[alm221]

I am an American student looking to study abroad in the UK this spring semester. I was looking to apply to the University of Sussex, University of Sheffield and Aberystwyth University. I was wondering if anyone who lives in the UK has advice on these schools and advice on studying in the UK in general. Thanks!!

[The Polymath]

(Original post by alm221)
I am an American student looking to study abroad in the UK this spring semester. I was looking to apply to the University of Sussex, University of Sheffield and Aberystwyth University. I was wondering if anyone who lives in the UK has advice on these schools and advice on studying in the UK in general. Thanks!!

Purely on an advisory note, in the UK 'schools' are 5-18, not universities (just trying to help)

What do you mean by advice on studying in the UK?

UK university courses are far more in-depth than the US's 'liberal arts' structure - you'll find yourself studying one or two (maybe 3 at a stretch) subjects in depth for 3-4 years as supposed to signing up for whichever classes you want. Whereas the options in the US are to expand your breadth of education by taking, for example, beginners Spanish, in the UK the options are mostly to specialise further within your subject (e.g. taking Advanced Quantum Physics modules).

[alm221]

(Original post by Junaid96)
Purely on an advisory note, in the UK 'schools' are 5-18, not universities (just trying to help)

What do you mean by advice on studying in the UK?

UK university courses are far more in-depth than the US's 'liberal arts' structure - you'll find yourself studying one or two (maybe 3 at a stretch) subjects in depth for 3-4 years as supposed to signing up for whichever classes you want. Whereas the options in the US are to expand your breadth of education by taking, for example, beginners Spanish, in the UK the options are mostly to specialise further within your subject (e.g. taking Advanced Quantum Physics modules).

I am studying abroad for one semester through my university in the US so I am not looking to go too in depth in my major, which is psychology. In the US you have to take general education requirements so i was planning on taking them in the UK. I was looking for advice on what life is like in the UK- such as the night life and just general tips that you would have for living in UK that would be helpful for someone who has never been there. Thanks!

[The Polymath]

(Original post by alm221)

I am studying abroad for one semester through my university in the US so I am not looking to go too in depth in my major, which is psychology. In the US you have to take general education requirements so i was planning on taking them in the UK. I was looking for advice on what life is like in the UK- such as the night life and just general tips that you would have for living in UK that would be helpful for someone who has never been there. Thanks!

It's not like on TV It's probably quite similar to the US to be honest, except those unis will be in smallish locations. Sheffield's a nice place. Big shopping centre

[gagaslilmonsteruk]

(Original post by alm221)
I am an American student looking to study abroad in the UK this spring semester. I was looking to apply to the University of Sussex, University of Sheffield and Aberystwyth University. I was wondering if anyone who lives in the UK has advice on these schools and advice on studying in the UK in general. Thanks!!

I live in Aber well term time anyway. It might be worth mentioning though if you're from a big American city like NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit etc you might be in for a shock, but if you're from somewhere that's more countryside like Texas, Idaho, Montana etc, then I think it won't be so hard for you to adapt to. In Aber you only really need public transport if you are heading away from the town as everything is pretty much on your doorstep and it's cheaper too than most places in the UK. Transport is so/so there's 1 coach a day to London which is about 8 hours, but the train goes every 2 hours and takes 4 and a half hours to London Euston if you time your connection well at Birmingham New Street. Aberystwyth is a very friendly place, and you pretty much know a lot of people in the town. Nights out are extremely cheap, including alcohol (if you're into that, and a bonus of being a US citizen in the UK is that you don't have to wait til you're 21! ) The uni is split into 2 campuses - Penglais and Llanbardarn. Most stuff is at Penglais and Llanbardarn is 30 minutes away by foot. Most people live on or within 10-15 minutes of Penglais campus, and the accommodation is a good price for what you get.

[Observatory]

(Original post by alm221)
In the US you have to take general education requirements so i was planning on taking them in the UK.[/INDENT]

Unless the university specifically is doing this to cater for US students, that might be hard. Unless your general education requirements can be satisfied by studying one single subject for a full term.

[standreams]

I applied to all three universities you mention. I'm British and did my undergraduate degree in the UK, with a period abroad. Sheffield is not a campus university but is integrated into the city- however most of the teaching facilities and accommodation are in broadly the same area, so you get something of a campus feel while still being surrounded by the 'real life' world of the city. Sheffield is fairly big, but feels smaller and less urban than its population (approx. 500,000) suggests. It's quite a buzzing, diverse place with very active student societies. Sussex and Aberystwyth are much more like traditional campus universities- Sussex being located on the edge of Brighton (great nightlife, quite a lot of urban buzz even though it's not really a big city) and Aberystwyth dominating the small, rather remote town it is located in.

All three will give you a similar 'UK student' experience but in completely different surroundings. If you have more specialised interests or want to be in a more international environment, Sheffield might have the edge being the larger university, however all three have similar offerings. When deciding which one to go for, I'd base it to some extent on your current situation- if you study on a campus-based university in a small town, try Sheffield for contrast. If your US university is in a larger city, why not try Aberystwyth? If you study in a conservative area, go to Brighton for an eye-opening experience.

The UK is a small country so in real terms you can travel almost anywhere with a week to spare and most places are reachable in a weekend- however Aberystwyth is a bit out on a limb as far as public transport goes.

[alm221]

(Original post by Observatory)
Unless the university specifically is doing this to cater for US students, that might be hard. Unless your general education requirements can be satisfied by studying one single subject for a full term.

My university helps me set up the specific classes I need, so I should be able to satisfy my requirements. Thanks!

[alm221]

(Original post by standreams)
I applied to all three universities you mention. I'm British and did my undergraduate degree in the UK, with a period abroad. Sheffield is not a campus university but is integrated into the city- however most of the teaching facilities and accommodation are in broadly the same area, so you get something of a campus feel while still being surrounded by the 'real life' world of the city. Sheffield is fairly big, but feels smaller and less urban than its population (approx. 500,000) suggests. It's quite a buzzing, diverse place with very active student societies. Sussex and Aberystwyth are much more like traditional campus universities- Sussex being located on the edge of Brighton (great nightlife, quite a lot of urban buzz even though it's not really a big city) and Aberystwyth dominating the small, rather remote town it is located in.

All three will give you a similar 'UK student' experience but in completely different surroundings. If you have more specialised interests or want to be in a more international environment, Sheffield might have the edge being the larger university, however all three have similar offerings. When deciding which one to go for, I'd base it to some extent on your current situation- if you study on a campus-based university in a small town, try Sheffield for contrast. If your US university is in a larger city, why not try Aberystwyth? If you study in a conservative area, go to Brighton for an eye-opening experience.

The UK is a small country so in real terms you can travel almost anywhere with a week to spare and most places are reachable in a weekend- however Aberystwyth is a bit out on a limb as far as public transport goes.

Thanks so much for your response! I am coming from a kind of small city (Pittsburgh, PA) so I think I want a more country feel university. So far Brighton is my favorite choice, but I am still looking! thanks again.

[alm221]

(Original post by gagaslilmonsteruk)
I live in Aber well term time anyway. It might be worth mentioning though if you're from a big American city like NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit etc you might be in for a shock, but if you're from somewhere that's more countryside like Texas, Idaho, Montana etc, then I think it won't be so hard for you to adapt to. In Aber you only really need public transport if you are heading away from the town as everything is pretty much on your doorstep and it's cheaper too than most places in the UK. Transport is so/so there's 1 coach a day to London which is about 8 hours, but the train goes every 2 hours and takes 4 and a half hours to London Euston if you time your connection well at Birmingham New Street. Aberystwyth is a very friendly place, and you pretty much know a lot of people in the town. Nights out are extremely cheap, including alcohol (if you're into that, and a bonus of being a US citizen in the UK is that you don't have to wait til you're 21! ) The uni is split into 2 campuses - Penglais and Llanbardarn. Most stuff is at Penglais and Llanbardarn is 30 minutes away by foot. Most people live on or within 10-15 minutes of Penglais campus, and the accommodation is a good price for what you get.

That's good to know that Aber is a little bit cheaper. Thanks. I am coming from a small city, so I dont think I will be in for such a shock. How does it work with the uni being split into two campuses- do you have classes at both campuses? Where would you recommend living? thanks

[gagaslilmonsteruk]

(Original post by alm221)
That's good to know that Aber is a little bit cheaper. Thanks. I am coming from a small city, so I dont think I will be in for such a shock. How does it work with the uni being split into two campuses- do you have classes at both campuses? Where would you recommend living? thanks

I come from an averaged size (by UK Standards) town, and it was a bit of a shock at first, but it's so nice to be away from the hustle and bustle of a town/city. Most people (myself included) have their lectures on Penglais and not many departments use the Llanbardarn one (Double L's are pronounced as 'cl' when you are reading Welsh/referring to welsh place names). However, I do know some are planning on moving there, I just don't know which and when. If you can apply as early as possible for Rosser it's the best accommodation you can get. PJM, Seafront and Pantycelyn I'd reccommend too (Pantycelyn is the only one where Welsh is majority first-language, everywhere else is English majority first-language). I'd reccommend leaving Brynderw at the bottom of your list, as whilst it is central and easy access from town centre, it is the only one without it's own launderette and if you live on a top floor flat, I would pity you because it's 4 floors up with no elevator to get you there - 88 steps all in all.

[standreams]

(Original post by alm221)
Thanks so much for your response! I am coming from a kind of small city (Pittsburgh, PA) so I think I want a more country feel university. So far Brighton is my favorite choice, but I am still looking! thanks again.

I see in the post below you say it won't be too much of a shock going to Aberystwyth as you come from a small city. The population of Aber is around 15,000- ie. considerably smaller than Pittsburgh. And Aber is the biggest/most vibrant urban centre within about a 90 minute journey by road. It may well be more of a shock than you expect!

Sussex University campus is in a quiet location on the edge of fairly idyllic English countryside. Brighton itself has around 150,000 people but in many ways feels bigger- it's surprisingly urban in feel at times and has a dual role as London's seaside playground and a cosmopolitan town with great nightlife, a vibrant LGBT community, lots of foreign English language students etc.

Sheffield could be considered the closest British equivalent to Pittsburgh, but obviously there are still big differences.

[gagaslilmonsteruk]

(Original post by alm221)
Thanks so much for your response! I am coming from a kind of small city (Pittsburgh, PA) so I think I want a more country feel university. So far Brighton is my favorite choice, but I am still looking! thanks again.

Brighton is more city orientated as it isn't too far from London at all. It's also not too far from Dover/Portsmouth, should you ever fancy a cheap day trip/weekend trip to Northern France.

[alm221]

(Original post by standreams)
I see in the post below you say it won't be too much of a shock going to Aberystwyth as you come from a small city. The population of Aber is around 15,000- ie. considerably smaller than Pittsburgh. And Aber is the biggest/most vibrant urban centre within about a 90 minute journey by road. It may well be more of a shock than you expect!

I didnt realize Aber was the biggest urban center around within 90 minutes...that would definitely be a big difference and a good thing to know!

[Pardesi]

(Original post by alm221)
I am an American student looking to study abroad in the UK this spring semester. I was looking to apply to the University of Sussex, University of Sheffield and Aberystwyth University. I was wondering if anyone who lives in the UK has advice on these schools and advice on studying in the UK in general. Thanks!!

If you are really posh go for sussex, if you are not posh but are down to earth go to sheffield, if you like secluded places go to absterwyth

personally I would go to Sheffield, you are in a major city but very close to the Peak district national psrk and only about an hours drive from Manchester and Leeds

[adamjay]

(Original post by alm221)
I am an American student looking to study abroad in the UK this spring semester. I was looking to apply to the University of Sussex, University of Sheffield and Aberystwyth University. I was wondering if anyone who lives in the UK has advice on these schools and advice on studying in the UK in general. Thanks!!

I hear Sheffield is nice. Aber is more difficult to get to; since it's fairly deep into wales with slow train links! Sussex is, as others have posted, close to Brighton which is a sun, sea and sand resort - very English!

A nice 'country feel' university is Lancaster, if you're interested and haven't applied yet. It's just south of Lancaster city and is ranked 9th. This is what it looks like behind the university:

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4128/5...db0b09b2d8.jpg

[alm221]

(Original post by Pardesi)
If you are really posh go for sussex, if you are not posh but are down to earth go to sheffield, if you like secluded places go to absterwyth

personally I would go to Sheffield, you are in a major city but very close to the Peak district national psrk and only about an hours drive from Manchester and Leeds

I definitely would definitely say I am more down to earth...Is Manchester a major city in the UK (like London)?

[Pardesi]

(Original post by alm221)
I definitely would definitely say I am more down to earth...Is Manchester a major city in the UK (like London)?

well its much smaller than london in sze and population but its still a major city, probably the third most important in england after london and birmingham.

London is very hectic and busy nd more expensive and if you like that then you will enjoy it but if you want less crowded transport and cheaper living etc but still want to enjoy the city life sheffield is better choice.

[alm221]

what is the University of Exeter like, I'm looking to possibly apply there too? Thanks!

[marcusfox]

(Original post by alm221)
I definitely would definitely say I am more down to earth...Is Manchester a major city in the UK (like London)?

It's a major city, but much smaller than London, a bit less than 1/3 the size and 1/4 of the population.