Best places for Geography?

[Candlescandles]

DS in Year 12 and will be applying to read Geography at uni. He's very academic and will try for Cambridge...but of course aware it's super-competitive, so currently looking at others too and booking open days.

He enjoys human geography a bit more than physical... so while a BA is more likely, he's not ruling out the BSC option too. We're in London - he doesn't want to be massively far from home (he's not looking at Scotland).

So far he's looking at Bristol, Exeter (went to the open day at the weekend and liked it a lot), and Southampton. He doesn't seem wild about the idea of the Northern cities, but I think he should look at Sheffield as it's apparently great. Are there others he should really be thinking about? He's looking at the Times guide but he seems a bit overwhelmed by it all tbh!

Any thoughts much appreciated ! x

It really depends on the modules offered but look at Birmingham and Leeds. We found Birmingham was great as it’s not too far from London and was on the way if we were going almost anywhere! Oh, and a good course.

LSE

thanks so much @Rocknrollstar - Leeds is great I know, but DS has a slight aversion because my DH went there and he wants to go somewhere different to his dad 😂 silly, but you know how they can be!

I don't think he'd be that keen on Birmingham unfortunately - if he's going to do a city, I think he wants a smaller, leafy campus feel as a contrast to London. Aware Bristol is also big and buzzy, but he's drawn to it as he loves the West Country...

@AuntieMarys - thanks. LSE is brilliant for geography I know, but he's keen to experience living somewhere other than London x

Bristol and Exeter both great for Geography. Note Bristol has compulsory quantitative modules (coding and data analysis). At the offer holders day we went to, they said don't apply if you are not up for doing these modules. My DS is just graduating from there and he would say it is more physical than human. He's loved the course and had a great time. If your DS is interested in study abroad he must apply for it (rather than decide to do it during year 1).

Exeter you do a mix of physical and human in year 1 (common at most places) and then effectively choose (I think there's switching allowed between BA and BSc) and the compulsory quantitative is only for the BSc. Offers a placement year option and study abroad option. Lovely camous.

Look at the research interests and the list of optional modules and fieldwork opportunities at each uni you are considering).

Good luck

Ah fair enough.

No intel from me relating to geography as such, but re places – Bristol is lovely (I went there) but a leafy campus it is not. It’s not a campus uni at all, rather a city uni, spread across a reasonable space in a specific area of the city (Clifton). A lot of the halls are about two miles away, over the Downs.

Sheffield is a great city too but also not a campus uni.

If he wants an actual leafy campus, Warwick is very nice (not a big city) and Nottingham has a lovely green campus with a big city (not Northern! Tho I have heard it referred to as such haha) close at hand.

Birmingham, while obv being a very big city, has a real campus feel with everywhere walkable. Loughborough is another lovely campus (the biggest in the UK apparently) but again, definitely not a big city. Great uni tho (ds is there). Or maybe Leicester as a wild card – not really a campus but the halls have a lovely villagey feel and it’s an underrated uni overall IMHO. Lower offer often so might be a good insurance.

Obviously he needs to look at courses and other aspects, but none of those places is that far from London and would be worth looking at.

DD loathes physical geography so is at Nottingham taking Geography and Business and absolutely loving it - she's not having to do any physical modules (but is having to do Stats/Coding/GIS as mentioned upthread).

She also looked at and had offers from Lancaster (which has a very highly rated course, but obvs is northern!), Exeter (my old uni, she didn't like it 😭), Bristol (put off by accommodation), and I can't remember her 5th option.

She could have had a shot at Oxbridge but my eldest is there and she was put off by the amount of work he has to do (albeit he's taking a STEM subject) because she wanted more balance (aka to party more 😉) which she's certainly doing, alongside doing really well academically.

@clary - thanks so much! Great intel. Warwick and Loughborough we'll check out.

Birmingham - hmmm. Perhaps I am slightly biased as my best mate went there and was quite miserable. I found the city pretty grim whenever I visited here there, sorry if this offends anyone! Obviously this was a LONG time ago and things have probably changed a lot.

@Panicmode1 - thank you too! I don't know anything about Lancaster but will look. Nottingham sounds great and lovely that your dd is enjoying it. Interesting about Bristol accommodation - it makes me a little nervous too. Obviously it's one of the most expensive but I have heard the shortages for years 2 and 3 are improving? I hope so anyway....x

Lancaster was a lovely uni (a friend's DD turned down Geography at Oxford for a place there 😳) and I was very impressed with the faculty, course, employability stats etc. but it's quite small and a loooooong way from where we live.

Nottingham is a beautifully leafy campus, and DD is often visiting friends in other places quite easily - she's really loving it.

I think Bristol is improving (fewer students having to bus in from Newport) but it's not cheap and the pastoral care isn't brilliant (anecdata from friends with children there).

Birmingham is a green leafy campus. Housing fine for subsequent years.
How long ago since you were in the city? It has changed, a lot, but still not everyone's cup of tea.

DS1 just graduating in Human Geog from Notts this year. Has loved the course and the uni. Beautiful campus a tram ride from the city.
Housing pretty cheap and plentiful.

The ones who dont get into Cambridge tend to go to Durham, Bristol, Exeter, Edinburgh and St Andrews.

Durham is good for geography x

Edinburgh, St A and Durham are all great unis but the OP's DS is not looking at Scotland and doesn't want to be a long way from London.

@Candlescandles I also just thought of Bath - not RG (but then neither are Lancaster or Lboro - but all RG +) lovely campus and small town. Housing may be £££ tho tbf, but worth a look maybe?

I don't think Warwick and Bath offer degrees in geography.

Wow so they don’t! Less amazed at Bath but Warwick? Mind you it doesn’t’ offer music either. Abd Lboro no longer does MFL. Apols OP told you my geog intel was weak

Leics and Lboro still on the list tho :)

Lancaster and Loughborough are the two less obvious unis tha are ood for Geography.

DD is at Nottingham and having a ball. Doesn't do geography but a number of people on some of her modules are doing geography and archaeology and enjoying the course. It is a beautiful campus but all the onsite accommodation is catered - may or may not appeal. Easy enough to get back to London when necessary.

Uni of Manchester do BSc and BA Geography - know a couple from DD's cohort really enjoying their time there currently studying Geography.

It's also very well rated by employers from a graduate recruitment pool perspective.

Global Sustainable Development at Warwick might be of interest?

Hi everyone. Thank you so so much for all the advice ....sorry for the slow reply but I got pulled into a very long work meeting.

Yes it's crazy that Warwick and Bath don't do Geography. ..but it sounds like there are many others to be looking into. Thanks so much again.

ps - for those with experience of Nottingham, how is it as a city? Aware it's a lovely campus but how is the rest of it? I don't know it at all...x

Nottingham is a great city, lots to do and very geared towards students (there is also the excellent NTU so lots of students there). Good venue for gigs and theatre if that's his bag as well. Great shops and interesting areas (Hockley).

We live locally and my DC go there a lot.

Yes you should know that all the on-campus accomm is catered which I find exclusionary, but there is SC accomm a few minutes' walk away. 2nd and 3rd year houses and flats are good and good value in places like Beeston.

I do think @Candlescandles that your DS should consider some unis as far north and further than Sheffield! Otherwise in terms of high-ranking unis that offer geog, he is literally limiting himself to
Exeter
Bristol
Loughborough
Nottingham
Southampton

Nothing wrong with any of those but it might be a shame if he didn't also look at Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle, York, Leeds?

@clary - thanks and good to know re Nottingham. So DS is already looking at Cambridge, Exeter, Bristol, Southampton, Sheffield...and I know he's planning to also look at Nottingham and Manchester of those recommended. Thanks again. x

DD is at Nottingham and loves it. There is the usual assortment of shops in the city centre and it is easy to get there by tram. Plenty of clubs and gigs etc and the uni has its own arts centre for more traditional culture. Lots of green space and canal walks beyond the campus. Good public transport. Some of the best uni sports facilities in the UK due to a multi million donation.

I'm pretty sure all geography takes part on the University Park campus which is the leafy green one. Accommodation on campus is all catered halls which has its advantages for first years getting to know each other. There is a choice of accommodation where you have to clear out during vacations and accommodation where you don't. DD wanted self catering so is in Broadgate Park which is just across the road from the humanities building and the sports centre. Broadgate is popular and fills up quickly but it has less of a social hub than the on campus halls.

Second and third year accommodation seems plentiful - DD had no problem getting a house in the popular Lenten Triangle and there are also plenty of houses and flats in Beeston which is the area next to university park.

I did Geography at both Lancaster and Nottingham, both of which were excellent. I've taught students who have gone on to study at Exeter, Bristol, Sheffield, Nottingham, LSE and Lancaster who have all loved it. It really does depend on the course/modules offered and the type of uni he wants (campus? City?) and how frequently he would want to come home.