UCL vs Exeter

[CeciCC]

My DD has offers from both UCL and Exeter. Course are not the same, UCL is Human Science, Exeter is joint flexible honours Bioscience and Sociology (Exeter doesn't teach the Human science that she was interested. HS in Exeter is more enviroment focus). She can't decide between both, yesterday she was very much in favour of UCL and looking at halls... this morning, she is more for Exeter.
We know for 2nd and 3rd year, UCL accommodation will be expensive and may be not very nice.. but we live just outside London, so she decided she would live at home, at least for the 2nd year. it would be from our house 40 minutes door to door.
I think she can't decide in which "uni life" experience she would rather have...
Any experiences in both universities are very welcome!!
TIA

They’re extremely different. One London one small quiet city, one full campus the other non campus. Only she can decide which she’d prefer but clearly she’ll save a lot of money if she can live at home and commute. Smaller student debt is a significant benefit.

We live in London so I encouraged my DDs to have a university experience somewhere else. DD2 is at Exeter and she has had a brilliant time so far. (She's currently abroad in 3rd year, returning for final year).
Exeter is quite posh though and not particularly diverse, tons of private school kids. My guess is that UCL has far more diversity and lots of international students. I might be biased but I tend to think the central london university experience is not as fun. You could make friends with someone who lives really far away. I am not sure what the social life is like. We have a friend who went to UCL and had a poor experience in the covid years - but I think students everywhere probably had a crap time in 2020/2021.
It does make sense that living at home would save money and laundry etc.

I would say to move away if at all possible- think it's a much more fun experience and allows you to spread your wings.

I went to the Exeter open day last weekend and I found the event very white and middle class. I'm sure it's a great uni but would think it suits those who are sporty and love the outdoors - Dartmoor, the beach etc. Does this fit your dd? Also they said in some of the accommodation you have to clear your room at Christmas and Easter if the hall is booked for a conference, do these logistics work for your family? I know these aren't reason to choose a uni but just giving more info.

Bit different because I’m a mature student with my own kids but I chose Bristol over exeter because exeter felt very rah to me. Middle class, white, horsey types and I didn’t feel like I’d fit in! It’s very quiet and felt quite staid - I think it would be the diametric opposite of ucl!

Thank you 'user18' and 'Majesticwine' yes they are very different. I too have encouraged her to go outside London and we really like Exeter went we went to the open day.. and up till the weekend it was number 1 in her list. But she went to the offer holders day... and she come back a littles deflated so UCL become number 1. She missed the offer holders day in UCL.
You are correct as well with the type of student in both universities will be very different and this is as well "small" point for her in favour of UCL that the student population in UCL will be more international than Exeter, not that Exeter won't have any international students.

We had exactly the same experience. Exeter has always been number 1 with a fab open day experience but then after the offer holder day DS was also deflated and disappointed. It just felt flat. It is extremely and noticeably white and has a disproportionately high number of independent school kids (although that isn’t an issue for ds who is an independent school kid himself).

However for me university isn’t really about the degree. You get one of those wherever you go. It’s about becoming your own person, being independent, having fun and learning to deal with the not so fun bits too. It’s about learning to budget, living on toast when you’ve blown your money for the week on alcohol, living with others (who you might not like), making silly mistakes with unsuitable boys etc. As a result, unless there was just no other choice I would always encourage DC to move away for university.

Yes sorry we were at the offers day last weekend not general open day and it has also dropped down the list for us. We went to the subject lecture and all the questions were asked by parents - I do think parents should take a back seat at these events!

I think it's a bit odd that the parents even went to the lecture TBH.

@RampantIvy , yes I agree, I would have happily missed it but when we arrived it was clear everyone was there with 1 or 2 adults. It was a train strike day so due to location you could only get to the offer holders day by car.

Parents were expected to be there. There was no separating off of parents and students like there has been at other offer holder days and the lecture ran literally straight after a talk with no opportunity to escape. Believe me I would rather not have sat through the lecture. Unfortunately ds felt like that too!

Interesting that three of us all felt their offer holder days didn’t work.

Over thirty years ago, I had this choice. My head of sixth described Exeter as being like a girls public school. I went there. He wasn’t far wrong . And from what I’ve heard via my dc’s friends, it hasn’t much changed.

It was definitely right for me. I was very much a country bumpkin, and would have struggled with a big city at that stage in my life.

I don’t think there’s much to choose between UCL and Exeter, so realistically it comes down to big city v. small town.

Just to add as I don't think this has been said yet, but Exeter is also really expensive, both accommodation and general living so not sure how much cheaper it actually is than London. Goddaughter is there currently and finding budgeting quite difficult…

thank you all for your replies! My DD went to the OHD with a friend, friend's mum drove them there as there were no trains that Saturday. I found odd as well that parents were to the lectures.. I though that OHD would be more for the holders to experience a day in University. My DD's friend went to a talk about clubs and societies and sports, and she said that the girls doing the talk didn't particitpate in any.. which it was odd as well.. 🤔
@user18 I agree that the experience is very important, but I do think that the course is very important as well. I think is very important to "spread the wings" and become independent, which Exeter, would be perfect.. no easy come home for a home cooked meal or doing the laundry 😁which UCL would be too close for that not to happened at all. I do agree that they have to do all the "silly" mistakes that we all done once becoming independent and live with people you might no like.
My eldest DD is finishing her degree in Barcelona, she had to mature very rapidly and get used to do everything herself.
@redrobin75 She is very sporty.. plays football regularly and used to play netball and gymnastics.. so sports are important and I know she would love to do surfing as well.
@thing47 Thank you for this about how expensive Exeter is as well.. we didn't know.
Well, she said to me this morning that she would make a decission this weekend. Let's see what she decides.

Just to chip in on Exeter.
My DD is 2nd year, and it’s true that accommodation is more expensive but seems on a par with Bath and Bristol. Living costs are surely what you make them? DD shops in Lidl and Morrisons (either shared driving or particularly in 1st year a shared supermarket delivery).
She is v sociable and is out clubbing 1-2 times per week and takes part in uni sport.

Sport does seem very big at Exeter, whether playing or supporting, with very social nights out after the big matches.
Her weekly budget is £80 (after we pay her rent) plus she works part time but manages to run her car and save money each month.
I do agree that the open day we went to was underwhelming in parts, but DD has consciously avoided the tutor who gave the boring lecture, and in fairness lots of lecturers where available to speak to at the OHD, plus staff from accommodation services, welfare support and gap year/year abroad support. In practice, DD has found her personal tutor very approachable and all the lecturers she’s had have been very good.
It’s not London, but there’s still a fair bit to do and places to go, including weekly trips to the beach in the good weather (and being in the south west there’s a lot of good weather).

Many students are from the south east, and lots are still from the independent sector.
Purely anecdotal but one of DDs best friends is at UCL and she commented on how much friendlier she finds it at Exeter when she visits and how students seem to know each other much more.

Don’t underestimate how international UCL now is. In my view it hasn’t led to integration, quite the opposite. There is very little mixing or even speaking in English, especially with the larger groups. I wouldn’t encourage students to live at home, especially if needing to commute, it really effects their bonding experience.

Thanks TimeisEternal you might have a point about integration. I know by experience that when you moved to another country for work or studies you will get together with others with the same life experiences than you, more so if you come from the same country.
I never encouraged her to live at home, the opposite, I know how important is to live in halls so they get to know other people. she decided that is she took the UCL offer, she might live at home for 2nd year and may be 3rd.. but I would be as happy is she decides to share a flat in London.

I wish there was an edit button, were not where 😟

I'm sure it's a great uni but would think it suits those who are sporty and love the outdoors - Dartmoor, the beach etc.

Really not necessarily! Lots are perfectly content with clubbing.

It is extremely and noticeably white and has a disproportionately high number of independent school kids (although that isn’t an issue for ds who is an independent school kid himself).

Oddly enough, despite a variable reputation and negative reviews on MN, I know a few not white students at Exeter who are having an enormous amount of fun and haven’t (so far) experienced any unpleasantness at all. In fact they say both the university and the city population almost go out of their way not to cause offence. It’s true they are mostly independently educated, though, so cannot speak for everyone.

Your DD can have a completely independent experience if she goes to UCL. If she lives in accommodation it will be very similar to moving away. Picking the right student hall with will be an important factor in this. Also she thinks she will live at home in the 2nd and 3rd year but once she makes some friends and enjoys her independence you may find that this changes.

Which course does she prefer? That's what she's paying for and that's what she'll be doing - I know extra-curricular stuff is important, but if you are not engaged with the course then everything else is a bit pointless. At the end of the day what is she going to love studying and what will she excel at? I have one away from home at a big campus uni in the UK and one here at home at uni in Paris (after a false start in the UK - a whole other story). There are pros and cons to both experiences, but crucially both really love their courses. My advice would always be to pick the course then decide where to study it rather than picking the uni then looking for a course.

@Socrateswasrightaboutvoting you are correct on that point.. and I know that will probably happen, which I'll totally fine with it. I had that experience.. come to the uk to study english for 6 months.. went back home.. even though where I was living in the uk, couldn't bring boys back home.. that taste of independence was enough for me to take the decision to come back to the uk to work and live.
@LillianGish on paper the UCL course is the one she is more interested in as it is very open on what subjects/modules to take after 1st year, which for someone that doesn't know really what she would like to do and wants to study something that gives her options, is the best and up until visiting Exeter in the open day back in September, UCL and Oxford were the only universties in consideration. We didn't get an offer from Oxford (not completely upset for it), so that leaves just UCL and Exeter in the list.

I did a degree and was in a hall that was not diverse at all and had the absolute best time. Excitedly went back to do my MA expecting a similar vibe and was on a floor with all foreign students and I only got to know one person there the whole year (although we are still friends 20 years later), the others all spoke the same language and weren't interested in mixing with anyone who didn't. I was so disappointed and didn't enjoy it at all.

@Choconut sorry you didn't enjoy when you went back for MA. I know that can happen when you live with students from other countries. When I moved to London I live in a hostel that had people from over 10 different countries living there, and that was the same. it took a lot of "work" to get to know people from other countries. That's is something to take into consideration, like all the other good points that have been mentioned in the chat. Not an easy decision for my DD to make.. Hopefull which ever Uni she decides to go, she'll make the most of it and have a wonderfull time.