Fallowfield or City campus?

Yay we seem to have a bit of a Bristolian mafia going on here! I'm from NW Bristol . . . I've moved about over the city, but mostly centred in the NW

I quite like Oak House, myself. It's big, there's lots going on, it's cheap (always important!) and although it's basic (plaster? It's for pussies. Pale green breezeblock is the way forward!), it provides everything you need.



Most socialising done by UGs in the UK is based around alcohol, unfortunately. If it's sports-based, then there are also going to be socials (and the inevitable initiation, which isn't as bad as it sounds, unless it's a rugby initiation, when it's far, far worse than it sounds) which are generally Bacchanalian riots anyway (I don't think that I can remember the entirety of one social so far...). If it's anything-else based, then there are also socials. And then there are the nights out in Freshers, and nights out for no particular reason, starting with pre-drinks in halls.

I know what you mean about people who are fresh out of school & parental control. I had left home 6 months before going to uni, and the parents had been leaving me to my own devices for another 8 months before that. Thus, the freedom to go out drinking whenever I wanted was nothing new to me, and some of the novelty had definitely worn off! However, once you're past freshers week (which you should really join in with, if only to get to know your flatmates) then there's no real pressure to go out - you can if you want, if not then it's fine. The people who do go out all the time don't tend to be horrifically noisy, although you will often hear people leaving for clubs around 11pm. It has to be said, however, that as the year has gone on, people have been going out less and less.

But I don't want to be too pessimistic about Fallowfield, for a number of reasons
- If your son is coming with you, then I'm guessing you're going to be living in either Horniman or Linton House, where you'll be surrounded by likeminded people anyway.
- Even if you're not bringing your son, you may be able to talk the accommodation office into letting you stay in PG accommodation, because you're a mature student. That will be much quieter, and much more work focused than UG accommodation.
- The only real difference between Fallowfield & City is that City has far more internationals. Whilst internationals tend to be more work-focused than alcohol-focused, they're also often prone to staying in their own national groups. And the UK students will still be just as prone to going out as the ones in Fallowfield. Victoria Park has a reputation for being that bit quieter, but I've never quite worked out how true that is, and I've never had reason to go over there.
- Intellectual conversations are mainly to be had in your tutorials. In all likelihood, you'll be living with people from other courses anyway. I struggle to hold an intellectual conversation about Jane Austen; they struggle to hold an intellectual conversation about Hobbes. No one's drunk 24/7, so you can always attempt to hold such conversations when everyone's sober!

I think this reply has gone slightly disjointed (I need to go to bed!) but you get the idea, and I'm always happy to answer your questions

Wow, I'm still stuck on whether to go to OH or Whitworth Park :/ Is it possible to go to OH and still get 60% studying History? Can't wait for the learning commons to open, it looks like a great place to meet/study

Yep, definitely possible - I'm doing a social science and got a 2:i last semester; I know someone doing a physical science who got 80-something% last semester.

Learning Commons does look great, but I'll put money on it not being ready by September! Ah well, we've still got the library directly behind it to use in the meantime.

REALLY?! Why's that? I was there in February and it didn't look in too bad a shape. Is it quite a bit behind schedule?

Oh, so is OH overhyped in terms of noise etc. Will it be workable after freshers, or do you tend to work a lot in the library? I've also heard MMU's library is 24/7 and they're happy to let UoM students in?

Well, they've not said anything officially, but it's not even weather-proof yet, so obviously they haven't started on the wiring, plastering or anything aesthetic yet. Plus, building projects always overrun! It's not like it'll never open - it'll probably be open by the time January exams come round (which is the only time the library is ever packed out) anyway. In the meantime, you can use the library. All the learning commons is going to be is like the library, but without books!

OH's noise has never really bothered me. Yes, you get a bit of it, but it's nothing unmanageable, and I've never felt the need to go to the library to avoid it. TBH, the only time I go to the library to work is when I've got >1 hour between lectures to kill.

I've only ever heard something vague on TSR about MMU letting UoM students in. I've never heard anything about it offline, so I'm not sure if it's even true. However, I'm not entirely sure why you'd bother, even if it is true - I doubt you'll be able to get on the internet there, you won't be able to take books out, it's further away from both lecture theatres and accommodation than JRUL (UoM's library), and I believe JRUL is one of the biggest uni libraries in the country.

Ah okay, I think building projects tend to excel in the Spring/Summer months, so we shall see. Wow, you rarely go to the library I would have thought at least once or twice a week would be required, especially for essay based subjects And yeah, the only reason I asked was if I needed to do work at 11pm or something do you have a laptop at uni? I can't decide what one I want, whether it's worth getting a Macbook or not, are they popular at Mancs?

Yeah, I just work in my room normally. Most of the readings are either (a) in one of the textbooks that you end up buying, or (b) online, so there's really minimal need to go to the library anyway. I usually go in there once or twice a week - I just have a couple of big gaps between lectures!

You will definitely need a laptop at uni - I didn't have one for a week and it nearly drove me up the wall. I don't know much about laptops, but I don't really think it matters too much so long as it functions and can open powerpoints and write essays (you don't even need to use MS software for that - just get the free OpenOffice software, which is what I use).

Oh, I imagined every essay to be like coursework where you have to reference stuff. Will they set questions just like in A-level subjects, where a textbook will give you the answers and you just answer it, putting it in your own words etc. without needing to research all these different historians?

Unfortunately, yes, each essay does require some fairly heavy referencing. On the upside, most of it can be done from
- your textbook
- Google Books
- Google Scholar
- JSTOR (online journals)
- the citations at the bottom of wikipedia (you're not meant to, but it is very useful...)

With regards to just rewording stuff . . . I wish! For tutorial tasks, you'll be drawing on various things that they have given you to read (they reckon 5 hours of prep per tutorial . . . which never happens), and then pulling them together into something more coherent.

At least, this is what happens for my subject (Politics). Can't really say what it's like with History tbh.

I imagine it would be similar, perhaps not so much article based. I do Pol at A2 atm, and the only things we read are out of articles because it's usually up to date, not sure what politics is like at uni and how historical and scientific it gets but yeah. Damn, hope I don't find it too hard, really want to do the abroad semester in year 2, are you going on one/know others who are?

But I don't want to be too pessimistic about Fallowfield, for a number of reasons
- If your son is coming with you, then I'm guessing you're going to be living in either Horniman or Linton House, where you'll be surrounded by likeminded people anyway.
- Even if you're not bringing your son, you may be able to talk the accommodation office into letting you stay in PG accommodation, because you're a mature student. That will be much quieter, and much more work focused than UG accommodation.
- The only real difference between Fallowfield & City is that City has far more internationals. Whilst internationals tend to be more work-focused than alcohol-focused, they're also often prone to staying in their own national groups. And the UK students will still be just as prone to going out as the ones in Fallowfield. Victoria Park has a reputation for being that bit quieter, but I've never quite worked out how true that is, and I've never had reason to go over there.
- Intellectual conversations are mainly to be had in your tutorials. In all likelihood, you'll be living with people from other courses anyway. I struggle to hold an intellectual conversation about Jane Austen; they struggle to hold an intellectual conversation about Hobbes. No one's drunk 24/7, so you can always attempt to hold such conversations when everyone's sober!

Learning Commons does look great, but I'll put money on it not being ready by September! Ah well, we've still got the library directly behind it to use in the meantime.

x

Experience the city in the first year as you'll more than likely end up in Fallowfield, which isn't a great place if I'm telling the truth, in subsequent years.

I live in city campus and I've been to fallowfield twice this year and it was to view houses, everyone I know from fallowfield seems to go into the city too? Maybe this year is an exception, I can't imagine fallowfield being anything more than pre drinks or a few pints, maybe it's because I enjoy clubbing and dancing like a t*** more haha.

I was just referring to living in Fallowfield...it's not the greatest sh*thole in Manchester but it still is one nonetheless.

So you're saying City over Fallowfield?

Personally, yes. For the experience of the city at your doorstep, definitely. Usually Manchester and MMU students will live in halls for the first year and then move into Fallowfield and Rusholme in years two and three. I'm not putting Fallowfield down or anything because, as with most cities, the student areas tend to be not the best to keep costs down, but if I could put living there off for a year I certainly would lol. Then again, I'd personally also look at other areas than Fallowfield when sharing a house in subsequent years but that's probably just me.

See, I wanna be at the heart of the city too! But I want the least-international, cheap hall :/ But I've also got Oak House in Fallowfield, but Fallowfield is a bit out of the way :/

20 mins door-to-door by bus to get to uni
15 mins door-to-door (including bike-related faffing i.e. getting it out of the bike shed and locking it up again at the other end) by bike
And another 10 mins on top of that to get to the city centre.
Not that out of the way

Sainsburys is on your doorstep, whereas people in city are largely stuck with small, overpriced convenience stores, or a trek to Sainsburys / Asda (Moss Side) with heavy groceries in tow.

I try to avoid town - I find I just spend money if I go!

Is Whitworth Park next to Moss Side? I dunno, I just anticipated being in the city centre, but Oak House is swaying me. but isn't Fallowfield quite a rough area? Also, what are the closest cheap halls to the clubs? My mate from Liverpool Uni lived in the heart of the city, and it was so cool, being a 5 minute walk from Lime Street