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I'm comfortable at Hull but I've got an offer from Nottingham?

Hi guys,I'm currently studying at the university of Hull, but I've got an offer from Nottingham?My problem is that I actually like Hull, it's so relaxed, suburban, convenient, I've made some good friends and I feel familiar and comfortable just where I'm at. In fact, I might even stay in the same accommodation next year if I'm still in Hull.

But I did my UCAS this year, because I was planning to get back to the Midlands to be closer to my mom and for other reasons, but now my mum's moved out of the country so I gave up on that plan?But now I feel that if I don't go to Nottingham, I would be wasting a big opportunity because it's a "highly" rated, big, international uni?

"Should" I really go to Nottingham because it's so highly rated?
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by tinyflame
Hi guys,I'm currently studying at the university of Hull, but I've got an offer from Nottingham?My problem is that I actually like Hull, it's so relaxed, suburban, convenient, I've made some good friends and I feel familiar and comfortable just where I'm at. In fact, I might even stay in the same accommodation next year if I'm still in Hull.

But I did my UCAS this year, because I was planning to get back to the Midlands to be closer to my mom and for other reasons, but now my mum's moved out of the country so I gave up on that plan?But now I feel that if I don't go to Nottingham, I would be wasting a big opportunity because it's a "highly" rated, big, international uni?

"Should" I really go to Nottingham because it's so highly rated?


If the only reason for moving is ratings then I wouldn't do it
Reply 2
Original post by Broscientist
In my opinion it depends on what you plan to do after graduation. If you want to go in a field where prestige matters - absolutely. Note that even then, the university name/brand is only a very small part of securing a job etc. Your work experience, degree classification and interview performance will always be the key factors.

Do not become one of those people who rely solely on the university name to get them a job (like 90% of the naive TSR drones) and then proceed to flip burgers for a living because of the delusions of grandeur and/or arrogance.


The thing is, I'm doing engineering, so rankings don't really matter. But I feel I "should" go to the best uni possible to give myself the most advantage possible?

I feel that employers will seek graduates from their "preferred" unis first and then go after the rest? I read this High Fliers 2015 report where it showed that Nottingham has the second highest sought after graduates from "top" employers. of course, I'm taking it with a pinch of salt. But I feel that going to a "highly rated" uni would make it so much easier career wise, but I don't really know, I feel you're right about university name being a small factor in terms of landing a graduate job?

It's weird, on one hand I like how big and high quality Nottingham is, but on the other hand what I like about Hull is how close all the student houses are to the uni, it's so convenient, walking to uni only takes like 10 minutes, shops are at my doorstep and my friends live 15 minutes away in their own houses at most. I am scared that if I go to Nottingham, I would be living on campus rather than in the town/city with student houses close to the uni.

So what I'm fearing is that after first year when I would move into a student house, these houses would be quite further away from the uni or it wouldn't be as close to the shops or to my other friends' houses, it just wouldn't be as small and convenient ad Hull? :frown:

I completely understand that rankings don't get you the job and that it is completely up to the person to build all of their skills so they become attractive to employers, but for some reason I'm paranoid that the "top" unis give you an advantage in one way or another?

High Fliers report I read:http://www.highfliers.co.uk/download/2015/graduate_market/GMReport15.pdf
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by claireestelle
If the only reason for moving is ratings then I wouldn't do it

I think I'd pretty much be moving for ratings when I think about it now.
It looks like I am just impressed by the high rank and high quality of Nottingham.

But I just don't know :frown:, I already feel at home right where I'm at in Hull.

But then I feel that this is the only chance I will get at transferring unis, and if I don't take it, I might regret it for years to come? :frown:

Also, why wouldn't you make the move, any specific reasons?
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by tinyflame
I think I'd pretty much be moving for ratings when I think about it now.
It looks like I am just impressed by the high rank and high quality of Nottingham.

But I just don't know :frown:, I already feel at home right where I'm at in Hull.

But then I feel that this is the only chance I will get at transferring unis, and if I don't take it, I might regret it for years to come? :frown:

Also, why wouldn't you make the move, any specific reasons?


Ratings aren't everything and I d want to stay where I was settled, especially as your second year grades matter towards your classification.
Reply 5
Original post by claireestelle
Ratings aren't everything and I d want to stay where I was settled, especially as your second year grades matter towards your classification.


The thing is that I'm doing a foundation year at the moment, so I would be going into first year at Nottingham, so it isn't really classed as a transfer.

I feel that this is the perfect opportunity to choose to transfer, because I wouldn't have to repeat first year, transfer into second year or lose out on a year's student finance?
Reply 6
Original post by Broscientist
Here is the deal...

This is an opportunity nonetheless so I would suggest you do as much research as possible before you make a final decision. We do not know whether or not you will like it there or not, feel better there or not, etc. Whatever you do, fully explore your options just so that you do not feel regret later.

In STEM, the university name does not matter as much, but it still helps. Ultimately, you make the decision whether to take this risk or not.


Definitely man,

I have been trying to research the student areas around the uni where most of the second years live and I will try to look further into that or ask people at Nottingham about it.

So far I looked up the area of Lenton on google maps and got a bit disappointed, but Beeston seems alright because it has a lot of shops. But overall, I am still unsure whether I will like the student areas outside of the campus.

But yeah I need to look at every aspect of this really, I really think the best thing to do is visit and see what my "gut" feeling is about it.

I am only worried because I will have to make a firm/insurance decision soon, but I am scared that because I would be bound by a contract once I make a firm choice, that I wouldn't be able to be released into clearing, or that there will be some sort of penalty?
(edited 7 years ago)
Ideally you want to visit and see the area. There's Dunkirk too, if you didn't know. It's not a very big area but it's there nonetheless. Not sure what to tell you. I think Nottingham's great but I have no idea what Hull is like and what you like really. I think the whole area's pretty nice but generally speaking where you live will depend on your personality. Lenton is known for people who like to club a lot. I never got the idea there were many supermarkets there, the best I knew of was Sainsburys local which was no substitute. Closest to that was Asda in Hyson Green. I have friends in Dunkirk but one of them drives and they go to Sainsburys in Beeston. Sainsburys and Tesco are really close to each other in Beeston. Few small shops and then if you want clothes shops etc you can get the bus into town which is £1 for a student iirc. One of my friends in Dunkirk lived in Beeston for 2 years though. University Park is a really nice campus.

Contact UCAS maybe. I can't remember what happens but I'm fairly sure you can be released by a firm.
No I have response experience of being somewhere your not happy your at Hull your happy if it ain't broke don't fix it holds so true in this case


Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 9
Original post by alexs2602
Ideally you want to visit and see the area. There's Dunkirk too, if you didn't know. It's not a very big area but it's there nonetheless. Not sure what to tell you. I think Nottingham's great but I have no idea what Hull is like and what you like really. I think the whole area's pretty nice but generally speaking where you live will depend on your personality. Lenton is known for people who like to club a lot. I never got the idea there were many supermarkets there, the best I knew of was Sainsburys local which was no substitute. Closest to that was Asda in Hyson Green. I have friends in Dunkirk but one of them drives and they go to Sainsburys in Beeston. Sainsburys and Tesco are really close to each other in Beeston. Few small shops and then if you want clothes shops etc you can get the bus into town which is £1 for a student iirc. One of my friends in Dunkirk lived in Beeston for 2 years though. University Park is a really nice campus.

Contact UCAS maybe. I can't remember what happens but I'm fairly sure you can be released by a firm.


Hey man,

Thanks for the really detailed answer, I hear that Dunkirk is often overlooked as an area and that it's mainly between Beeston and Lenton?

How far is Lenton from the uni by the way?
Also with the campus being so big, wouldn't it feel empty most of the time?

I know I should have a look at the uni and the area soon, but what's your overall opinion on the situation?

I am really worried at the moment as I need to find out whether I am able to meet my offer as I get my results by 1st of July, but what worries me is that the student houses in Hull are going away and I don't know if I can keep my room for next year yet, it seems like I might have to make a rushed decision, but I will try to take it slow.

About whether to go to a higher ranked uni while already being comfortable with your current uni?
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 10
Original post by jonathanemptage
No I have response experience of being somewhere your not happy your at Hull your happy if it ain't broke don't fix it holds so true in this case


Posted from TSR Mobile


I get what you mean but I'm just so scared of regretting not taking the chance to go to Nottingham while I still can this year :frown:?

What was your similar experience of this situation by the way?
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by tinyflame
I get what you mean but I'm just so scared of regretting not taking the chance to go to Nottingham while I still can this year :frown:?

What was your similar experience of this situation by the way?


well i went to Solent for an applicant day and felt really comfortable there but i also go an offer from Portsmouth thinking "oh it's higher up on the league table so I'll go there".

Big mistake I lasted about a term and dropped out your happy at Hull it's engineering like I did (I eventually got my degree from Solent) do stay there it's much better not to take this risk if you do a masters by all means do it in Nottingham but your settled and happy in Hull there really is no reason to move.
Do you ever see yourself pursuing a high finance, business or law career? Or perhaps, a research career? If not, the brand name uplift will be insignificant.

Engineering companies for the most part don't really care about prestige as long as you have an accredited degree.

Ultimately, this is your decision and you have to be willing to take on whatever repercussions arise from this.. Deferring said decision to TSR will not help you face reality.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 13
Original post by Princepieman
Do you ever see yourself pursuing a high finance, business or law career? Or perhaps, a research career? If not, the brand name uplift will be insignificant.

Engineering companies for the most part don't really care about prestige as long as you have an accredited degree.

Ultimately, this is your decision and you have to be willing to take on whatever repercussions arise from this.. Deferring said decision to TSR will not help you face reality.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Hey thanks for helping me out man.

Well, I feel that finance/business is a back up option if I ever decide to leave engineering in the future? I would never really go into academia and I don't even think I will pursue a masters in the next 5 years at least.

Is it really hard to break into finance with a degree from a more ordinary university? I thought engineering was rigorous and numerate enough for finance companies to be attracted to engineering graduates?

I completely agree about deferring my decision to TSR, it's like I'm scared to follow my gut feeling about it all, I'm scared I will make the wrong decision either way, but then I forget that there's pros and cons to both decisions. Right now it's really a case of visiting, after I visit the uni, I will definitely know whether it's worth switching there.

Overall, I still feel a bit paranoid about Nottingham being so high rated, it's like I'm trying to figure out a reason why they're so highly rated, is it their better employer links? Better teaching quality? I am still trying to figure out.

I feel like there's something there behind the vague sense of a high rating, but I am trying to find out specifically what and how it will benefit me. If I can't find any reasons that would benefit me directly, then I wouldn't see a good reason to sacrifice the comfort and familiarity I'v built up in Hull?
Reply 14
Original post by jonathanemptage
well i went to Solent for an applicant day and felt really comfortable there but i also go an offer from Portsmouth thinking "oh it's higher up on the league table so I'll go there".

Big mistake I lasted about a term and dropped out your happy at Hull it's engineering like I did (I eventually got my degree from Solent) do stay there it's much better not to take this risk if you do a masters by all means do it in Nottingham but your settled and happy in Hull there really is no reason to move.


Was it because the course was very intense at Portsmouth, or was it the atmosphere at the uni? What reasons made you leave Portsmouth?

I am so confused, on one hand I feel that Nottingham has given me the offer because they think I can cope with their workload, but on the other hand I am still scared that a higher ranked uni will have an intense workload which I don't know if I will be able to cope with.

I best ask some of the 1st year engineering guys at Hull how busy their timetable was and compare, but overall, I feel that engineering is quite an intense degree. Was it not as intense at Solent compared to Portsmouth?
Original post by tinyflame
Hey thanks for helping me out man.

Well, I feel that finance/business is a back up option if I ever decide to leave engineering in the future? I would never really go into academia and I don't even think I will pursue a masters in the next 5 years at least.

Is it really hard to break into finance with a degree from a more ordinary university? I thought engineering was rigorous and numerate enough for finance companies to be attracted to engineering graduates?

I completely agree about deferring my decision to TSR, it's like I'm scared to follow my gut feeling about it all, I'm scared I will make the wrong decision either way, but then I forget that there's pros and cons to both decisions. Right now it's really a case of visiting, after I visit the uni, I will definitely know whether it's worth switching there.

Overall, I still feel a bit paranoid about Nottingham being so high rated, it's like I'm trying to figure out a reason why they're so highly rated, is it their better employer links? Better teaching quality? I am still trying to figure out.

I feel like there's something there behind the vague sense of a high rating, but I am trying to find out specifically what and how it will benefit me. If I can't find any reasons that would benefit me directly, then I wouldn't see a good reason to sacrifice the comfort and familiarity I'v built up in Hull?


Finance/business is not a viable 'back up', the top roles are simply too competitive to just haphazardly consider. That said, it is entirely possible to go to Hull, work for a few years as an engineer then get a top tier MBA for another throw of the ball.

Yes high finance is incredibly difficult to get into, even for people at solid unis. 93%+ of grad intakes (for the best roles) come from 15 or so unis. After the RG, there's a significant drop in your likelihood of even landing an interview. I doubt it would be much of a problem for say back office or the more standard finance departments of a corporation, though.

You are being v paranoid about the decision. It's not the end of the world nor will all hell break loose if you stick to either decision - life will go on. Employer links don't mean much for engineering when you'd just apply online (hopefully with a strong CV full of experience etc), hoping for the best.

Boiling it down: comfort zone of where you are vs allure of 'prestige' + uncomfortable step outside of comfort zone.
To be honest, unless it's Oxbridge or something huge like that, if you see no major improvement I personally don't see a point in moving. Besides, you'll be able to do a load of things and get loads of experience next year in Hull with the City of Culture that you probably won't be able to get in Nottingham.
Well good luck with whatever you choose :smile:
(also any tips on what Hull's like? Hoping to go there in September :P )
Original post by tinyflame
Was it because the course was very intense at Portsmouth, or was it the atmosphere at the uni? What reasons made you leave Portsmouth?

I am so confused, on one hand I feel that Nottingham has given me the offer because they think I can cope with their workload, but on the other hand I am still scared that a higher ranked uni will have an intense workload which I don't know if I will be able to cope with.

I best ask some of the 1st year engineering guys at Hull how busy their timetable was and compare, but overall, I feel that engineering is quite an intense degree. Was it not as intense at Solent compared to Portsmouth?


a mixture of things really I felt a bit isolated and was stuck on a floor full of second years all who had their own friends i made some friends bunt none i really felt close to also Portsmouth isn't as nice as I thought it was and the lab sessions wern't that well explained I also couldn't understand the lectures and had already failed one unit.
But the main reason was I was very home sick i did eventually stop crying (after 48 hours strait) but it never got better i still find it hard to talk about now because although I'm a graduate when I talk about it those feelings come back though not as strong.
Original post by tinyflame
Hey man,

Thanks for the really detailed answer, I hear that Dunkirk is often overlooked as an area and that it's mainly between Beeston and Lenton?

How far is Lenton from the uni by the way?
Also with the campus being so big, wouldn't it feel empty most of the time?

I know I should have a look at the uni and the area soon, but what's your overall opinion on the situation?

I am really worried at the moment as I need to find out whether I am able to meet my offer as I get my results by 1st of July, but what worries me is that the student houses in Hull are going away and I don't know if I can keep my room for next year yet, it seems like I might have to make a rushed decision, but I will try to take it slow.

About whether to go to a higher ranked uni while already being comfortable with your current uni?

I guess so, I've known a few people who live there though.

Well, it depends where you find a place to live. Since you're doing engineering your lectures will be towards the QMC end of UP. Which is near Lenton. Even if you live near the Sainsburys Local in Lenton that's only 1.5miles. Maybe a little further than that, max, though likely less. Not too bad really but I will warn you Derby road is quite hilly.

Nah, not at all. Most academic buildings are grouped together in two quite close clumps with the portland building being the central hub.

As I said, I like Nottingham, I think it's great. SU's great, city,area, nightlife, people. If it were me I'd go for it. Ofc, everything will be more spread out than hull but you'd probably get used to it and you could get a bike. You will want to think about the course, academic side. It is a difficult choice. Clearly area, campus, people, city, nightlife are important. What it's like to live there. But so is the course; how it's taught, the modules, how it's assessed, the lecturers. It can be fairly standard but I've known some universities with very fractured assessment types("basic skills tests", courseworks, exams, group works, computer works, usually 3 of these and rather than a couple of courseworks per semester they were 4 or 5), and arguably fractured class types(surgeries, lectures, "tutorials", computer classes, another one which I can't remember). Might be suited to some but it seems quite hectic to me and I couldn't do a course like that. With the tutorials though they were about 30 people and I've known other universities have 4 or 5 people weekly tutorials during the first year.


Maybe try calling Nottingham and explaining your situation, see what they say.

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