Bristol or York for Politics & International Relations?

[MilouSnowy]

Bristol or York for Politics & International Relations?

London state school DN cannot make up her mind. Bristol (the city) would be the easier choice as it’s just London-lite, her words, not mine.
But she doesn’t want to make an important decision on the basis of just
lifestyle, at the same time she knows next to nothing about York, or how competitive the course is in Uni of York.

Not visited York.

She is very independent. Has quite an impressive CV already, for a 17 year old student.

She is desperate for an offer from LSE but that’s their most competitive course so she is trying to psych herself up to leave London.

[MilouSnowy]

That should read:

Thanks for letting me know and that's absolutely fine. My DN is making a real difference to some kids who need help.

[Piggywaspushed]

Your second paragraph EXACTLY proves the point I was making.

The reason London kids get this help is because of the cultural capital afforded by living in a huge city, the proximity of opportunities , top employers, top unis, the interest in the 'working classes' and the 'ethnic minorities' from the likes of Eton. And higher funding.

Thus, the rest of the country loses out, or perceives they do. And that way Brexit and BoJo and Cummings lie...

[MilouSnowy]

Hoghgyni

No, nobody in my extended family has read the book or watched the film. We prefer Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. Also, I am glad to hear my DN's activities are nothing special outside London.

And the only person doing any modelling is my DN. Nobody else is directing her life.

[MilouSnowy]

Piggiwaspushed

I do agree with ALL that you say in your last post. I have only very recently become aware of the high concentration of cultural capital in London compared with other parts of the country.

Let's hope BoJo keeps his word to level up the country.

My DN is the sort of person that would get involved with community and after school extended homework type schemes wherever she goes in the country. It's something innate to her, nobody is pushing her. I wish I had her energy,

[MilouSnowy]

I mean I knew wealth and jobs were concentrated in London and the South East but I'm gobsmacked some kids have to travel 37 miles to school. I don't think anyone does that in London. That shouldn't happen.

[hobbema]

Popping in to say congratulations to @Sostenueto ‘s dgd! Great news. Some of us on the other Uni threads were wondering how she was getting on. Thrilled for her, hope the revision going well.
DD2 who is a DT2 has Bristol offer for a social science hence looking here, interesting re accommodation. As for the rest, seems a bit billy goat gruff.

[BubblesBuddy]

I don’t think pupils do necessarily benefit from being in London. How many time do we read on these threads that students live the green countryside of Lancaster, Exeter and Falmouth? Some pupils get that all their lives and do not yearn for London. It doesn’t mean they cannot be successful. One poster on this forum lives rurally in Devon with hugely successful DC. They don’t appear to be held back.

Lincoln is not favoured by public schools. It’s a former poly but not the same as York or Bristol in terms of attracting students with the highest grades of A levels. It’s not in that market.

As for whom she can cajole to help her with her projects? Words fail me. Hopefully other students will just be getting in with their degrees, their cvs, their fun times and not doing what another student wants them to do. She would find volunteering in Bristol worthwhile and York too.

By the way, Wills Hall is associated with Wills tobacco. It’s fully catered and has shared bathrooms in the old quad. No kitchens as such either. It’s relatively cheap!

[BubblesBuddy]

What does billy goat gruff mean? Not swanky, new and expensive? The best accommodation at Bristol isn’t any of the above. It’s down to earth!

[Sooverthemill]

Both are lovely cities. Friends kids did same course in Leeds and really liked that. My DD1 did politics at Nottingham and loved living there. I thunk she needs to go and visit a few more places. It's a very competitive course and she may find other university cities just as good

[Piggywaspushed]

Lincoln has never even been a poly!

[Needmoresleep]

Milou,

It’s travel time not distance that matter. Plenty of London kids have school journeys of 40minutes or so, indeed the state options DC were allocated would have been more, but then some Scottish students have to take boats or board.

The LSE should really be seen as an international tertiary education centre located in a world city. Only 25% of its students are from the UK, and the proportion of its funding that comes from the Government is one of the lowest. It also regularly comes bottom of student satisfaction tables, though DS told me students take a certain pride in keeping it there.

I don’t think it is about cultural capital. Lots happens outside London, often things that you can’t do in London (DDs discovery of camping and surfing). LSE suits some students, often ones who are very course focused or who enjoy London. It really does not suit others.

[Xenia]

Sostenuto, even if she cannot afford Wills Hall or Churchil which can be £8k catered I think from memory, there seem to be some self catering from £4k www.bristol.ac.uk/accommodation/media/docs/undergraduate-fees-19-20.pdf.

If the full student loan is £9203 it would be quie tight to spend £8k of that on catered hall fees.

[MilouSnowy]

As for whom she can cajole to help her with her projects? Words fail me.

Does this mean nobody in Bristol or York volunteers? I get the impression that in some courses at the LSE every student is assigned to mentor a Yr7 school student, obviously not saying this is mandatory, just that there are so many of them working with school kids in London.

Also I am repeating myself when I say she wouldn't ask blindly. She would find like minded people i.e. those that are keen on this type of work. Majority of the students in Bristol perhaps wouldn't want this for various perfectly valid reasons. So it's not a question "cajoling" anyone.

I also did state she could have good friends who would't want/suit this type of thing and that it would be wrong of her to ask them. So she would need to know who to ask and who not to so as not to cause offence.

[Needmoresleep]

In terms of students working together, DS and eight others graduated in quite a specialist subject. They colonised a section of the library, and had weekly timetabled sessions to support and peer review each other’s third year dissertations. (Pub session afterwards!) They were a really international bunch, but became very close. They all ended up with firsts. He is finding that similar cooperation is strongly encouraged at US universities.

I am surprised that Bubbles says Bristol students don’t work together in the same way. DD has been involved in a large number of group tasks. I would have though that working with others is a useful skill to pick up.

[Needmoresleep]

My understanding is that LSEs outreach activities with local schools are particularly good. They also have some great public lectures that are worth looking out for.

[Sostenueto]

Well my Dgd had no help in any form other than going to a good school ( but with minimum support for Oxbridge applicants because of funding) having a massive work ethic from an early age, loving and supportive mum and Nan ( in no form pushy) and has no one to thank but her own awesome self. She too helps in the community by being a trainee trustee in local charities, fundraising, helping out in local primaries and nurturing students with learning difficulties in her school ( especially for maths). All of this is done without a word to anyone. A proper unsung hero and would actually be embarrassed if she knew I had put this on. She does all of this with no ulterior motive whatsoever other than to help those in the same or worse situations and did not even mention on PS. She let her academic knowledge get her offers. What I am saying is that doing good works is commendable but should not be done for ulterior motives or to further yourself. It should be done unselfishly and with empathy and understanding and not for what you might gain from doing it. It's just my opinion though.

[Needmoresleep]

DD was required to do some first year volunteering as part of her course. Lots of Bristol students, at least children of my friends, volunteer. Mainly because they enjoy it, but it also helps build a CV.

[hobbema]

@BubblesBuddy, I was referring to the frankly bizarre “let them eat cake”nature of some posts from one poster that seem to be provocative rather than genuine. Nothing at all to do with Bristol! Lived in Clifton years ago and loved it. Hoping DD will love it too.

[Piggywaspushed]

I am not oblivious to the Billy Goat Gruff allusion Hobbema

[Hoghgyni]

I think the message you have failed to pick up is that the rest of the country outside of London doesn't need saving BY your DN, but saving FROM your DN. Perhaps she would benefit from moving away from her London LSE bubble after all.

[Sostenueto]

We too are thinking if Clifton at Bristol. Though TBH looking at room let's for 2nd, 3rd and 4 the years is eyewatering! Cheapest decent ones £400 month lol! You could rent a house for just a little more than that here!

[LillianGish]

I don't think you can make an informed choice without visiting. Better still try to attend an offer holders day or similar where you can attend a lecture and get a little taste of what it will be like to study there, actually see what some of the other students might be like on your course, talk to students who are already studying there and really get a feel for the place. I would have said that one of the major differences between Bristol and York is that one is a campus and the other is in the city. I think it would be really good if you daughter could wander round on her own for a bit and actually see if she can imagine being there - there are lots of interesting insights to be had on here, but in the end its a very personal choice and now also a very expensive one so well worth a small outlay to ensure the choice is the right one. I am speaking from personal experience as someone whose daughter started a course in September and absolutely hated it - the course and the place. She is now reapplying for this September and is so much wiser for her disastrous first attempt.

[HuaShan]

Very well said Sost. I doubt the good people of Hartcliffe want to be part of a social experiment