Oxford Brookes

[Flows]

DS has an offer for sports science for this year. Wondered if anyone has any experience of the uni?

I went there a very long time ago. Oxford, as a city, has a lot going for it and it’s a great place to be a student. I don’t know the course but I would imagine it’s as good as most other places offering it.

Many thanks for taking the time to reply, ds would like to know what the feel of the place is like. On student sites it’s ranked really low for student satisfaction… and we can’t quite work out why??

I wonder if it's because it's really in the shadow of University Of Oxford and students feel a bit second class?

@Flows
Don’t forget most students don’t vote. You can get disgruntled ones who do. I’m assuming student satisfaction can mean all sorts of things to all sorts of people. Someone didn’t like a lecturer. Someone didn’t get a job. Someone chose the wrong course.

I would ask more questions on offer holder day. However I think Oxford Brookes is popular and I’m not sure any issues are down to the other university. They don’t really have much connection and get on with their own thing.

Sporty people tend to fit in easily. Lots of sports clubs to join and people with similar interests are easy to find. It’s a university with plenty of students from London as transport connections are good. Wheatley can feel a bit remote but the Headington area is great.

DS would be based at Headington so that’s a positive and is really sporty… we have 2 already at uni and just know anyone who’s going or gone there to ask questions. Offer holders day was very good, course seems brilliant, and the facilities for sport for great.

Just not having anyone with first hand knowledge and the negative feedback mostly seems to be around admin

One of DD2’s friends went there and was happy. A few years ago though. I have to say both mine went to universities where they hadn’t got first hand knowledge/info. We felt you couldn’t tick every box.

Headington is a better location and I can’t see why OB wouldn’t fit his criteria. I assume he’s checked out the sports clubs?

A long time ago for me, but it was great. Loads going on socially, very popular with sporty types. I made good friends, mixed with some Oxford students occasionally too. Links to london, lots to see & do.

My dd had an offer from OB .What put her off was cost of accomodtion

It’s Oxford. Housing is expensive there. But it is in lots of places now.

Thank you all for taking the time to reply, he has checked out all the sports clubs and it’s an impressive list. He will get full grant and we’ve looked at accommodation for years 2&3 and seems doable. He has a job that he can come home to through the summer and will go with savings.

Also i note the point above on only unhappy students feeding back, but surely that’s the same for all unis and still OB came 104th

My colleague's DD went there and left 4 years ago so relatively recent.
She really liked it.
The only comment I remember my colleague making was that there were a lot of students who had come from independent schools (as did her DD) and that she seemed to have a lot of friends with very significant amounts of money (no idea if this is a reality or whether it was just her experience).

DS1 decided against OBU when he was choosing but we went to an offer day and learnt a few things.

Nice campus and lecture facilities. Very smart in main part.
Variable accommodation. Accommodation at OBU is very expensive for what they get. Yes, this is influenced by 'Oxford prices' but the uni could offset it more. Off campus accommodation in second/ third year is very very costly - Oxford has just about the highest cost of living outside London.
This may in part contribute to it having the highest rate of independent educated students of any post 92 institution, and higher than a lot of rebricks/campus unis/ RGs. Obviously, I don't know your DS's background but it's of note.
Sporting reputation is excellent.
There isn't one central campus but building/rejigging is going on.
Students satisfaction this past year was heavily influenced by Covid - some normally popular unis got hammered. OBU is a sociable uni and it was in the papers a bit for the way it treated students/ the way students behaved, depending on your perspective.

I think most people would expect Oxford to be expensive. I think it’s similar to Bristol but less than London. However supermarkets are the same and going out isn’t going to cost more. If you live in London, going home is cheap.

As a city it has a lot going on. It’s popular and I don’t see what difference it makes regarding who goes there. Why would it? Surely you choose a university for what meets your needs and not what appeals to others? Sport at university welcomes people from all backgrounds.

It was 8k for accomodation when we looked 5 years ago.

Yes, we looked 3 years ago. It was definitely the deciding factor. 'Cheaper' accommodation really wasn't very nice.

It definitely comes near the bottom of various inclusion tables and has been targeted by the likes of the EEF to 'improve'. Of course this may not matter to many but plenty of students might feel socially excluded in a place where many students are wealthy (or indeed may feel more included!) so it is worth at least knowing.

I disagree that going out costs the same wherever you are. I can't comment on Oxford but a night out (including transport) can be far more expensive in some student towns that others. The Tab did a list a while back.

@bruffin
You didn’t look very hard then! Prices start at £4500. Some are £8000 and that can reflect a 50 week rent period. The standard rental period is cheaper than £8000in lots of halls.

I do get a bit annoyed when people quote prices that are actually wrong because they didn’t look at all options. The same issue arises at Bristol. If you want Rolls Royce facilities, you pay. Oxford is the home of the Mini! Cheaper halls are available.

As a city it has a lot going on. It’s popular and I don’t see what difference it makes regarding who goes there. Why would it?

My DC are both at university and are both clear that you do find cultural differences between people who attended private schools compared to state. Culture differences can be difficult to define when they are relatively subtle. Obviously that's not to suggest that people can't make friends with people from different backgrounds to them. And sport can sometimes be a route through which people from very different backgrounds find common ground.

Interested to hear about the inclusion tables. We are from one of the poorest London Boroughs.

We have a friends who’s dd is at Oxford and loving it, it is indeed a lovely city.

Lots to consider. Thank you all.

It was on medical side.
Either dd ended in Cardiff and didn't bankrupt herself

Well no one bankrupts themselves in student accommodation either. At least nurses and medical grads always get grad jobs after graduating! So they should never face bankruptcy or poverty.

I still fail to see why it matters where you went to school. State schools are a clear majority everywhere. However rugby teams, rowing teams and cricket teams are more likely to have privately educated DC in them. Ditto any equestrian sports. Most DC are not looking for subtle differences to distinguish between students and don’t care. We are obsessed with finding division in this country when we would be far better advised to rub along with everyone. When you go to work, you have to.

It was a figure of speech!
But DDS friend had to to take out normal loads to pay for her accomodation

Why? First time degree students can get the student loan.

It’s a Mickey Mouse ‘university’.
Seriously consider the future job prospects before your DC gets into debt going there.

What a ridiculous thing to say. What's your evidence?

@froufroufrou
For Sports Science, you won’t get many RGs offering it. OB is more about vocational courses and they have a good reputation for them. As I went there I’m fairly confident that a good student won’t waste any money.