Durham vs Lancaster (Compsci)??
I have got offers back from both Lancaster (AAB) and Durham (A*AA) for compsci. Got 3A* predicts. I am trying to decide which one to go to. I also want to take a year abroad, which is where it kinda gets a bit complicated.
Lancaster seems to have a better "year abroad", I could spend my second year at the campus in Leipzig (same course but different location) and still be able to do an integrated masters, which would also have a 10 week placement. This option wouldn't technically count as a year abroad (wouldn't have the title). Durham seems to have less options, with a more traditional year abroad. There's two unis that the compsci department go to and one requires B1 German. I'm not worried about learning German but actually doing a uni course in German is kind of scary.
The year abroad probably won't make or break my decision as it's not a guaranteed thing to happen anyway. It's only a year and I'll still have to do the same 3 years of the course regardless of if I go.
This brings me onto my next point, which is the courses. Lancaster seems less "mathsy" than Durham, A-level maths isn't required to take it. They have said that they'll bring everyone up to speed in the first year, so I'm sure that there is a good level of maths in there but I know that it won't be as much as Durham. I have heard that Durham is definitely a more traditional maths based course which has a larger focus on AI and other mathsy things. For perspective, I want a good amount of maths but a not a "im gonna kms" level yk. (I didn't take FM mainly due to not knowing what I wanted to do and also not wanting to do 4 A-levels)
Lancaster also allows you to have a minor subject in your first year, which sounds pretty cool icl.
Both are collegiate which was a big draw to me. Durham does offer catered colleges with formals which is what I'd prefer for first year (sucker for tradition). Lancaster colleges seem less "collegey", they all seem pretty similar with the only real difference being the room types that they offer. Not a big deal but just something I noticed.
I am not a big city kinda gal (don't drink, not a fan of clubs etc.) so I don't mind about either town being on the smaller side. I am kind of concerned about the whole housing situation (crisis) in Durham, I'm not sure if I could find a friend group quick enough to be able to go through the process of finding 2nd year accom. Finances aren't all that big of an issue for me, so I know that I'll be in a better position than others. Not too sure about the situation in Lancaster but it seemed easier?
Last point is about rankings/reputation. Durham does have a better reputation than Lancaster, but would it actually be useful outside of telling people where you went (eg. career prospects).
If anyone could give insight to either of the Unis / Courses / Towns or even any other things I should consider when deciding, that would be lovely.
- A kinda stressed out Y13 student :-)
Lancaster seems to have a better "year abroad", I could spend my second year at the campus in Leipzig (same course but different location) and still be able to do an integrated masters, which would also have a 10 week placement. This option wouldn't technically count as a year abroad (wouldn't have the title). Durham seems to have less options, with a more traditional year abroad. There's two unis that the compsci department go to and one requires B1 German. I'm not worried about learning German but actually doing a uni course in German is kind of scary.
The year abroad probably won't make or break my decision as it's not a guaranteed thing to happen anyway. It's only a year and I'll still have to do the same 3 years of the course regardless of if I go.
This brings me onto my next point, which is the courses. Lancaster seems less "mathsy" than Durham, A-level maths isn't required to take it. They have said that they'll bring everyone up to speed in the first year, so I'm sure that there is a good level of maths in there but I know that it won't be as much as Durham. I have heard that Durham is definitely a more traditional maths based course which has a larger focus on AI and other mathsy things. For perspective, I want a good amount of maths but a not a "im gonna kms" level yk. (I didn't take FM mainly due to not knowing what I wanted to do and also not wanting to do 4 A-levels)
Lancaster also allows you to have a minor subject in your first year, which sounds pretty cool icl.
Both are collegiate which was a big draw to me. Durham does offer catered colleges with formals which is what I'd prefer for first year (sucker for tradition). Lancaster colleges seem less "collegey", they all seem pretty similar with the only real difference being the room types that they offer. Not a big deal but just something I noticed.
I am not a big city kinda gal (don't drink, not a fan of clubs etc.) so I don't mind about either town being on the smaller side. I am kind of concerned about the whole housing situation (crisis) in Durham, I'm not sure if I could find a friend group quick enough to be able to go through the process of finding 2nd year accom. Finances aren't all that big of an issue for me, so I know that I'll be in a better position than others. Not too sure about the situation in Lancaster but it seemed easier?
Last point is about rankings/reputation. Durham does have a better reputation than Lancaster, but would it actually be useful outside of telling people where you went (eg. career prospects).
If anyone could give insight to either of the Unis / Courses / Towns or even any other things I should consider when deciding, that would be lovely.
- A kinda stressed out Y13 student :-)
I don't think Uni reputation counts to emplyers, especially in comp Sci. Its the grades of degree you leave with and your CV work experience that really matters more. Both courses would be really good choices so it really is down to your personal prerences and which one would be a better experience for you.
Which course do you think you'd enjoy more? (reading your post, to me it sounds like Lancaster would be more enjoyable for you overall). It's really important that you enjoy what you're doing because you'll need that enjoyment to carry you through the workload, deadlines, exams etc etc.
Original post by EdwinTheMoose
I am not a big city kinda gal (don't drink, not a fan of clubs etc.) so I don't mind about either town being on the smaller side. I am kind of concerned about the whole housing situation (crisis) in Durham, I'm not sure if I could find a friend group quick enough to be able to go through the process of finding 2nd year accom. Finances aren't all that big of an issue for me, so I know that I'll be in a better position than others. Not too sure about the situation in Lancaster but it seemed easier?
Lancaster doesn't have any accommodation issues. Although a lot of first-year students rush to find accommodation in town in the first term, you can take your time. There is a uni-approved website that lists properties offered by accredited landlords and the student union runs a site where applications don't open until later in the term so that takes the pressure off (my son found both his houses from the latter and the accommodation has been decent quality and maintenance issues were resolved quickly).
https://www.lancasteruniversityhomes.co.uk/
https://housesearch.lusu.co.uk/Accommodation
There is also the option to remain on campus in uni accommodation for second and third years, but this is usually a bit more expensive than a private student let. There are privately run halls in Lancaster city centre too.
Do either of your choices offer placement opportunities or have links for internships? These can add a lot to your graduate CV.
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by EdwinTheMoose
I have got offers back from both Lancaster (AAB) and Durham (A*AA) for compsci. Got 3A* predicts. I am trying to decide which one to go to. I also want to take a year abroad, which is where it kinda gets a bit complicated.
Lancaster seems to have a better "year abroad", I could spend my second year at the campus in Leipzig (same course but different location) and still be able to do an integrated masters, which would also have a 10 week placement. This option wouldn't technically count as a year abroad (wouldn't have the title). Durham seems to have less options, with a more traditional year abroad. There's two unis that the compsci department go to and one requires B1 German. I'm not worried about learning German but actually doing a uni course in German is kind of scary.
The year abroad probably won't make or break my decision as it's not a guaranteed thing to happen anyway. It's only a year and I'll still have to do the same 3 years of the course regardless of if I go.
This brings me onto my next point, which is the courses. Lancaster seems less "mathsy" than Durham, A-level maths isn't required to take it. They have said that they'll bring everyone up to speed in the first year, so I'm sure that there is a good level of maths in there but I know that it won't be as much as Durham. I have heard that Durham is definitely a more traditional maths based course which has a larger focus on AI and other mathsy things. For perspective, I want a good amount of maths but a not a "im gonna kms" level yk. (I didn't take FM mainly due to not knowing what I wanted to do and also not wanting to do 4 A-levels)
Lancaster also allows you to have a minor subject in your first year, which sounds pretty cool icl.
Both are collegiate which was a big draw to me. Durham does offer catered colleges with formals which is what I'd prefer for first year (sucker for tradition). Lancaster colleges seem less "collegey", they all seem pretty similar with the only real difference being the room types that they offer. Not a big deal but just something I noticed.
I am not a big city kinda gal (don't drink, not a fan of clubs etc.) so I don't mind about either town being on the smaller side. I am kind of concerned about the whole housing situation (crisis) in Durham, I'm not sure if I could find a friend group quick enough to be able to go through the process of finding 2nd year accom. Finances aren't all that big of an issue for me, so I know that I'll be in a better position than others. Not too sure about the situation in Lancaster but it seemed easier?
Last point is about rankings/reputation. Durham does have a better reputation than Lancaster, but would it actually be useful outside of telling people where you went (eg. career prospects).
If anyone could give insight to either of the Unis / Courses / Towns or even any other things I should consider when deciding, that would be lovely.
- A kinda stressed out Y13 student :-)
Lancaster seems to have a better "year abroad", I could spend my second year at the campus in Leipzig (same course but different location) and still be able to do an integrated masters, which would also have a 10 week placement. This option wouldn't technically count as a year abroad (wouldn't have the title). Durham seems to have less options, with a more traditional year abroad. There's two unis that the compsci department go to and one requires B1 German. I'm not worried about learning German but actually doing a uni course in German is kind of scary.
The year abroad probably won't make or break my decision as it's not a guaranteed thing to happen anyway. It's only a year and I'll still have to do the same 3 years of the course regardless of if I go.
This brings me onto my next point, which is the courses. Lancaster seems less "mathsy" than Durham, A-level maths isn't required to take it. They have said that they'll bring everyone up to speed in the first year, so I'm sure that there is a good level of maths in there but I know that it won't be as much as Durham. I have heard that Durham is definitely a more traditional maths based course which has a larger focus on AI and other mathsy things. For perspective, I want a good amount of maths but a not a "im gonna kms" level yk. (I didn't take FM mainly due to not knowing what I wanted to do and also not wanting to do 4 A-levels)
Lancaster also allows you to have a minor subject in your first year, which sounds pretty cool icl.
Both are collegiate which was a big draw to me. Durham does offer catered colleges with formals which is what I'd prefer for first year (sucker for tradition). Lancaster colleges seem less "collegey", they all seem pretty similar with the only real difference being the room types that they offer. Not a big deal but just something I noticed.
I am not a big city kinda gal (don't drink, not a fan of clubs etc.) so I don't mind about either town being on the smaller side. I am kind of concerned about the whole housing situation (crisis) in Durham, I'm not sure if I could find a friend group quick enough to be able to go through the process of finding 2nd year accom. Finances aren't all that big of an issue for me, so I know that I'll be in a better position than others. Not too sure about the situation in Lancaster but it seemed easier?
Last point is about rankings/reputation. Durham does have a better reputation than Lancaster, but would it actually be useful outside of telling people where you went (eg. career prospects).
If anyone could give insight to either of the Unis / Courses / Towns or even any other things I should consider when deciding, that would be lovely.
- A kinda stressed out Y13 student :-)
Hopefully I can answer some of your questions about Lancaster.
In terms of the specific computer science courses between Lancaster and Durham, it might be good to explore what modules you can take in every year in your degree to see which ones you think you may prefer. Some of Lancaster's typical modules can be found here Computer Science BSc Hons (G400) - Lancaster University.
Also if you would like some more information on the possible minor combinations you could take in 1st year, contact the computing department for some more information.
Colleges are a big thing at Lancaster and really add to the university experience in 1st year, with 4 of the colleges offering a catered option (County, Bowland, Cartmel, Lonsdale).
I had a really good experience finding accommodation in 2nd year as the university has a company called ' Lancaster University Homes' which basically help students look for 2nd and 3rd year housing, and check through the houses and landlords to make sure they're of good standard, which gives a lot of piece of mind. Theres also a block of housing in town along the canal called Chancellors wharf which the university own, its designed exactly the same as shared accommodation on campus and can be a good transition for moving into town in your 2nd year.
While I cant speak about Durham, Lancaster does have a fantastic careers service which offer lots of help in looking for placements and graduate jobs by running mock interviews and CV checks, to prepare students for finding graduate jobs.
If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask!
-Jasmine (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
I'm currently choosing between Durham and Lancaster for my first choice (got same offer from each!) I have been to the Offer Holder Day at Durham (which I loved) and attending one at Lancaster this weekend. After that, I'm going to make my choice on the better course for me.
Just wanted to say that my brother is in his second year at Durham, and there is no accommodation crisis this year. In fact, there are hundreds of rented places left untaken (according to a local news article). He certainly had no problem finding a place and didn't have to rush into it.
Have you managed to get to any Offer Holder Days?
Just wanted to say that my brother is in his second year at Durham, and there is no accommodation crisis this year. In fact, there are hundreds of rented places left untaken (according to a local news article). He certainly had no problem finding a place and didn't have to rush into it.
Have you managed to get to any Offer Holder Days?
Original post by EdwinTheMoose
I have got offers back from both Lancaster (AAB) and Durham (A*AA) for compsci. Got 3A* predicts. I am trying to decide which one to go to. I also want to take a year abroad, which is where it kinda gets a bit complicated.
Lancaster seems to have a better "year abroad", I could spend my second year at the campus in Leipzig (same course but different location) and still be able to do an integrated masters, which would also have a 10 week placement. This option wouldn't technically count as a year abroad (wouldn't have the title). Durham seems to have less options, with a more traditional year abroad. There's two unis that the compsci department go to and one requires B1 German. I'm not worried about learning German but actually doing a uni course in German is kind of scary.
The year abroad probably won't make or break my decision as it's not a guaranteed thing to happen anyway. It's only a year and I'll still have to do the same 3 years of the course regardless of if I go.
This brings me onto my next point, which is the courses. Lancaster seems less "mathsy" than Durham, A-level maths isn't required to take it. They have said that they'll bring everyone up to speed in the first year, so I'm sure that there is a good level of maths in there but I know that it won't be as much as Durham. I have heard that Durham is definitely a more traditional maths based course which has a larger focus on AI and other mathsy things. For perspective, I want a good amount of maths but a not a "im gonna kms" level yk. (I didn't take FM mainly due to not knowing what I wanted to do and also not wanting to do 4 A-levels)
Lancaster also allows you to have a minor subject in your first year, which sounds pretty cool icl.
Both are collegiate which was a big draw to me. Durham does offer catered colleges with formals which is what I'd prefer for first year (sucker for tradition). Lancaster colleges seem less "collegey", they all seem pretty similar with the only real difference being the room types that they offer. Not a big deal but just something I noticed.
I am not a big city kinda gal (don't drink, not a fan of clubs etc.) so I don't mind about either town being on the smaller side. I am kind of concerned about the whole housing situation (crisis) in Durham, I'm not sure if I could find a friend group quick enough to be able to go through the process of finding 2nd year accom. Finances aren't all that big of an issue for me, so I know that I'll be in a better position than others. Not too sure about the situation in Lancaster but it seemed easier?
Last point is about rankings/reputation. Durham does have a better reputation than Lancaster, but would it actually be useful outside of telling people where you went (eg. career prospects).
If anyone could give insight to either of the Unis / Courses / Towns or even any other things I should consider when deciding, that would be lovely.
- A kinda stressed out Y13 student :-)
Lancaster seems to have a better "year abroad", I could spend my second year at the campus in Leipzig (same course but different location) and still be able to do an integrated masters, which would also have a 10 week placement. This option wouldn't technically count as a year abroad (wouldn't have the title). Durham seems to have less options, with a more traditional year abroad. There's two unis that the compsci department go to and one requires B1 German. I'm not worried about learning German but actually doing a uni course in German is kind of scary.
The year abroad probably won't make or break my decision as it's not a guaranteed thing to happen anyway. It's only a year and I'll still have to do the same 3 years of the course regardless of if I go.
This brings me onto my next point, which is the courses. Lancaster seems less "mathsy" than Durham, A-level maths isn't required to take it. They have said that they'll bring everyone up to speed in the first year, so I'm sure that there is a good level of maths in there but I know that it won't be as much as Durham. I have heard that Durham is definitely a more traditional maths based course which has a larger focus on AI and other mathsy things. For perspective, I want a good amount of maths but a not a "im gonna kms" level yk. (I didn't take FM mainly due to not knowing what I wanted to do and also not wanting to do 4 A-levels)
Lancaster also allows you to have a minor subject in your first year, which sounds pretty cool icl.
Both are collegiate which was a big draw to me. Durham does offer catered colleges with formals which is what I'd prefer for first year (sucker for tradition). Lancaster colleges seem less "collegey", they all seem pretty similar with the only real difference being the room types that they offer. Not a big deal but just something I noticed.
I am not a big city kinda gal (don't drink, not a fan of clubs etc.) so I don't mind about either town being on the smaller side. I am kind of concerned about the whole housing situation (crisis) in Durham, I'm not sure if I could find a friend group quick enough to be able to go through the process of finding 2nd year accom. Finances aren't all that big of an issue for me, so I know that I'll be in a better position than others. Not too sure about the situation in Lancaster but it seemed easier?
Last point is about rankings/reputation. Durham does have a better reputation than Lancaster, but would it actually be useful outside of telling people where you went (eg. career prospects).
If anyone could give insight to either of the Unis / Courses / Towns or even any other things I should consider when deciding, that would be lovely.
- A kinda stressed out Y13 student :-)
I just read your opening post and it sounds to me like you know you want to go to Lancaster (which btw IS very 'collegey').
If the only thing making you want to choose Durham is reputation with employers, it's really not important. Your degree class is more important, and also extra experience and skills you have (eg programming languages etc)
If the only thing making you want to choose Durham is reputation with employers, it's really not important. Your degree class is more important, and also extra experience and skills you have (eg programming languages etc)
Original post by EdwinTheMoose
I have got offers back from both Lancaster (AAB) and Durham (A*AA) for compsci. Got 3A* predicts. I am trying to decide which one to go to. I also want to take a year abroad, which is where it kinda gets a bit complicated.
Lancaster seems to have a better "year abroad", I could spend my second year at the campus in Leipzig (same course but different location) and still be able to do an integrated masters, which would also have a 10 week placement. This option wouldn't technically count as a year abroad (wouldn't have the title). Durham seems to have less options, with a more traditional year abroad. There's two unis that the compsci department go to and one requires B1 German. I'm not worried about learning German but actually doing a uni course in German is kind of scary.
The year abroad probably won't make or break my decision as it's not a guaranteed thing to happen anyway. It's only a year and I'll still have to do the same 3 years of the course regardless of if I go.
This brings me onto my next point, which is the courses. Lancaster seems less "mathsy" than Durham, A-level maths isn't required to take it. They have said that they'll bring everyone up to speed in the first year, so I'm sure that there is a good level of maths in there but I know that it won't be as much as Durham. I have heard that Durham is definitely a more traditional maths based course which has a larger focus on AI and other mathsy things. For perspective, I want a good amount of maths but a not a "im gonna kms" level yk. (I didn't take FM mainly due to not knowing what I wanted to do and also not wanting to do 4 A-levels)
Lancaster also allows you to have a minor subject in your first year, which sounds pretty cool icl.
Both are collegiate which was a big draw to me. Durham does offer catered colleges with formals which is what I'd prefer for first year (sucker for tradition). Lancaster colleges seem less "collegey", they all seem pretty similar with the only real difference being the room types that they offer. Not a big deal but just something I noticed.
I am not a big city kinda gal (don't drink, not a fan of clubs etc.) so I don't mind about either town being on the smaller side. I am kind of concerned about the whole housing situation (crisis) in Durham, I'm not sure if I could find a friend group quick enough to be able to go through the process of finding 2nd year accom. Finances aren't all that big of an issue for me, so I know that I'll be in a better position than others. Not too sure about the situation in Lancaster but it seemed easier?
Last point is about rankings/reputation. Durham does have a better reputation than Lancaster, but would it actually be useful outside of telling people where you went (eg. career prospects).
If anyone could give insight to either of the Unis / Courses / Towns or even any other things I should consider when deciding, that would be lovely.
- A kinda stressed out Y13 student :-)
Lancaster seems to have a better "year abroad", I could spend my second year at the campus in Leipzig (same course but different location) and still be able to do an integrated masters, which would also have a 10 week placement. This option wouldn't technically count as a year abroad (wouldn't have the title). Durham seems to have less options, with a more traditional year abroad. There's two unis that the compsci department go to and one requires B1 German. I'm not worried about learning German but actually doing a uni course in German is kind of scary.
The year abroad probably won't make or break my decision as it's not a guaranteed thing to happen anyway. It's only a year and I'll still have to do the same 3 years of the course regardless of if I go.
This brings me onto my next point, which is the courses. Lancaster seems less "mathsy" than Durham, A-level maths isn't required to take it. They have said that they'll bring everyone up to speed in the first year, so I'm sure that there is a good level of maths in there but I know that it won't be as much as Durham. I have heard that Durham is definitely a more traditional maths based course which has a larger focus on AI and other mathsy things. For perspective, I want a good amount of maths but a not a "im gonna kms" level yk. (I didn't take FM mainly due to not knowing what I wanted to do and also not wanting to do 4 A-levels)
Lancaster also allows you to have a minor subject in your first year, which sounds pretty cool icl.
Both are collegiate which was a big draw to me. Durham does offer catered colleges with formals which is what I'd prefer for first year (sucker for tradition). Lancaster colleges seem less "collegey", they all seem pretty similar with the only real difference being the room types that they offer. Not a big deal but just something I noticed.
I am not a big city kinda gal (don't drink, not a fan of clubs etc.) so I don't mind about either town being on the smaller side. I am kind of concerned about the whole housing situation (crisis) in Durham, I'm not sure if I could find a friend group quick enough to be able to go through the process of finding 2nd year accom. Finances aren't all that big of an issue for me, so I know that I'll be in a better position than others. Not too sure about the situation in Lancaster but it seemed easier?
Last point is about rankings/reputation. Durham does have a better reputation than Lancaster, but would it actually be useful outside of telling people where you went (eg. career prospects).
If anyone could give insight to either of the Unis / Courses / Towns or even any other things I should consider when deciding, that would be lovely.
- A kinda stressed out Y13 student :-)
Hello,
Fantastic to hear you are considering Lancaster as your future university. I study Psychology so can't comment on Computer Science or Maths. However, I have done a study abroad year and can say that I felt incredibly by supported by our Global Experiences Team at all times, and know other students had similar experiences.
I also agree that the opportunity to pursue a minor subject in your first year is really advantageous - the minor I chose has fed into much of the modules I later decided to study as I found it so interesting. I can also say that the lab facilites we have for our statistics teaching within Psychology are fantastic and really nice areas to work in.
Lancaster is quite a small city but feels very friendly. The college system makes it easy to make friends and find flatmates and the intercollegiate tournaments in the summer are very popular. Lancaster does also have catered accommodation options that may be worth looking into if that's what you are after.
In terms of housing in the city itself, there are plenty of student properties and Lancaster has it's own accommodation called 'Chancellors Wharf' which is along the canal. The bus routes from town also run really regulrarly so it is super easy to get to campus, just sometimes quite busy.
Also consider if you would like to work whilst at uni. I work as a student ambassador and get paid to attend open days/offer holder days. I have found Lancaster as a really easy place to find employment and also volunteering vacancies if you want to expand your CV.
Overall, I would pick the city/uni that feels best for you as you'll be spending a few years there and want it to feel like home. I have felt very at home in Lancaster and have opted to stay for another year because of this.
I hope this helps but if you have any more questions let me know! Best of luck with your application!
Holly
Psychology Student Ambassador
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