Southampton Uni open day

[RoundsRobin]

My DC is down to attend the Southampton Uni open day and I’m at that stage of booking train tickets, can anyone advise how long we should allocate for the visit? Is 2-3 hours enough time? Or longer? Thank you!

We both thought Bristol was horrible. We got accosted by several people begging, people walking around with music blasting out of speakers, people falling over drunk, all while walking up the hill to the open day from our hotel on a weekend day morning. The streets were filthy where we were. The subject talk was crap.

I'm from London so see most cities as much or a muchness, and they all clearly have nice bits, as well as rough bits. But Bristol surprised me for its grotiness very close to the university and ive been out in Southampton several times now and not seen anythign similar (or felt that edgy vibe).

The subject talk was crap.

Yes. I got the impression that Bristol knew they didn't need to try to attract students.

Interestingly, the university that tried the hardest and had the best open day was Warwick (which DD didn't like either).

It should cost the same to go to Southampton Airport Parkway as Southampton Central. The U1A bus leaves from Parkway and goes past the halls in Swaythling but is much quicker to pick up from that side of the city to get to the university then from Southampton Central. There are two buses serving the university from Central as there are student halls near the station now. The U1A from Platform 4 side, and on Platform 1 side the U2B (you need to cross the road when you exit the station) which takes a slightly different route but serves Avenue Campus before going up to the Highfield Campus. I think the university puts on shuttle buses but if you're stuck later and need buses those are your options.

Oh sorry forgot, the U1A if you get from the airport is the U1C (as going to city, it's the U1A back.) The U2B is the U2B if you pick it up at Southampton Central but on the way back becomes the U2C. Both serve Highfield Interchange.

My dd goes there. Uni is fine. City is grotty.

Interesting- the department talk for DD was incredibly bad at Bristol too, and the bloke guarding the lecture room door was weirdly pissy when she couldn't find the ticket for the talk (there was plenty of room). And their lab tours were poor.
The other thing noticeable was there seemed to be a remarkable lack of diversity in the students compared to other unis- maybe this was random but everyone we interacted with was 'white British' except one Chinese guy with an impeccable English accent.

Bristol has very nice and decidedly less nice areas - the ones where students may be able to find accommodation after first year are liable to be the latter. The halls seemed very variable too - dd rather liked the old ones in Clifton (limited places) , vehemently hated a big, brand new at the time tower more into town somewhere, the ones on the downs were a mix. It's understandable that it seems to be a bit of a marmite uni.

We went to the Southampton open day in the autumn and are going again in July as it is DD's favourite but since it was the first uni she saw she wants to double check. We got the train to Southampton Central and must have arrived for about 10am. We took the free shuttle bus to the uni and attended three or four of the talks (a subject talk, a tour of the uni, accommodation (I think) and maybe funding and then spent time in the skills room) and had a look at two of the accommodations that were open (the second one was opposite the station so we did it on the way home). I think we got the shuttle bus back to the station at about 4.30pm so probably had about 6 hours there. There are places to have lunch and plenty to see on campus. Her course is at the Highfield campus so we were based there all day except for taking a bus to see the Wessex Lane accommodation.

@ErrolTheDragon
I'm afraid that's rubbish about Bristol. Many students do live in the pricier lovely areas. You don't seem to know Bristol.

Plus it's fantastic for engineering. Everyone actually knows that. Southampton is too. Students generally don't live in the poorest of areas which are often estates. We didn't care who did the open days. I assume you never went to Exeter. You would be clutching your faux pearls! Very white middle class. Ditto Oxbridge - still. As I'm sure you know.

Like I said, it's marmite, no need to be defensive. In fact, we've spent rather a lot of time in Bristol and know quite a lot about the rental market there.
If I had to live in a city myself there's bits of Bristol which would be very high on my list. It may well be good for engineering but the day we went they did the most weirdly piss poor job of selling themselves. Southampton, otoh, nailed it. 🤷‍♀️

Most students in Bristol live in Clifton and Redlands. Both v nice areas. Of up by the Downs. Yet to meet a homeless student !

If you're on Highfield Campus today they have a petting zoo (a relaxing treat for students taking exams etc) that is worth a look!

I'm not sure there's much merit in criticising other people's impressions, nor suggesting that they don't know what they are talking about – people's feelings based on a brief visit may not give them a full picture, but when they are going to live there for 3-4 years, first impressions and gut feeling are perfectly valid.

FWIW DD2 disliked everything about Southampton at an Open Day, but her cousin (to whom she is close and visited regularly) spent 7 very happy years there. C'est la vie. All cities have their more and less desirable areas, often butting right up against each other, that's the nature of life in a city.

Is Southampton fine for parking for the open day?

Btw Bristol is beautiful

You need to prebook when you book the open day but there looked like there was a lot of parking space put aside.

It’s interesting that on other threads “hard sell” by unis is seen as wrong. A laid back approach on this thread is also wrong it seems. DD didnt get persuaded by one talk. Reputation mattered and definitely ok with older halls of residence. I think open days, for one day, are a tiny snapshot. A much better source of info are students. Lecturers are ok but quite often they don’t even teach you! Students live the life.

Laid back is one thing - piss poor/rude was another. For DDs subject, bristols reputation/rankings were on a par with (or below) several others for her 3 'realistic' ucas slots, so it was no loss to her to cross it off the list. And I'm sure they filled their places so no loss to them either...it was just odd though.🤷‍♀️

One staff member controlling a door makes you not want a uni? Thats bizarre! Interestingly many don’t think that and do have great careers post Bristol engineering. League tables don’t always equate to jobs acquired! As I’m sure you know!

I guess uni staff have off days too! Like piss poor rude doctors!

No, not just the rude person, a combination of things. The talk (arrogant HoD, incomprehensible student), lab tour (mediocre research shown) ...

As you know, we're blessed with lots of great options for engineering degrees so there's nothing bizarre about striking one off the list if there's three others similar which can manage a good open day.

Youre talking about the Bristol open day being crap right? Not Southampton?

My dc has just finished first year at Southampton and the Bristol open day was by far the worst we went to (not engineering/stem). Uninspiring talk from someone who could barely be arsed to look at the audience, no questions, no current students and left entirely to own devices rest of the day. Am struggling to know whether to bother going with dc2 (different subject). Do they generally have an issue with open days or is this a case of arrogance because they are generally over subscribed? (So are Bath and theirs was the best).

Youre talking about the Bristol open day being crap right? Not Southampton?

Yes - Southampton was excellent.

DD used to volunteer for open days at Bristol. I guess they get boring volunteers in some subjects. She did MFL.

Maybe it’s just scientists who are boring? I’ve certainly met dozens of boring engineers in my life! Worked with plenty too! It’s a thing unfortunately.

However I tend to think some people write places off very easily. Does HoD teach? My DD would have been a very enthusiastic student advocate for her department. Not everyone has the same sparkle and personality do they? Thats why some people do well at work and others bumble along.

Maybe it’s just scientists who are boring?

Not IME, nor engineers. Certainly other uni open days managed to find plenty of interesting engineers, and some of the Bristol students too of course were lovely.

If you've plenty of other options which are by other criteria as good or better, and only 5 choices, then yes, it's a complete no-brainer to write off a department that gives a bad impression. I've no idea why you find this hard to accept.

You seem almost offended that Bristol didn't create a good first impression to some students @TizerorFizz.

DD didn't like it because it is too hilly (she has knee joint problems), and I agree that the university didn't try very hard to sell itself.