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Higher education

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

Original poster

Biochemistry - Warwick, Exeter or Lancaster

73 replies

Delphigirl · 01/05/2021 20:37

Sorry I started this in the wrong section. Will try again!

Need to advise young relative who is at school in uk but lives abroad re uni choices. He has offers for these three unis. Rejected for Ox and imperial. Expects A A A. Hasn’t visited a single uni ever 😱 so am going to take him to Warwick and Lancaster this weekend and will try to get to Exeter next weekend. But I know nothing about biochemistry. Which has best dept? Which do employers prefer? Should I be concerned that Exeter doesn’t have a chemistry undergrad offer? All campus unis so although he may prefer one over the other, he may not. My instinct is that all other things being equal he should go to Warwick (better funded, more prestigious) but is that right?

OP posts:
GCAcademic · 02/05/2021 10:49

@MarchingFrogs

they make it difficult for students to bring cats onto campus

Sorry, I know that's a typo, but my first thought was that the ducks have been trained to attack instantly on sighting anything feline...

Warwick actually has its own campus cat, so no need to bring your own:

twitter.com/RolfatWarwick

TillyTopper · 02/05/2021 10:55

I think you need not worry with any choice of the 3. They are all good Russell Group Unis. My DH studied at work (we met at Uni, although mine was a different Uni) and it's fantastic. Exeter I've not been too - but Russell Group and on the south coast for nicer weather. Lancaster is an excellent campus - I visited there with DS who was considering it 2 years ago. If I had to choose purely on academic reputation though I'd say 1. Warwick. 2. Lancaster and 3. Exeter

MarchingFrogs · 02/05/2021 11:01

Lancaster isn't Russell Group (wonder whether it's been approached to join the cabal and turned them down, though? It would be quite a catch, I would have thought).

Original poster
Delphigirl · 02/05/2021 11:52

This is all so interesting and informative thank you. Actually Exeter and Lancaster have given him the same high offer and Warwick’s is lower. So Warwick will either be the insurance to the one he prefers of Exeter and Lancaster, or the firm and he doesn’t have an insurance (but he is predicted AAA and Warwick is AAB so very unlikely to miss those grades).
Hence I think why my instinct is that he should firm Warwick if he likes it. But I think what I have gleaned overall is how important it is that he looks at all three since they are all good choices and so it will come down to whether he really likes one more than the others. There is an argument that either Exeter or Warwick are more convenient as his brother will still be at school near Oxford, and we are also near there (as his uk based close family), but that isn’t really crucial. My husband has taken him to Lancaster today - let’s see what he thinks! I’ll report back. Thank you all - further input much appreciated x

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Original poster
Delphigirl · 02/05/2021 12:37

@Daisysway really nice feedback thank you. So important to have supportive staff and it sounds like she has really experienced that at Warwick.
Thanks also for your feedback re the current f2f at Lancaster @YourEyesCanBeSoCruel and your feedback @sammyjoanne. All great info to put into the mix.
Anyone with DC doing biochemistry at Exeter?

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Malbecfan · 02/05/2021 12:44

DD2 did work experience at Exeter in their BioChem department when she was in year 12. She knew more than the 2nd years in quite a lot of the work she saw.

Yes, the campus at Exeter is nice but after the way my DH has been treated by the university, I'd avoid it like the plague. Their science isn't great, despite what they say. They shut their Chemistry department down nearly 20 years ago, only opting into the Peninsula Medical School so they could join the RG clique.

Original poster
Delphigirl · 02/05/2021 12:54

I’m sorry to hear that Malbec - what happened with your Dh?

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RandomMess · 02/05/2021 13:13

I hope he has a clear preference and for solid reasons and make it easy for him to make a choice!

sammyjoanne · 02/05/2021 15:55

We think youngest DD may put Lancaster into her top 5 for Zoology (shes year 11) On open day whiles eldest DD was checking out physics, youngest DD and I went to the talk at the Lancaster Environment centre (they have to start predominantly biology for first year) and she really liked it and the various choices she could branch out to.
I did an informative piece on the student room on Lancaster and its uni. There was a lot of students asking about the university so compiled everything we knew about the place so if you need to know more about the uni check out this blog :) www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6904136

PoTheDog · 02/05/2021 16:00

Lots of building work at Warwick atm, make sure what facilities will be actually open and useable. I think their student union has been shut for ages being refurbished? But I might be mistaken.

Original poster
Delphigirl · 02/05/2021 16:12

Hi Sammyjoanne - that’s a really helpful blog thank you. I’ve watched the video of your pandemic walk through - so odd seeing somewhere so deserted! But gives a really good feel of the campus. Can I ask is the M6 road noise really as intrusive as it appears on the video? Because I personally couldn’t live with that for three years (or even three weeks) personally. That would just make me put a big black line through that option... 😱😱

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ShanghaiDiva · 02/05/2021 16:23

When my ds started at Warwick we were still living overseas. Birmingham airport is very convenient and ds was able to fly from there to Frankfurt and then on to China.

RandomMess · 02/05/2021 16:24

The only time I have ever noticed the M6 noise is walking the woodland trail/parking along the perimeter when you are literally next to it.

Original poster
Delphigirl · 02/05/2021 16:36

Ok @RandomMess that sounds not so bad. In the video it is just constant but (a) because it is deserted there is no other noise as you would normally get when 12k students are on site which persuadable helps drown it out and (b) the mic might have somehow enhanced it. So they are on their way back now, it will be interesting to hear what he thinks a bit later

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Original poster
Delphigirl · 02/05/2021 16:37

Probably not persuadable (???!)

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RandomMess · 02/05/2021 16:41

Looking at a map the prevailing wind send the noise in the direction away from the campus.

It's all bright and sunny out there now hope he didn't miss all the nice weather!

BCBG · 02/05/2021 17:40

@Delphigirl can honestly say I have never noticed the M6 and DD is autistic and hyper noise-sensitive and says she doesn't notice it either! One of her siblings was at Cambridge and the traffic was horrendous in town and on a14. I think phone videos massively amplify ambient noise so would be interesting to know what he thought having been on the ground.

Newgirls · 02/05/2021 17:46

I think bio chem at Exeter is taught at the medical school campus which is a gorgeous old quad building. The modern campus is also nice. Warwick by contrast is a bit scruffy/80s?! If that matters at all. Exeter a more bustling town than Leamington spa and close to the beach.

RampantIvy · 02/05/2021 18:01

It rains a lot in Lancaster Grin
DD visited Warwick, but hated the fact that the campus felt so isolated. She liked Lancaster a lot more, but opted for a city university in the end.

Are there any other universities your relative would consider? Nottingham? Bath? Birmingham?

Etulosba · 02/05/2021 18:24

I think their student union has been shut for ages being refurbished?

Yes, it closed in 2009 for an £11 million refurbishment. It reopened the following year.

DD visited Warwick, but hated the fact that the campus felt so isolated.

It's walking distance from Coventry city centre.

RampantIvy · 02/05/2021 19:53

We didn't approach the campus from Coventry, so to us it felt isolated, as did York, which I also know is walking distance from York town centre.

We live rurally, so DD was itching to be in the middle of things.

sammyjoanne · 02/05/2021 23:24

@Delphigirl Thats another persons video but he's ok with me using it as asked him :) I don't notice the M6 and neither does daughter when I go and visit. If there is any, its certainly not intrusive enough to take notice. The windows in daughters Grizedale townhouse are double glazed, and about 30 yards outside is the Grizedale Gazebo which is a popular place for people to drink as they cant go inside yet due to restrictions. She showed me on facetime the people there but your couldn't hear them, the windows really do block out the noise :)

If you want somewhere that's got a couple of clubs, copious amount of bars, sports, flat parties (which recently been their own because of covid), plenty of walking places, enough shops, and a bus to the seaside, then Lancaster is the place :) I don't know much about Exeter or Warwick.

Original poster
Delphigirl · 03/05/2021 08:52

Hi everyone, well he did Lancaster and Warwick and on paper thought he would prefer Lancaster but actually preferred Warwick. He was a bit taken aback by the density of the Lancaster buildings on site, particularly the residences/colleges, and lack of greenery, preferring the more open and greener Warwick site. I think he was also surprised how far away it was from the bit of the UK he knows and has family in. It took almost 3.5 hours on basically empty roads leaving at 8 am on a Sunday, whereas they were back from Warwick in an hour and a quarter. He liked the life sciences campus at Warwick, and also went into the library and chemistry building and there were people around there and around the union which was nice. Lancaster was pretty dead and he couldn’t identify the union. He thought the medical school/life sciences looked good at Lancaster though. He liked Lancaster town and thought it was a nice looking place and he loved the beach at Morecombe, but overall, I think Lancaster is off the list in favour of Warwick. So next stop Exeter, probably next weekend. Will keep you posted, thank you very much for all your help so far!

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RandomMess · 03/05/2021 09:18

That's good he had a clear preference 👌

sammyjoanne · 03/05/2021 13:30

That's good he has a good feeling about a uni :) keep us posted how he gets on at Exeter :)