales.

Lots of universities are regional now. It’s rather sad that anyone goes to university and insults other students by calling them names. As privately educated students are a minority and “Sloans” (God how dated is that??? My DDs wouldn’t know what you are talking about) are an endangered species, I find it really hard to understand why educated young people are so intolerant! It’s astounding. It would be denounced as wholly unacceptable if the better off were rude about the state schooled students. It’s ok though for it to be the other way around?

Why does it matter where you come from? Northern universities are full of northerners. DD2 couldn’t find a southerner at Leeds on an offer day for her course. DD1 didn’t find one at Manchester either. Do we care? No. It’s irrelevant. It’s tribal and it’s juvenile.

The Classics department at Exeter is well regarded so if Ancient History is important to her, I'd go for that. York has a long-standing reputation for Medieval History.

We were at the Exeter History offer holders day recently, and were very impressed by the course structure. It’s a big department with over 50 teaching staff, so lots of flexibility to tailor your options to suit your interests. I liked that each student has a personal tutor and an older student mentor for support.
Everyone we met was very friendly, and DD was really impressed by everything she saw.

I can’t compare with York, as despite DH being a York alumnus, none of our DC was tempted by it.

I imagine that York and Exeter would have more in common as a uni experience than UCL so would encourage your DD to be certain about whether she wants London, or a small city and campus experience.

It might be the course that is attractive at UCL? It’s also higher in world rankings. London is expensive overall though. And of course it’s big!!!! But if you come from Berkshire you probably know London and have been able to evaluate it over the years and know the uni would suit. Many students put down these types of universities as firm and insurance. They are the type of DC that probably don’t want far flung universities surrounded by countryside but want a bit of urban life from time to time. Not unusual at all.

BubblesBuddy ... "It would be denounced as wholly unacceptable if the better off were rude about the state schooled students" ... I absolutely assure you that some of them are!

Piggy you are completely wrong in terms of trains. You can most certainly go north from Exeter on the train without going through London. The trains go to Taunton, Bristol and then on up to wherever you want to go, right across the border, without any need to change. Thus the direct service to Edinburgh goes through Birmingham, Derby, Sheffield, Leeds, York and Newcastle. So trains aren't the deterrent. I assume that southerners' reputaion for being snooty to northerners plays a part, also Exeter's justified reputation for being pretty sleepy.

Thanks goodbye. I guess I kind of meant north of London as in directly North (so east Anglia,Leicestershire, Bedfordshire) etc) as that is often very hard to get SW from. The suggested train route from somehwre like Bedford or Cambridge is definitely via London or a tortuous set of changes via Leicester.

Rightly or wrongly, you may be right in your final sentence, although that can also be experienced, ironically, in Durham, Edinburgh and St Andrews which are 'awash' (for want of a better word!) with southerners!

"It would be denounced as wholly unacceptable if the better off were rude about the state schooled students" ... I absolutely assure you that some of them are! Frequently! As are A Level students about those doing BTecs!

Ah well yes true about East Anglia etc Piggy. I was thinking about the big urban conurbations of the 'real' north!

I think the southerners have to be a bit more careful when they're in the north and not on home turf. And once they're in Scotland - well, talk down to a Scot at your very real peril!

I am one...!

Me too! (well half - still counts!).

Dd opted for York due to the flexibility of modules it offered and is enjoying it.

Always counts!!

Thanks everyone. There are direct trains from here to both Exeter & York. Although they are much more frequent to Exeter.

DD also has an offer holder’s day at UCL now in March so will decide after the Exeter one and that one.

DD is currently in the middle of a History Masters course at York. She seems to be enjoying it. A friend has a son who is now in his second year at York and he is also very happy there. The only complaint from DD is that the lecturers are on strike so maybe that is something you should ask both universities.