Help finding a Uni that fits this criteria please!

[orinoci]

Hi

DC has had MH issues in the past, and so their safety blanket is a Uni that meets the following criteria - but we're struggling to find an easy way to search so I thought I'd ask for recommendations!

DC wants to study either English or Sociology, or some combination of the two (eg liberal arts) so most Unis seem to offer something along those lines. Predictions for A Levels are AAB at the moment, bearing in mind we're at the start of Year 12, teachers say possibly higher if DC puts the work in.

But DC would like it to be :

• a small campus University with halls on site
• within a maximum of two hours drive/100 miles of Nottingham/Derby
• ideally allow returners into halls (this may not be an issue one year in but it's a thought now)
• ideally allow halls students to bring cars so they could get home if they needed to.

NTU at Clifton has all of these, and DC is very happy with that, but could do with some other options.

Any suggestions anyone?

Thank you

www.bishopg.ac.uk

BG in Lincoln is a lovely campus and they do English

Loughborough, great uni, you could spend the entire time on campus, great pastoral care, lots of accommodation and very normal for students to go back into halls for a second year. It's not a small uni in terms of student numbers though so maybe she wouldn't like that. They do say they don't allow student cars, certainly in first year, but there is loads of uni parking at the end of the campus (think enough for open days, graduations etc) so it could well be that an arrangement could be made.

Warwick. A lovely campus uni with lots of green spaces.

Most students are in halls in year 1 and then move to either Leamington or Coventry. Some will be able to move back onto campus for year 3/4. Depending on their needs they do have some second years on campus too.

Car - well there is parking on campus but they do try to restrict students with cars to those with a need to have one. But the campus is well served by buses to get to Coventry or leamington station. There used to be a mega bus stop on the edge of campus when I was there too. Coaches will be better for getting around as a student too.

Newman Uni in Birmingham ... It’s small

Slight understatement. It's tiny (total of less than 3,000 students across all courses/years). I grew up about three miles from there and nobody in the area - except in Bartley Green itself - has the slightest idea there's a university. I don't think there's any student parking though.

It's important to note it is a Roman Catholic institution (named after Cardinal John Henry Newman); some students might be uncomfortable with its Christian - and specifically Catholic - ethos.

It's somewhere that makes you really wish it were permissible to join & leave motorways at service areas (much like Keele, I think): it's less than 1½ miles from Frankley services on the M5 but to drive there from the services by permitted routes it's over 10 miles.

@NoNotHimTheOtherOne Newman def has student parking - I worked with students there for a while in welfare and they have a lot due to the number who drive in from home.

York St John has a good English dept and I have heard good reports of pastoral care

If they want a true campus feel, then Loughborough is great. It’s not campuses spread about across a city.
Plenty of green spaces so quite a calming atmosphere.
Halls are fantastic, with a great community feel, and returners very commonly return to halls.

UEA at Norwich.
Great and improving rankings, campus, not sure about cars.

@ODFOgrinch

UEA at Norwich. Great and improving rankings, campus, not sure about cars.

One of DS2's flatmates on the main site at UEA has a car, but keeps it parked in a road about ten minutes' walk away. Another friend with a car is in the 'Village' accommodation, a few minutes off campus, and I think is able to park there.

Whichever university, information about the availability of accommodation for 'returners' and the situation re cars should be in the 'Accommodation' section of its website.

What about Derby? Excellent in our experience, but is it home town?

@Fozzleyplum

It sounds as though Lancaster might be a good fit.

Was going to say the same. Small, self contained campus but the city itself is also small and not overwhelming, great English department (in my experience anyway!). And the collegiate system means pastoral care is really good compared to friends I had at MMU and Leeds.

Oh, I also did sociology there in first year and it was great (altgough I don't know how many of the same lecturers there are now!).

And decent parking on campus for students if you buy the (pricey but handy) permits and live in one of the colleges with a decent sized carpark - Cartmel would be my recommendation because it's got a rep for being a bit quieter/less wild and it's tucked away from the hustle and bustle.

Seriously, unless you live in Derby so DD doesn't want to go there, Derby meets all your requirements. Our DD had all sorts of additional requirements and Derby were excellent (admittedly three years ago)

Hi- English and sociology teacher .

Avoid NTU. Its accommodation is a bunfight and it's also not great fro English.

I'd suggest very strongly that you look at Lincoln/ UEA.

I know someone who dropped out of Keele, interestingly. He had various physical issues and anxiety and couldn't settle. He is now at Lincoln. DS is at Lincoln. It's small, compact and manageable and the English dept is good. It also does a range of social science subjects inlcuding sociology and social policy.

Accommodation is excellent and available to second years.

Also, because Lincoln has lots of students doing healthcare courses, certain halls have car parking.

Just seen your grades: Loughborough definitely springs to mind. Bit sporting jock mind but I am sure you can find your crowd (NTU has a party central reputation! Not sure if you knew!)

Combining English and sociology may not be possible anywhere unless it is a liberal arts or combined honours course but Unifrog would help there if the school has it.

Lancaster has halls for masters students too. It’s a lovely campus with shops and coffee shops. I was impressed.

Thanks everyone!

DC's not keen on Derby, it's too spread out over the City. Plus only about 20 minutes from home!

They've discovered that they could be eligible for the Foundation Year at Cambridge - but I'm concerned about MH and pressure there. Does anyone know anything about that, how is the MH support there?

It’s just over two hours but reading would fit the bill

Birmingham is a masssive campus and certainly doesn’t fit the small campus criteria

The foundation year looks like a great idea at Cambridge.

I was there and they certainly won't be alone in having mental health problems - they're very widespread. The provision is either good or bad depending from which perspective you look at it (or was about a decade ago, not sure how COVID has impacted in person services). They have the university counseling services which are non NHS and generally had a waiting list of only a few weeks. They have college nurses and quite a few colleges have their own counsellor or mental health nurse - but check out the ones offering the foundation year. I think but am not certain that they may have stopped relying on student disability allowance to fund stuff for students at least in the first instance, so they should speed up access.

So far so good. However, I do think there can.l be a lot of pressure, especially at colleges that do well in the intra Cambridge league tables. People are generally supportive but the view of what a normal amount of work is can be skewed. I think it can also be hard because for major pieces of work extensions etc are pretty unusual, but that might be because there aren't huge numbers of bits of coursework. My brother at a different uni can just apply for an automatic 3 day extension once a year. I think it would depend what causes anxiety in your child really.

You aren't technically allowed a car but if you don't mention it and park it out the way it's fine.

Edge hill in ormskirk lancs. It has a lovely campus, onsite parking etc. They are often winning awards for various things and has a good reputation for student support.

Mine is at UEA. They aren't allowed cars in first year (unless disabled) Ds is third year. He is now in private rented accommodation with a parking space, so he has his car. But can't afford to park it on campus and spaces are very limited. So it works for commuting home etc. Just not for travelling to campus. Uea might fit your other requirements though. A friends dd has just started at Essex university and has taken her car.

@NoNotHimTheOtherOne

Newman Uni in Birmingham ... It’s small

Slight understatement. It's tiny (total of less than 3,000 students across all courses/years). I grew up about three miles from there and nobody in the area - except in Bartley Green itself - has the slightest idea there's a university. I don't think there's any student parking though.

It's important to note it is a Roman Catholic institution (named after Cardinal John Henry Newman); some students might be uncomfortable with its Christian - and specifically Catholic - ethos.

It's somewhere that makes you really wish it were permissible to join & leave motorways at service areas (much like Keele, I think): it's less than 1½ miles from Frankley services on the M5 but to drive there from the services by permitted routes it's over 10 miles.

What on earth are you talking about? From Frankley services it's around 3 miles - you come off on J3 and it's a short hop!

It's 10 miles unless you ignore the No Exit From Motorway offenders will be prosecuted sign.

I would second Keele

@Comefromaway

It's 10 miles unless you ignore the No Exit From Motorway offenders will be prosecuted sign.

It really isn't because Frankley is right at J3 so you come off at the junction and along the Manor Way, loop back round and head to Bartley Green. I live within 2 miles of the M5 so I have done this junction plenty.