I can't really tell you about the courses, as I'm going to study something different at a different uni, however the town of Loughborough is really nice, it's close to Leicester, Nottingham, Derby etc., the student union is regarded as one of the best in the country. The uni staff seems friendly and intelligent. The facilities are also nice, the campus looks great. The nightlife in Loughborough is not too bad. I would definitely recommend it to you, I have no clue about Surrey though.