University of Sheffield or Royal Holloway

I am from London and have a lot of friends obviously as I was born and raised here. Due to this I am finding it hard to decide if I should move away to Sheffield or stay in London and go to Royal Holloway... I need to make my decision pretty fast.

The student life
Cheapness
Reputation

makes me want to go to Sheffield

however Royal Holloway being good, in London and me already being from here makes me want to stay here?

I haven't been able to express my self properly so I shall just assume you guys understand..

Could anybody please offer me some advice and some pros and cons about both universities? I like both therefore need other peoples opinions...

Reply 1

proud nd luvin it

14

Royal Holloway!!!! :biggrin:

you can easily get into London (probably not what will sway you, as you already live there), but that's what persuaded me!!

I haven't been to Sheffield uni, but I think Royal Holloway has such a lot of character!! :smile:

what do you want to study?? :smile:

Reply 2

Mr Blobby

Having looked around Sheffield I would say the only reason you wouldn't go based on your description would be homesickness or the worry of it.

For me that won't be a problem (Sheffield is my Firm) because i want to get as far away from home as possible to be given the freedom to find myself :tongue:

Btw, what course are you studying? (to give a better opinion/advice)

Reply 3

Nino9

OP

2

Thanks for the instant reply guys..

Economics and Mathematics at both universities.

Also yeah being close to London I'm used to it anyway and homesickness could be the issue.

I really do like the accommodation at Sheffield and the place itself yet just feeling so sceptical because Royal Holloway is also good.

Reply 4

Mr Blobby

Well I'm an Engineering prospect but I have heard from friends that Royal Holloway is a particularly good uni for Maths.

I guess, i hate to be so uselessly unhelpful, that it comes down to how much you don't want to leave London for the sake of a new university.

Personally I would suggest also that the cost of living is less in Sheffield unless you would be living at home. And if you are going to be living at home if you went to Royal Holloway then that could be a contributing factor in your decision.

Either way, I'm sure you will enjoy it wherever you go, uni is about the experience and as long as you like both places I'm sure you'll have fun wherever!

Reply 5

Nino9

OP

2

Original post by Mr Blobby

Well I'm an Engineering prospect but I have heard from friends that Royal Holloway is a particularly good uni for Maths.

I guess, i hate to be so uselessly unhelpful, that it comes down to how much you don't want to leave London for the sake of a new university.

Personally I would suggest also that the cost of living is less in Sheffield unless you would be living at home. And if you are going to be living at home if you went to Royal Holloway then that could be a contributing factor in your decision.

Either way, I'm sure you will enjoy it wherever you go, uni is about the experience and as long as you like both places I'm sure you'll have fun wherever!

I will still probably live on campus if I were to stay in London, I do not want to wake up extremely early for a long journey! had enough of that for secondary/sixth form! :P haha I am exaggerating just a bit but oh well.

Yeah I heard Royal Holloway is good for Maths as well I guess im just going to just have to pick one! sighs!!!

Reply 6

Mr Blobby

Original post by Nino9

I will still probably live on campus if I were to stay in London, I do not want to wake up extremely early for a long journey! had enough of that for secondary/sixth form! :P haha I am exaggerating just a bit but oh well.

Yeah I heard Royal Holloway is good for Maths as well I guess im just going to just have to pick one! sighs!!!

Just to say I've noticed from your signature that it looks like you're favouring Sheffield over Royal Holloway, so don't avoid a uni you prefer from fear of being too far away (different to homesick: more like a security/fallback) because there is always options and you don't want to regret it.

Good luck with that toughie of a decision though!! :afraid:

Reply 7

No Man

15

You sound like you favour Sheffield more, judging your OP.

Your gut is always right in these situations.

Reply 8

fibrebiz

10

On the one hand, it's imperative that you move away from home.

On the other hand Royal Holloway is 1994 group and University of London. 88th in the Times list of the best world universities.
I'm going to Royal Holloway because I really like the campus and it's got reputation.

Is Sheffield good enough to tempt you away?

Reply 9

Kt.b

12

Original post by fibrebiz

On the one hand, it's imperative that you move away from home.

On the other hand Royal Holloway is 1994 group and University of London. 88th in the Times list of the best world universities.
I'm going to Royal Holloway because I really like the campus and it's got reputation.

Is Sheffield good enough to tempt you away?

From what I've heard, Royal Holloway is in an absolute ghost town. In Sheffield we have one of the best unions (if not the best) in the country, so many things to do, cheaper, amazing accommodation and higher than Royal Holloway in most league tables. It really comes down to if you want to move away from home, from my experience though it is really good to have a university friends set and then a home one, if you are too close to all your friends and home, will that stop you from socialising?

Reply 10

Fiona UVIC

Original post by Nino9

I will still probably live on campus if I were to stay in London, I do not want to wake up extremely early for a long journey! had enough of that for secondary/sixth form! :P haha I am exaggerating just a bit but oh well.

Yeah I heard Royal Holloway is good for Maths as well I guess im just going to just have to pick one! sighs!!!

My colleagues mentioned that it is quite difficult to graduate from University of Sheffield, so do some research about the courses and assessment.

Reply 11

Nino9

OP

2

Original post by Fiona UVIC

My colleagues mentioned that it is quite difficult to graduate from University of Sheffield, so do some research about the courses and assessment.

As in the the lecturers have extremely high grade boundaries?

Reply 12

Fiona UVIC

Original post by Nino9

As in the the lecturers have extremely high grade boundaries?

Well I heard that it is difficult because the assessments of modules and the structures of courses.... seems like they have too many essays and exams, at the same time, they are taken within a short time, e.g., they may have several exams and essays in a week time, or may be more exams, I am not really sure, but my colleague has a student who is struggling with exams and essays.

Reply 13

Nino9

OP

2

I assume your colleagues are lecturers? If so would you be able to get me some more information please. I am grateful for your advice already, it would be a shame if people fail due to time management. I am sure though Maths is Maths and Economics is Economics at every University and if you can do it at Holloway you can at Sheffield, right?

Reply 14

Kt.b

12

Original post by Fiona UVIC

Well I heard that it is difficult because the assessments of modules and the structures of courses.... seems like they have too many essays and exams, at the same time, they are taken within a short time, e.g., they may have several exams and essays in a week time, or may be more exams, I am not really sure, but my colleague has a student who is struggling with exams and essays.

This is news to me... yes there are periods where you have to do essays and reading and potentially exams but it is manageable and I imagine the same at every university in the country!

Edit: the only thing I can think of that seems slightly different so some unis is that we have both January and June exams, while some unis just have all their exams in June, although this makes for what seems like a heavier workload, I personally prefer it as then I don't have to remember stuff that I learnt in September in June :smile:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 15

Nino9

OP

2

Tough decision to be made, the deadline is next week and I still haven't decided

Reply 16

fibrebiz

10

In that case, make your decision here:
http://unistats.direct.gov.uk/

Reply 17

wanderlust.xx

18

Original post by Nino9

I will still probably live on campus if I were to stay in London, I do not want to wake up extremely early for a long journey! had enough of that for secondary/sixth form! :P haha I am exaggerating just a bit but oh well.

Yeah I heard Royal Holloway is good for Maths as well I guess im just going to just have to pick one! sighs!!!

I do maths at RH; the uni really is fantastic. Great community and I'm sure we get closer to our lecturers come third year... it feels like a brotherhood down here in the maths department.

Plus it has an awesome reputation, and you'd probably have better job prospects with a degree from RH than a degree from Sheffield imho.