Bath or Bristol - Maths and CS/ Maths

[hydro1]

Hi,
DC has to choose between Bath or Bristol for UCAS form and can't decide as has only visited Bath on the open day. This is for a Maths and Computer Science course. 4A* predicted grades.

Aware that Bath has the option of placements, however specifically keen to know at which university is the course better in terms on teaching etc... or any thoughts from someone who has a child studying this course/ Maths course in one of these universities?

Just trying to get an idea about the pros and cons at both universities to help make the decision.

Thanks.

@senua I hadn't seen that thread before, thank you for sharing it. It was an interesting read and certainly chimes with my personal experience of "maths is easy until it isn't, at which point it becomes completely impenetrable".

DS is absolutely certain that he wants to study maths, so I don't think I could or should try to steer him differently. His dad is a strong mathematician, and I think DS is as likely most other A star FM students to be able to make the step up to degree level. The uncertainly is in the back of my mind though, and he will undoubtedly need need to apply himself harder and much more consistently than he has needed to do so far.

Perhaps this is another reason why the maths step up is somewhat unique. For all other subjects, especially the essay-based ones, it doesn't matter how naturally able you are, if you want to get an A star at A level there is no avoiding the fact you'll have to put the work to get there. Whereas with maths/FM, if it comes easily, you can actually get away with a fairly modest workload.

Yes I agree @bristolorbath that's what I was trying to articulate. Also if you are studying English lit at uni, yes the level is high and the texts can be challenging but you can get somewhere, find a level where you can function (even if that’s at2:2 level). I think doing that is harder with maths.

It was an interesting read and certainly chimes with my personal experience of "maths is easy until it isn't, at which point it becomes completely impenetrable".
Ah. I linked it not because it was Maths-chat but because it was quite Bath-Maths-specific. OP said that their child was struggling, without naming the University involved, and somebody straightaway guessed at Bath because it is "gaining a bit of a rep for this kind of thing".
Didn't that worry you?

Ah yes I spotted that, and yes it did ring a bit of an alarm bell.

But on the other hand... of their intake of 220 (I think that was the number), presumably the majority of students manage? If DS had done unexpectedly well in his mocks and 'fluked' strong predictions then I would definitely be worried, but I think his predicted grades are a fair reflection of his ability at this point in time, and so beyond that... who knows?!

I will certainly try to impress upon him the importance of hitting the ground running and staying on top of things, wherever he goes.

But with Maths it isnt just A levels is it? Dont they require other achievements like STEP? I would expect these to filter out those less likely to be able to make the transition to degree work. But I dont know!

It depends on the uni and course @Guidanceplease20 . Cambridge, Oxford, Warwick and Imperial and I think LSE all have additional entrance requirements for maths I believe (STEP, MAT, TMUA). But not for any of the unis DS is considering!

Hello, @bristolorbath -

Sorry I am late replying - I hope not too late to be useful. I found your question tougher than I expected.

I don’t know what to think about the ‘Bath Maths’ thread. To the extent that the issue concerns (a) a student finding Maths isn’t what he expected it to be and (b) he may need to begin a new degree programme from the beginning, which is the academically sound approach unless the Y1 modules are almost all identical, I feel sympathy for the lad but would probably agree with the School.

OTOH, I don’t have a good insight into what’s happening at Bath Maths, and have just heard other rumblings (which may also be rumours). I don’t feel confident telling your DC it’s a great place at the moment. To be clear, I am not implying the opposite, either. I just don’t know.

Placement years are great but I agree with PP that they can be oversold. It is the norm that students organise their own. How stressful would DC find this in a questionable economy?

IMO he may not be graduating into the best of times (although we may get a recovery), but successful Maths and CS graduates from good universities will be amongst the best placed of all. Doing his very best at Bath, Bristol or York is the most important thing.

I have the most enormous respect for @clary the Bristol alumna, but actually Bristol has a better historical record in Maths than Bath does. In the last research assessment, REF 2021, it was a UK Top 5, Bath was a Top 10 (in Maths). Bath has had the edge in Teaching and Learning and Student Satisfaction but as PP pointed out, the two are essentially even now.

Also Bristol has an academic outpost of GCHQ - whether this provides any opportunities for UGs, I don’t know.

I think DC must visit both to decide.

If he still strongly prefers York, this is the rare case where I think he should listen to his intuition and put it first. He needs to be happy and feel he has made the right choice in order to do his best.

Best wishes to him

Great post @poetryandwine

I very much respect your updated intel re maths at Bristol. Tbf mine is really based on students I know who have gone to Bath for maths, and the fact that none of them looked at Bristol (their other options were either London or Warwick or Leeds/Sheffield/Nottingham (not saying they are the same btw).

I agree that’s not a very wide data set so I am glad to see that Bristol is good for maths too.

I agree that the Bath thread may be specific to that student but it’s interesting that Bath may be wobbling. Students I know have all graduated, tho some recently.

If your ds loves York @bristolorbath then maybe he should go there. Deffo see them all tho.

Hi
My son is at Bath Uni doing maths, data and Stats degree . He is currently doing 3rd year placement in Bristol. He had to apply for lots and the Uni did help . Pleased he got placement as good to get the work experience in the field.

@poetryandwine can you extrapolate the bath being a good place now comment please we are looking at biology on bath

Hi, @Loopanic

DH is a maths professor (just gone emeritus but still active) who used to have a close Bath connection. At the moment we don’t hear as much. Student satisfaction in Maths seems to have declined a bit, but that can be a bit of a parody anyway - not particularly at Bath - so I don’t know how seriously to take it.

Universities are always hotbeds of gossip. You can’t get carried away. Biology is a completely different animal to Maths. Poking around now, student satisfaction in the discipline seems low generally but at Bath it seems relatively high. Employability is outstanding, I think No 2 in the UK behind Cambridge in the Complete University Guide. This suggests that the placement scheme is successful. In these times, that’s very important.

Unlike Lancaster and Edinburgh which I also think highly of, I am not aware of any financial issues at Bath. That’s actually huge.

It might be a good idea for DS to joinnThe Student Room and ask Bath Biology students about any particular concerns. Also to visit, if he hasn’t done so. It is a lovely place.

@poetryandwine , thank you so much for taking the time to reply
I really appreciate it. She has visited and is deciding between Bristol and bath. Thanks

I apologise deeply for misgendering your DD, @Loopanic. I am glad she has visited both Bristol and Bath.

I really do recommend TSR to her. For both universities (and possibly others) of course. The responses are generally thoughtful, yet they are not constrained as a Student Ambassador’s are (and arguably should be).

Best wishes to DD. She can hardly go wrong.