Durham is better than Bristol
Bristol is better than Exeter

Durham and Bristol are virtually the same though

Cue those going to shout me down for being a league table/rep whore. (Oxford offer holder here, so don't play that card)

Reply 4

Ellie_Rosa

Go to see the universities - I know Durham definitely has an offer holders two day overnight offer 'day'. And it depends where you want to live - Durham is collegiate, Bristol is city and I think Exeter is campus...?

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Reply 5

a1exandra

I have offers from all those three too ha ☺️ Exeter ranks high on league tables but isn't seen to be that good of a uni. Bristol is seen to be really good and also offer loads of different benefits (scholarship etc wise) and Durham is seen to be the best out of all three however it's very pretentious. Apparently on freshers you'll get asked a lot, "Cambridge or Oxford?" As in which one did you originally apply for and get turned down from. I also have offers from Manchester and Queens Belfast but think I'm firming Manchester and insuring Bristol. Durham just seems too stuck up their backside for me.

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Reply 6

River85

I'll be back with a more constructive post later. But, in short, Durham's politics department is not its strongest department by any means. Standard of teaching can vary

That said, I did transfer into the department (to do PhilPol instead of just Phil) and some of my most enjoyable modules, and best seminars/tutorials, were in politics. So it must have something. The course was great for me, as I have, or rather developed, a considerable interest in Middle Eastern politics and Islamic studies. If you have similar interests I can recommend it. Other areas of relative strength are International Relations (particularly China and SE Asia) and, to an extent, Political thought. Though Dyson, a reasonably well known figure in Medieval political thought (particularly St Augustine) is no longer around :sad:

Original post by a1exandra

Apparently on freshers you'll get asked a lot, "Cambridge or Oxford?"

I can honestly say no one ever asked me that question during my six years (plus two years withdrawn) at Durham.

Yes, conversation might naturally get on to other university choices which means Oxford and Cambridge rejections will be discussed. But, even then, I never had this conversation with "new" people. Instead "where do you come from", "what course are you doing", "what do you like about Durham so far", "what's your family like" were far more common.

As in which one did you originally apply for and get turned down from. I also have offers from Manchester and Queens Belfast but think I'm firming Manchester and insuring Bristol. Durham just seems too stuck up their backside for me. ]

Fair enough, but Bristol has just as much a reputation for being stuck up and "Rah". Its reputation as an Oxbridge reject university has perhaps declined somewhat as it dropped down slightly in league rankings. Though your impressions are more important than stereotypes.

I do remember a Bristol student once telling me that their very expensive smoked salmon was stolen from their fridge in halls, leading them to make an angry note of "whoever still my smoked salmon is a git", or words to that effect. This "friend" (actually a moderator on here at the time) said "Only in Bristol". I thought, no, that could easily happen at Durham also :p:

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 7

broog

So which would you say has the strongest reputation for politics? I think I can rule out Exeter, I need to have a look at Durham... potentially a bit boring

Reply 8

a1exandra

Original post by River85

Have you posted in the other university forums, or just Durham? You might get a biased response if just Durham. It's probably better if you just have one thread in the Politics forum, especially as that's where the informed politics will be, but I'll leave it here for now.

I can honestly say no one ever asked me that question during my six years (plus two years withdrawn) at Durham.

Yes, conversation might naturally get on to other university choices which means Oxford and Cambridge rejections will be discussed. But, even then, I never had this conversation with "new" people. Instead "where do you come from", "what course are you doing", "what do you like about Durham so far", "what's your family like" were far more common.

Fair enough, but Bristol has just as much a reputation for being stuck up and "Rah". Its reputation as an Oxbridge reject university has perhaps declined somewhat as it dropped down slightly in league rankings. Though your impressions are more important than stereotypes.

I do remember a Bristol student once telling me that their very expensive smoked salmon was stolen from their fridge in halls, leading them to make an angry note of "whoever still my smoked salmon is a git", or words to that effect. This "friend" (actually a moderator on here at the time) said "Only in Bristol". I thought, no, that could easily happen at Durham also :p:

I just have this real negative vibe from Durham. It's a good uni but the people are far more stuck up their arses than anywhere else I've seen. I think Manchester is where I'll end up, feels much more like home and they offer a lot better options for a year abroad for me personally.

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Reply 9

KayteeKaytee

Original post by a1exandra

This is really nonsense. It is true that there are a lot of Oxbridge rejects at Durham and there is a perception that most people are from private schools (not true) but that does not make it pretentious. I went to an inner-city comprehensive and didn't apply to Oxbridge. Oxbridge rejects are just that - Rejects - they don't wear it like a badge - why would you? If mentioned at all, it's a joke and a sharing of a particularly unpleasant common experience.

Also there are lots of people who go to private schools who are not particularly rich - it's often that their parents priorities were more focused on education than other things. This is often true in areas where state schools are particularly bad.

Many of my friends at Durham have more money than me but only a small minority of super-rich people flash it about. Most people are living on budgets either out of necessity or because their parents are sensible. My housemates (and best friends in the world) all went to private school and applied to Oxbridge but it has never made the slightest bit of difference to our relationship.

I love that people who had very privileged educations end up with the same grades at the same university as me. It's a great confidence boost. Also, being with such a diverse group of people is an education in itself. No matter what I do for the rest of my life, I will never be intimidated by rich people.

You will find rich people at Bristol (Tony Blair's son), Exeter (Zara Phillips) and also in Manchester (I'm from there, know people who work there). People with a good eduction on the whole end up at good universities generally.

Reply 10

KayteeKaytee

Original post by a1exandra

On what did you base this opinion? Did you visit Durham? What gave you that impression?

From my knowledge of Manchester (living there and knowing staff and students) there are a lot of negatives. The university merged with UMIST a few years ago which made it at the time the biggest uni in Europe, I think. The UMIST staff continue even now to feel like second class citizens and they've lost a lot of staff. Indeed staff turnover is generally quite an issue. The university has expanded enormously - new buildings everywhere and many courses have grown a lot. I know one course went from 150 to 270 in one year and there was no extra resource to support it. Students endlessly complain about how few contact hours they get (google it), how little feedback they get and how inconsistent the marking is when it's done by a small army of post-grads. They complain they are nothing but a number and student satisfaction for some courses is atrocious.

Much of the accommodation is awful and you should avoid like the plague being put in one of the really big halls where it's considered fun to set off the fire alarms in the middle of the night on a regular basis (they will make you evacuate the building and stand in the cold/rain in your pyjamas).

There are some outstandingly good departments at Manchester but if you are planning to go there, make sure that your department is one of them.

If you're looking for a lively "party" university and Durham isn't for you, Bristol is a lot like Manchester but has a much better reputation and is a nicer place to live.

Reply 11

squeakypop

This thread is turning into a petty Durham vs Bristol argument already...
I don't know anything about the politics course at either. All I can really comment on is social stuff. Durham is fairly limited as far as having loads of shops and clubs go, and my friends who go there say the night life is pretty dull. That's not to say they don't still have loads of fun though, students will party hard regardless of their surroundings.
Bristol is renowned for both its shopping (the centre is huge and full of shops, all the big names you'd expect plus loads more. There's also an out of town shopping complex and loads of little independent shops). Nightlife is great (I speak from experience). There are loads of pubs and clubs, many in close proximity to eachother so you do 3 or 4 in a night if you want! And there's a massive variance in music types too :smile:

Having said that, if you don't care about the social side of things they are very similar and you'll enjoy your time at either. They're both got 'Oxbridge rejects' but so does every other university in the country. It's not a big deal.
[ive never been to Exeter so can't comment!]

Reply 12

a1exandra

Original post by KayteeKaytee

I am yet to visit the actual uni but have been to Durham a couple of times and it is TINY, something that I couldn't handle as I currently live close to birmingham. I have friends at Durham and they say a lot of people there are just stuck up their own arses. I'm going to the applicant day but don't know how convinced I'll be to change my mind.

I also hate Bristol. The city is just not for me, I'm definitely declining Bristol. They also offered me stupidly low (BBC) which seemed slightly strange.

Manchester is much more of 'my' type of city, close to home and very similar to home. The night life is also great but quite spread out, as at home we pretty much have broad street where all the bars and clubs are. I've seen manc accommodation and wasn't that turned off compared to other places, just worries me slightly that I'm not guaranteed an en-suite but not many unis guarantee that anyway.

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Reply 13

River85

Original post by broog

So which would you say has the strongest reputation for politics? I think I can rule out Exeter, I need to have a look at Durham... potentially a bit boring

Why do you think you can rule out Exeter? Is this based on course, location, or both?

Broadly speaking, as an undergraduate experience, there isn't much between any of the three departments and which is better for you is largely subjective.

Exeter probably has the edge on Bristol and Durham, particularly in terms of research output (though how much research is relevant to an undergraduate is arguable).

Depending on specialism/areas of politics, the strongest departments (and most highly rated by other academics) for politics/IR will include Essex, KCL, St Andrews, LSE and Sheffield. Exeter won't be placed too far behind those and perhaps slightly ahead of Durham and Bristol.

This is largely looking at things with a very general research/postgradate hat. Undergraduate experience may be more comparable across a wider range of universities, though if you ask me to chose one of your three, generally speaking, I'd say Exeter.

But consider the course content of the universities and areas they specialise in. This should be your main focus in my opinion.

If you want a comparison of the departments you're probably better posting in the Politics forum, as few politics students or graduates outside Durham will see this thread.

Original post by squeakypop

This thread is turning into a petty Durham vs Bristol argument already (snip) Having said that, if you don't care about the social side of things they are very similar and you'll enjoy your time at either.

It was never my intention to provoke a "petty" Durham v Bristol argument. I just made a rather lighthearted observation regarding Bristol's reputation as very "posh" just like Durham. I never said Bristol is worse. In fact, I admitted the Bristol anecdote I gave could quite as easily have happened at Durham, or a number of other universities.

Anyone else who has replied is probably because they don't like what they see as false information being spread about their university. Frankly, I don't care. If someone visits a university, does their research, and feels that university is not right for them or doesn't have the right atmosphere for them that's fair enough.

Durham does have its "stuck up" students. I just don't feel they're in any larger a number than a number of other Russell Group universities including Warwick, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Bristol or UCL.

But for your last point about the "social" aspect at Durham. Durham is a very social university. It is arguably one of the hardest drinking universities (despite the lack of nightclubs), with every college having a bar and enough pubs in the city. It has a higher than average number of societies, sport participation is high, and it is collegiate. Not to mention formals. It's also not too large and imposing. This amounts to a very sociable environment.

If you mean social just in terms of nightclubs then, no, Durham isn't a good choice.

Reply 14

returnmigrant

Anyone dithering between choices, read this - all of it.

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/firm_and_insurance_choices

Reply 15

jess-betts

I've applied for Combined Honours, IR and Economics, but can't decide between Exeter and Durham. I love the course at both, it's very similar and both departments are fab at both.

I'm torn because Durham has a slightly better reputation and is therefore considered the better university but both students and potential employers. I love the college system but I'm really worried about the size. Exeter is just slightly bigger and doesn't have such an awful reputation for nightlife. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Reply 16

cucumberdeluxe

im having the same problem I cant decide between Exeter and Durham for combined honours :/ Can anyone tell me what Exeters reputation is like and how respected it is by employers?

Reply 17

Vousden

I don't know what the league tables say, but I would much rather live in Bristol.

Bristol all the way!

Original post by jess-betts

I really don't understand why people think Durham has an awful reputation for night life. I'm from Manchester and like to go out A LOT. The range of clubs in Durham is obviously smaller and some of them aren't great but I have never been short of something to do or somewhere to go in Durham. The colleges themselves (unlike most halls of residence) provide a lot of things to do and there are loads of bars, pubs and restaurants. Newcastle is a short trip but most people go only once or twice in their three years here because they just never feel the need.

Basing a decision on which university to go to really shouldn't be about how many clubs there are in town. Durham has a much better reputation amongst employers and student satisfaction is extremely high.