Visiting Student in the UK: Manchester or York?! Help!

Hey,

I'm a upcoming visiting student from germany. Therefore I thought it would be the right thing for me to register here :smile:

. Nevertheless I have some kind... I don't know if this is actually a problem... Here is my situation.

I have applied for a study abroad semester (fall term 2012) at the University of York and the University of Manchester. Both accepted my application so that I have two offers from both universities. But now I dont know which to confirm? :frown:

Manchester or York?! Which would you prefer and why? :confused:

Are those universties actually 'good' universities?! Which of the two would help to find a job in the UK?

I read that Manchester is part of the Russell Group, but I also read that York will become part of the Russell Group, too. Is this some kind of quality feature for research or industry in the UK?

Some Background Infos:
My study abroad semester will be part of my undergraduate studies in computer science. My major is software engineering and software systems. My minor is mathematics. In 2013 I'm going to graduate (hopefully :wink:

) with two bachelor degrees. In Computer Science and Mathematics.
After this semester I would like to do an internship in the UK and if possible my bachelor thesis, too. After my graduation I would like to work as software architect and/or artificial intelligence in industry.

The modules and the proposal study plans for both universities were confirmed by my home institution. Therefore there won't be any problems with the credit transfer.

It would be great if you help me. Thank you!
Nils

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 1

roh

Original post by GuestStudent

Hey,

I'm a upcoming visiting student from germany. Therefore I thought it would be the right thing for me to register here :smile:

Manchester or York?! Which would you prefer and why? :confused:

For study abroad I'd probably go Manchester.

Big party uni and grades don't count (?) so might as well take advantage!

Also, guess you'll want to do a lot of travelling whilst you're here and Manchester is probably better connected to the rest of the UK by train being the bigger city, though York's rail links aren't bad.

You'll have a great time at either though.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 2

Origami Bullets

I can't claim to know much about your subject, but I am currently a student at Manchester, so I can answer any questions that you may have :smile:

Both are very good universities, and employers will see both of them as an asset on your CV.

Manchester is set in a much bigger city than York, and so there are more things to do. York is a campus uni, whereas Manchester is more integrated into the surrounding city (known as a city university). York's campus lies on the outskirts of York, whereas Manchester is more central within the city.

I think you'll be happy whichever one yo go to, but (ignoring what goes on in that department, because I have no idea about that), I think the are equally good in their own way.

(Apologies if this makes no sense - please ask for clarification if it doesn't - I'm afraid that 17 hour shifts and 23 hours without sleep don't lead to the best posts!)

Reply 3

RebornMTG

I can't really say anything about York, but I do know that University of Manchester boast oldest CompSci department in the country. Best to take a look on their websites and check the CompSci departments yourself.
But I can definaty vouch for Manchester being a better place to be for travel and things to do. If I remember correctly, Manchester has around 4 train stations... One of them will take you where you want to visit :smile:

Reply 4

Aeschylus

York's new computer science building is nice and shiny with good employment links. That's all I know about it I'm afraid.

Reply 5

GuestStudent

Is there anything you can tell me about this Russell Group thing? Is this important to british employers?

Reply 6

daniya12

Original post by GuestStudent

Is there anything you can tell me about this Russell Group thing? Is this important to british employers?

the russel group consist of the top 20 universities in the uk, so arguably it would appeal to british employers

Reply 7

AmyJ

For anything to do with engineering/maths/science, I'd say Manchester was your best bet. It's a big city Uni with a long history of excellence in computer science and a better international reputation than York (bizarrely). Manchester has an extremely diverse student population including many international students. Public transport is second-to-none and it's the biggest "media" hub outside London. However, it's the largest single-site Uni in the country (almost 40,000 students) so it's very busy and "industrial" and you can sometimes feel like a nameless face in the crowd. Here's a snap of the city centre:

York is very different - much smaller, quiet, and very beautiful. It has a fantastic academic reputation and attracts a lot of tourism due to the Minster, the Viking Centre, York Dungeon etc.

York is campus-based and so the student experience at these Uni's will be very different.

"The Russell Group" is the name for the top 20 research-led Universities in the UK, and as such those Uni's get the lion's share of research funding and attract the best academics. However, assuming you're an undergraduate, I don't think research funding budgets should really impact your decision. York joined the Russell Group this year and Manchester were already in it.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 8

Aeschylus

Original post by AmyJ

I appreciate your even-handed contrast :smile:

, but that's a pretty old picture of the campus. Computer science is on the new hes east campus, and I've attached an image.

Reply 9

AmyJ

Original post by Aeschylus

I appreciate your even-handed contrast :smile:

, but that's a pretty old picture of the campus. Computer science is on the new hes east campus, and I've attached an image.

Ah, thanks. It was an aerial view of the city, as far as I know, but I've only ever visited York for the odd weekend during term time. I was just trying to give a general idea of how York differs from Manchester. Academically I think the difference is negligible, especially for a study abroad student, so really it will rest on whether the OP prefers campus-style living or Mcr's sprawling concrete..! :smile: