Russell group universities - which are best for creatives ?

[Asparagusluvva]

Anyone have any knowledge on which RG universities would suit a creative , politically left leaning student type ? DD is considering Birmingham, Exeter, York and Warwick. She loves the look of Exeter but worries about fitting in there. Any advice/thoughts/experience would be welcome.

If she's actually a serious leftie, surely being somewhere to affect change is more important than seeking an echo chamber anyway.

I went to Southampton and would recommend it.

One of the students who warned against it is someone that lives and grew up there. But we are keen to hear differing opinions!

@Twizbe

My house mate did history of art and I did classics at Warwick.

I'm obviously biased but my experience was that there was a tribe for everyone. Sometimes it was course based, sometimes halls based and sometimes extra curricula based.

First year is a bit of a melting pot and halls can be a bit hit and miss but later years you find your friends and live with them and socialise with them.

I'm pretty sure the same applies to all universities.

I also doubt I'm the only person who, with the benefit of hindsight, learned the most and formed some of the more lasting friendships with people who weren't the tribe of my 18yo self!

The course is the most important thing. She'll meet nice people at any university.

MrsT Bristol has a huge mixture of students and sadly even the children of the rich can vote Labour. Even back in my day at another university it was very hard to be Tory -we had eggs thrown at us as the left do not seem much to like freedom of speech. Most universities are full of left wing people (1) because many schools are hot beds of socialism and (2) if you are a student you don't have any money so are happy other people who work hard pay to keep you and others as you have no skin in the game yet. Thankfully people grow up, become wiser and vote Tory to such an extent we have not had a Labour victory since 2005.

Why are you so proud to be a Boris groupie @Xenia?

I went to York and Goldsmiths.

Goldsmiths is full of blue haired people but actually has a very narrow band of acceptable views.

York by contrast was more superficially traditional but allowed a much wider range of views from Marxist to Conservative.

Why a RG? It depends on what course as to which is the best Uni. For many courses a RG is not the best choice. DT’s went to Warwick and York for Engineering and MFL - neither have any interest in politics so that wasn’t a part of their decision.

xenia is that self parody ??!

I went to York many moons ago. It's a lovely uni with a great campus. There was a very active Labour club back in my day. It was very "white" back then but it may have changed now.

even the children of the rich can vote Labour

Labour aren't proper left and haven't been for decades. And the activism I saw at university was things like helping women travelling for abortion, campaigning against racists and for freedom of speech and human rights.

Not for someone to pay for us.

You have such a low opinion of people, it's really not surprising to me you're right wing. If I thought so little of others, I probably would be too.

@Asparagusluvva

One of the students who warned against it is someone that lives and grew up there. But we are keen to hear differing opinions!

I think the residents of student towns often only see the worst of the student population - the ones causing problems drunk on their nights out, or the anti-social ones who happen to live on the same street, or the political ones glueing themselves to things in the town centre! There are thousands more quietly and busily getting on with useful, pleasant and kind activities elsewhere - engaged in the arts, or in the local community or fundraising etc.

Some of my relatives live in Durham and often moan about the students, but it's the rugby club ones in their nappies at their initiation ceremonies . I know lots of DS's friends at Durham and they are all delightful, polite, friendly, kind etc.

I think there's always a tension between locals and (some) students.

BJ is middle ground high spend almost socialist. My heart always remains with the voice of freedom Mrs Thatcher whose cabinet we invited from time to time to my university but even then the left tried to stop free speech.

The left wing teachers on this thread live in a world where everyone votes Labour but they do need to appreciate that Labour has not won an election since 2005 and most people are wider than that. It is a pity we cannot have 50% of teachers and university lecturers who vote Tory.

My heart always remains with the voice of freedom Mrs Thatcher

Not a popular figure where I live (ex mining area).

There are many,many reasons why they don't...

Thatcher was an evil, malicious, cow without compassion. Her ambition was to destroy the north, and she nearly succeeded.

God l HATE that woman. Fortunately the poll tax did for her. Shame it wasn’t 10 years earlier.

Voice of Freedom = ermm. Clause 28?

Guess it depends on whose freedom you mean.

Round here there were celebrations when she died, and everyone was singing The Wicked Witch is Dead.

I suppose when you live in a very sheltered bubble lined with ££££££.....

Not the experience of most teachers NHS workers, ex miners etc. I'm trying to be polite here.

The left wing teachers on this thread live in a world where everyone votes Labour

Or green or Lib Dem, for whatever reason. Apparently the burning issue which got the attention of quite a lot of students for one local election last year was whether the council should continue to fund a Cow Welfare Officer...something along those lines anyway.

Voice of Freedom = ermm. Clause 28?

I was talking to a 34 year old lesbian, amongst other 30 somethings. They’d never heard of Clause 28 and couldn’t believe it. They were horrified.

I was horrified when it was introduced. Voice of freedom

It’s laughable.

votes Labour but they do need to appreciate that Labour has not won an election since 2005

And? The Conservatives weren’t in power for 13 years whilst Labour were in power.

Someone’s got to be in power and someone in opposition.

Oh, and not everyone who doesn't vote Tory votes Labour either, as @ErrolTheDragon has already pointed out.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

Thatcher was an evil, malicious, cow without compassion. Her ambition was to destroy the north, and she nearly succeeded.

God l HATE that woman. Fortunately the poll tax did for her. Shame it wasn’t 10 years earlier.

My father, a gentleman with beautiful manners and rarely a negative thought about anyone lived in the U.K. for 15 years. When he moved back home to Belgium he said that Thatcher was a wicked and disgusting person.

Sorry about the thread deflection.
If the poster's child wants to be amongst students who are left wing any university in the UK will provide that so there is nothing to fear.