Nottingham, Birmingham, Exeter

[GrangeFill]

DD is hoping for offers from Uni of Nottingham, Uni of Birmingham and Uni of Exeter. We have been to open days at all three, but not ventured into the cities at all.

We are hoping to do this at offer holder days in the Spring.

What areas of each city are best to look at when we visit? For example, I’m aware Birmingham is like a collection of villages eg Stirchley, Selly Oak etc. And Nottingham Lenton, Beeston etc. Which parts of each city would a student likely venture to, so where is best to check out in each city?

@GrangeFill my dd1 is also currently first year at Nottingham. Main campus catered accommodation. She got her first choice which was en suite. Seemingly no issues at all. It is very expensive so I suspect there are fewer people bidding for en suites. She has found catered to be a great way of meeting people and her corridor have slightly different interests so it has meant she has formed bonds with people in other buildings within the same halls. She makes great use of the common hall areas too. She is very happy. Also looking in Lenton for a house for next year.

@GrangeFill Notts is lovely and cheap once move out of halls. Trams make getting around v easy and Ubers are all DBS checked by the council. If go into town go to the Lace Market area, visit the castle and the pub in the walls. There is also a cat cafe. Lots of clubs, some of which have Uni nights on Weds and Fri.
It seems to be a great city to be a student. Loads of sport and drama things.

Wait - a cat cafe?????!!!

DD will explode with joy!

@GrangeFill

www.kittycafe.co.uk/

DS just started at Birmingham. He says Broad St for clubs in city centre but they go to the Guild on campus a fair bit.
Just got a house in Selly Oak for year 2. Everyone lives there from year 2 onwards!
Campus is lovely and he enjoys hall life. Lots going on.

Link to the Nottingham thread - it was initially about accomodation but lingered on to discuss our DC's early experiences - pretty positive and even where there was an emergency issue with the Florence Boot halls at the start of term it seems the uni did a decent job in sorting things out. https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/4879015-accommodation-at-nottingham-uni?page=4&reply=130332540

One tip on the ensuite issue - if there is a medical resaon for it then put in a Disabled Student Allowance claim for the additional cost - my eldest has IBS and DSA pay the extra £20 a week for them to have an ensuite. Also if that is an issue get onto the uni sudent support team as most offer an early booking window for accomodation for those with extra needs - Notts definitely do as DD2 got onto the list as she needed a ground floor room.

Oh they are in Nottingham and Birmingham!!!

Thank you for this. Does he stay on the Vale? I read they are investing a lot of money in Pritchatts area?

Yes he is in the Vale...

I'm a bit surprised to hear most of the b'ham students live in selly oak nowadays - back in my day I don't remember anyone I knew living there though I'm sure many students must have done. Harbourne was popular, and people lived out along the train line as far as kings Norton and northfield iirc. I lived in stirchley which wasn't so popular. As a postgrad I lived in edgbaston, which was a nice bike ride to uni and a slightly less nice ride to shop at Fiveways.

This made me chuckle, Spoons isn't actually on campus, but it is very close. It's also a big one and very well used by students and staff from the uni and the nearby FE college, so it gets incredibly busy.

Exeter is a small city, most things are walkable, although the campus is hilly. Buses in Exeter are terrible so it's a good job really - I used to walk 40 minutes to the campus from St Thomas, but to get the bus it often took well over an hour. There aren't too many shops to choose from near the accommodation, you'd need to go into the city for a Tesco or Sainsbury's. There is a marketplace shop in the Forum, but that's not really near the accommodation either and it's not particularly cheap.

Off campus accommodation after the first year tends to be in the Pennsylvania area, which is much closer to the city.

Exeter is not as safe as it used to be, I lived there for twenty years until last year and there is a lot more crime and antisocial behaviour than there used to be, comparable to any other city really although it used to be thought of as much safer.

Kitty cafe is not somewhere she will go regularly, cost £7.00 welfare charge, just stepping in the door

DS1 is third year at Notts. He lived in catered accommodation near the sports centre, food very average but the set up was good/sociable, beautiful campus, and now lives in Lenton where accomodation is reasonable and the social life is great. Has never felt particularly unsafe.
DS2 is at York and much more costly!
He has loved Nottingham and been very happy there.

Yes that’s interesting re costs. I get the feeling Notts and Birmingham are v reasonable cost wise from Y2. And even the eye watering costs in Y1 catered at Notts includes all the food so I didn’t think it looked way off most other unis. (Obviously aware Oxbridge cheap as chips, plus more reasonable cities like Cardiff etc).

All replies are hugely appreciated thanks to all.

I think it will probably come down to Birmingham or Nottingham - assuming she gets offers. Will check out both city centres if she gets to offer holder days. Although aware of course that Birmingham offer holder day may be after Nottingham accommodation goes live…

Hall accom is not cheap at Birmingham.
However DS second year accommodation is a lot cheaper and cheaper than his brother's in Bristol, which is outrageously expensive....

There is always much angst on here and on WIWIKAU about the fact that Nttm accommodation is a first come first served basis, VERY early on in the procedure, often before all offers are in.
I liked Nttm when we looked round with one of mine, but they were put off by the fact the majority of the halls are catered - which is quite unusual in terms of % of the accommodation (and that was before I knew about the daft way they allocate accommodation.)

Both Bham and Nottingham have good transport links to most parts of the country, which is good, and both have lovely, green campuses within much larger cities, which always seems to be the best of both worlds.

My DD applied to Nottingham in clearing and got what she wanted. Catered halls were available but she didn't want them.

It’s worth a visit to Birmingham overnight. Great place to be a student. Brindley place, the Chinese quarter, the gay village, the Bullring, Balti triangle and Grand Central and more canals than Venice!!!

Your daughter will be called “Babs” by older Brummies!

That is a brilliant list of places to check out thank you so much! Loving Babs 😀

On a point of order , it's 'bab' not 'babs' .... the catering staff all called DS bab.

In Nottingham she'll be called 'duck'.

I need to tell DS to get out more. He has never been to any of these places, other than Selly and Broad Street (not even The Guild!). Can never persuade anyone to go to the Balti Triangle and hasn't been to the Gay or Jewellery Quarters! He has walked along the canal.

Was just about to say that it’s ‘bab’

Hi, I lived there for years and always heard an S on the end, and I got called it ALOT.

I really like all 3. They would be my top 3 aswell.

Ds1 has just arranged his Notts year 3 house, preferring to go to Beeston, after year 2 in Lenton, and year 1 in Rutland catered.