The Student Room Group
Inside University of Bristol
University of Bristol
Bristol

Bristol Drama and English Applicants 2012

Scroll to see replies

Reply 20
Original post by icbilling
don't get so touchy I was simply sharing my personal opinion, not everyone has to love the place.
I wouldn't say it is the most prestigious in the country.. that is exactly why I didn't like it because they were so convinced that Bristol was the best.
There are several universities that are better for both drama and english, but hey.. At the end of the day if you are happy there that is great.. just don't freak out because other people don't LOVE your university..


for reputation, bristol is the best. ask anyone that works in london theatre right now and they will say the most highly regarded academic drama degree is from bristol. other places such as leeds and manchester are for those that did not get an offer or failed to get the asked for grades.

didn't mean to get quite so touchy, sorry. just want to know why you didnt like it so much? i remember hating it at the open day but then falling completely in love with it at the interview day, so just differing opinions i guess.
Inside University of Bristol
University of Bristol
Bristol
Reply 21
Original post by pixiebee
for reputation, bristol is the best. ask anyone that works in london theatre right now and they will say the most highly regarded academic drama degree is from bristol. other places such as leeds and manchester are for those that did not get an offer or failed to get the asked for grades.

didn't mean to get quite so touchy, sorry. just want to know why you didnt like it so much? i remember hating it at the open day but then falling completely in love with it at the interview day, so just differing opinions i guess.


The course I am probably going to go for is a Scriptwriting and Performance since writing is what I want to do and UEA is the best for that.
I suppose I didn't like it because of the way they ran the selection day. I had prepared so much for a one on one interview and I felt that they didn't give me a moment to truly show them how passionate I was about my subjects.
Also many of the people who were there seemed a little full on (not the current students but people there for the interview). So getting my view across was virtually impossible with other people cutting in all the time.
Reply 22
Original post by icbilling
The course I am probably going to go for is a Scriptwriting and Performance since writing is what I want to do and UEA is the best for that.
I suppose I didn't like it because of the way they ran the selection day. I had prepared so much for a one on one interview and I felt that they didn't give me a moment to truly show them how passionate I was about my subjects.
Also many of the people who were there seemed a little full on (not the current students but people there for the interview). So getting my view across was virtually impossible with other people cutting in all the time.


i felt like this too. the key, like i said in previous posts, is too try to squeeze in your knowledge at any oppurtunity.

i also thought the people were full on, but again like i said, its so fake and they see right through it. i really hope u end up where u want x
Reply 23
Original post by pixiebee
i felt like this too. the key, like i said in previous posts, is too try to squeeze in your knowledge at any oppurtunity.

i also thought the people were full on, but again like i said, its so fake and they see right through it. i really hope u end up where u want x


Thanks :smile: I should be on my way to UEA soon haha
Original post by pixiebee
i felt like this too. the key, like i said in previous posts, is too try to squeeze in your knowledge at any oppurtunity.

i also thought the people were full on, but again like i said, its so fake and they see right through it. i really hope u end up where u want x


Yes yes yes I had a similar experience to you two! There was big hair and big egos! It was hard to find an opportunity to talk! Hopefully the favour the quiet but intellectual ones :wink:
Reply 25
Original post by gemnomnom
Yes yes yes I had a similar experience to you two! There was big hair and big egos! It was hard to find an opportunity to talk! Hopefully the favour the quiet but intellectual ones :wink:


I'm sure you did fine!
And if you don't get in don't worry.. things happen for a reason :smile:
Original post by icbilling
I'm sure you did fine!
And if you don't get in don't worry.. things happen for a reason :smile:

Yes that is true, although the truth is hard to accept! Plus I'm not sure about Bristol. Nothing wrong with it, just not terribly exciting either way. Did anyone think it was a really friendly place though? :smile:

I've got my heart set on Leeds and will be sad indeed if I don't get it :frown:
Reply 27
Original post by gemnomnom
Yes that is true, although the truth is hard to accept! Plus I'm not sure about Bristol. Nothing wrong with it, just not terribly exciting either way. Did anyone think it was a really friendly place though? :smile:

I've got my heart set on Leeds and will be sad indeed if I don't get it :frown:


if you get offers from both it would be ridiculous to turn down bristol
Reply 28
Haven't heard anythink yet. Twiddles thumbs. Looks perturbed. xxx
Reply 29
Original post by pixiebee
if you get offers from both it would be ridiculous to turn down bristol


Today I withdrew my application from Bristol so that I could accept my offer from Leeds, and make UEA my insurance (turning down Manchester and Birmingham) without having to wait any longer. I felt that the course and department at Bristol appealed to me the least out of all five of my choices - my correspondence with the university has been very impersonal, I was unimpressed with the visit days and there is nowhere near as much flexibility with modules. I would much rather go to a university where I have an extensive choice of modules and can craft my own degree to specialise in possible careers routes. I also feel that my employability will be added to by the opportunity to take elective modules in other departments (such as keeping up my A Level language of French) and the option to spend a whole year in work placement. I would also rather go somewhere where I felt that the two departments are integrated rather than, as I was told on the interview day, it was "completely up to the student" to link the two halves of the degree.

Contrary to the idea that Leeds/Manchester etc. are "just for people who didn't make their grades," have you looked at student satisfaction for Bristol? The Guardian places the Drama Dept at Bristol 21st in the country with a 53, 63 and 34/100 in student satisfaction, as opposed to a 98, 97 and 72 at UEA. Leeds comes low in the drama table but has higher satisfaction anyway - it also has 90, 96 and 74 in English as opposed to Bristol's 76, 88 and 67. Similarly, the Times puts Bristol's student satisfaction as 59 in drama and it is placed 13 places below Leeds for English.

Also at a Leeds talk we were told that the number of English graduates in education/employment and the percentage in graduate-level jobs placed it top in the country for English department employability.
Original post by ek101
Today I withdrew my application from Bristol so that I could accept my offer from Leeds, and make UEA my insurance (turning down Manchester and Birmingham) without having to wait any longer. I felt that the course and department at Bristol appealed to me the least out of all five of my choices - my correspondence with the university has been very impersonal, I was unimpressed with the visit days and there is nowhere near as much flexibility with modules. I would much rather go to a university where I have an extensive choice of modules and can craft my own degree to specialise in possible careers routes. I also feel that my employability will be added to by the opportunity to take elective modules in other departments (such as keeping up my A Level language of French) and the option to spend a whole year in work placement. I would also rather go somewhere where I felt that the two departments are integrated rather than, as I was told on the interview day, it was "completely up to the student" to link the two halves of the degree.

Contrary to the idea that Leeds/Manchester etc. are "just for people who didn't make their grades," have you looked at student satisfaction for Bristol? The Guardian places the Drama Dept at Bristol 21st in the country with a 53, 63 and 34/100 in student satisfaction, as opposed to a 98, 97 and 72 at UEA. Leeds comes low in the drama table but has higher satisfaction anyway - it also has 90, 96 and 74 in English as opposed to Bristol's 76, 88 and 67. Similarly, the Times puts Bristol's student satisfaction as 59 in drama and it is placed 13 places below Leeds for English.

Also at a Leeds talk we were told that the number of English graduates in education/employment and the percentage in graduate-level jobs placed it top in the country for English department employability.


Wow. My parents think that if I get both offers from Bristol and Leeds that it would be crazy not to go to Bristol as it "must have" higher employability prospects.

I also do A Level French and love the fact that Leeds offers elective modules!
Reply 31
Original post by gemnomnom
Wow. My parents think that if I get both offers from Bristol and Leeds that it would be crazy not to go to Bristol as it "must have" higher employability prospects.

I also do A Level French and love the fact that Leeds offers elective modules!


The "Leeds For Life" graduate scheme at Leeds is seriously impressive, it looks like it offers some great advice. I was really enthused by the fact that the university seems to put a lot of individual care into getting each graduate into employment, I thought it just said a lot about the student care there. Also the opportunity at Leeds to spend a whole year in work placement / abroad would greatly increase employability IMHO. Their English dept have a crazy percentage in work within 6-8 months!

The electives were a massive turning point for me too, any opportunity to broaden my studies is very much welcomed! In the end I picked where I thought I would be happiest and get the most out of the course, and it was Leeds. Going somewhere that I love the course = more likely to come out with a good grade degree.
Original post by ek101
The "Leeds For Life" graduate scheme at Leeds is seriously impressive, it looks like it offers some great advice. I was really enthused by the fact that the university seems to put a lot of individual care into getting each graduate into employment, I thought it just said a lot about the student care there. Also the opportunity at Leeds to spend a whole year in work placement / abroad would greatly increase employability IMHO. Their English dept have a crazy percentage in work within 6-8 months!

The electives were a massive turning point for me too, any opportunity to broaden my studies is very much welcomed! In the end I picked where I thought I would be happiest and get the most out of the course, and it was Leeds. Going somewhere that I love the course = more likely to come out with a good grade degree.


All of this is very uplifting, but also increases my worries about wondering if i'm going to be getting in!

EDIT: Just realised how we've been hijacking a Bristol thread by talking about how much we love Leeds xD
Reply 33
Original post by pixiebee
the course is equally split between theatre, film and television, but the extra curricular stuff (which is absolutely awesome, so many opportunities to get involved all the time is every imaginable production area) is very much theatre centric, so i would probably say that if it is film you are most interested in it isn't quite as much going on.

im from london and have been back 3 times this term, it is roughly about 30 pounds return and takes about 2 hours to get into paddington and nearer to 3 to get into waterloo.

i sent my application off in early october and didnt hear about my audition till late january so just chill :smile:


hello, i am pretty positive i'm going to firm bristol for drama, and so was just wondering if you could tell me more about it?? what do you like about it and do you feel there is enough practical? (i know any university drama course is going to be academic but some are more than others!) i was looking at uni stats and it was lowest for student satisfaction, but everyone i've heard from so far love bristol and the city as well so just wondering what you thought! any more info would be massively helpful! :smile:
Reply 34
Original post by ek101
Today I withdrew my application from Bristol so that I could accept my offer from Leeds, and make UEA my insurance (turning down Manchester and Birmingham) without having to wait any longer. I felt that the course and department at Bristol appealed to me the least out of all five of my choices - my correspondence with the university has been very impersonal, I was unimpressed with the visit days and there is nowhere near as much flexibility with modules. I would much rather go to a university where I have an extensive choice of modules and can craft my own degree to specialise in possible careers routes. I also feel that my employability will be added to by the opportunity to take elective modules in other departments (such as keeping up my A Level language of French) and the option to spend a whole year in work placement. I would also rather go somewhere where I felt that the two departments are integrated rather than, as I was told on the interview day, it was "completely up to the student" to link the two halves of the degree.

Contrary to the idea that Leeds/Manchester etc. are "just for people who didn't make their grades," have you looked at student satisfaction for Bristol? The Guardian places the Drama Dept at Bristol 21st in the country with a 53, 63 and 34/100 in student satisfaction, as opposed to a 98, 97 and 72 at UEA. Leeds comes low in the drama table but has higher satisfaction anyway - it also has 90, 96 and 74 in English as opposed to Bristol's 76, 88 and 67. Similarly, the Times puts Bristol's student satisfaction as 59 in drama and it is placed 13 places below Leeds for English.

Also at a Leeds talk we were told that the number of English graduates in education/employment and the percentage in graduate-level jobs placed it top in the country for English department employability.


I'm firming UEA as my one choice despite getting offers from York and Sussex (still waiting on RHUL) because UEA offered the most exciting and flexible course and has the best reputation for Creative Writing which since I am applying for Scriptwriting and Performance is important. Great to hear you loved Leeds and UEA is fantastic!
Reply 35
Original post by icbilling
I'm firming UEA as my one choice despite getting offers from York and Sussex (still waiting on RHUL) because UEA offered the most exciting and flexible course and has the best reputation for Creative Writing which since I am applying for Scriptwriting and Performance is important. Great to hear you loved Leeds and UEA is fantastic!


did bristol offer you a place?

Quick Reply

Latest