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

@londonmummy1966 - thank you so much. Great that your daughter is having a good time - and I'm guessing she may have grown up in London given your name?! I guess for the kids that have grown up here, it's a fine balance of finding somewhere that they're not always going to compare to London but equally, doesn't feel completely alienating.

@loverofpants - thank you too and great to know. While he definitely wants a change from London, he wants to be able to get back with relative ease - so I think he's ruling out Scotland or anywhere really far North for that reason.

DD had BA Geography offers this year from
Exeter, Lancaster, Nottingham, Birmingham and Southampton.

We visited them all, plus Sheffield and a few others and she picked Nottingham as firm and Southampton as insurance. Definitely worth visiting and check modules/field trips as can vary hugely.

Not geography but dd loves Bristol and would choose it again if she needed to.

@NCTDN - thank you. How did she find Bristol in terms of living there, particularly in years 2 and 3? It's a very cool city I know, but I am a bit alarmed at reports of awful (and yet extortionate) private accommodation...

My nephew went to Cardiff. He did well, loved the course and enjoyed Cardiff. He goes back every year for a reunion.

Birmingham campus is leafy! He should go see it

@Candlescandles I have a DC just leaving Bristol who has loved it. It's expensive and in their opinion focused more on physical geography, but those compulsory coding and data analysis skills have been invaluable job hunting. Bristol is a great student city. As I said before, if your DC is interested in year abroad make sure they apply specifically for that course as it is hard to get onto it otherwise.

I have another DC about to start at Exeter Geography (BSc) after a year working and travelling so let me know if I can help with any questions.

York has environmental geography and human geography
www.york.ac.uk/environment/

I have a son in second year at Leeds doing geography and a daughter in 3rd year at Bristol doing politics. Not like for like, but in terms of Uni experience, pastoral care and work life balance, I’d say Leeds has the edge. It just seems an easier place to make friends, enjoy the experience and be supported with your course. It’s slightly less prestigious, slightly less beautiful (but not if you count the surrounding countryside), but a lot cheaper and seems less pressured. I am probably biased as I was a student myself in Leeds in the early 1990’s, and I’m bowled over with what a lovely city Bristol is, but I still think it’s a harder place to be a student IMO

My DD is studying Human Geog at Cardiff - a great RG uni in a fab city that has the benefits of a capital city but is not massive. Also the bay, close to mountains etc. Definitely worth a visit. And less than 2 hours by train to London - she came to London for the day yesterday - very easy.

Why isn’t he into the idea of northern cities? Has he any experience of them? Seems small minded for a human geographer, no?

Bristol = lots of London posh kids trying to be a bit edgy

My son looked at Bristol, Aberystwyth, Cambridge, Sheffield, Lancaster and St Andrews for geography. He liked the course offer at all of them but was put off Bristol because of the pressures of finding accommodation, Lancaster because it was a campus university and Sheffield (too close to home). In the end he tried for Cambridge and was accepted, so if your ds thinks he'd like it its always worth a shot.

Durham?
I did a Geography degree elsewhere and found my most useful modules for getting a job were GIS and the physical ones. But if he’s not interested in an environmental related job then I wouldn’t worry about doing physical modules if he doesn’t enjoy them.

Probably a few of those at Leeds as well, tbf. DD has just started a masters at Leeds (and had been visiting there regularly beforehand, seeing friends) and recently commented on the £400 joggers (seriously - she said she even looked them up online) worn by a lad presumably wanting to 'fit in' at a local venue which was previously a working men's club. (He needn't have bothered; I was there with her last week and everyone was just wearing 'clothes', so to speak).

There are loads of London students at Nottingham - and it’s easy to get home via train or coach.

Going to answer and then read back the thread to see what others say!
durham
glasgow
bristol
lse for human geog only
exeter

for high-tariff unis

So sorry your best mate had a bad time at Birmingham. Would you mind expanding on what in particular his bad experiences were? It would really help to understand from a previous students perspective if you do not mind.