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Higher education

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

Original poster

Campus universities

322 replies

PinaColadaBaby · 15/03/2023 18:00

I know most universities have a campus of sorts but DD is looking for a traditional campus university - where all the teaching, 1st year accommodation and sport are in one place. So, by this criterion, Leicester and Leeds for example are not campus, whereas Nottingham is.

Traditional campus universities that occur to me: Nottingham, Birmingham, Exeter, Warwick, Essex, York. Do you know of any others please?

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 18/03/2023 11:54

*imploring = improving!

Piggywaspushed · 18/03/2023 11:55

What does he intend to study tree?

WithASpider · 18/03/2023 12:23

Leicester is a great university despite not being a campus. DD1 is there and most first years live at the new Freeman's Common site which is literally 5 mins walk across the road from the bottom of campus.
It's a similar set up to Birmingham but over a much smaller area. It's very green too!
Dd's house for next year is 10 mins walk away - very close.

Tree543 · 18/03/2023 12:30

Piggywaspushed · 18/03/2023 11:55

What does he intend to study tree?

Computer Science. He is fairly quiet but has a big group of friends at the moment, though isn't into drinking and I do worry a bit how he will be at making friends from scratch.
We looked into the meal plan and other than the 10% discount it didnt seem to be worth doing as you can still buy the meals as and when you want
But I did read that they put the meal plan people in flats together so it can be a sociable thing to do.
Is it the bar area at Shackleton that is quiet?

Piggywaspushed · 18/03/2023 12:33

Yes, it is quiet, although DS doesn't live in Shackleton so he may not really know.

DS had barely touched alcohol before uni. He seems to be holding his own now!

Aitken isn't a 'meal plan' accommodation so his meal plan was added. Everyone he lives with self caters. But I think in places like Shackleton and Chamberlain they do live all together.

RampantIvy · 18/03/2023 12:44

He is on the Meal Plan! He can't cook at all so it seemed a good idea.

How will he manage in a house share in year 2 onwards? Is he able to stay in halls?

Original poster
PinaColadaBaby · 18/03/2023 12:46

Piggywaspushed · 18/03/2023 10:43

To come back to earlier conversation and side stepping STEM debate, my DS is at Birmingham. Most of the accommodation is indeed a 15 minute walk form teaching. Thsi is also these days true at York, depending on accommodation and subject. The accommodation is definitely part of the campus though and not separate.

DS is not at all streetwise and has never felt unsafe in Birmingham. Touch wood.

That’s good to hear Piggy. DD had Birmingham top of her list but is now favouring the collegiate feel of Lancaster. As you say, seems to be v highly regarded for French. Hope your DS is enjoying Brum - does he do languages?

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 18/03/2023 13:11

RampantIvy · 18/03/2023 12:44

He is on the Meal Plan! He can't cook at all so it seemed a good idea.

How will he manage in a house share in year 2 onwards? Is he able to stay in halls?

He will spend this summer learning!

Piggywaspushed · 18/03/2023 13:12

No, my DS does history OP.

TizerorFizz · 18/03/2023 16:21

@SoTedious Nearly every comment on here is an anecdote. I notice no one can answer my question about MFL and boys. Or English and boys. Why are there differences in which gender prefers which subject? What studies show why boys don’t do MFL?

SoTedious · 18/03/2023 17:53

@TizerorFizz My comments weren't anecdotal, there is proper research into the reasons why girls are less likely to pursue STEM degrees and careers. There is nothing wrong with anecdotes, but it does seem a bit obtuse to dismiss such research findings based on the experience of one child in a relatively unusual educational setting. I haven't seen anyone else use their anecdote to do that but may have missed it.

I haven't had the time or inclination to look up anything about the choices of boys but maybe the same stereotyping and external pressures / expectations come into play. And/or maybe STEM careers are regarded as being high prestige and more lucrative, maybe boys are encouraged to attach value to those things, and why wouldn't you pursue prestige and money if you didn't have to overcome any additional barriers. Maybe our economy and society are set up to reward STEM graduates and the numbers of boys doing languages reflects that. Obviously if strategies designed to encourage girls into STEM work, there will fewer girls doing languages too. Maybe competition for STEM places then would force more boys into humanities or maybe STEM will get bigger and languages smaller. Who knows, I am just surmising, there are bound to be many factors at play but I'm sure you can find the answers if you start googling.

Manybeards · 18/03/2023 18:35

Why has a thread about campus unis been hijacked to talk about girls and STEM. Start your own thread if you want that discussion

NotDonna · 18/03/2023 20:58

gogohmm · 17/03/2023 08:28

Just a tip, do think about life beyond first year halls. Some places are significantly more expensive than others, but it's not just the money, it's availability - Bath for instance is a bit of a nightmare, every year on the news there's stories of youngsters unable to get housing. Bigger cities obviously have more options, whereas towns like Loughborough can feel like you are trapped pretty quickly- they spend a lot of time and money going to Nottingham and Leicester for nights out in my personal experience.

I hadn’t realised Bath had accom issues. I guessed it wouldn’t be a cheap city, but hadn’t realised accom thin. Grrrr!

InMyRoom · 18/03/2023 21:21

We found them to be a mixed bag. The well cared for ones with good accommodation, near to buzzing towns can be fab. Others seemed drab and a bit lifeless, especially when abandoned at the weekend (looking at you Warwick).

TizerorFizz · 18/03/2023 23:30

@Manybeards
Many apologies. I answered a question about why boys don’t take up MFLs in the same numbers as girls as a poster said that put her DD off studying MFL at university. I attempted to explain why that might be. My DD did study MFL and I was attempting to say why people choose MFL and there’s plenty of boys to meet elsewhere. My views were then criticised by the stem brigade. However I would like to say that MFL degrees are brilliant and there needs to be greater participation by boys. Like many aspects of school, girls and boys make choices snd the factors determining the choices are complex. Research has found (British Council) that prior attainment is the biggest driver of Dc choosing MFL. So I’ll leave it there.

Piggywaspushed · 19/03/2023 06:44

NotDonna · 18/03/2023 20:58

I hadn’t realised Bath had accom issues. I guessed it wouldn’t be a cheap city, but hadn’t realised accom thin. Grrrr!

Show quote history

I said that on a thread a while back where a poster was consider Bath, Surrey or York iirc. Several posters said it wasn't correct and this year was fine. There were still first years down in the town, however. They just didn't seem to mind. Accommodation is very expensive in Bath, of course.

NeverApologiseNeverExplain · 19/03/2023 11:45

“The STEM brigade”? FFS.

PhotoDad · 19/03/2023 11:54

The Charge of the STEM Brigade

All the league, all the league, all the league tables
Into the Valley of Maths charged the Top 20....

SoTedious · 19/03/2023 12:16

😂😂
I must admit I started it, couldn't not correct the idea that girls are not as good as boys at STEM on account of their different brains.
But I am a musician.. I guess I could be the bugler for the STEM Brigade.

TizerorFizz · 19/03/2023 15:16

So what makes someone good at playing a musical instrument? Does everyone have the same talent, or are some more talented than others? Are musicians brains possibly different? I think a certain amount of talent applies to many areas of learning - we are not all the same. I don’t think boys or girls need constant hectoring about their informed choices. We certainly don’t want anyone being bullied into taking a subject because they are “doing it for the girls” but then get CCC which might have been AAA in other subjects. Ditto with boys.

SoTedious · 19/03/2023 15:29

So what makes someone good at playing a musical instrument? Does everyone have the same talent, or are some more talented than others?

Some are more talented than others but girls are not less talented than boys because of some difference in their different brains.

Nobody is suggesting anyone should be hectored or bullied, just that everyone should have the same opportunities.

Maybe give it a rest now.

DinkyDaisy · 19/03/2023 15:38

Oh. Thought Bristol more a problem with accommodation than Bath...
Ds looking at Bath and Surrey for firm and insurance and was me that started a Thread some time back on Surrey, Bath and York...

BreakfastClub80 · 19/03/2023 17:12

Salford Uni?

Very close to Manchester and accessible by tram now. It’s developed a lot since I was there but I remember it fondly.

BlueHeelers · 20/03/2023 07:00

I am talking traditional campus uni where EVERYTHING is in same place

But that’s not “traditional “. The only places I can think of where everything is on one site are Birmingham and Lancaster and, maybe Essex? Or the tiny not-quite-really universities like Bishops Grosseste in Lincoln. (But really???) Exeter has a very clearly defined campus, but I think the sports fields are somewhere else. The “traditional “ universities like Edinburgh or the big civics like Manchester do actually have defined campuses but are much more integrated into their locations.

3littlebeans · 20/03/2023 07:26

Yes I agree a campus isn't traditional for England at least