Which offer should I take? Bristol or Warwick?

Hello everyone!
I am an international student who has never been to the UK before. I applied for the following courses (MSc Gender and International relations at Bristol Uni, MSc Global development at SOAS, MA Gender and International development at Warwick). I received offers from all of them, my preferred choice is either Bristol or Warwick. Can you please tell me more about these universities? what is it like to be a student there? I would also like to know more about the city, campus and working opportunities after graduation. Thank you!

Reply 1

DataVenia

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by Elaf Saleh

Hello everyone!
I am an international student who has never been to the UK before. I applied for the following courses (MSc Gender and International relations at Bristol Uni, MSc Global development at SOAS, MA Gender and International development at Warwick). I received offers from all of them, my preferred choice is either Bristol or Warwick. Can you please tell me more about these universities? what is it like to be a student there? I would also like to know more about the city, campus and working opportunities after graduation. Thank you!

Those two universities are very different.

Bristol is embedded within the city itself. Picture a large city where you live right now, with all it has to offer (both good and bad). Now replace several of the buildings with university departments and administrative offices. That's the University of Bristol. So it's busy, noisy, and accommodation can be a real issue.

Warwick, on the other hand, is an out-of-town campus. There's a supermarket and a few other shops within walking distance - but if you want to do anything non-university focussed, then you're going to be taking the bus to a nearby town. The result is that the university is much quieter and less busy.

What sort of environment would suit you best?

Reply 2

Elaf Saleh

OP

2

Original post by DataVenia

Those two universities are very different.

Bristol is embedded within the city itself. Picture a large city where you live right now, with all it has to offer (both good and bad). Now replace several of the buildings with university departments and administrative offices. That's the University of Bristol. So it's busy, noisy, and accommodation can be a real issue.

Warwick, on the other hand, is an out-of-town campus. There's a supermarket and a few other shops within walking distance - but if you want to do anything non-university focussed, then you're going to be taking the bus to a nearby town. The result is that the university is much quieter and less busy.

What sort of environment would suit you best?

Thank you very much for the informative response. I am usually a person who enjoys a calm atmosphere and appreciates silence to focus on my studies, but I believe I would also enjoy being in a small city, I think it's just somehow easier for me. However, I would not decide merely based on the location. I still need to know more about the teaching experience and after graduation opportunities. Do you have any information on that? Thanks.

Reply 3

DataVenia

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by Elaf Saleh

Thank you very much for the informative response. I am usually a person who enjoys a calm atmosphere and appreciates silence to focus on my studies, but I believe I would also enjoy being in a small city, I think it's just somehow easier for me. However, I would not decide merely based on the location. I still need to know more about the teaching experience and after graduation opportunities. Do you have any information on that? Thanks.

I don't, I'm afraid. As I haven't attended every course at every university, when answering questions on TSR, I tend to rely on published information (e.g. the National Students Survey - where final year undergraduates say what they thought of the course, statistics published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency on degree classifications, drop-out rates etc., information from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, and Longitudinal Educational Outcomes, etc. etc.) to gain an overall picture of a course / university. Unfortunately, all that information targets undergraduate courses. I've yet to find a good way to objectively compare postgraduate courses. Sorry. :frown:

(By contrast, I recently visited both University of Bristol and University of Warwick - so my summaries in the post above are based upon those first-hand impressions.)

Educationally, both universities are very good with good reputations (but I suspect you know that). I'd be surprised if either the teaching experience or graduation opportunities vary enormously. Hopefully someone who's actually studies one of those postgraduate degrees will be along shortly to provide their perspective.

Original post by Elaf Saleh

Hello everyone!
I am an international student who has never been to the UK before. I applied for the following courses (MSc Gender and International relations at Bristol Uni, MSc Global development at SOAS, MA Gender and International development at Warwick). I received offers from all of them, my preferred choice is either Bristol or Warwick. Can you please tell me more about these universities? what is it like to be a student there? I would also like to know more about the city, campus and working opportunities after graduation. Thank you!

Hi thanks for your message. Congratulations on your offers! Although I've never visited Bristol and Warwick before, I'm a final year undergraduate at SOAS so I can give you an insight into the university and life in London. SOAS is located in the heart of London, a few minutes walk away from the British Museum, Oxford Street and the British Library. Although it's in the city, It's a friendly campus with students from all over the world, offering the chance to immerse in new cultures and broaden your horizons. There's also a great Careers Service, Wellbeing Centre and over 165 societies you can join to meet new people and make friends, for example in sports, MENA, Pak Soc, Debating and UN Society. Hope this helps!

Reply 5

thegeek888

18

Original post by Elaf Saleh

Hello everyone!
I am an international student who has never been to the UK before. I applied for the following courses (MSc Gender and International relations at Bristol Uni, MSc Global development at SOAS, MA Gender and International development at Warwick). I received offers from all of them, my preferred choice is either Bristol or Warwick. Can you please tell me more about these universities? what is it like to be a student there? I would also like to know more about the city, campus and working opportunities after graduation. Thank you!

I would choose neither Bristol or Warwick, infact, I would choose SOAS.

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SOAS is ranked 2nd in the world for Development Studies (QS World University Rankings 2023)

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You will have the opportunity to take work placements as part of your degree, and they offer internships in the department and in partner organisations. This year MSc students were offered placements in the International Organisation for Migration, the London International Development Centre and international NGOs

Which offer should I take? Bristol or Warwick?

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