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Higher education

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

Original poster

Bristol Uni

64 replies

Notasyoungasiwas · 12/01/2021 10:33

DD will be going to Bristol this year. Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated. She is the first of my children to go to uni so absolutely any info would be great!

OP posts:
MarchingFrogs · 12/01/2021 18:28

The 'new' (2014?), self catered flat at Hiatt Baker DD and I looked at 3 years ago was very swish - but priced to matchHmm. Unfortunately, we only got to see two halls of residence, both at Stoke Bishop and the other one was not very inspiring. All a bit academic, though, as she decided that she didn't like the course enough to apply, anyway.

Ds1 is currently a postgraduate student at Bristol, but sharing a flat out in Stapleton, so rather more UWE Frenchay campus territory for 2nd / 3rd years, I think. Having never been to Bristol before he moved there for his course, he does really like the area he is living in and the city generally. Even the hike up the hill which he eventually worked out gets him onto campus on time, when he needs to be there, more reliably than waiting for his second busGrin. Fortunately, he is quite fit.

There are some quite good Bristol videos on YouTube.

mumsneedwine · 12/01/2021 21:30

DDs walk to campus is up Christmas steps which is so pretty. She just wishes she was doing that walk everyday. But the walks by the riverside are so pretty and she has walked to the bridge a few times too. It's a lovely city. Has a new Banksy too.

bettbattenburg · 12/01/2021 22:28

Dd got a picture of Christmas steps as a graduation gift, they are lovely.

SeasonFinale · 13/01/2021 16:04

DS chose to defer his place there from last year. He had been allocated Hiatt Baker but hopes to get Badock this year (both Stoke Bishop). Mainly for the social side.

mumsneedwine · 13/01/2021 16:44

It's v social at the City halls too. Lots of meeting outside when first got there and they got into the pubs first. Think whatever halls you get allocated you'll have fun. You get 9 choices and they promise you one of them.

Veterinari · 13/01/2021 16:50

@PresentingPercy

So you pay nothing? However, it is still true that the richer kids tend to be in the cheap accommodation.
What a load of inaccurate presumptive bollocks!

You don't even know which hall she's in!

OP, Wills and Churchill are nice halls in SB, goldney/the Clifton halls are also worth a look and still fairly central

mumsneedwine · 13/01/2021 17:16

@Veterinari it did make me laugh. DD stayed in Churchill when she did the summer school and liked it but didn't want catered. Fussy eater ! Or to share a bathroom (although obviously she has done this at home all her life !).
She shares with students from comps, grammars, private and one v exclusive school, so a nice mix. They are all really lovely people. She has had to teach one young man how to wash up as he has staff at home 😂.

NotDonna · 13/01/2021 19:34

Congrats to your DD getting into Bristol @Notasyoungasiwas what will she be reading?
I’m following this as my DD1 interested in Bristol for September. Will probably be her first choice. We’ve never been to the city let alone the university so like you any info would be good. We have seen a few YouTube videos by a couple of students. Have you looked at any of those?

SeasonFinale · 13/01/2021 21:24

My DS will be doing History, any other History mums?

Muchtootall · 13/01/2021 22:18

My DD was in Wills albeit not in lockdown. She said no one was worried about where people went to school. There was a bigger divide between the party people who wanted to go clubbing all the time and those who didn’t. She loved Wills for the formals and the balls. She said she met more people than she would done in a self catering accommodation where effectively you meet people in your flat and on your course only. If you don’t like people in your flat you don’t have a lot a fun.

In her second year she moved to a flat in Clifton and has has been so happy even in lockdown. She has loved Bristol for the laid back non-judgemental attitude. She said you could turn up to lectures in your PJs and no one would care yet academically it’s a really rigorous university. So best of both worlds for her. Good luck to your DD.

NotDonna · 13/01/2021 22:25

@Muchtootall what do you mean by ‘a bigger divide’ between party & non party people. Is Wills very party? Not at all? Or very much one if the other and not much in between?

mumsneedwine · 14/01/2021 09:11

@Muchtootall not my DDs experience at all of self catered. Lots of meeting up in the courtyard and there were flat parties when small gatherings were allowed. She is living with people from her halls next year so she's met them somehow 😊. All halls are sociable and fun - they are full of young people who want to meet others. Even this year.

Xenia · 14/01/2021 10:08

I think Wills is no different from anywhere else - some people are quiet and some not and some like parties and some not. My son was in a block in the very old bit with 9 boys - I think girls might not like the primitive bathrooms ... he had to go down a floor for a shower and there was a bath on his floor which looked circa 1930 and in his huge bed room was an ancient sink in a cupboard. I think it was great but some people might like the more modern bit of Wills Hall where my daughter was in. Being all boys in his bit which was from memory front door and then 2 rooms each floor for 3 or 4 floors to the top where he was worked fine and some of his best friends were from that group of boys. I presume each of those kind of groups could count as one household for CV19 purposes too as each section has its own front door to the quad.

The catered halls my children chose for us certainly helped you meeting people (before covid) as you would go down with friends for your meals and not have to wash up or buy food etc.

I believe Wills has made a big effort to accept those from all kinds of backgrounds by the way. Only 2 or 3 in his group of about 9 including my son had been to fee paying schools (he went to a day private school).

en0lagay · 14/01/2021 12:20

My daughter was at Bristol, she had a mix of private school and state school friends and overseas students, after a whole she said nobody knew who went where and the only difference was in year two when looking for accommodation where some had a budget of £300 a month and some didn't have a budget at all and paid ££££ because they could but that the ones with ££££ more often ended up living alone.

NotDonna · 14/01/2021 15:47

Someone mentioned upthread that DC need to put down 9 choices for accom. How soon do people do that please? Are there any accommodations that are best avoided?

En0laGay · 14/01/2021 16:12

@NotDonna

Someone mentioned upthread that DC need to put down 9 choices for accom. How soon do people do that please? Are there any accommodations that are best avoided?
I can't remember when it was but my daughter was given all the details including a date when accommodation requests opened and she completed it all online. They asked for her preferences and a pen portrait to help them to match her up with like minded people.

Top Tip - Write the pen portrait for them and then give it to them to approve. It's very hard to write an accurate pen portrait for yourself I think. I did that for my daughter and she ended up with very well matched people.

mimbleandlittlemy · 14/01/2021 16:17

www.bristol.ac.uk/accommodation/undergraduate/

Your dc has to have made their Firm and Insurance choices on UCAS. All the dates etc are on the Bristol website above.

I really recommend your dc goes on to somewhere like the Student Room and asks about accommodation as they will get direct advice from students there now. My ds has a deferred place at another uni for Sept 2021 and has just had to do his accommodation choices and he changed his mind according to what people on the SR were saying, so it's worth your dc doing the research.

olliepolly · 14/01/2021 18:39

My DD is in second year at Bristol.
She was allocated Clifton Hill House and was very happy there , now has a house share with friends from her floor in hall. Though currently still at home with us in NE.
My god daughter is in Manor Hall ( 1 st year medic ) also a good choice.

Applepieco · 14/01/2021 19:18

__ SeasonFinale

Another History DS. Durham was initially his first choice with Exeter as insurance. After visiting Bristol in the summer & reading more about the course, it became his first choice! He was lucky to get an offer v early on.

SeasonFinale · 15/01/2021 21:44

Hi Apple pie.

Yes my DS is a deferred place (chose to defer last June before results). His application went in on 26 September 2019 and offer was 28 September. He did apply for Oxford and was unsuccessful but I think his heart was always with Bristol. He didn't feel Durham or Warwick.

But is very much looking forward to Bristol and has friends there in first year thisnywar who seem to be having a great time despite lockdown. He is hoping life will be a bit less restricted by next Autumn

Original poster
Notasyoungasiwas · 17/01/2021 09:07

Thank you everyone - a wealth of information here!

OP posts:
Original poster
Notasyoungasiwas · 17/01/2021 14:08

@NotDonna

Congrats to your DD getting into Bristol *@Notasyoungasiwas* what will she be reading? I’m following this as my DD1 interested in Bristol for September. Will probably be her first choice. We’ve never been to the city let alone the university so like you any info would be good. We have seen a few YouTube videos by a couple of students. Have you looked at any of those?
Hi @NotDonna, my DD will be reading Law. Like you, we've never been to Bristol and have relied on all the online open days and info
OP posts:
mumsneedwine · 17/01/2021 14:18

@Notasyoungasiwas DDs flatmate is studying law and says he's really enjoying it. It really is a lovely city even in current climate. Lots of walks and plenty of Banksy's to find. Maybe I should ask DD to do a walking tour of city for you 😊. Uni seem to have handled covid as well as they can. Let's hope this is all over v v soon.

willowsmumsy · 17/01/2021 16:58

I went to medical school in Bristol and loved it. My first year was in Badock Hall in SB. I lived out for a year and then lived in Manor Hall in Clifton for 2 years. The Clifton halls had far more 'posh' people then. I was there the same time as Jemima Goldsmith and Barbara Cartland's grand daughter had the room next door one year.
I graduated in 1996 though, so suspect it's changed a bit since then😂😂
It's great to see that it's still a lovely and lively place to live.

Muchtootall · 18/01/2021 19:09

I think Wills had a mix of people both those that loved to go out clubbing as much as possible and the quieter types also. I can’t comment on whether all flats are sociable or not. I can only repeat what she thought. She liked the fact she could have big get togethers in Wills at formals as well as small get togethers in rooms. They have staircases in Wills with shared bathrooms and kitchens which is effectively like a flat. She ended up in her second year sharing with a mix of people she met in the hall from various courses (not just those on her staircase) and I’m not sure she would have got to know some of these flat mates if she didn’t have the big formal parties. Obviously all this has been different in lockdown. Either way even in lockdown she has loved Bristol!