Lancaster for a party boy?

[manlyago]

He liked the University at the recent open day but it was very quiet/lacking in atmosphere (obviously as it was the summer holidays!) so it was difficult to gauge its usual feel. He is worried it would be too full of quiet studious types.

He originally wanted a city university but we went for a look anyway as it’s got a good reputation for his course (Business) and he really liked that aspect of it. It’s just the social side he was concerned about.

Anyone got a son or daughter there? Thanks.

Going to a bar is not really having a party. Party cities are Newcastle. Sheffield, Leeds m, Liverpool and Manchester. It’s a culture. Not a bar crawl.

And don't forget Bristol @TizerorFizz. Among my DC and their friends, it has the reputation of being the biggest party uni of them all.

Loving the Lancaster talk. It's a a party town, although my favourite bar to go dancing, on North Road (the old Gillows building) is now a student block. And I'm not sure if the Sugar House is still going.

But there's always Morecambe for raucous foam parties ...

Sugar House still up and running although nobody seems to call it the Shagger House anymore..

In my day the Empire and the Carlton in Morecambe were special events which didn’t happen that often and necessitated queuing for tickets. I still occasionally have a stress dream about having been asked to get the tickets for our corridor and then forgetting!

OMG, I went to some amazing parties in Lancaster. That's saying something for someone who went to Newcastle.

@RosaMendoza
Is it chosen specifically as a party university? DD1 went there but it didn’t compare with Newcastle back then!

How long ago was that then @TizerorFizz ? Absolutely up there as a party uni now.

I’m specifically steering DS towards Lancaster as his fall back choice since I would like him to have a well rounded experience. It clearly isn’t Leeds. There aren’t hundreds of clubs to go to etc. but the benefit is that there is a very good and active social scene combined with a countryside vibe.

I am a little disppointed that university reputations are putting people off some universities. DD hates clubbing, but absolutely loved her time at Newcastle. There are plenty of other ways to socialise other than clubbing and partying. Plus there is the proximity to the coast.

Not all students love to party, and there are opportunities to party at every university.

I used to live in Leeds @User952539 and there are loads of opportunities to socialise that aren't partying or clubbing. Students can get a train up to Ilkley or a bus to Otley for countryside or to York for museums and culture after they have exhausted what Leeds has to offer.

Also, I think the final decision lies with the student, not the parent.

@RampantIvy i agree totally - my ds will be off to Manchester in a couple of weeks after a gap year and has had his accommodation confirmed as Oak House - so the party hall in the party university. Yes it does live up to its reputation in some respects (and I have friends whose dc have been in Oak House this last year) but they also work hard and Manchester is a big university so there are all types of people there. Also as you don’t chose your accommodation (just express 5 preferences) there will be all sorts of different people in the halls.

inthink the bigger cities are more “party” just because they’re bigger and have the clubs bands etc. Yy Bristol is definitely a big party place but Nottingham has always been the one with the reputation as the party place amongst my childrens friends.

I do think the big city unis are unfairly criticised on MN as being these party hell holes - other places have much more of a reputation for drugs for instance. But universities are big places made up of diverse groups of people.

And agree totally it’s up to the student where they go and what they study!

@RosaMendoza
Yes. Years ago! But I think all DDs friends chose it for the courses and the fact it was one of the best universities for their employment goals. The party folk were less work focussed. Friends DS went there and is highly capable but prefers not to work in London snd likes the drinking scene in Bristol whilst working for the university. Much bigger earnings available elsewhere but personality comes into it too. He started out wanting the big bucks in London but thought the hours were onerous!

I know people who specifically chose Manchester, and particularly Newcastle, for partying. They chose courses, not based on the content, but based on the Uni’s social reputation only. They wanted to be in those cities. However if that’s now Bristol, so be it. You still need high grades for lots of courses there though. But Bristol is still a great place to be!

That is very much what I have heard about Bristol @TizerorFizz - DC choosing it not for the course but for the partying. Just because you need relatively high grades for courses doesn't mean people are necessarily serious - especially in the last two years with grade inflation, particularly in the private sector. The drugs culture at Bristol is off-putting for many DC now.

surely Bristol Manchester and Leeds are all much of a muchness when it comes to grades?

Bristol's widening participation schools list has pretty much all non-selective state schools in the country on it. This includes high performing comprehensives in wealthy areas. I know several DC who recently got reduced offers from Bristol. One lives in a £2million home with both parents earning six figure salaries. No other contextual flags and their school was a high performing leafy comp. Surely that breadth of widening participation will have generally lowered the entrance bar.

They are similar but Bristol punches higher for London based jobs and earnings. I suspect there are more SE based students looking for these jobs and parents are role models. Of course not everyone is the same though, and as I said earlier, it’s not what everyone wants. Leeds and Manchester are massive regional centres. All universities have drugs. Scotland is even worse! There’s only drugs if you want them. Manchester and Leeds are hardly drug free zones! I think students choose Bristol because their career goals are well served by being there. Parties are fun and of course a high quality student will work and play hard! Except on MN where they only work!

@StoneSquirrel
No doubt it has for some but clearly not every comp is on the list! Bristol cannot win in a way. It’s complained about because of its high private school intake and now it’s too generous. What it really means is, if you want certain careers, Bristol is till top 5. If you don’t then it’s not much different to anywhere else! However employers might well look at A levels as well as degree. Not all are looking at no info at all!

I studied Economics at Lancaster and just want to say...

Grizedale 'til i die 🤣🤣🤣

Of course Manchester and Leeds aren’t drug free zones - I don’t think anyone has said that!

im uncertain what you mean with the SE students with role model parents?? Odd comment and there’s a lot of middle class southerners in the northern red bricks! Some of them even have successful parents 😂 . I have no vested interest in either Manchester or Bristol. Ds chose Manchester above Bristol and his gf vice versa - I think they’re very comparable. His school sends roughly equal numbers to both each year.

I’ll break it to him that his choice of uni and lack of role model parents will mean he won’t be able to work in London 😂 but this list would seem to indicate that students from Manchester and Leeds will struggle through 😀

www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/graduate-employability-top-universities-uk-ranked-employers

@TizerorFizz have you looked at the list for Bristol? I was very surprised. I think you will find that pretty much all non-selective state schools are on the list.

It’s certainly not all by any means - I’m in Bucks and obv non of the grammars are on but also some of the upper schools aren’t eligible for contextual at Bristol (upper school = secondary modern in old money).

Err I think you’ll find Lonsdale is the best college!

Kitty, I said non-selective states. Which Bucks uppers aren't on the Bristol list? I'm genuinely interested.