Bath, Cambridge or Imperial for Chemical Engineering?

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Reply 80

manbat-

Cambridge of course :smile:

Reply 81

A*da*m

Original post by Munrot07

I can only comment about Imperial but Imperial's reputation for a bad social life is very wrong, it seems many people are giving you false impression of Imperial (presumably as they have gone to Imperial themselves). I'm not trying to convince you to go there but the facts are useful.

Firstly, it is one of the best universities in the world for engineering and while I don't do chemical engineering myself I have friends who do and they love it (and actually chose imperial of oxbridge). In terms of social life I really don't understand where this view that Imperial has no social life comes from cause it's rubbish. Imperial has the most number of societies of any university in the UK so there are loads of ways to socialise through there...there are loads of events occurring all the time, loads of sports clubs and sports nights (if you like sports) and balls/pub crawls/dinners whatever you like. Being in the heart of London there are loads of places to go, clubs to go to...again whatever you like.

Equally...someone said Imperial isn't a campus university well really (unless you are a medic) it is. All the main building are in the south kensington campus and a good majority of the halls are there too. In 2nd and 3rd year you are unlikely to be able to remain in halls and will have to move out further but that's the same for most campus universities anyway so don't be worried by that.

I hope that helps on the Imperial front :smile:

if you have any more questions about Imperial feel free to ask :smile:

Thank you so much for this you don't know how helpful it has been!! :smile:

It's nice to hear this because honestly I do think it's better than what most people online say it is like. When i went up for my interview day I got a really social vibe, I watched a first year class come out of a lecture hall and the percentage of international students was much smaller than I thought, and what also surprised me was everyone regardless of nationality were mixing and chatting as they left there was no sort of everyone leaving on their own in complete silence so that really improved my view of Imperial. Also the couple who took us on a tour were very happy with the social life too, it's just this reputation it seems to have that is a little off putting :/ Thank you so much for taking the time to write a response I hugely appreciate it :smile:

may i ask which accommodation you were/are in for the first year? Which year are you in now? Have you experienced private housing yet? If so what sort of price range are you looking at from the second year onwards? :smile:

Thank you so much again for the help!! :smile:

Reply 82

A*da*m

Original post by jamesgall_

Camb (Christs):
A* - Maths, Further Maths, Physics
A - Chem
Step (1) 1

Imp:
A* - Maths Chem
A - F Maths Phys

My offers are similar, I took maths last year and got an A* but they have both completely ignored it :frown:

That cambridge offer is awful with step and having to get it all in one year!! I think I know which one I would be choosing if I were you!! :wink:

Good luck with getting those grades :smile:

Reply 83

A*da*m

Original post by SeanFM

There are a few buses that stop off at the uni and go to different areas in Bath. The one I use (which gets just about full at the busiest of times, but can also be empty) first comes down at 8 and the last one is at around midnight, with no service on Saturdays or Sundays.

The main buses (which have quite long queues for) both seem to be almost 24/7. One goes from around 7 am until 3 am, the other from 7 am till 6am.

And yes, the main ones come every few minutes and go to the centre of town.

:lol:

yes, Lidl has some nice things at reasonable prices.

Oh yes, from what I've seen I'd definitely have struggled at Universities like Cambridge, Durham, Warwick etc but here it's just about right (there are some modules I think I've barely passed, others that I've done quite well in :dontknow:

but I doubt that anyone works 24/7 or overnight in the library unless it's close to exams or a deadline. And there are some fairly smart people here.

Thank you very much for the info about the buses!! It's nice to know they actually run as advertised because I know so many other uni buses don't do the same. I used to hate lidl but i went in there recently saw the prices and loved it straight away!! :wink:

Yeah that sounds like the sort of work load i'm looking for i think :smile:

Thanks again for your help!! :smile:

Reply 84

Glenbard

It is the goal and dream of most students to go to Cambridge or Oxford, and not to Bath. Firm Cambridge!

Reply 85

A*da*m

Original post by PQ

OP. There's a lot of people advising you on this thread based on what THEY would do in your place.

Reading your posts it sounds like you really, genuinely want to go to Bath (but don't feel like you can justify declining Cambridge or Imperial).

You have another 3 months to make this decision so make the most of that time. I'm sure if you ask Cambridge they can arrange for you to visit again, maybe even stay over, in order to get a good feel for the place without the pressure of interviews.

If you are uncertain that you will thrive at Cambridge then go with your gut. 3+ years of feeling unhappy aren't going to get you the degree you're capable of. Choose a university where YOU will thrive - don't risk your future happiness for other people's opinions on prestige. Prestige counts for very little in engineering circles.

Hi, thank you very much for this post it was very helpful :smile:

If I'm honest it's out of Bath and Imperial for me, the only reason I'm having to consider Cambridge is its reputation as well as a bit of family and school pressure:/ I have so many friends who wanted to go to oxbridge more than anything in the world who didn't get offers so rejecting my offer almost seems selfish and undeserving:/

Yes I am planning to see all three again over the next couple of months and hopefully that will help me make a decision :smile:

That last paragraph was very helpful and happiness is definitely more important to me than prestige so thank you for reminding me that is the case :smile:

Thank you again, I really appreciate your help :smile:

Reply 86

A*da*m

Original post by Lawliettt

I can't stress enough how poor student life at imperial is compared to bath.

Anyway, if you're choosing Cambridge/Imperial, bath MUST be your insurance. Do NOT put Cambridge firm and imperial as an insurance (or vice versa) like some people have stupidly advised you to do.

If you're putting bath as a firm, there's no point at all of putting either Cambridge or Imperial as an insurance. Just put another one of your options down

Hi, thanks for this. Yes if i choose Imperial of Cambridge as firm I will definitely put Bath as insurance :smile:

And if I choose Bath i will put one of my final two options down as my insurance. May I ask how you know the student life is much poorer at imperial than bath? Is this personal experience? :smile:

Reply 87

A*da*m

Original post by Indeterminate

The social aspect of studying at Imperial is just fine. Studying in London has many other (obvious) benefits, too! :biggrin:

If I were you, I'd firm Cambridge and let Imperial be my insurance choice :yep:

Thank you for your reply :smile:

Yes I love London so much and would love to live there as a student :smile:

I wouldn't be able to put cambridge as firm and imperial as insurance however because they both have the same entry requirements. My options are:

Firm: Cambridge
Insurance: Bath
or
Firm: Imperial
Insurance: Bath
or
Firm: Bath
Insurance: Nottingham/Birmingham

Reply 88

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by A*da*m

Hi, thank you very much for this post it was very helpful :smile:

That last paragraph was very helpful and happiness is definitely more important to me than prestige so thank you for reminding me that is the case :smile:

Thank you again, I really appreciate your help :smile:

See if you can arrange an overnight trip to imperial then. Ask about staying in halls and if anyone from your course or the SU can show you around the social side of things.

Reply 89

username638250

Original post by Glenbard

It is the goal and dream of most students to go to Cambridge or Oxford, and not to Bath. Firm Cambridge!

That's a pretty poor reason, especially as for Engineering it's a close race between Imperial and Cambridge.

Original post by A*da*m

Hi, thank you very much for this post it was very helpful :smile:

That last paragraph was very helpful and happiness is definitely more important to me than prestige so thank you for reminding me that is the case :smile:

Thank you again, I really appreciate your help :smile:

Cambridge's reputation is great but in the industry, Imperial is very highly rated and is pretty much top along with Oxbridge. For Natural Sciences I would definitely take Cambridge but it's definitely more of a difficult decision for Engineering.

Reply 90

username638250

Original post by A*da*m

So as the title suggests, I've had offers from Bath, Cambridge and Imperial for Chemical Engineering and I am having a very hard time deciding which one to choose:/ for me all three have amazing things about them and also bad things about them and so I'm not really getting anywhere in working out which is going to be best for me, I'll sum up very quickly my thoughts on them,

Bath: Year in industry, high students satisfaction, I love the campus, social life probably best out of the three, lovely city, probably a more mixed group who go there compared to cambridge and Imperial, but it does have a lower reputation nationally and most definitely internationally
Cambridge: it's amazing reputation, brand new building so will have amazing facilities, but I'm struggling to see myself doing the whole college and formal dinner thing:/ and also a little concerned at being overwhelmed with the people who go there
Imperial : in London which is good and bad, expensive, heard awful things about the social life (so if any current students could please clear this up I would be so grateful!! :')), high international student percentage

There's loads more things I've considered but that's just what I could think of in two minutes. The grades I need for Cambridge and Imperial are the same while bath is a lot lower. If anyone could reply with some advice I would be so grateful!! Because I am really struggling I have no clue where to choose:/ I appreciate lots of people will say clearly Cambridge because of the reputation but I am trying to choose on overall uni experience rather than just that. Thank you very much for anyone who takes the time to reply! :')

Original post by Thomas Collins

Congratulation on your offer from Cambridge, I got rejected :frown:

Bath is my first choice. I loved the social aspect this university had to offer; the university is within walking distance of the town centre, it has a really good sporting reputation, and the students came across as well rounded individuals. Additionally the university has a relatively good academic reputation - placing highly in university league tables.

I cannot personally comment about Imperial (as I haven't looked round it) but a few students at my school said the social environment there is terrible. As it isn't a campus university you spend a lot of time travelling to lectures and travelling to parties, which can be expensive.

Nope, my social life at Imperial is pretty fine and so are many others'.

Original post by Bath_Student

Imperial: a social nightmare.
Cambridge pathetically high work load for essentially the same starting salary.
Bath: Nearly on par, same starting salary, best time (100% student satisfaction speaks for itself).

Bare in mind that for vocational subjects like engineering the starting salary hardly deviates.

Imperial is not a social nightmare; I'm currently in my second year there and it's perfectly alright.

Reply 91

Indeterminate

Original post by A*da*m

Thank you for your reply :smile:

Yes I love London so much and would love to live there as a student :smile:

Oops

Sometimes I forget how close ICL is to Oxbridge for a number of courses :colondollar:

I recommend that you go for glory! :rock:

Cambridge is, after all, considered to be the best university in the UK :yes:

But be sure to make your decision based on what would make you happy, and not the perceptions of other people :smile:

Reply 92

Nathanielle

Just a few remarks:
--> Final grades aren't everything, but they make life so much easier, both concerning career prospects and self-confidence. Hence you should choose the university, who seems the best for you! Supervision may be very beneficial for one student and for the other totally not. There is no general answer.

--> available specialisation: towards the end of the degree, you can choose between courses, how much that depends on uni. While your favorite subjects can change with time, you should look, that the university course you choose, actually offers courses in your favorite field.

--> year in the industry: experience is very important and helpful, on the other hand it might be also possible to do longer internships at the other universities

--> as a lot have said Imperial would have no social life: The students I met, were all really happy with it. But one thing is sure: Engineering is not the subject, where you get to spend lots of time out, but that is down to the work load, has nothing to do with the university.

--> Generally look at grading, course structure, course content ... also look at what you think is essential for you to succeed and whether that is available at university

Concerning reputation: As said already, Imperial and Cambridge are considered equal for engineering. Hence either way, one would go to a very prestigious university. (Which would not meant, they would be the perfect choice.)

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 93

sweeneyrod

I wouldn't worry about the social life at Cambridge or Imperial - most people are happy with their social life wherever they end up. I also wouldn't worry about the intensity of work at Cambridge - if they gave you an offer they are confident that you can cope with it. I also wouldn't worry too much about the difference in prestige between Cambridge and Imperial. Year in industry is also irrelevant - you shouldn't have to worry about getting a job in industry if you go to Cambridge, and you can always do internships. Quite a few people turn down Cambridge for Imperial for engineering for whatever reason. On the other hand, in your position I think firming Bath when you have offers from Cambridge and Imperial would be kind of crazy, there is a fairly considerable difference between Oxbridge/Imperial and everywhere else for engineering.

I would take a close look at the courses for Cambridge and Imperial, see which one you like more, and apply to that university. Something else to consider is that it is fairly easy to transfer from Cambridge (and to a lesser extent Imperial) to Bath if you decide you really hate your first university, but completely impossible to go the other way.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 94

Munrot07

Original post by A*da*m

Thank you so much for this you don't know how helpful it has been!! :smile:

Thank you so much again for the help!! :smile:

Yeah there is a lot of mixing which is great :smile:

I'm in second year. I was in the halls on the main Imperial campus for my first year and am now in private accommodation. Sadly it is London so it is expensive but if you're willing to move out a bit you can get something for around £160 including bills but on average prices will range from £160 to £200+.

Reply 95

Ethereal21foreva

Go to Cambridge, you fodder.

Reply 96

Doones

Original post by sweeneyrod

Quite a few people turn down Cambridge for Imperial for engineering for whatever reason.

I'd be interested to know the actual stats for this: For those engineers holding offers from both Cambridge and Imperial, which gets firmed more frequently... TSR uni connect might have the data (but small sample size).

Tagging: @Puddles the Monkey

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 97

ClickItBack

Original post by A*da*m

...

Couple of quick things.

The social life at Cambridge can be very good if you want it to be, especially due to its unique features (i.e. colleges).

Do not worry about 'the kind of people you'll meet' at Cambridge; they're as diverse a bunch as you'll find at any uni, and you will easily find people you get along with.

As mentioned, the stated starting salary statistics are only slightly in favour of Cambridge and Imperial over Bath. However, the reality on the ground is quite different if you wish to try for the most competitive and well paid jobs (investment banking, consulting, top technology firms). For those, you massively massively boost your chances by attending Cambridge or Imperial. It is certainly true that if you stay in the same job/industry for a few years, your degree becomes pretty irrelevant; but do not underestimate the benefit and goodwill that your undergraduate institution generates if you want to switch career, apply for further study (e.g. MBAs/PhDs), or for getting certain jobs in the first place.

Reply 98

NHSFan

Original post by yl95

Imperial's social life might not be like Leeds but it's what you make of it; there are plenty of opportunities around London. You will have to work harder than most other universities so you won't have as much time. However, you will never run short of things to do.

Nope, my social life at Imperial is pretty fine and so are many others'.

Imperial is not a social nightmare; I'm currently in my second year there and it's perfectly alright.

I think that as a girl, your experience is rather different to that of male students at Imperial!

Reply 99

NHSFan

Original post by A*da*m

..................seriously the amount of hype around my school on the offer days for oxford and cambridge was ridiculous, as far as I'm concerned they're just normal institutions with this ridiculous unfair and unnecessary reputation for being amazing :' :wink: