Cardiff Uni Vs Birminghamg Uni

Dear All!
I am struggling to choose between Cardiff and Birmingham universirty.
Basically I went on guardian university league tables and apparently birmingham has got a higher ranking but lower offer.
Cardiff has a lower ranking but higher offer.... so how does it work exactly?
And which university should i choose because I honestly don't mind both, my teacher said Cardiff's teaching is amazing but she's not too sure about birmingham..

please advice! :smile:

Reply 1

shannahb

Original post by Jenny_L

I don't go to either, and I'm applying for Psychology instead.. But if I could get the grades, I'd definitely go for Cardiff!

But anyway.. if it's possible, you should go to both universities/cities and see what you think. You've gotta live there for 3 years - nobody else. If that isn't an option, I've been to Cardiff to go shopping and I loved it, the people were really friendly and it just had a really nice feel about it..

Also, if you're really struggling to decide - think about the accents. Probably not what you should base your uni choice on, but personally a welsh accent over a brommy one any day.. :smile:

Hope this helps!

Reply 2

Eboracum

Original post by shannahb

Hope this helps!

This poster is incorrect.

Birmingham is the better university, significantly one might argue, as it's one of the traditional English universities.

And a Brummie accent is much better than a Welsh one. Unless you want to sound like Imogen Thomas.

I don't go to either.

Reply 3

myusername.

Hi, I have an offer from Cardiff :smile:

I keep hearing that it's a really good university, especially for anything research-related. Don't know much about Birmingham though, but I am aware that it is also very good.

Reply 4

moorbre

I love it here at birmingham, and for my course it is 4th in the country :biggrin:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 5

cambio wechsel

Original post by Eboracum

Birmingham is the better university, significantly one might argue, as it's one of the traditional English universities.

As opposed to being one of the traditional Welsh universities? They're both just big civic universities of a similar vintage and broadly similar standing. On many or most indices Birmingham is rated slightly higher, as acknowledged by the OP. But this wasn't contradicted by the second poster, who offered only his opinion of the relative merits of the cities. And Birmingham's slight superiority in the rankings won't cash-out in its beating Cardiff in every subject, nothing like it. I don't know how they compare in social sciences (though I know that Cardiff is top of the pops in Criminology) but it's perfectly possible that Cardiff is in this field the better of the two.

I dunno. I think Cardiff is the more liveable city of the two, but that in large part for its being quite a bit smaller. I rather like both accents, as it goes, but the accent in Cardiff isn't the 'Welsh accent' as commonly imagined.

Reply 6

myusername.

Original post by cambio wechsel

As opposed to being one of the traditional Welsh universities? They're both just big civic universities of a similar vintage and broadly similar standing. On many or most indices Birmingham is rated slightly higher, as acknowledged by the OP. But this wasn't contradicted by the second poster, who commented only his opinion of the relative merits of the cities. And Birmingham's slight superiority in the rankings won't cash-out to its beating Cardiff in every subject, nothing like it. I don't know how they compare in social sciences (though I know that Cardiff is top of the pops in Criminology) but it's perfectly possible that Cardiff is in this field the better of the two.

I dunno. I think Cardiff is the more liveable city of the two, but that in large part for its being quite a bit smaller. I rather like both accents, as it goes, but the accent in Cardiff isn't the 'Welsh accent' as commonly imagined.

True, I think people assume Cardiff is going to be very Welshy, when it's actually not! It's a very multi-cultural city and the university has loads of people studying there from all over the world :smile:

Reply 7

cambio wechsel

Original post by myusername.

Well, that's true too, but it's not what I meant about the Cardiff (Kairdiff) accent. That's a distinct regional accent. All I'd meant was that it isn't the valleys or West Walian accent that people imagine.

Reply 8

Eboracum

Original post by cambio wechsel

Hmm. Unfortunately it is the case that some people in England consider all Welsh universities to be a bit Mickey Mouse. Now I want to be very clear this is a view I strongly oppose. Cardiff (and indeed any Russell Group university) can be said to be very good. Swansea and Aberystwyth are decent also. But it's an opinion I've heard quite a bit before.

I'm not from Birmingham, but it's the nearest big city to me. To give an honest opinion, that's what it is, just a big city. I've never been to Cardiff so can't comment. Choosing on the uni only I would pick Birmingham every day of the week. But you have to consider the course and the city, maybe Cardiff is more liveable, hard for me to say.