Stirling or Dundee

I am going to study MA psychology, not necessarily looking for which is best for the course but it would be helpful. Mainly based around the place as it is important to me in terms of location, things to do, size, for students, accommodation etc etc. Anyone who has been or knows the pros and or cons or anything really about Dundee uni or Stirling uni would be fab to hear as I am stuck between the two :smile:

)

Reply 1

madelyneve

Hiya! I'm a current Stirling student, so whilst I don't know much about Dundee I can tell you all about Stirling :smile:

Location: Stirling is a small town and it's very well-connected in terms of transport. There's multiple bus stops around the town and a UniLink bus takes you right on to campus. The train station is literally right next to the main bus stop too. It's easy to get to Glasgow (I get the train) and Edinburgh (I get the train, but a friend of mine gets the bus from on campus). Buses are free with a YoungScot card too but this is a thing throughout Scotland. I fly into Glasgow from Belfast and then it's just a bus into Glasgow city centre and a train that takes me into Stirling. Overall very easy to get to the university!
Things to do: I am going to be really blunt here — if nightlife is important to you, I would steer you away from Stirling. Whilst there are flat parties, student's nights and a good amount of Freshers events, there's only one club in the whole of Stirling, FUBAR. It's not much of a party uni either and it's a quiet, small town. if most students want to party they'll travel to Glasgow for example. You'd find a cafe much easier than you would a pub if I can frame it that way. I don't think this'll be a dealbreaker for you since Dundee is your other choice but thought I should really emphasise this.
Other than that, there is a fun variety of stuff to do! There's lots of cafes as I said before and a good mix of restaurants with different cuisines. The uni has loads of societies and its gym is top notch (it runs fitness, yoga, spin, dance classes etc. too) so there's stuff to do on campus too. The uni also makes an effort to host different events there like alpacas coming to the uni, bingo nights etc. However, if you're moving from a big city it may be a bit too quiet :smile:

Size: The campus is great because it's so contained. Almost all your classes will be in the Cottrell building with a minority mayyybe being in the Pathfoot building. You're never rushing about from class to class which is handy.
For students: Okay so I've already talked about the social aspect a bit, but I will say that I have found it really easy to make friends at Stirling because 1) it's close knit and 2) class sizes are generally small. It's easy to chat to people as you guys are coming out of classes and class groupchats, group projects etc are great ways to make new friends! I would really recommend joining clubs too. I can't emphasise how much they add to your uni experience and they're such a good way to make friends! On the academic side the uni is sooo supportive. They host "study skills" workshops, and you can go to a specialised workshop for a particular topic like essay writing, mastering IT skills and more. Your personal tutor can help you here too! There are also brand new study spaces within the university atrium which were built during my past year there. They're great places to study with friends or work on stuff together. If you want some more privacy you can head to the library, where you can even book private rooms if you really want to concentrate.
Accommodation: I'll be honest and say that accommodation is a hit or miss. I stayed in one of the cheaper flats during my first semester. The walls were very thin and things kept breaking etc. The main reason I moved however was because I had some terrible flatmates. I moved to one of the pricier accommodations for semester two, however, and it was absolutely wonderful. So it does vary based on which accommodation you're staying in.
For some overall pros and cons —
Pros:
- On campus uni with a beautiful environment and a close knit atmosphere
- Great selection of clubs and societies
- Small class sizes
- Small town with a chill, cosy vibe
- Access to mental health support services
- GP and dentist on campus

Cons:
- Quiet town, not much of a nightlife scene
- Generally not a huge amount of 1-to-1 student/lecturer communication
- Cheaper accommodation isn't ideal