Which uni for v academic party child?

[Forev]

DC is predicted 3 a stars. They want to study history. They are highly social. They love parties and dancing. They have grown up in a big city and they love big cities but not London as they don’t like that idea.

they so far have visited Cambridge and said it was too small with too many serious academic types, Durham too geeky and no clubs, Bristol too diffuse and spread out, St Andrews they cried while there as so quiet, Leeds they loved but worried it’s aiming below their academic potential, Newcastle ditto.

they really want to go to the USA but I can’t afford that. They want to research trinity Dublin which we will look into.

Leave it to them. If they can’t pick their own university then they aren’t ready to go. Crying at it being so quiet? Ridiculous. Sounds very immature.

Surely Bristol, it has a great music / party scene.

Is the university particularly spread out? My memory is it’s in town but over a relatively small area. It’s not a big city, you can walk across the parts they’d ever realistically visit in half an hour.

Manchester will fit the bill

Manchester

Birmingham?

Manchester. Edinburgh.

Yes def Manchester!

Warwick?

Bear in mind that Cambridge and Durham are collegiate and social scene may revolve around college bars rather than clubs.

Manchester and they may be able to have a year abroad in the States? Remember they can’t drink there till they’re 21, I’m not saying partying equals drinking but it might limit options.

Not sure Warwick counts as a party uni

Bristol is not spread out in terms of the uni. A def party city but with v high expectations.

Ps my DD is an absolute party animal and is at Sheffield and loves it.

ETA we live near Manchester and Liverpool and she goes out there when home.

Manchester

Nottingham.
Our DD is still there after doing bachelors and masters.
I doubt that she will ever move away

Manchester getting lots of votes. We are booked to see it in October. I hope it doesn’t also feel too spread out with students living in different areas like Bristol. I think Leeds and Newcastle felt attractive choices as they are campus universities, with very specific neighbourhoods where everyone lives in second and third years and all close to the centre of town and clubs.

Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast. If you want to go top 10 it’s mostly Oxbridge, the more sedate cities and towns (e.g. Bath), campus unis (e.g. Warwick, which my Dd loved for its academics, but couldn’t get past the inconvenience of the location), or London. For the big social/party towns look to the merchant/industrial city RG universities.

There will be highly academic and very sociable students at any one of the universities that you have mentioned. It sounds like she might be overthinking it a bit.

Absolutely Manchester. Great history department and every party you could ever want.

I think there can be a tendency for YP to equate “ big city/ lots of clubs” with a good student social life/ lots of parties and smaller cities/ no clubs with the opposite but I’m not sure it’s always true. I went to Cambridge in the 90’s and there were constant parties - I know the Cambridge demographic has changed over the decades so maybe no longer true but it would have been difficult as an applicant to determine that, regardless. Sometimes smaller cities/ towns leave more space for student organised stuff rather than people splintering off to a multitude of clubs and bars in the city. There are deffo lots of parties at Durham.

If the OP means her DC wants big clubs with “name” DJs etc then yeah, not Warwick or Cambridge ( one v cheesy club) , but I’m not sure if she does mean that.

DS went to Cambridge and I can assure you he did plenty of partying!

Oxford? Easier to get to London for clubbing?

Most young people tire of clubbing past 18/19 so choosing a uni based on the clubbing scene is rather foolish. More likely they will move on to enjoy pubs and bars, house parties.

As I said above Birmingham is a big city, great uni, all the students live in the Vale first year, and Selly Oak from then on. My DS is always out partying! He doesn't even go to city centre for that, although he could.

Any large city university in the Russell Group would suit surely? Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, London. I don't think this is hard.

And they might need a talking to about how when they get to University there will be lots of smart people. They are going from the small bubble of their school to a massive academic community where their (potential) three Astars in remembering exam technique will count for jack shit as they learn how to actually think.

My vote goes to Manchester. Def not Dublin, Student accommodation is a nightmare to get and it is an expensive city.

Birmingham - Selly Oak (area very close to the university) is densely populated with students, plus there are those who live on campus. It's a RG university, but also very lively.

Warwick is definitely not a party uni. Probably need to go into Birmingham for decent clubs.