Any experiences of Surrey University?

[Bufftailed]

DC interested and wondering what student life is like for those who live there? A lot of emphasis on commuting in the literature…

Just went to an open day there today for my gcse child to find out a bit more about a couple of courses (v early planning!).
They mentioned that they’ve got loads of room for student accommodation on campus and some of the students said they’d stayed on campus each year if they wanted to (it was a relatively recent uni and was granted tons of land back in the 60s).

There are maybe more commuters compared to other unis cos there are a particularly large number of students from the south east, so I guess some live at home to save costs. It’s v commutable to I guess.

No idea about anything else as we just went to find out about a couple of courses as it’s nearby - my kid would likely look further afield when he comes to apply. But I think it’s popular!

DD about to graduate & has enjoyed her time at Surrey. No problem getting house shares within walking distance to campus. She’s more of an introvert but other housemates always seemed busy with activities & nightlife.

Many thanks. He really enjoyed the open day

@Bufftailed It’s a very safe choice. Suits dc who don’t want bright lights. Very middle class and dc don’t need top grades to get in. Commutable from London and locally.

DS just finished after 3 years. He enjoyed it. Good sports facilities which he got very into.

Safe as in safe area? Or safe bet to get in….thank you!

It’s pretty high in rankings but I guess lacks RG prestige making it easier to get into

My son and daughter in law met at Surrey Uni. Both loved their time there.

@Bufftailed Safe as in not a gritty city! Safe bet to get into? Probably! It doesn’t ask for top grades and isn’t hugely oversubscribed - but obviously make sure the academic profile fits!

Thanks. We don’t live in the safest area, v big city but DC seems agnostic about city/ small town etc. He liked Guildford. V keen on sports so that seems a strength. He is heading for a ‘spiky’ A level profile so needa a bit of flexibility! Thanks for advice

@Bufftailed I don’t know what they are like on missed grades so check entry details - he does have 5 choices so where else is on his radar? Oxford Brooks is lower ranking and Oxford has everything. Reading is also worth a look if he needs an insurance with a lower tariff - assuming they do his course.

Considered a good university. Nice campus.

I went there, albeit 20 years ago! If he’s looking for bright city lights and excitement then probably not the best place for him. Nice campus with a good community feel. I don’t know if they still do the ‘year in industry’ on most courses but if so it leads to high employability after graduation. Many of my friends were offered grad roles with the company they’d done their third year with. I did my third year abroad.

A prof from their chemistry department came to talk at DC's school on a careers open day. She was so amazing, I wanted to go there.

It's a nice campus and Guildford is a good town.Small and safe but lively - nice pubs, cafes, live music, theatre and comedy venues, the river for rowing, paddleboarding. It could be a lovely place to be a student.

Warwick, Loughborough, Lancaster, Surrey, Reading, QMUL, maybe Sussex. Surrey do a foundation year too, although obviously thst adds to cost…

@Bufftailed Be careful about any “year in industry” offers. Dc find the placements themselves and, if advertised via the uni, hundreds apply. Theres a shrinking supply of them and some dc apply for a vast number and get nothing. Theres no guarantee of success. Bath has a better reputation for this type of course.

It must have changed a lot since I was there, it worked excellently for all my friends and course mates.

@meetmeonthecornerIt depends what subject. If it’s engineering, then Surrey has good industry connections. My DS is currently on a summer internship in the SE and was told that they mainly recruit interns from uni of Surrey, Southampton and another I’ve forgotten

I have good friends who went to Surrey and they both secured summer internships easily admittedly a while ago now. But uni of Surrey is in the golden area of many big companies and better placed than many with established industry connections

Competition for student accommodation is pretty hot has students from Italia Conti and Farnham also live in Guildford along with Surrey, PPA and ACM all being based in Guildford.
in year 3 DD made the move into unfurnished non-student accommodation.
She studied at Conti and loved Guildford so much she stayed.

DS had just finished there and had a great time. Happy with the academic and social side. The campus is within easy reach of the town and train station. He was in Manor Park accommodation 1st year and campus halls in 3rd year. Easy to find off campus accommodation which cheaper then we expected. He went into London frequently for nights out. Good sports facilities.

@BravasPatatas Many students are finding they are applying for loads and it’s hugely time consuming. It’s a reflection of the not so great grad prospects everyone is noticing. Universities never say exactly how many get internships, how many didn’t and how many got them through their own contacts. It’s not the same as 30 years ago. It’s just best to be prepared for a slog unless dc knows someone.

Well it wasn’t quite 30 years ago 😁

@BravasPatatas Many apologies. I’m not saying these years are not a good move for many dc, but so many courses now say the year is available, student numbers have ballooned and employers are reticent. Hopefully things will improve.