Bristol or Durham (for Geography)

[busygirl8888]

My DD is fortunate enough to have received an offer for Geography from both Bristol and Durham but is going round in circles trying to decide which to firm so we really need to make a decision soon and would appreciate any advice. She is very outgoing and her main reason for favouring Bristol is the city itself: she much prefers the idea of a big city whereas she worries Durham will be too small (and nightlife no good!). My memories of being a student are that you're wrapped up in a bit of a student bubble anyway and won't have the funds to go to expensive night clubs every night but she worries she might get bored in Durham. That said, she really liked the collegiate system in Durham when we went for the open day and found it very friendly and social unlike Bristol which was a bit more impersonal. (eg, they recently closed the bars in the halls of residence we visited making us wonder how/where the students socialised).

However she has a few niggles about the Bristol course which appears to be a bit less flexible, without opportunities for work placement/year abroad etc and Durham is also higher in the ratings especially for geography. As a state school pupil, her other main worry about Durham is fitting in with the high percentage of ex-public school pupils, which is also likely to be the case at Bristol too however, her feeling there is that as the city is bigger there should be a more varied demographic overall. We've heard a lot of the social life in Durham is centered around sports clubs and pubs - she's not particularly sporty so again worries she may not fit in. I've also heard about issues with drugs in Bristol but I'm sure that might be the same for Durham too. Can anyone offer any advice? She needs to make her mind up soon. We've been to both open days and it's not helped!

In Durham you have Newcastle a short train ride away for nightlife beyond the student scene in Durham/ and also for general big city feel, culture etc.

She needs to go with her gut re which city and which course she likes. I would say ignore ratings, any difference is negligible at this level. It sounds like her concerns are with the city of Durham being too small to for her in terms of both interest/nightlife and diluting the public school kids. I think those are valid decisions to prefer Bristol over Durham. Re colleges and making friends - think people at Bristol generally leave with a really close knit group of friends so I think that is more of a perception than reality. Durham colleges aren’t much more than halls of residence really., Re the course and possibly preferring Durham - also valid.

FWIW I think it sounds like she would be happier at Bristol overall. She sounds like Durham might be a bit parochial/claustrophobic for her.

I have a DD doing geo at Bristol. I assume yours has applied for the BSc at Durham? At Bristol there is compulsory coding and stats and data analysis in year 1 and 2. It's a quant heavy course. There is no option to do a work placement. If you want to study abroad you must apply for that course up front and get >60% in year 1. Bristol is a fab city but the Uni is v spread out. (Need a bus to get to sports pitches, halls of residence in Stoke bishop need a bus to and from).

Have friends with DC at Durham. They love it. Big nights out are in Newcastle but they all seem to make their own fun with numerous societies and college led activities. Course has more choice I'd say. Ability to opt in for study abroad or work placement are pluses in my opinion. Collegiate system seems to be loved by those that go there - giving a real sense of belonging.

Both great choices. Good luck.

My son was in the same position and chose Bristol for Geography BSc. His twin for a different subject had the same choice and at first thought he might go for Durham so as not to be at the same place but in the end also chose Bristol but different Halls from his twin and that was awfully easier than had they been so far apart, (for lifts there etc).

I would have supported them at either place, Their older sister about 13 years before had been to Bristol and loved it and we live in London. She was also in her day choosing between the two although not for geography.

I think all 3 chose Bristol in part because of its being a bit closer to London. I am from NE England and was completely neutral as to whether the 3 of them chose Bristol or London.

Of those 3 one is a lawyer and 3 are trainee solicitors now so the geography one did not go into that for a career but still loved his degree at Bristol.

I think there are drugs at both universities and it is not hard to avoid all that. Mine did go to day private schools but nothing particularly posh and there were loads of state school pupils in Bristol. People just mix with anyone. (Their state educated cousin by the way went to Durham and loved it)

First year halls in Bristol can be important - 2 of mine were catered in Wills and one catered in Churchill and met loads of their friends there, over meals etc - so if you want that collegiate type feel (Wills was built by someone in Bristol whose son failed to get into Oxbridge, and it has a college feel, a chapel, fields , a quad etc).
Bristol is busier than Durham.

However I really think she will be fine at either. Given she prefer the busier city of Bristol and may not be so sporty perhaps pick Bristol?

I did geography at Durham (and my son is in his first year there). Both great choices. As others have said, I'd base it on which set up she prefers.

Durham nightlife in terms of clubs is limited but the social scene is college (or Uni sports) based. It's also very walkable as nowhere is that far away. Although Newcastle is only a train ride away, most students are too lazy to venture that far..

Bristol is much more of a big city experience. We looked at it again for my son and I was surprised how many bouncers they were on the doors of restaurants at the weekend (and I live near London so used to cities). The distance of some of the accommodation to the city centre is a downside. But it's more cosmopolitan and lively than Durham city centre.

Durham is a long way away for most people and the student rental market has gone mad due to a covid bump in numbers. Typical prices were £200 plus this year per room per week.

My DD is at Durham the college system is great. She has gowned formals and balls as well as standard uni activities like societies and clubs. They put children with similar interests together and they all get on well. She went to a state grammar school and has friends in her flat and course from all walks of life. My DD loves gigs and goes to Newcastle 15 mins away for 3 -4 this year. More clubs in Durham than we thought but very much small town than massive city. Friendly and safe. She’s not sporty but has found lots and lots to do. Please message me if you want to know more. She does not do geography but they do a sixth wildcard module in year 1 and she chose a geography one and has really enjoyed it. Real mixture of small group academic module tutorials as well as lectures, practicals and seminars. Had several kids through uni and worked and studied at several unis myself- Durham is excellent.

My dd has the same dilemma but got a different course. I was more keen on Durham but she chose Bristol for the same reasons as your dd. She loves it!
Like pp, she's in Wills which is catered and sounds very collegiate style but it's not guaranteed that they get the halls of their choice.
Having visited, its not as speaking and overwhelming as what I first thought it would be and I'm really pleased with her decision.
My DD knew which was right for her and I'm glad she went with that gut feeling rather than thinking Durham should be better.

Thanks so much for all the very useful replies: I agree that both are great choices and that she'd probably be fine at either but that she should go with her gut. I suspect she may go for Bristol in the end so good to know people have had positive experiences here. I think the Bristol open day put us off slightly as was pretty disorganised at times but the geography department seems strong which was reassuring.

I have a nephew and his wife who both did geography at Bristol - he now a solicitor in a Bank in the City and she a commercial property surveyor at CBRE, both loved it

@busygirl8888 An open day is a snapshot. It’s not really day to day living or the full learning experience.

Going abroad for non MFL students might be an issue for universities with Turing funding coming in. Bristol does offer a year abroad for Geographers. Did she not apply for that course?

My DD, like others, was in Wills (Tobacco) old quad at Stoke Bishop. Other friends were in Churchill. You have to see Stoke Bishop as “home”. It’s 10 mins on the bus. They just go into their department at Clifton for work/lectures/seminars etc. At campus universities, 2nd and subsequent years can involve the travel. Bristol is the reverse.

Students go out in the city. Not every day of the week. Get a shared taxi back to SB. In subsequent years you can rent property very close to the university. There are also halls in Clifton and near the centre for the going out every night types. Not that I recommend that strategy but I’ve known those halls chosen for that reason. The halls probably shouldn’t encourage alcohol.

My DD chose Bristol over Durham. She just thought it offered more as a city (theatre, concerts, galleries, restaurants, clubs, museums) snd didn’t regret going there. She also visited friends at Bath and Exeter and went to rugby matches. So more than enough to do.

@TizerorFizz - thanks for the post. She didn't apply initially for the Study Abroad option as was put off by another year of fees as opposed to a work placement year which some unis offer (which Bristol doesn't) however after the applicant day she did enquire about Study Abroad but unfortunately all the places are taken.

She is also thinking about applying for Stoke Bishop like your DD. I was a bit surprised that with the exception of Hyatt Baker, the bars seem to have been closed down so was wondering where the students in Wills/Churchill socialise on a day to day basis (especially if catered so don't have a kitchen to sit together in). Unfortunately we weren't able to see any of the communal areas on the recent open day which was a shame. She is hoping that catering might be the most sociable option but I'm sure like everything there's a fair bit of pot luck involved.

@busygirl8888
My DD - coffee shops! In Clifton. Or would work in her facility and the library.

Wills is in 6 room blocks I think but there is social space at the hall. There didn’t seem to be an issue and DD made friends. The meals do promote meeting others. Self catering options are limited in Wills snd the kitchenettes are tiny: the old quad isn’t all mod cons! DD made nearly all her friends there though. Fewer on her course! Bristol stufents need to look for y2 accommodation before Xmas so making friends is important. It’s like speed dating!

@busygirl8888 my dd is in Wills atm. Her 'flat' has 40 rooms and a large shared kitchen area which is very sociable. They sometimes use Hiatt Baker bar on the evening or pop onto the bus to Spoons.

@NCTDN is that the newer blocks? My DDs area was not 40 rooms. It was 6 girls.

Yes the newest Wills blocks. There's 3 floors with one shared area in each.

@NCTDN I’m not sure of max numbers per unit in old quad. DD was in a corner room and had a fireplace! It looked like it did when it was built. Furniture too! They were definitely boys and girls units. I imagine en suite are newer blocks.

My son was in Wills Hall in a group of about 8 boys in year 1. By the way comparing his gegoraph BSc with his twin's arts degree, the geography one had lots of contact with other geography students. I even had to drive him to start year 1 earlier than his twin -a few days early as they all went off on a geography field trip for a few days in the country somewhere before term started so bonded as a geography group and had a lot of other departmental things and trips which the one of my twins doing the arts subject did not.

I work in the geospatial industry. We seem to take a lot of Durham grads onto our grad scheme, and some of them are truly extraordinary. For that reason alone I’d pick Durham.

I even had to drive him to start year 1 earlier than his twin -a few days early as they all went off on a geography field trip for a few days in the country somewhere before term started so bonded as a geography group and had a lot of other departmental things and trips which the one of my twins doing the arts subject did not.

During my geography degree at Durham, we used to have Saturday coach trips to look at poor areas. Couched as deprived but basically the same thing.

One trip, we were parked in a car park in Sunderland and the 'locals' were understandably riled by twatty little students looking at them and making notes on clipboards while the lecturers waxed lyrical about urban deprivation. They decided to rock the coach and throw bottles, forcing us to make a hasty exit.

I look back and wonder who thought treating residents of less wealthy areas in the NE as a quasi safari park drive-through was in any way a good idea.