Civil Engineering at Bristol, Leeds or Sheffield?

[Bickleymumma]

Son has A*AA offer from Bristol, AAA offers from Sheffield for MEng Civil Engineering plus AAB offers for BEng from Nottingham and Exeter as back up. Messed up his mocks so Bristol may now be a bit of a stretch. He’s working hard to fix the issues. He still wants to put down Bristol and Leeds. I’m not convinced as feel he’s needs a better back up. Bristol beats the others in league tables but is that worth the extra expense and crappy accommodation? Any thoughts on what he should shortlist out of these 5? Thanks

Check with the unis whether they will offer BEng instead if MEng if he misses the offer.

If so he will have the option to start on the BEng path then switch to MEng at a later date if his grade average is adequate.

@Bickleymumma Why do you think accommodation is crappy at Bristol? It really isn’t. Older halls have a lived in feel but most students enjoy them for a year. Mod cons always cost a lot! Anywhere! Have you looked at any halls at Bristol?

Sheffield is very good for Civil Engineering. It’s always been one of the best. Employers really won’t care where he’s been between any of these unis: they don’t pore over league tables. What they actually want is dc who can be trained into engineers, and possess skills and attributes that can be enhanced to CEng requirements. The overall skills aren’t really defined by uni attended. Some former polys have great civils courses and produce very good grads.

I assume you and DS understand the levels of post grad qualification for Engineers. Top level is chartered engineer and MEng allows this training to be accessed without further study at uni. BEng holders go to Incorporated Engineer training. A lesser qualification. So stick to MEng, move to MEng or be prepared to do a MSc after BEng. I’m not sure why he applied for any BEng course if he’s likely to get the grades for MEng. Look at www.ICE.org.uk

The only comment I have on unis is that Exeter isn’t really seen as an engineering uni. It doesn’t run the same breadth of courses as Sheffield and Bristol do. It’s a very small department.

Thanks @TizerorFizz His school suggested he apply for a couple of BEng as back up. He would hopefully then transfer MEng once on the course. He’s visited all the unis that’s he’s been offered and liked the halls at Leeds and Sheffield more so than Bristol but it’s nevertheless still currently his first choice. We wouldn’t be worried if his mocks had been nearer the offer grades but they weren’t so we’re panicking a bit about what to shortlist and if Bristol is a wasted choice. Does anyone know if Unis would change a MEng offer to BEng with its lower grade offer ahead of results day or should we wait for results day as @BarleyShuga kindly suggested?

See the other current thread on cost of living in Bristol. It's eye opening

@mitogoshi There are so many students in Bristol whose heads are turned by flashy new accommodation. It’s inevitably expensive. In subsequent years they seem to need to be within a few mins walking the uni in very expensive areas. With high rental price tags. It is not necessary.

Inevitably Sheffield is cheaper but even the old favoured student areas are now getting expensive. Exeter is expensive too. Savvy students just live a bit further away from the uni for lower rents. Having said that, not everyone has to budget down to the last penny and of course many manage perfectly well. The op presumably didn’t see every student hall in Bristol as many are pretty new! DD was in a “crappy” one with a more reasonable price tag!

Maybe too many parents remember the good old days of cheap student rooms with no heat, a manky bathroom and a barely functioning kitchen that you rented for next to nothing.Miya’s trap required. Many now want better with en suites but have to paying for it, especially if near the faculty.

@Bickleymumma I think the school don’t understand the difference in the courses in terms of professional progression.

If a uni has not filled its BEng courses it might well fill up from MEng misses but it’s a gamble. The MEng offer from Sheffield trumps that angst.

Hi, OP -

I am a former Russell Group STEM admissions tutor. I agree with @BarleyShuga that a good student on a BEng programme can easily move to MEng. Universities are delighted to keep good students and their fees for an extra year. Student Finance will allow this year, also.

I don’t think there is enough room between A star AA and AAA to use the latter as insurance for the former. If the situation is competitive in August, A star AB will not make the grade when the offer is AAA. (If it isn’t competitive, this may well be accepted) Every year this board contains sad stories from parents who, with the best will in the world, did not realise this.

I agree with@TizerorFizz that Chartered status is a desirable qualification and that Bristol and Sheffield are the two top unis for CE on the list, but not so much as to matter in terms of the Firm choice to be made.

However IMO Nottingham is the only sensible Insurance choice (with a transfer to MEng if all goes well). Exeter is fine but not as good as the other 4. However it is a better Insurance choice than Sheffield or Leeds.

Best wishes to DS

If he was mine, I think I'd be advising Sheffield as the firm and Notts as the insurance.

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