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Which uni to firm & insurance...

I haven't visited any of the universities I've received offers from, except UCL where I had an interview. I've tried to research them, mostly from reading students opinions and the way the course content differs, but really there are pros and cons to all the uni’s.

I would put UCL as my firm, but I am worried about the stress, expense of studying in London and especially for my 2nd and 3rd years in which a lot of precious time could be spent having to get up early and travel far. I want to have enough time for going out, joining societies etc and still get at least a 2:1, but I feel going to UCL may cause me to miss out on the other great things about going to uni. I've read that the SU at UCL aren't very strong, people don't go out much and I really want that kind of studenty atmosphere to meet people, I am worried that I may be confined to the people doing my course and those I live with. Halls at UCL are another problem as they place you randomly and I am picky about wanting a single room near the uni but in a lively social hall/area etc. :/

Bristol offered me the same as UCL, but surely the reputation of UCL precedes that of Bristol? And considering Psychology is not the most highly regarded of subjects, I feel I should study it at a uni that will give me the best options and look the best to prospective employers. Or would someone who got a 2:1 at UCL not actually be in a better position than someone who got a 2:1 at Southampton?

My other options are Southampton, Exeter and Birmingham, all which I can't see any problem with. And seem to be rated equally in different respects. I've heard the SU at Exeter is good, Birmingham has great nightlife, and all 3 just seem to have that great campus student atmosphere which I probably won't get at UCL or Bristol.

However the Southampton course seems a bit soft on experimental and statistical methods, would this be looked upon disfavorably?

I wish I'd gone on the open days but I don't have enough time to go to all of them now so it would be a great help if someone could tell me a little bit about studying psychology at the uni's i've mentioned and if they think it would suit me.
Thanks guys :smile:

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I wouldn't worry about living in London, first there's the extra money you can get anyway, and it's one of the easiest places to get jobs in your spare time to help you out with finances... plus, you can't beat the city life. London is wonderful.

But if you really don't think you can manage it, I've visited Exeter and i loved it... J.K.Rowling went there too :biggrin:
Firm UCL, stop making excuses, its an amazing university and people would kill to go there.
Bristol or Exeter as insurance? I'd probably go for Bristol.
Reply 3
Vixxen
I haven't visited any of the universities I've received offers from, except UCL where I had an interview. I've tried to research them, mostly from reading students opinions and the way the course content differs, but really there are pros and cons to all the uni’s.

I would put UCL as my firm, but I am worried about the stress, expense of studying in London and especially for my 2nd and 3rd years in which a lot of precious time could be spent having to get up early and travel far. I want to have enough time for going out, joining societies etc and still get at least a 2:1, but I feel going to UCL may cause me to miss out on the other great things about going to uni. I've read that the SU at UCL aren't very strong, people don't go out much and I really want that kind of studenty atmosphere to meet people, I am worried that I may be confined to the people doing my course and those I live with. Halls at UCL are another problem as they place you randomly and I am picky about wanting a single room near the uni but in a lively social hall/area etc. :/

Bristol offered me the same as UCL, but surely the reputation of UCL precedes that of Bristol? And considering Psychology is not the most highly regarded of subjects, I feel I should study it at a uni that will give me the best options and look the best to prospective employers. Or would someone who got a 2:1 at UCL not actually be in a better position than someone who got a 2:1 at Southampton?

My other options are Southampton, Exeter and Birmingham, all which I can't see any problem with. And seem to be rated equally in different respects. I've heard the SU at Exeter is good, Birmingham has great nightlife, and all 3 just seem to have that great campus student atmosphere which I probably won't get at UCL or Bristol.

However the Southampton course seems a bit soft on experimental and statistical methods, would this be looked upon disfavorably?

I wish I'd gone on the open days but I don't have enough time to go to all of them now so it would be a great help if someone could tell me a little bit about studying psychology at the uni's i've mentioned and if they think it would suit me.
Thanks guys :smile:


I know nothing about Psychology but I've applied to UCL, Southampton, Exeter and Bham and lived in Bristol so I can tell you my opinions about these places.
- City: I would rate Bristol the best. It's not that massive as London or Birmingham but there are still a lot of things to do, and it's a great student city where you can feel like home. I myself sometimes feel a bit lost when I'm in London or Bham, but maybe it's just me. Cities of Soton and Exeter are not bad either but nowhere near as good as other three in my opinion.
- The campus: I have to say I love Bham campus. It's massive, beautiful and in a lovely area of the city. UCL is right in the heart of London so surely it can't have that kind of campus atmosphere which I know many people would love. Bristol Uni looks great aswell. Both Exeter and Southampton have good campus but nothing impressed me on my open day, probably because it was raining which probably was not the best time to see around lol.

Regardless of the quality of the course, I'd say UCL firm because after all it's UCL and London :biggrin:, and then either Bristol or Bham as insurance, whichever is lower offer :wink:
Reply 4
UCL have upped their typical Psychology offer for next year to A*AA, implying it's probably amongst the most competitive courses in the country.
Reply 5
Thanks for the quick replies it's been really helpful :biggrin:
I feel I really need to make my mind up soon. I want to visit Bristol but I've missed their open days, and they don't seem to have accomodation viewing days. Everyone tells me Exeter is really nice, and it does have a good reputation, it seems all round pretty good. The thing I'm worried about UCL is that I'm one of those people that really can't settle down and study (which is the reason people go to uni, easy to forget I know :P) unless I have a comfortable, quiet area with my own computer and internet access etc. And I've heard horrors about UCL accomodation, so I'm scared I might get thrown into some dirty shack with no data point, thin walls so excessive noise, and I just won't be able to study :/ Yeah I'm probably thinking things over too much but idk...
Reply 6
You seem to not be to bothered about southampton and everyone who's commented has kind of left it out and not said it's good or anything.
In terms of city size:
London>Birmingham>Bristol>Southampton>Exeter: depends what size you want if you think Londons too big.
In terms of rep, UCL has it, then Bristol; i mean when you were at UCL did you see yourself staying there for 3 years? if yes then definitely firm UCL. Otherwise Bristol may be the best option. Then i would choose between Exeter and Birmingham for insurance; i'd go for Birmingham for mostly the reasons given by other people; ie: campus, big city.

Following the general opinions of most posts here:
Firm: UCL
Insurance: Birmingham
Vixxen
I haven't visited any of the universities I've received offers from, except UCL where I had an interview. I've tried to research them, mostly from reading students opinions and the way the course content differs, but really there are pros and cons to all the uni’s.

I would put UCL as my firm, but I am worried about the stress, expense of studying in London and especially for my 2nd and 3rd years in which a lot of precious time could be spent having to get up early and travel far. I want to have enough time for going out, joining societies etc and still get at least a 2:1, but I feel going to UCL may cause me to miss out on the other great things about going to uni. I've read that the SU at UCL aren't very strong, people don't go out much and I really want that kind of studenty atmosphere to meet people, I am worried that I may be confined to the people doing my course and those I live with. Halls at UCL are another problem as they place you randomly and I am picky about wanting a single room near the uni but in a lively social hall/area etc. :/


I'm currently studying my first year at UCL, so hopefully I can answer your questions. (Apologies for the long essay in advance XD).

In terms of expenses, well, you get more money if you apply for student loans for London unis. And if you're a crafty consumer there are many ways to save money. In terms of accommodation for 2nd and 3rd year, it's suprisingly easy to find outside accommodation really close to UCL (I'm doing that now!). And for 3rd year, you have the option of going back to halls.

Halls aren't chosen randomly, they ask you for your preferences. Also, a nice trick to do is to write your hall preference on the actual application form, they'll usually give you what you want :biggrin: (let me know if you want to know what the traditional party halls of UCL are :P)

In terms of the student union, well, there are plenty of societies to choose from (sorry if I sound like a walking advert :P). In terms of clubbing, well, there are plenty of pubs around ucl, along with a couple of clubs that ucl students always go to. But having said that, it's London! There are places everywhere they all have different student nights so going out isn't much of a problem. (Also, 24hour buses! XD).

All I would say is, how much of a social life you have really depends on how much you want your social life to be, and that's the case in all universities. Have fun deciding :smile:
Reply 8
You should just pop around to the campuses and look around - I went to Exeter and found it really welcoming and nice and not full of rahs/mean people :smile: (I'm slightly biased however, since it's my firm)

Since allof your unis are really prestigious your degree will look fine wherever you go, so you should just go on where you'd feel most comfortable spending 3 years.
Reply 9
Being from birmingham, and having gone to school opposite Birmingham Uni, I'll tell you right now: Uni of Birmingham's campus is damn nice. Really is beautiful, spent a fair amount of time around there as well, it really is a lovely place. City Center is a short bus ride/taxi ride away as well. As far as London goes though, only reason I'd go to UCL is because of its place in the league tables. I'm not the biggest fan of prices in London, and the nightlife there is nothing special, either; just that there's a ton more clubs for you to visit in London.
As for the campus, does any London uni have a real campus feel? Seriously though, go and visit those places for at least a day before you make your choices, don't have regrets because you chose based on secondary opinions
Reply 10
Vixxen
Thanks for the quick replies it's been really helpful :biggrin:
I feel I really need to make my mind up soon. I want to visit Bristol but I've missed their open days, and they don't seem to have accomodation viewing days. Everyone tells me Exeter is really nice, and it does have a good reputation, it seems all round pretty good. The thing I'm worried about UCL is that I'm one of those people that really can't settle down and study (which is the reason people go to uni, easy to forget I know :P) unless I have a comfortable, quiet area with my own computer and internet access etc. And I've heard horrors about UCL accomodation, so I'm scared I might get thrown into some dirty shack with no data point, thin walls so excessive noise, and I just won't be able to study :/ Yeah I'm probably thinking things over too much but idk...


You're definitely over thinking things.

First of all, UCL is a fantastic place to study just about anything. We have not one, not two, but three unions within 100m of each other, and there's something going on at all of the nearly every day of the week. You have Camden to the north, Soho within walking distance at the other end of Tottenham Court Road, tube lines to Leicester Square/Piccadily and pretty much anywhere else you want to go, along with more pubs/bars you will be able to visit over the course of the year.

People say London is more expensive. They're not wrong. However, if you choose carefully what you do on certain nights, you can lower the costs considerably. Food isn't any more expensive, the price of a pint is a little more expensive, but not by much. In terms of accommodation, it's student halls : They're never going to be quiet. It's just a fact of life. On the other hand though, I've visited nearly all the halls of residence at UCL, and I know first hand that the walls are VERY thick (At Schafer House, I'm able to stick my amplifier on full, and my flatmates have no idea what I'm doing.), and there is a data point in every room, and some halls can get wireless.

If you get bored of London, you're seriously ****** up in the head. (Oh yes, and my girlfriend and one of my flatmates do Psych, and they love it.)
Reply 11
Shanny123456
I'm currently studying my first year at UCL, so hopefully I can answer your questions. (Apologies for the long essay in advance XD).

In terms of expenses, well, you get more money if you apply for student loans for London unis. And if you're a crafty consumer there are many ways to save money. In terms of accommodation for 2nd and 3rd year, it's suprisingly easy to find outside accommodation really close to UCL (I'm doing that now!). And for 3rd year, you have the option of going back to halls.

Halls aren't chosen randomly, they ask you for your preferences. Also, a nice trick to do is to write your hall preference on the actual application form, they'll usually give you what you want :biggrin: (let me know if you want to know what the traditional party halls of UCL are :P)

In terms of the student union, well, there are plenty of societies to choose from (sorry if I sound like a walking advert :P). In terms of clubbing, well, there are plenty of pubs around ucl, along with a couple of clubs that ucl students always go to. But having said that, it's London! There are places everywhere they all have different student nights so going out isn't much of a problem. (Also, 24hour buses! XD).

All I would say is, how much of a social life you have really depends on how much you want your social life to be, and that's the case in all universities. Have fun deciding :smile:


ahh thanks duude very helpful =]
in terms of halls I kinda want it all - a quiet single room where I can retreat to study, but within the kind of setting that encourages socializing and stuff. I've heard Ramsay is a "party hall" but is it so loud and crazy that you can't even settle down and work?
Also I'm gonna be going for self-catered so which would you recommend for me? I'm probably going for student houses, will these be really quiet though? Ensuite would be the dream buut from what I've read they are in short supply at UCL, and I don't wanna be paying crazy prices. Other than that I want to be close (5 - 10 mins) from UCL and need need need computer data point!
Mayy I ask the state of your 1st year accomodation? Would I just have to be extremely lucky to get all the things I want? I guesss part of going to uni is having to compromise and cope with new thingss but I am such a creature comfort loverr :rolleyes: :biggrin:
UCL can only fail you in that you won't feel at home due to the lack of a large campus. UCL is highly reputable, prestigious and will offer fantastic employment prospects. You really do need to weigh up what's most important to you. Bristol sounds like the perfect city for you - providing the standard campus life you're seeking.

As for the others, I personally dislike Southampton - I didn't like the university, I'm not a huge fan of the city and the atmosphere never appealed to me. This is just an opinion though, many other people will STRONGLY disagree with me here! Birmingham would probably be too big for me. Exeter is gorgeous and if I had AAA I would be there in seconds! Stupid C in History!

I'd probably firm Exeter but that's just me! For you, I'd probably firm Bristol... I'd still put Exeter as my insurance choice though!

At the moment, I'd need a 2:1 to apply for an MA in English at UCL and I'd love to undertake a master's there - so perhaps that's a possibility for you too? XX
Vixxen
ahh thanks duude very helpful =]
in terms of halls I kinda want it all - a quiet single room where I can retreat to study, but within the kind of setting that encourages socializing and stuff. I've heard Ramsay is a "party hall" but is it so loud and crazy that you can't even settle down and work?
Also I'm gonna be going for self-catered so which would you recommend for me? I'm probably going for student houses, will these be really quiet though? Ensuite would be the dream buut from what I've read they are in short supply at UCL, and I don't wanna be paying crazy prices. Other than that I want to be close (5 - 10 mins) from UCL and need need need computer data point!
Mayy I ask the state of your 1st year accomodation? Would I just have to be extremely lucky to get all the things I want? I guesss part of going to uni is having to compromise and cope with new thingss but I am such a creature comfort loverr :rolleyes: :biggrin:


Haha, well Ramsay is the party hall if that's what you want. There's also a self-catered hall within Ramsay called Ian Baker which is quite nice (I have a good friend who lives there, I'll go ask her about what the noise is like). I'm currently staying at a place called Schafer, which is quite a nice hall which can also be a bit of a party hall, but Schafer is flat-based, so there's only five rooms a corridoor (making it a lot quieter, and you only have to share two bathrooms and a big kitchen between five). Essentially, the more rooms to a corridoor, the higher the chance of there being a lot of noise, but then again, you get to see more people, so it's really up to you. Tbh, it also differs slightly from year to year, so I suppose it really depends on the people you end up with.

Don't worry, I havn't so far heard of a single UCL accom which doesn't have an internet point! (Some halls like Schafer also have a computer room with access to the UCL network plus printers). I would forget about getting an en suite unless you have a lot of cash to burn, but single rooms are pretty cosy (at least for me anyway XD). I'm sure you'll be able to get pics online. :yep:
Reply 14
If you're basing your decision on job prospects then I would say firm UCL and any of the others as your insurance, there's not really that much difference between them. Choose the uni which you like the look of and also look at the course structure and content.

If you are interested in any specific areas of psychology then you may want to find out what the unis specialise in. In terms of research, I know that Bristol and Birmingham specialise in neuroscience and cognitive psych, same with Southampton but they are also known for their research on clinical psychology. Not too sure what research UCL and Exeter do.

Hope this helps.:biggrin:
UCL! But then I'm horribly biased. :awesome:
Reply 16
Congratulations on receiving so many offers :smile:

I'd really visit them all and then decide; there's really not much between them all in terms of rep, so just pick the place where you can see yourself having fun and feeling 'at home' for 3 years.
aprilterri
I would like to biasly (if that is even a word) say Brum as that is where I will be going to uni but if UCL did my course I would probably go there. Reasons are reputation, location, employment prospects etc.. The accommodation is quite nice and are all near to the uni. O'd probably stay there in 1st year and find a flat further out in 2nd and 3rd. Also night life in the surrounding areas are great and there are lots of places to work.
I hear that bristol is nice too but i think it'd be a tad too quite for me as i'm used to cities.
Exeter is also quite reputable but being outside of a city can get boring.
I'd say that UCL, brum and bristol are you best choices here.


Bristol is a city lol it's like the 5th biggest in the country or something lol.
Reply 18
You'd be crazy to turn down the chance of going to UCL. Amazing uni for psychology. Plus I don't think you'd have a better time than in London.. maybe as a uni people may not go out as much (although I don't know if that's true) but there are many unis in London and I'm sure you'd meet people in other ways, from other unis or just people who live there.
If you want to go to a good university for educational purposes, then UCL is where you want to go. I would firm UCL and put Bristol as your insurance. Exeter, Southampton and Birmingham are average.

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