[Obfuscator]

(Original post by candy82)
Haha, Darwinism works on many different subjects, not just biology!

A friend of mine once mentioned this discount student card. Another item on the check out list. Man, it's piling up! Again, thanks for bringing this to my attention.

You will, don't worry! Please do let me know. I would like to see you achieve your goals!

Hmm, since we have basically mentioned all the pros of UEA, do you know of any cons? Anything you didn't like whilst visiting it? :P

Fair enough. The cons. Hmm. Well, there's a lot of concrete. I thought this would put me off: I am a bit of a fan of architecture and the '60s was, generally speaking, quite a dark time in the UK's architectural history, with a lot of ugly concrete. And certainly, if you really hate concrete, you might not like UEA's aesthetics . That said, UEA is probably the most beautiful concrete jungle you'll ever see. The Ziggurats (the oldest block of student accommodation) are, for some reason, pretty beautiful, and the campus layout does seem to just make a lot of sense.

My friend has told me that the weather is pretty damn temperamental because the whole place for miles around is pretty much flat, so you get the weather coming in from the ocean. It's really, really nice when the sun is shining though XD

It also feels kinda isolated. It is quite a long way out from the centre of Norwich, but even if you include Norwich, it's still kinda isolated: It's pretty much the only civilisation for miles around The nearest place of note is Great Yarmouth on the coast which is about 30 miles east of Norwich. The nearest city is probably Ipswich which I guess is about 80-90km away. Norwich isn't particularly big, anyway. I don't think most people find this much of a problem, though. Whatever uni you go to, you're probably not going to be leaving the city you're in very regularly anyway, and there's still plenty to do on campus and stuff.

I can't really think of anything, though, that would be bad enough to put someone off from going. I mean, even if you don't particularly like the architecture, you will probably stop noticing it after a couple of weeks, and you mostly see the inside of buildings, rather than the outside. From what I've seen the insides of buildings seem to be in pretty good shape. I think they've actually just finished a nice extension to the library as well, which is cool (I like libraries )

[candy82]

(Original post by Obfuscator)
Fair enough. The cons. Hmm. Well, there's a lot of concrete. I thought this would put me off: I am a bit of a fan of architecture and the '60s was, generally speaking, quite a dark time in the UK's architectural history, with a lot of ugly concrete. And certainly, if you really hate concrete, you might not like UEA's aesthetics . That said, UEA is probably the most beautiful concrete jungle you'll ever see. The Ziggurats (the oldest block of student accommodation) are, for some reason, pretty beautiful, and the campus layout does seem to just make a lot of sense.

My friend has told me that the weather is pretty damn temperamental because the whole place for miles around is pretty much flat, so you get the weather coming in from the ocean. It's really, really nice when the sun is shining though XD

It also feels kinda isolated. It is quite a long way out from the centre of Norwich, but even if you include Norwich, it's still kinda isolated: It's pretty much the only civilisation for miles around The nearest place of note is Great Yarmouth on the coast which is about 30 miles east of Norwich. The nearest city is probably Ipswich which I guess is about 80-90km away. Norwich isn't particularly big, anyway. I don't think most people find this much of a problem, though. Whatever uni you go to, you're probably not going to be leaving the city you're in very regularly anyway, and there's still plenty to do on campus and stuff.

I can't really think of anything, though, that would be bad enough to put someone off from going. I mean, even if you don't particularly like the architecture, you will probably stop noticing it after a couple of weeks, and you mostly see the inside of buildings, rather than the outside. From what I've seen the insides of buildings seem to be in pretty good shape. I think they've actually just finished a nice extension to the library as well, which is cool (I like libraries )

Haha, yeah, I read about the ugly concrete, but that was a lame reason to consider as a con. Cos like you said, it's on the outside, and appearances should be overlooked! And if you say the library is cool, then that's cool; considering how much time I'll be spending there anyway.

Wait, so the campus is too far away from the city center? Really? I thought everything was close by. So how far would it take me to reach it? Whether by walking or taking a bus?

[bluee]

(Original post by candy82)
This is a really great reply. Thanks so much. I think I'm gonna go for UEA, I've been watching their videos on youtube, and I'm quickly falling in love with it, and Norwich city as well.

So you're saying that it's easy to get to campus from the airport? Do you know how far is the town to campus? Like from shopping areas to there?

You would have a get a cab but they are really cheap, like 5.5/6 quid into the city (might be a tad more to the airport). The airport is just north of the city and the university is in the east.
Three buses run to town and they take between 15 mins to 25 mins depending on the bus. Or you can walk in 40 mins, bike in 20/30 mins. walking in is really nice in the summer.
As a fresher you can get most things on campus and the three buses stop right in the middle of the shopping area. Everything is in one area that you can walk about and there are loads of shops and places to eat.

[candy82]

(Original post by bluee)
You would have a get a cab but they are really cheap, like 5.5/6 quid into the city (might be a tad more to the airport). The airport is just north of the city and the university is in the east.
Three buses run to town and they take between 15 mins to 25 mins depending on the bus. Or you can walk in 40 mins, bike in 20/30 mins. walking in is really nice in the summer.
As a fresher you can get most things on campus and the three buses stop right in the middle of the shopping area. Everything is in one area that you can walk about and there are loads of shops and places to eat.

But there are buses from the airport to campus, right? Actually, I was thinking of taking the train instead, and as far as I know, there are plenty of buses from the train station to campus, right?

So, the bus ride from campus to city center takes around 15-25mins?

Yeah? I was just asking cos I wanted to be able to get my room supplies for the year.

Thanks for your reply.

[Obfuscator]

(Original post by candy82)
Wait, so the campus is too far away from the city center? Really? I thought everything was close by. So how far would it take me to reach it? Whether by walking or taking a bus?

Hmm, it's not a long way out, but the campus is on the edge of town.
This map says it takes about an hour to walk from the station to the uni. The station is on the far side of town from the uni. I don't know how accurate this is. The bus definitely takes half an hour. You can cycle it in 15-20 minutes I'd say. Also, if you're living off campus in private housing, you will probably (I think) live in a house on or around The Avenues which is that big long road on the map, so you will be somewhere in between town and uni.

[Txi]

(Original post by candy82)
My choices are Southampton, Central Lancashire, and UEA. But awesome, that's what I wanted to hear. What school do you go to, btw?

UCL, and now Bham ( stay away )

GF was @ UEA

[candy82]

(Original post by Txi)
UCL, and now Bham ( stay away )

GF was @ UEA

Bham is Birmingham, right? Haha, why? What's wrong with it? I actually have an offer from Birmingham City as well.

Awesome. Did she have a nice experience there?

[candy82]

(Original post by Obfuscator)
Hmm, it's not a long way out, but the campus is on the edge of town.
This map says it takes about an hour to walk from the station to the uni. The station is on the far side of town from the uni. I don't know how accurate this is. The bus definitely takes half an hour. You can cycle it in 15-20 minutes I'd say. Also, if you're living off campus in private housing, you will probably (I think) live in a house on or around The Avenues which is that big long road on the map, so you will be somewhere in between town and uni.

Oh, man, this sounds like too much of a hassle. Haha, I'll take the bus then.
You know? cycling sounds fun, too. I just hope bicycles won't be too expensive and I still know how to cycle as well, cos I haven't done it in years, haha!

I'm gonna stop bugging you with questions now. Thanks so much for bearing with me. You're awesome!

[Obfuscator]

(Original post by candy82)
Oh, man, this sounds like too much of a hassle. Haha, I'll take the bus then.
You know? cycling sounds fun, too. I just hope bicycles won't be too expensive and I still know how to cycle as well, cos I haven't done it in years, haha!

I'm gonna stop bugging you with questions now. Thanks so much for bearing with me. You're awesome!

There'll almost certainly be reconditioned/second hand bike sales at which you can grab a bargain. Norwich is fairly flat so you don't need anything special. And that's fine, good luck!

[candy82]

(Original post by Obfuscator)
There'll almost certainly be reconditioned/second hand bike sales at which you can grab a bargain. Norwich is fairly flat so you don't need anything special. And that's fine, good luck!

See? Just when I worry about something, I read your reply and just like that, you make things so much easier. You're a Godsend! Thanks a whole bunch. I wish I could repay you for all your help somehow.

[Obfuscator]

(Original post by candy82)
See? Just when I worry about something, I read your reply and just like that, you make things so much easier. You're a Godsend! Thanks a whole bunch. I wish I could repay you for all your help somehow.

haha good, I'm just glad I've been able to be useful.

[Txi]

(Original post by candy82)
Bham is Birmingham, right? Haha, why? What's wrong with it? I actually have an offer from Birmingham City as well.

Awesome. Did she have a nice experience there?

Yes.

Overrated Uni, city is grim compared to Norwich.

Yes, She (we) had a lovely time there, visited about 5/6 times, beautiful city, beautiful girl, what more can I ask for.

[candy82]

(Original post by Obfuscator)
haha good, I'm just glad I've been able to be useful.

You have been more than useful!

Btw, what other uni's have you visited? And what's your impression about them?

[candy82]

(Original post by Txi)
Yes.

Overrated Uni, city is grim compared to Norwich.

Yes, She (we) had a lovely time there, visited about 5/6 times, beautiful city, beautiful girl, what more can I ask for.

Oh, I'm so glad I didn't go there last year. Birmingham does look grim.

Aw, that sounds lovely. Glad you both had fun there.

What do you think distinguishes Norwich from other cities in the UK?

[Obfuscator]

(Original post by candy82)
You have been more than useful!

Btw, what other uni's have you visited? And what's your impression about them?

Ok let me see if I can remember them all. As well as Sheffield and UEA

London School of Economics: I didn't really like it. They seemed very up themselves, but the course wasn't that great, and was pretty terribly presented. I think to an extent they carry on through their reputation rather than really caring about their undergraduates, though I think it's better for postgrads. Being in London put me off a little bit as well.

Exeter: Really nice campus, and the course seemed really good. For me, though, it seemed a little safe and isolated. It felt a lot like an expensive private girls school. As someone who's involved in politics I was looking for somewhere that was kinda out there, or at least had the opportunities to be out there.

York: For me the campus was just ugly. It seemed to me like a mix between a run down comprehensive school and a small airport. The course seemed pretty good, but as a place, it wasn't for me (York is pretty small as well, even though it's a nice city). I know someone who's doing politics there, and I don't know if he rates it that highly either :O, though my friend who's probably going to do computer science there is absolutely in love with it, though that department is based on the newer campus with the nice buildings.

Bristol: When I visited I really loved Bristol when I didn't expect to. The city was beautiful and bustling, and the course was presented so well. The only major drawbacks were the cost of living, and the fact that it seemed pretty full of private school kids. (BTW I've got nothing against private school kids, I just don't like the kind of atmosphere/attitude that they bring with them). I would probably have gone there, except for the fact that they rejected me :'(

Nottingham: Again, this was a really nice campus and a really good course. Unfortunately I was in crutches when I visited, and it's a pretty massive campus so I didn't really get to see much, but what I saw looked really nice.

Leicester: Already mentioned, I wasn't too keen on Leicester.

Warwick: I really liked Warwick. Their course for politics was brilliant, it has an incredible reputation. I thought the campus was quite nice, too. It was pretty isolated, though, and the social side of things didn't look too great. They rejected me as well, though :/ haha.

Cambridge: Obviously, it's reputation speaks for itself. Beautiful city, and of course an impeccable academic reputation. I would have given anything to be able to apply, but in the end, my grades weren't up to scratch (laziness on my part ) Like Bristol, though, they were a bit up themselves, but probably with some degree of justification haha

[candy82]

(Original post by Obfuscator)
Ok let me see if I can remember them all. As well as Sheffield and UEA

London School of Economics: I didn't really like it. They seemed very up themselves, but the course wasn't that great, and was pretty terribly presented. I think to an extent they carry on through their reputation rather than really caring about their undergraduates, though I think it's better for postgrads. Being in London put me off a little bit as well.

Really? I had no idea, I thought it was a brilliant university considering its impeccable reputation. Yeah, I think it's better for postgrads, but they're entry standards are tight, so not everyone makes it.

What put you off about London?

Exeter: Really nice campus, and the course seemed really good. For me, though, it seemed a little safe and isolated. It felt a lot like an expensive private girls school. As someone who's involved in politics I was looking for somewhere that was kinda out there, or at least had the opportunities to be out there.

LOL! That's a weird analogy. I didn't like their website, it seemed pretentious.

York: For me the campus was just ugly. It seemed to me like a mix between a run down comprehensive school and a small airport. The course seemed pretty good, but as a place, it wasn't for me (York is pretty small as well, even though it's a nice city). I know someone who's doing politics there, and I don't know if he rates it that highly either :O, though my friend who's probably going to do computer science there is absolutely in love with it, though that department is based on the newer campus with the nice buildings.

Good God, this sounds like a horrible school. York seems like a pretty isolated city, isn't it? Did you actually get accepted in it?

Bristol: When I visited I really loved Bristol when I didn't expect to. The city was beautiful and bustling, and the course was presented so well. The only major drawbacks were the cost of living, and the fact that it seemed pretty full of private school kids. (BTW I've got nothing against private school kids, I just don't like the kind of atmosphere/attitude that they bring with them). I would probably have gone there, except for the fact that they rejected me :'(

Haha, that's ok, I guess you're just like Holden Caulfield, you dislike phony people! You know, Bristol did seem appealing, it seemed to have acquired a good reputation of itself this year. Aw

Nottingham: Again, this was a really nice campus and a really good course. Unfortunately I was in crutches when I visited, and it's a pretty massive campus so I didn't really get to see much, but what I saw looked really nice.

Good thing you didn't decide on it, I had a former friend who studied at Nottingham Trent, and she absolutely hated it! Not just the uni, but the whole city. She basically cried every night cos of how terrible she felt there. You dodged a bullet there, my friend.

Leicester: Already mentioned, I wasn't too keen on Leicester.

Yep! The school that doesn't feel right! Gotcha!

Warwick: I really liked Warwick. Their course for politics was brilliant, it has an incredible reputation. I thought the campus was quite nice, too. It was pretty isolated, though, and the social side of things didn't look too great. They rejected me as well, though :/ haha.

Man, Warwick is OUTSTANDING! Their Economics and Politics programs are that good. I was looking into the former one last year and I was really impressed by their solid, unique and comprehensive modules. Tough luck for you on that one.

Cambridge: Obviously, it's reputation speaks for itself. Beautiful city, and of course an impeccable academic reputation. I would have given anything to be able to apply, but in the end, my grades weren't up to scratch (laziness on my part ) Like Bristol, though, they were a bit up themselves, but probably with some degree of justification haha

Haha, yeah, Cambridge is, well Cambridge. I bet people there are all pride and glory, huh? :P Oh well, it's just not meant to be. Sheffield is the one for you, my friend!

What about UCL and Southampton? You never considered them?

[Oli-Ol]

(Original post by candy82)
I'm actually leaning towards UEA only because I'm a Norwich City fan and because the city seems historically awesome. However, it's a really small city with very little options. And this seems boring.

Norwich is brilliant! Yes it's a small city, but this is actually an advantage as everyone is friendly and it's more like a town. UEA has a fantastic location- it's right next to the Sportspark and is on the banks of the river, with Earlham Park and the broads on your doorstep.

The city itself may seem boring, but there's actually loads to do. Swimming pools, two shopping malls, a lovely city centre, loads of fish and chip shops/ supermarkets/ restaurants etc, a fantastic library, lots of theatres, many many clubs (have you been down Prince of Wales Road on a Friday night??).

Norwich may seem boring to someone who's used to London/Manchester etc, but actually it offers just as much as anywhere else if you look for it. Low crime rates, absolutely STUNNING city and easy to get to London and Peterborough on the train, so it's accessible.

I wouldn't go to the UEA because they don't offer my course, but it's definitely somewhere to consider.

[candy82]

(Original post by Oli-Ol)
Norwich is brilliant! Yes it's a small city, but this is actually an advantage as everyone is friendly and it's more like a town. UEA has a fantastic location- it's right next to the Sportspark and is on the banks of the river, with Earlham Park and the broads on your doorstep.

The city itself may seem boring, but there's actually loads to do. Swimming pools, two shopping malls, a lovely city centre, loads of fish and chip shops/ supermarkets/ restaurants etc, a fantastic library, lots of theatres, many many clubs (have you been down Prince of Wales Road on a Friday night??).

Norwich may seem boring to someone who's used to London/Manchester etc, but actually it offers just as much as anywhere else if you look for it. Low crime rates, absolutely STUNNING city and easy to get to London and Peterborough on the train, so it's accessible.

I wouldn't go to the UEA because they don't offer my course, but it's definitely somewhere to consider.

Yet more positive reviews of Norwich and UEA. Thanks so much, dear. I do feel it's a fantastic place. I'm starting to like its intimate surroundings. I'm just a city girl, so I was worried I might not be able to get used to its smallness, that's all! However, the lake surrounding the uni is incredibly appealing. I believe it would be absolutely heavenly in the summer, huh?

I'm quite excited at the prospect of perhaps being able to go see a Norwich City game next season!

[Obfuscator]

(Original post by candy82)
Really? I had no idea, I thought it was a brilliant university considering its impeccable reputation. Yeah, I think it's better for postgrads, but they're entry standards are tight, so not everyone makes it.

What put you off about London?

It's reputation for research is outstanding, and certainly for Economics it is up there with Oxford & Cambridge, especially in terms of job opportunities. I dunno, though, when I visited, the guy presenting the politics course just didn't seem to really know what he was talking about, and that really put me off. The course is also 100% exam based, and I'm not that great at exams compared to other types of assessment.

In terms of London it was a mix of things. Firstly, it was a little close to home. I live just outside London, and visit it fairly regularly, and I was keen to try and go somewhere different and new. Secondly the price. It's insanely expensive. It's basically like sticking an extra few grand onto the cost of your course, straight up. The course would have had to be absolutely impeccable to warrant the extra investment. Thirdly, it's really polluted and pretty ugly. It's just so busy and dirty. While at times, this can be exciting and great, I don't know if I'd want to live there.

That said, everything's happening in London. If bands play any shows in the UK, they're going to play London. And you can just kinda get a taste of the world, so to speak, because there's just so much culture going on. I think it's probable that at some point in the future I will come to work or study in London, but I'd first like to see some of the rest of this country

Good God, this sounds like a horrible school. York seems like a pretty isolated city, isn't it? Did you actually get accepted in it?

In the end I didn't apply to York. I applied to Bristol, Warwick, Sheffield, Nottingham and UEA. And yes, I think it is. It's not millions of miles away from everything, it's still quite close to Sheffield et al, but it is quite small and lonely

Haha, that's ok, I guess you're just like Holden Caulfield, you dislike phony people! You know, Bristol did seem appealing, it seemed to have acquired a good reputation of itself this year. Aw

Hahaha yes I suppose I am like him a bit . I think it's more that I don't like people who are pampered through education and think they kind of have a right to go to the best places, and are just really pretentious etc etc. Studying at Sheffield will literally save me about £2000 a year, despite the accommodation at Sheffield being nicer

Good thing you didn't decide on it, I had a former friend who studied at Nottingham Trent, and she absolutely hated it! Not just the uni, but the whole city. She basically cried every night cos of how terrible she felt there. You dodged a bullet there, my friend.

That's interesting, my mum studied Pharmacy there years ago, and she really didn't like it either. But I also know people who've enjoyed themselves there, so I guess it's mixed. Everyone has a different experience I guess

Man, Warwick is OUTSTANDING! Their Economics and Politics programs are that good. I was looking into the former one last year and I was really impressed by their solid, unique and comprehensive modules. Tough luck for you on that one.

Yehh I was pretty gutted when they rejected me hahaha, but I'm over it Sheffield is a way nicer place to study, and the department has a brilliant reputation so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything

Haha, yeah, Cambridge is, well Cambridge. I bet people there are all pride and glory, huh? :P Oh well, it's just not meant to be. Sheffield is the one for you, my friend!

Yehh I guess. I still hope to study there one day, it is a dream But yes I think Sheffield is the right place for me

What about UCL and Southampton? You never considered them?

I looked at both but visited neither. In the case of Southampton, their reputation for politics isn't as up there as the other places I was considering. I know for other departments it has a really strong reputation, though. UCL is obviously an amazing uni, probably similar to LSE in it's stature. Their politics course was really focused on Europe, though, and also seemed kinda like it was pretty science-focused. It just didn't seem to be for me.

[candy82]

(Original post by Obfuscator)
It's reputation for research is outstanding, and certainly for Economics it is up there with Oxford & Cambridge, especially in terms of job opportunities. I dunno, though, when I visited, the guy presenting the politics course just didn't seem to really know what he was talking about, and that really put me off. The course is also 100% exam based, and I'm not that great at exams compared to other types of assessment.

In terms of London it was a mix of things. Firstly, it was a little close to home. I live just outside London, and visit it fairly regularly, and I was keen to try and go somewhere different and new. Secondly the price. It's insanely expensive. It's basically like sticking an extra few grand onto the cost of your course, straight up. The course would have had to be absolutely impeccable to warrant the extra investment. Thirdly, it's really polluted and pretty ugly. It's just so busy and dirty. While at times, this can be exciting and great, I don't know if I'd want to live there.

That said, everything's happening in London. If bands play any shows in the UK, they're going to play London. And you can just kinda get a taste of the world, so to speak, because there's just so much culture going on. I think it's probable that at some point in the future I will come to work or study in London, but I'd first like to see some of the rest of this country

Haha, yeah, exam based assessments are daunting. I do not prefer it as well. I would imagine you prefer writing essays and conducting researches, huh? Your writing skills seem quite rich.

It's nice to see someone who isn't London-crazed, so to speak. Even people who were born and raised are act like it's the best city in the world. That's good thinking to decide on exploring other parts of the country. You know, those points you mentioned are exactly why I steered away from London - its expensiveness, dirtiness, and crowdedness seem unbearable. Besides, luckily most of the good schools are not located there. So London in terms of education is quite unappealing.

In the end I didn't apply to York. I applied to Bristol, Warwick, Sheffield, Nottingham and UEA. And yes, I think it is. It's not millions of miles away from everything, it's still quite close to Sheffield et al, but it is quite small and lonely

Haha, good thing you didn't apply. Well, you'll still get the chance of visiting it. But just the city not the ugly-looking school.

Hahaha yes I suppose I am like him a bit . I think it's more that I don't like people who are pampered through education and think they kind of have a right to go to the best places, and are just really pretentious etc etc. Studying at Sheffield will literally save me about £2000 a year, despite the accommodation at Sheffield being nicer

Well, it's easier for those pampered kids to get anywhere - they got money and better academic backgrounds. Sadly, they do take away chances from other less privileged kids, but it's the way it works. But hey, don't worry about it, you're gonna get into a great school and stick it to these pretentious preppy kids. And I do hope you're not entirely like Holden, cos he was incredibly annoying at times; especially, his compulsive lying and usage of cringe-worthy catch phrases!

That's interesting, my mum studied Pharmacy there years ago, and she really didn't like it either. But I also know people who've enjoyed themselves there, so I guess it's mixed. Everyone has a different experience I guess

True! Your mother studied pharmacy? Interesting! You seem like quite a sophisticated family!

Yehh I was pretty gutted when they rejected me hahaha, but I'm over it Sheffield is a way nicer place to study, and the department has a brilliant reputation so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything

That's great! I'm glad you've found a better replacement. Speaking of which, yeah, how do you know that Sheffield, for instance, has a good reputation in the politics department? Because I've been trying to find if UEA is the same in terms of business, but nothing really came up in the search.

I looked at both but visited neither. In the case of Southampton, their reputation for politics isn't as up there as the other places I was considering. I know for other departments it has a really strong reputation, though. UCL is obviously an amazing uni, probably similar to LSE in it's stature. Their politics course was really focused on Europe, though, and also seemed kinda like it was pretty science-focused. It just didn't seem to be for me.

Ah, I see! Plus, UCL is in London, so I guess that drove you away from considering it in the first place, too, right? :P