A question of University - Edinburgh, SOAS, Leeds

It's a University Challenge!

Also is extremely far from home.

Extremely far from home? I know it's subjective, but I wouldn't say it is. The North Pole, perhaps, not Edinburgh (trip up the east coast mainline)

So how do you feel about distance (as you haven't really made it clear whether that's a positive or negative)? Because it's not as thought you'll be commuting there daily, it's only a trip you need to make a few times. Even if you do need to travel at short notice (say, for an emergency), it's only four hours on the train. You can be home in half a day, easily.

Anyway, I've moved this to choosing a uni (rather than the languages subforum).

It's relatively far as compared to London (only 1 and a half hours direct by train and something similar by car) and I think there's a direct train to Leeds. When we went to the open day at Edinburgh we took the plane from Birmingham. The distance makes me a little nervous but I reckon I could manage it.

Languages subforum? I wasn't aware that I'd put it there... Never mind, thank-you!

Finally, with regard to Edinburgh, it is a beautiful city but is extremely expensive, so you may want to consider that. And if you are concerned about the distance you should think about how much you want to go home etc, because there are people who drop out of uni becasue they are too far away from home, so if you feel this may be you, you should think carefully about it.

Anyway, these were just my thoughts as I read through what you said. I hope it helps.

You're right, of course. While it isn't as cheap as some other university cities, it certainly isn't crazily expensive (I certainly wouldn't call it extremely expensive!). I find it to be reasonable most of the time.

Ok, well obviously I don't have any first hand experience... I just remember that it was going to be loads more for me to go there than any other university that I had applied to. Perhaps 'extremely' was an exaggeration

Well, while it is somewhat important I don't think it is something that should stop the OP from going. Even the costs of travel between, say, Edinburgh and London aren't too high if one is organised and books in advance.

Having recieved offers from London (SOAS) (AAB), Leeds (BBB), Sheffield (ABB) and awating a response from Edinburgh (they only ever offer BBB) to study Japanese, I am now thinking which ones I should choose. I don't really want to go to Sheffield (I didn't get a good feeling from it on the open day) so that leaves SOAS, Leeds and Edinburgh (if I get an offer and if I don't then this thread becomes void as the decision will be made easy). I have heard good things about all universities so I am undecided. Pros and cons of each (in my opinion) are as follows:

SOAS: Although I haven't been to see it (didn't have the chance as I only decided to apply there 5 minutes before sending my application), I have only heard good things about it with regards to their Japanese course. After Oxbridge, it is top in the league tables for East Asian languages and aparently, the course is a lot more luanguage-based than others at other universities. However, it's London and so very big and very expensive. But then I live closest to it and you can get to pretty much anywhere from there. But accomodation in the halls isn't guaranteed.

Leeds: Loved the university when I went on the open day and from teachers that studied there (no less than 3) I have been told that, as a university, it is excellent. Also (correct if wrong) accomodation is guaranteed for all (first year?) students. However, they send you to Japan in the second year but the course if very flexible and because of the range of subjects offered at the university, I will be able to keep my hand in in French and Spanish and also perhaps try a new language. A redeaming feature of being sent away in year 2 is that there is the option to stay with a family (does anyone know if this is true for the other universities aswell?).

Someone who had done Jap at Leeds stated that whilst the course is nice and tests your abilities, the amount of floaters is a severe distraction. I must admit, I was highly sceptical of our erstwhile Yorkshire uni, but their postgraduate courses for East Asian disciplines look far better managed and flexible than the ones for SOAS. However getting sent to Japan in Year II would make or break you imo. To get to an unbelievable standard you would have to push yourself extremely hard. And as I previously stated somewhere else most of their partner unis aren't very good compared to ones we got.

I'll be going to Japan, at the ability of being able to read basic academic journals, newspapers articles and magazines with enough speaking to get my way around. I think if you come into Japanese after one year - going after one year of university tuition is going to be a drain on you, unless you are very very good at Japanese and absorbing information. I am so glad in many ways to be going after two years of uni rather than just the one. Also coming back from my YA and tasting Japan, only to be told I have two more years in the UK - would physically kill me. As far as I'm aware home-stays are only for short-term stays and seeing as you are there for one year I would imagine it won't be the case.

I believe SOAS this year had an even bigger intake than we had for this year (85 doing Japanese of something) which is a bit silly. Edinburgh on the oth, because they don't have a specific East Asian department admit students on the basis of foreign language ability rather than social science - hence their intake is small and their teaching is rather good, apparently. Although I think I read somewhere they do only 250 kanji in the first year.

Hi. I just thought I'd write down a fe of my thoughts with regards to your comments about each university, in the hope that it may help:

SOAS: Don't accept the offer without going to see the university! Don't worry about whether or not there's an open day - there are probably guided tours weekly, and if not you could either contact someone or just go down and get a 'feel' for the place! Because, you mentioned for Sheffield that you didn't get a good feeling, so what if it's the same for SOAS? As for the negatives you mentioned, they are all good points and you just have to decide what is your priority - e.g. finance/ accommodation/ course...

Leeds: Sounds excellent: I went to an open day there and was also impressed by the course, and I know lots of people at Leeds who really like it. I can understand that going away in your second year does sound very daunting, and it is a very unusual structure (is the course 3/4 year? That may be something else you want to consider), however, from personal experience, I felt like my sdecond year was a bit of a waste of time, because I felt like I was progressing so slowly and knew that the best way of learning the language was by living in the country... so it could turn out to be a positive Staying with a host family may appear like a really good thing, but you need to consider this option carefully, because if they are really difficult to live with/ there way of life goes against yours, it could be really difficult. However, on the other hand it could work out really well. It's just a bit of risk.

Finally, with regard to Edinburgh, it is a beautiful city but is extremely expensive, so you may want to consider that. And if you are concerned about the distance you should think about how much you want to go home etc, because there are people who drop out of uni becasue they are too far away from home, so if you feel this may be you, you should think carefully about it.

Anyway, these were just my thoughts as I read through what you said. I hope it helps.

Which language are you studying (I forgot to look - silly me) and did you study it from scratch? Since Japanese is taught ab initio, I don't think that there would be a problem with the speed at which I would be progressing.