Liberal Arts at Uni of Leeds & Bristol

[FairTaupeSwan]

Hi Mumsnetters,
I've received offers from both Bristol & Leeds for Liberal Arts to transfer in September. I was wondering if there are any of you with DC who are studying this course at these two universities. Or who study at Bristol and Leeds.

If your DC does study Liberal Arts, I'd love to know their experience so far. Did they feel the course was disorganised? What was their experience like with lecturers?

If your DC doesn't study Liberal Arts but at one of these universities, I'd love to know their experience. Especially the wisdom of advice on which halls are best. I know Bristol is quite pricey, but I'm from London, so I'm quite used to expensive. Student housing in Leeds is quite cheap (Hyde Park), but it can be a bit dodgy. I can also receive a lot of financial support in Bristol from the uni directly. How do they feel about their uni city? Do they feel their uni supports them well?

I feel like Leeds has a better student experience and I preferred their offer holder day in comparison. My careers service at my current uni and old college had said Bristol was a great uni to have on my CV. But Bristol has some edge reputation-wise. Anyone could chime in whether Bristol is a good 'target' down the line for going into consulting or compliance in financial services too?

Thanks for reading!

English Lit is not high contact time at most universities though. I’m sure her fellow students would have been aware she was missing. Not sure university staff check up on students wellbeing unless there are special circumstances.

Bristol is a really expensive city accommodation wise. Some students at UWE commute in from Newport.

It is a city with a very active nightlife and has some incredible restaurants. There is also a decent cultural scene.

My dd got an offer from Bristol, but chose to go to Leeds where she is doing history and politics. She loves both cities, but I think just got the feels for Leeds and her course and is very happy there.
Obvs I didn't get much of a say (rightly) but I was relieved she chose a cheaper city. I also wanted her to see the possibility of a life outside the south east.
I think the importance of employer preferences is really overstated on these threads. I'm sure there are some careers where you get a great start from having studied in a particular place (because of its industry links or whatever) but for most, it's irrelevant. I have recruited loads of young grads for the civil service and the NHS, and in those sectors it's just not an issue. I'm not saying there's nothing n it - I'm sure having gone to St Andrews gives you an edge over Sunderland - but the gap between Leeds and Bristol is not wide enough to worry about. Go with the one where you will be happy and motivated to achieve a great degree.

There might be a gap when converting to law though. That in itself needs a health warning over actually getting work afterwards! Leeds is far more regional regarding law work. Bristol isn’t SE by the way. It’s West. Not many students live in Newport either. Most stay in Bristol.

I think quite a few ended up in Newport a few years ago when there was a bulge year, and there was a shortage of student accommodation. I think it was in 2020.

My DD is also doing MLibArts at Bristol. She’s correctly abroad on her third year. She absolutely loves the city and the uni. She was in SB in Wills for her first year and the catered element was perfect for socialising.
2nd was a flat in Clifton and 4th year will be a house in Redland. She’s actively in the dance soc which is huge and that’s where most of her friends are from.
You do have to be organised as liberal arts - she doesn’t have the same friendship groups because they don’t all do all the same lectures. Timetabling needs some discipline to check over. But she loves that she can tailor her degree to her interests, first year she did Spanish starting at degree level. Last year she she did German from a complete beginner.
As a northerner I knew nothing about Bristol at all but I’ve fallen in love with the city. The only downside is that she can’t see herself staying there long term because of how expensive housing is.

@RampantIvy I think they do have a hall there but it’s a tiny number overall. I agree it’s not great but there’s loads of other halls.

What was your DS major for LA? And what does he do now? Did Bristol or the interdisciplinary approach help him with whatever he’s doing now?

Hi, what was your DD’s experience with pastoral care in Leeds? Were her lecturers approachable & helpful? If you’re comfortable sharing, what hall was she in for first year and how did she find it?

Has she ever used the unis career service and is she thinking of any particular route to go into?

@TizerorFizz Just reread this and thought the part about your other DD working in consultancy was intriguing. What type of intern unpaid work did she have to do? Does she get paid fairly for what she does?

I may be interested in law but I’m not entirely sure it’s for me yet. What type of stuff did you Bristol DD have on her CV? As someone from a very working class background from a bog standard state (most of my classmates were second gen immigrants from estates) I’m worried about the connections you have to make in law to get a pupillage.

Sorry for all the questions.

Oh dear my bad, just read it was your DD’s friend. Sorry! Was just tired and didn’t scan through properly. @TizerorFizz

@FairTaupeSwan It’s her friend that works for the consultancy. DD is a barrister.

DD had no connections to get pupillage at all. None. However like everyone else she did some voluntary work in her holidays (getting paid work proved difficult), did lots of mini pupillages and built up a relevant cv. Students apply for mini pupillages like jobs but it’s not as onerous. They are work experience and last around 3-4 days with a chambers. They might be competitive but they are open to everyone to apply. If chambers think you are any good, and you apply to them for pupillage, they have at least seen you.

The key is getting a scholarship from your Inn of Court and show you have the skills for the area of law you want.

Others know more about the solicitor route. My DD earns very well. I don’t know what her friend earns but it won’t be as much as DD I think.

She is in Cityside, which is right by the hospital, a short walk from campus. It is very central and she loves being there. She tells me that halls on campus are oversubscribed and you risk being sent way out. Cityside is easier to get into but still right in the city centre and has shops right there, which is really useful.
In the autumn she is going to a flat in Hyde Park, which is reasonably close to campus. There seemed to be a lot of choice of neat and clean flats, it wasn't the scramble you hear of in some other uni cities.
The lecturers have all been very nice. The problem is that my dd is shy and doesn't go and talk to them, despite them encouraging her to. This has led to problems with her misunderstanding assignments.
She hasn't used the careers service and doesn't know what she wants to do. I guess those conversations start in year 2?
I should say I also have a young relative at Bristol, who is loving it. But her parents are a lot wealthier than me so they've been able to give her really nice accommodation. I think they are both great choices for uni, but I'm very happy my dd is at Leeds as she is flourishing there.

@Ketzele My daughter had very ancient accommodation at Bristol! 1 old bathroom between 6 of them and an equally ancient tiny snack kitchen. She actually had a shared room - the other student accessed her room via DDs. Honestly - she didn’t really care and was not bothered about shiny en suite. Her university experience was not about the room or what money we had. Stoke Bishop halls are sociable. It’s better to have old accommodation but be able to make friends because you aren’t holed up in your room. It’s not necessary to fall out of bed into the bars as one DS we know wanted to do. Stoke Bishop has the feel of going home for the evening, not going out.

There so often seems to be a reference to "employers" as if this was some homogenous group.

It might be that for Law there's a rigid pecking order but where I work, in local government, no-one would have a clue whether Bristol was better than Leeds or Cardiff was better than Leicester or Southampton than UEA. And I'm sure that's true of many other employment fields.

Meant to say to pm if you want any more info.

I agree no one cares in local government and probably not the NHS. However they are not remotely comparable with law. Definitely not London law! Chalk and cheese. Earnings are very different too! For London law, Leeds is barely on the starting blocks. For Leeds law, obviously it is. The Op was asking about law, so I answered about law. I worked in local government and these days woke credentials means more.

That was my point.

There's a tendency on Mumsnet HE threads to refer to "employers" as if the practices of certain law firms in the City were somehow representative of the employment market as a whole.

Why shouldn't employers in local government, the NHS, retail management and a host of other sectors be seen as representative? These never seem to be the "employers" that people have in mind when they dismiss most universities.

Public sector jobs are representative but attract their own type of employee. Not London lawyer types!

I have noticed that the "London lawyer types" are very vociferous on MN.

And presumably can offer valuable advice about the requirements of London law firms.

I just don't understand why those law firms (and City financial institutions) seem so often on Mumsnet to become "employers", as if they were in any way representative.

The OP asked about law! Thats why answers were skewed towards law! Had they asked about being a social worker, answers would have been centred around that. It was not general employment that was asked about although plan B is always necessary.

Keir Starmer did all right for himself after a Leeds Law degree.

@Hols23So he did. However one swallow does not a summer make. Where did he get his second degree? Oh let me see!? Oxford. I think my point stands.

@TizerorFizz Would you suggest then trying to achieve a 1:1 - 2.1 Liberal Arts (or any others straight humanities) degree from Bristol than a conversion over Leeds if I wanted to work in London law?