Bath?

[southernlife55]

Anyone know anything about Bath university? What's it like to live there?

My son has never been anywhere near there but he's now holding an offer after doing better than he thought he would.

It's lovely ! Bite their hand off! World leading in lots of subjects.

Campus is a bit 1960s concrete jungle, but it has a lovely lake. Everything is on campus, and students even club at the SU there... it's a bit out of town and Bath is an expensive city to live in, but otherwise it's a great university and Bath is lovely!

My ds going to Bath September 2024 (deferred). He loved the city. He has chosen a subject he is passionate about as well.
I realised on the open day after turning down the bus from Town to Campus that Bath University is very much on a hill!

Bath is a great uni. Would definitely recommend. A relative is there.

Well done to your ds

Maybe book a Travel Lodge/ Premier Inn and be a tourist for a couple of days.
My ds did that with his Dad on an offer day and they did the Roman Baths, etc...
Also, you could check out the campus.

What subject, OP?
My DS is also starting in September as his insurance after missing his firm. We only had a fleeting visit last year so don’t really know much either. It was a lovely little campus though with great sports facilities. It has a little supermarket on site but the main shops/city is about 30 mins walk.

Did your DS have it as his firm or has he gone through clearing? I’m a little worried about accommodation as it doesn’t open again now until the 22nd for the insurance/clearing lot. I’m hoping he will still manage to get halls rather than in the city.

I’ll be following this thread with interest.

I went to Bath university (albeit a while back now). A brain dump of random information...

It's a good university - well respected by employers. I don't know anyone from my graduation year that didn't leave with a good job (studied maths). Strong track record for offering a placement in industry in 3rd year if that's something DS would want to do. (I didn't, but lots of people do).

Campus is really good - compact, everything you need on it (shops, places to eat, good library, student union, really good sports facilities). Always stuff going on. Loads of 'societies' (clubs) to get involved in. Only walked into town once in 3 years because of the hill!

City itself is lovely - lots of good shops, cafes, bars. It is expensive. Sainsburys and Waitrose are the only supermarkets (we used to do online Tesco deliveries). Not sure if students still go for nights out nowadays (!) but we generally went to Bristol for better nights out. I found it rained a lot! From 2nd yr onwards most students live in Oldfield Park which involves 2 buses up to campus (one into town, one from town to uni) - bit of a trek. I lived in the town centre in the 3rd yr which is less common but was brilliant. Recommend starting your search for 2nd year housing mid-way through 1st year.

I'm from a working class background and found the culture slightly difficult to get used to - I'm stereotyping but lots of very middle class / very confident students - was a bit of a culture shock for me initially.

Hi my DD has just finished her first year at Bath doing Politics and IR. All I can say is that she loves it there but it top of her list when we looked at Unis (well apart from Cambridge but that didn't work out!). It is a small green campus overlooking Bath, most first years on campus with a couple of accommodation blocks in the City. DD finds the City big enough and hasn't been into Bristol yet for a night out as there are loads of bars and clubs in Bath with such a huge student population. Academically she has thrived so far and says all of her flat mates are hard working, exam time nobody was out but they also party hard at all other times. It has an excellent academic reputation that seems to be improving all the time but it really depends on what your DS priority is, a bustling City Uni it is not.

I think (but happy to be corrected) that the bus route from Oldfield is now more direct and stops at a supermarket.

There are frequent shuttle buses up and down The Hill. Big queues to et on them on Open Days and they get stuck in traffic a lot! We decided to walk. Bad bad choice.

@Piggywaspushed You survived THE HILL??!! I would have got half way up and called an Uber....😂

Really helpful replies thanks - we'll try and have a quick visit early next week.

I did the hill on open day with my ds.
We both had a little sit down on arrival to campus! Lovely walk and views though on way up hill!

Nooooo. This was the hill down.... that was enough, speed DH walks.

It's a very well respected University and has brilliant facilities. Lots to do in Bath, Bristol is better for a big night out but easy to get to.

This.
Like @TangoWhiskyAlphaTango my DD has just finished the best year of her life there and cannot wait to get back.
It's a gorgeous campus, surrounded by countryside, trees and a lake.
Pastoral care is second to none. Academically very sound. Everyone seems to pull together. When my daughter's accommodation was without cooking facilities for 10 days in January just before exams, both her course director and personal tutor got involved with the maintenance side and they all received rent credits, a big rent rebate and hot meals in the campus eateries.

It really is brilliant. And I'm told the nightlife is amazing too.

I did the bloody sodding hill to the offer holders' day. I arrived looking like Dawn French the day the Vicar of Dibley went in that puddle.

Hey @So1invictus 🤗hope you are well. DD cannot WAIT to get back either, she has spent much of the summer in Manchester though as her 3rd year BF is on placement and started in July. I hope you and yours are ok too xx

Former Russell Gp admission tutor here. When I first joined this thread I was discussing Bath as one of the hidden gems of UK HE. Those days are gone: it is the Time University of the Year. I love the city and very much enjoy visiting the university. The students and staff seem happy to me.

I would be very happy for my own DC to choose Bath

Why do I do it? On a morning, with my first coffee, I look at the Guardian on line and occasionally flick to the Daily Mail on line. Today the DM has an article lamenting the loss of genteel Bath city and suggesting unsafe and gone to the dogs under the Lib Dems.
Obviously, huge pinch of salt needed!

Loved it. Spent 7 years there doing degree and then PhD. Met my husband there. It's my favourite place in the whole world and I'd move back there in a heartbeat if I could!
My experience was that the department was very friendly and welcoming. It didn't seem overwhelming to someone who was the first in their family to go to uni.
As PP said, a few very confident ex private school students were a bit intimidating in terms of confidence but that was my problem rather than theirs. Settled in really well after I found my feet with my course.
In conclusion, highly recommend!

Daily Mail innit 😂

In the 3 times I've been I've seen one drunk (broad daylight, middle of pedestrianised shopping area) and some sort of altercation with a group of young teens on my way back to the hotel. I say altercation but as I was approaching I saw a group of about 8 outside a building society. As I got nearer three (!!!) police cars screeched up and officers leapt out and I'm thinking lordy what is this. Walking past I heard one of the girls say (nicely) "I'm just ringing my mum so she can come and get me" and the officer saying "ok". No idea what it was all about, but it didn't look to be anything serious. DD said she heard them talking about mobile phones, so maybe one had had one stolen or something.

The DM might be having the vapours but elsewhere it's still considered the safest smallish large city in the country.

My Ds is there & loves it. He did his placement year in the area too & will be more than happy to stay there if they offer him a graduate job.

The only annoying thing is how expensive hotels are, if you want to visit overnight- you need to book well in advance to get anything reasonable (even Premier Inn is pricy compared with other areas). Obviously this is because it is such a popular tourist destination.

@Decorhate Yes that is my biggest peev the cost of hotels!! I did stay in the Z hotel on a Sunday night and it was around £60 but then you add in parking and it is sooo pricey. Did your DS stay in Bath for placement year? DD is just about to start applying and really wants to stay in Bath / Bristol for hers too and is going to start applying sooner rather than later. What course is your DS doing?

Going to be taking DD back in a few weeks to her new house but not in Oldfield like the rest of them but a place called Bear Flat which seems more family than student so hoping they won't feel out of out of it.

Bath resident here with DD(16). Yes the city isn't what it was, but it is still a great place to live if you can afford it. There is a lot of anger about LTN's, new residents parking zones, street maintenance and bad planning approvals and/or minimal police force amongst a vocal minority.

The Uni has a great reputation (and excellent employability stats). If we didn't live here, I would be encouraging DD to consider a 4 year degree here.

The city is generally very safe, though there are some issues with County lines. The campus is surrounded by National Trust land (but the campus itself is quite compact). It has great sports facilities (as it is a national development centre for a few sports and a football academy).

I believe the Uni has about 18,000 undergraduates (there is a smaller Bath Spa Uni the other side of the City). Accommodation isn't cheap. They are building a bit more on campus, but there are lots of blocks in and around Bath. After year 1 a lot of students try to group together and live in HMO's. The richer foreign students tend to live along North Parade in the new blocks.

There are regular buses from the city up to campus, but September/October are usually chaotic until people learn how to stagger arriving/departing.

I expect that some might find it dull if they are used to edgier big cities.

@TangoWhiskyAlphaTango Ds did his placement in Bristol, was an easy commute. For him it was the tail end of Covid when he was applying (2020/2021) & not as many places available as usual due to people still wfh. He had resigned himself to probably going straight into 3rd year & arranged a house share but kept applying to local companies & one came good. He’s doing Civil Engineering.