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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Thoughts on Nottingham Trent for Business Mgt

43 replies

MrsPeterHarris · 13/10/2024 08:51

Just wondering if I could canvass views on NTU for business as visited yesterday with my DC & it was his clear favourite for Business & Mgt.

We've looked round quite a few of the Russell Group unis & he's not been too fussed but git excited by NTU City Campus yesterday. However I think I still have my 'snobbery' from 30 years ago when I went to uni & we former polys were considered 'lesser'! Sorry!

All views appreciated, thanks!

OP posts:
Stoneyellow · 13/10/2024 08:59

It's amazing, the young people I know who did that course have gone on to bigger and better and had a great time studying. It's a fantastic city to study in and a great institution.

One of my children went to a similar university, he had a great time and is now enjoying his career but encountered bucket loads of snobbery from family and friends, it's outdated, unfair and really unkind tbh. There were school friends of his who were told by parents they were banned from 'new' universities, financial support would have been removed. There were times when I had to challenge family members on what they were saying to him.

Good luck with supporting his choices, you sound open to something different.

AlisonDonut · 13/10/2024 09:04

I used to live and work in Nottingham, in many different areas of the city. It is a city I know and love.

I went back there this summer and was horrified by the state of the city centre and the sheer volume of people who were on bikes pretending to be delivering food. Men in their mid 20s, in gangs, aggressive and all gathered in crowds that it is incredibly scarey to walk past.

Before you decide, go and stay there in a city hotel and just have a walk round the city at twilight. Don't go alone. Then make a decision.

My stepdaughter still lives there and I am so glad she is still living at her mums outside the centre and didn't buy a flat of her own in the city - that's how bad it is. I wouldn't send anyone there.

SquatWeightaMinute · 13/10/2024 09:06

My child is at NTU currently and they love it, they love the city and uni. DC is the first in our family to go to uni so no snobbery here.

Flyhigher · 13/10/2024 09:08

If they have the grades for Russell group go.
Nottingham uni is great for business. Also mmu.

clary · 13/10/2024 09:15

NTU is a great uni – I am localish and know a lot of ppl who went there, tho I wonder if local is a factor – I know quite a few students who commuted from home.

Otoh it’s not really a campus uni – if that is what appealed, has he looked at Nottingham, Warwick, Bath, Loughborough, Lancaster, York? If he has the grades for these sorts of RG and RG+ unis then they are worth a look. Caveat: no idea if the unis I mention do the appropriate course!

I don't recognise the description of Nottingham btw – I often go out there are the evening and honestly have never felt unsafe. Yes of course it’s a big city and you need to be aware, and of course there is crime, but I don’t think it is any more of an issue than any similar size city. For me anyway it is somewhere I happily go of an evening.

areallmotherslikethis · 13/10/2024 09:33

I went to study BM with French at Uni of Manchester - we're talking 20 years ago now.

Hated it.

Transferred to NTU (my local uni) because I decided to move back home and finish my course locally.

Absolutely loved it. I still love the city.

The uni is a great city centre location, it's easy to get around even to areas outside of the city, yes it can be dangerous at night but I'd say that about all cities.

The course was well taught and kicked off my passion for working in HR - I still do 20 years later.

I often get alumni emails and feel so proud I went to this uni however I may have a touch of that snobbery you mention. I sometimes ponder on whether, had my degree photo and certificate said University of Manchester on them rather than Nottingham Trent, would it have made a difference? But I know that's just me being silly. It was absolutely the right decision and I don't regret it at all.

I still live fairly locally and love going into the city. It's beautiful in all seasons, always busy. In fact it might be one of my favourite cities in the UK.

Fourmagpies · 13/10/2024 10:08

I've been having similar thoughts, but not NTU, though that may be one of our choices as I think the Clifton campus would suit my DS (he wants to do Computer Science). He was working yesterday so we didn't go to the open day. His first choice at the moment is Coventry. We both really liked it at the open day and the feel of it. He isn't a drinker/clubber and I think the smaller city and everything close by suits him. Part of me thinks if he's happy that's more important, but I also worry that the job market is so competitive that having somewhere like Nottingham (UON) or Leicester would be better. We're limited as he doesn't want to go too far from home (undiagnosed ASD). Lots of his friends are looking at Warwick, Bath and Loughborough, but they're just not for him. He didn't like Loughborough at all and to be fair the subject talk was dire.

My degree is from Bournemouth and I earn a good living with my own business, but have worked in corporates. I got in at my first corporate role by temping doing data input and then got moved to a better role. I always think there is another way and it's good to have balance in life and enjoy what you do, but also why make life more difficult for yourself if you can do better. But I also don't buy into the RG unis being something special, I think some of the newer unis have a better emphasis on supporting their students and providing relevant skills for employment. When I did my degree, Bournemouth was one of the only ones offering a more vocational syllabus which gave lots of exemptions to the professional exams.

Which all means that I don't know what the answer is but I think for most students which uni you went to is irrelevant and I'd rather my child was happy. And NTU seems to have a good reputation.

Original poster
MrsPeterHarris · 13/10/2024 10:46

Flyhigher · 13/10/2024 09:08

If they have the grades for Russell group go.
Nottingham uni is great for business. Also mmu.

We looked around UoN yesterday too but definitely wouldn't choose it. Didn't like that the business school was so far from the main campus & that the campus itself was so far from the city.

Have looked round a few other RG unis too and he wasn't fussed on any of those in particular but for the first time yesterday he seemed impressed / excited by NTU, as was I (hence my surprise and posting given my own RG biases)

Appreciate everyone's input and honesty!

OP posts:
clary · 13/10/2024 10:50

Hey @MrsPeterHarris just realised that by NTU campus you might mean Clifton? That is a campus but it's a fair way from the city, so maybe not given what you say about UoN.

If he wants to be close to a city then my campus ideas are a bit unhelpful, sorry, as none are close to a big city apart from York maybe. Birmingham is tho, and is a campus a great uni. Worth a look if he has the PGs.

Stoneyellow · 13/10/2024 10:55

Flyhigher · 13/10/2024 09:08

If they have the grades for Russell group go.
Nottingham uni is great for business. Also mmu.

Why?

I've had children go to both and just don't understand why they shouldn't choose the place they want to study at and choose.

Original poster
MrsPeterHarris · 13/10/2024 10:59

@clary, no, it would be the City Campus as it's business he wants to study, thanks though!

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsPeterHarris · 13/10/2024 11:02

@AlisonDonut thanks for your views on the city although I think that's par for the course these days with any city. We both liked the vibe of Nottingham and the students we spoke to at NTU seemed to love living there!

OP posts:
doneandone · 13/10/2024 11:12

Dd is at UoN and absolutely loves the city! It's a good size but not too big. Tbf you'll have gangs and a certain amount of trouble in any city.

Drampa · 13/10/2024 11:17

If you went to a university 30 years ago and have done well since - good for you, but this has very little bearing on today’s situation. The numbers of people going to uni then were so much smaller that almost any degree would help you - that is not the case now

OP I don’t know much about business degrees. I suggest you look up post-degree earnings for this course and for the other courses you are considering. For such an applied course earnings should be decent (it’s not like fine art which almost never raises earnings and that’s ok- that’s not the point of it).

Drampa · 13/10/2024 11:19

There are courses now where doing them actually LOWERS earnings for boys (for girls, a degree almost always raises earnings as unskilled / semi skilled boys earn a lot more than unskilled / semi skilled girls). With him likely to come out with £50k of debt this is well worth considering.

Original poster
MrsPeterHarris · 13/10/2024 11:23

Can you elaborate @Drampa? How can a course lower earnings for boys?

Also how do you find out post-degree earnings?

OP posts:
Drampa · 13/10/2024 11:27

if they hadn’t gone, and had started earning at 18 and training in the job, they’d end up earning more than getting some very low rated degrees

DanielaDressen · 13/10/2024 11:44

@Fourmagpies has your ds thought about Aberystwyth? I appreciate he might feel it’s too far but it’s a lovely small town and I know a few parents who have kids there (one doing CS) and they all love it. Very supportive uni and community.

FfsNotNow · 13/10/2024 11:45

NTU is a great university - very careers focussed and the Business School has an excellent reputation. Some RG really trade on history and reputation rather than results - whilst league tables are not everything they can tell an interesting story. From your post it sounds like your DS is making a sound decision based on the things that are important to him and in my view that goes a long way. And after all it his decision!

BeautifulNorthy · 13/10/2024 11:55

I've seen so many friends of my son drop out of Uni in the last year that for me the priority would be to support your son in his first choice and don't worry about the other stuff. If they're not happy, they won't succeed and are less likely to end up getting a degree!

Original poster
MrsPeterHarris · 13/10/2024 11:55

Drampa · 13/10/2024 11:30

Is there any way to access this info for free? It's trying to charge to view the information.

OP posts:
Fourmagpies · 13/10/2024 12:01

DanielaDressen · 13/10/2024 11:44

@Fourmagpies has your ds thought about Aberystwyth? I appreciate he might feel it’s too far but it’s a lovely small town and I know a few parents who have kids there (one doing CS) and they all love it. Very supportive uni and community.

Thanks, but it's too far. I've read great things about Aberystwyth, that's probably what he is looking for in terms of size and feel. It's nearly 4 hours from here though, I think 2 is going to be his max. Coventry is 40 mins in the car and an easy train ride.

Piggywaspushed · 13/10/2024 12:12

Drampa · 13/10/2024 11:30

You said 'end up' earning less. That's not what the article says.

Piggywaspushed · 13/10/2024 12:14

'Ex polys' ,as you call them ( no YP has heard of a poly!) are often very good for business and management. It's what they specialised in as polys, very often. NTU has reasonably high entry requirements and , back in the day, Trent Poly was a highly regarded institution anyway.