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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Nottingham, Sheffield & Hull York Universities

29 replies

LaLaFlottes · 14/08/2020 11:19

Hello - DD is considering these three universities and we have never even been to these cities, let alone the actual universities!

i was wondering, if anyone is familiar with these universities, could you please let me know whether we'd be able to walk around the outsides just to get a feel for them, if we go on a visit to the city?

Thank you.

OP posts:
Lightuptheroom · 14/08/2020 11:28

York is definitely closed, they've cancelled everything for this year's new students , they reopen on 28th September so may be worth contacting to ask, but at the moment staff are not allowed either so I doubt they would welcome people walking around

LaLaFlottes · 14/08/2020 11:39

@Lightuptheroom thanks for letting me know. We can maybe just have a trip to York to get a feel for the place.

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MarchingFrogs · 14/08/2020 13:33

York did quite a good virtual open day in the summer - next one coming up on September 4th, by the looks:
www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/visits/open-days/
Attractive campus, not to far from the city (regular buses, or doable by bike / on foot. Original part of the campus is Hesligton West, but some departments ate based on Heslington East. I'm not sure where the Medical School is (assume that's what you're after, since you mention 'Hull York', because other than having a joint medical school, they are completely separate universities?). DS2 is looking at History of Art

Decorhate · 14/08/2020 16:58

I think you should be able to see a good bit at Sheffield. We went at the last minute to look around for Ds & he really liked it and ended up putting it as his insurance. The city had a nice feel, looked like it had quite a bit of investment to restore the older buildings etc.

SparkleM · 14/08/2020 17:23

The University of Nottingham is a campus university so you’ll be able to visit, walk around University Park, visit the boating lake etc. You can get the tram from/to the city centre to give you a feel for Nottingham itself. If it’s Nottingham Trent University you are looking at that’s scattered over several locations in and on the outskirts of Nottingham.

LaLaFlottes · 14/08/2020 17:26

Thank you everyone this is really helpful.

We will definitely be making some trips!!

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JacobReesMogadishu · 14/08/2020 17:32

You can definitely walk round quite a bit of the outside of Sheffield, and possibly inside....not sure what Covid restrictions are. But the buildings are dotted around. Some will be university of Sheffield and some will be Hallam. Within walking distance of the city centre.

Gymntonic · 14/08/2020 18:19

You can definitely walk around both university areas in York and Sheffield. There are no gates etc. Nottingham has a central campus which is open and you can't miss QMC

TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince · 14/08/2020 18:21

Sheffield retains more of its graduates than any other city.

SickOfNorthernExile · 14/08/2020 18:27

I went to York. You can 100% walk around the campus. It’s not gated. Heslington Village is very pretty, and the city ofc- the “original” campus is a concrete wonder- set around a massive lake. The new half was opened after I left but I think is also water-side.

York is a brilliant uni - I don’t know anybody who regrets going or didn’t have a good time.

CiderJolly · 14/08/2020 18:33

I went to The University of Sheffield many moons ago. Had the most amazing time, loved the people, the city, the prices, so much to see and do, friendly, and it’s right by the gorgeous Peak District too if you fancy some greenery. Some of the uni buildings are really beautiful. There was some friendly rivalry between Hallam and Sheffield uni- I made friends from both.

PawPatrolMakesMeDrink · 14/08/2020 18:36

I went to Hull University, I loved it there, I was a mature student and it was a 5 minute walk from my house. Very handy.
If you go on their Facebook page they are doing bookable campus tours.

fwwaftp · 15/08/2020 15:32

I went to York and loved it. You could definitely walk around the campus to have a look. However, if you apply to Hull York Medical School you will be allocated to a campus at random (there are some exceptions where you can make a request - eg. if you want to live at home and live within 30 miles of one of them).
So bear that in mind - you don't get to choose which campus you go to.

I worked in the summer holidays in Hull and it's completely different to York. I did enjoy living in Hull but I wouldn't have chosen to go to university there.

feelingfragile · 15/08/2020 15:37

I've studied (post grad) at York St John and Sheffield Hallam, Sheffield Hallam blinded York in terms of teaching quality, organisation and support.

Cities have very different feels but both nice in their own ways. York is very touristy and pretty, Sheffield is more diverse and bigger, much younger feel to it and as someone else has said, it retains a huge percentage of graduates.

LiGlitterBug · 15/08/2020 15:39

Nottingham is wonderful- I was so happy there and really love the city (still here!)

Just a note- depending on what your daughter studies, she may spend more time at Jubilee Campus (I know my Maths and Computer Science friends did anyway) but it’s not too far away and they used to have a free shuttle bus between campuses (not sure what’s running now)

MaybeIDidMaybeIDidnt · 15/08/2020 15:58

@LiGlitterBug me too. I read awful things on here about Nottingham and the East Midlands in general and how unfriendly it is but my experience has been completely the opposite. After being down south for a number of years, I've found this area to be brilliant, just like the Uni.

SodomyNonSapiens · 15/08/2020 16:00

Also have a look at the Students Union websites for all the Universities that he is looking at. The Union makes a big difference as to what support the student gets. It is a big reason why Sheffield has such a good student retention.

The Union Bar in Sheffield is open as well - and does reasonably priced food so would be worth a look if you visit.

mycatscausehell · 15/08/2020 20:19

My sister is at york, you can walk around there currently, and its incredibly friendly. Accommodation is also good, if not slightly expensive, esp in later years.

doesthatmakesense · 16/08/2020 10:14

Hello, just to say that although you can certainly walk past the campus in Hull I think it is generally off limits. I'm a researcher there and not likely to be back on campus this year. Colleagues with teaching responsibilities are being asked to prepare a mix of face to face and online learning, and the energy and expertise going into this is truly impressive. Campus bookable tours are available, and there are good bursaries available both for travel and living costs (which are way lower than lots of other uni cities). Hull has its quirks and is certainly no ivory-towered paradise, but I love working there and being part of the campus community.

Fyzz · 16/08/2020 13:30

I have one DC who went to York. It seems to have the best of both worlds as regards being a campus uni but also in city. York is a lovely city, compact and easy to get around. One big bonus of York uni is that they have an abundance of halls and students can choose to live on campus past the first year if they want.
Hull - I know the city well but not the uni. It's a friendly city and cheap to live.
I do know someone doing medicine at HYMS this year and all lectures are online for the time being ( probably true of many unis).

Looked around Sheffield and Nottingham with DC. Nottingham very campus outside city. Sheffield very much smack bang in the city centre. DC liked the course at Sheffield but disliked the fact that the uni was spread out around major city roads - it didn't feel like a place IYSWIM, more a series of unconnected buildings.

Ginfordinner · 16/08/2020 21:51

Attractive campus
and the city ofc- the “original” campus is a concrete wonder

Are you serious? The green parts are lovely, but the 1960s “council block” architecture is hideous. DD looked at York for medicine and for biomed. At the medicine subject talk the admissions tutor said that students are randomly allocated to Hull or York, but they can’t ask to be at a specific university, so if your DD loves York, but hates Hull she might end up in Hull anyway.

The medical school is at the Heslington West campus, but is across the road in a much newer building.

Nottingham, Sheffield & Hull York Universities
LaLaFlottes · 17/08/2020 16:09

Thank you so much for all of the info. We will definitely be going for a look round.
It's a tricky one with Hull and York as she knows she could be allocated either campus, but we'll look at both so she can decide if she's still keen.

Thanks!

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WorkinWomansBlues · 17/08/2020 17:42

@Ginfordinner

Yep. Lived and studied there for 3 years. The brutalist architecture really grew on me, and being by the water was lovely.

Each to their own, but yes, I am serious.

Ginfordinner · 17/08/2020 22:59

I grew up with hideous 1960s architecture (born 1958) and agree with prince Charles that it is a carbuncle on the landscape. The green space and water is lovely though, and the old hall (can't remember the name) is beautiful.

pearlclutcherswelcome · 18/08/2020 10:57

Heslington Hall is the name of the York building. It's Jacobean and sits at one end of the campus next to pretty Heslington Village, which has a cafe, bank, two lovely pubs and a post office.

Can't understand why people criticise York campus. The plate glass cubes are not the loveliest, but sit quite graciously betwixt maturing Willows and well thought out parkland - great for blanket on the ground, summer picnics.

The fact that it's entirely low rise is a plus, I think.

There's a focal point in the futuristic spaceship like central hall, which squats on an artificial lake containing a fountain. Paths criss-cross this central area, giving the place a sense of community as you will always bump into somebody you know, coming and going.

The wildlife creates hazards - watch out for duck poo if scootering - but can be fascinating. Watching ducklings trying to negotiate the water features, supervised by parents, then succeeding, is delightful!

There's even a campus mascot, called Longboy. A long necked goose, whose strutting around the place is a source of much mirth.

One of the main problems, IMO, is that many students will have applied to Oxbridge and wanted the "dreaming spires" experience. York city, easily walkable from campus, has history in abundance and dreaming spires aplenty. The city itself, IMO, has more to offer than either Oxford or Cambridge centres.