Could anyone recommend me a university for law?
I would like to study Law with French Law, or if that's not possibly simply law at university. I have picked 4 choices so far:
-Kings
-UCL
-Durham
-Exeter (maybe)
My predicted grades are not decided yet but I imagine it will be: History A*, RS A*, English Lit B (?) and French A*. Oh and EPQ A*.
After that, I truly have no idea what to pick. I don't want to pick an insurance choice because long story short if I don't get these grades I have a solid plan lined up where I will study abroad which requires CCC (but this isn't really the point).
So does anyone have any universities to recommend? Something that fits the same kind of vibes are the ones I've suggested (city campuses like UCL or KCL OR traditional universities).
Thank you
-Kings
-UCL
-Durham
-Exeter (maybe)
My predicted grades are not decided yet but I imagine it will be: History A*, RS A*, English Lit B (?) and French A*. Oh and EPQ A*.
After that, I truly have no idea what to pick. I don't want to pick an insurance choice because long story short if I don't get these grades I have a solid plan lined up where I will study abroad which requires CCC (but this isn't really the point).
So does anyone have any universities to recommend? Something that fits the same kind of vibes are the ones I've suggested (city campuses like UCL or KCL OR traditional universities).
Thank you
Scroll to see replies
Original post by chloenix
I would like to study Law with French Law, or if that's not possibly simply law at university. I have picked 4 choices so far:
-Kings
-UCL
-Durham
-Exeter (maybe)
My predicted grades are not decided yet but I imagine it will be: History A*, RS A*, English Lit B (?) and French A*. Oh and EPQ A*.
After that, I truly have no idea what to pick. I don't want to pick an insurance choice because long story short if I don't get these grades I have a solid plan lined up where I will study abroad which requires CCC (but this isn't really the point).
So does anyone have any universities to recommend? Something that fits the same kind of vibes are the ones I've suggested (city campuses like UCL or KCL OR traditional universities).
Thank you
-Kings
-UCL
-Durham
-Exeter (maybe)
My predicted grades are not decided yet but I imagine it will be: History A*, RS A*, English Lit B (?) and French A*. Oh and EPQ A*.
After that, I truly have no idea what to pick. I don't want to pick an insurance choice because long story short if I don't get these grades I have a solid plan lined up where I will study abroad which requires CCC (but this isn't really the point).
So does anyone have any universities to recommend? Something that fits the same kind of vibes are the ones I've suggested (city campuses like UCL or KCL OR traditional universities).
Thank you
Bristol.
Original post by swanseajack1
Bristol.
That's actually a great idea why didn't I think of that?!
Original post by PewNews
LSE
Thank you
Others that come to mind are Cardiff if you want to say down South. The university is a 5 minutes walk from a very vibrant city. More of a city feel than Durham or Exeter.
Universities up North that are city universities or very close to big cities are Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool and I understand Edinburgh and Glasgow are as well.
Universities up North that are city universities or very close to big cities are Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool and I understand Edinburgh and Glasgow are as well.
Original post by swanseajack1
Others that come to mind are Cardiff if you want to say down South. The university is a 5 minutes walk from a very vibrant city. More of a city feel than Durham or Exeter.
Universities up North that are city universities or very close to big cities are Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool and I understand Edinburgh and Glasgow are as well.
Universities up North that are city universities or very close to big cities are Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool and I understand Edinburgh and Glasgow are as well.
Great thank you sm!
Original post by McGinger
And drop one of those subjects.
AAA will always look better than BBBB and that is what you are risking.
AAA will always look better than BBBB and that is what you are risking.
It's kind of different for me because I'm a native French speaker so I put very little effort into that subject, it's more like I'm taking 3 A Levels
Worst comes to worst if I'm getting really bad grades in English our teachers have said that we can drop the subject.Original post by McGinger
PS. And your Insurance choice is ..... ?
My insurance choices aren't in the UK basically. I'm applying to other schools abroad with low entry requirements so I will go to those schools if I don't achieve my predicted grades, which I'm fine with because I like those equally.
Original post by sofiars
I'm in a similar dilemma: I'm applying to law but I can't decide between KCL and Durham!
I personally put KCL above Durham just because I love the capital city vibe (even if it costs more!). I do adore Durham though, it's so beautiful and traditional and all the balls etc seems amazing.
I have been a student at Kings and UCL, I have visited Durham and Exeter for lectures.
Let's start by dividing them that way. Kings and UC are straight up London Unis. They're in the middle of London, spread all over the place (moreso for UCL) and in absolutely no way could be described as campuses. UC is very much Camden/Bloomsbury. Mostly the area between TCR and Kings Cross. Kings is a blob by the Strand. Law Faculty will be at Somerset House - but this does not mean that all your lectures will be there.
Both these universities are very strong academically - UC is slightly better overall - but be prepared for a different experience to any other university outside of London. There will be all sorts of crazy stuff going on and it will be very expensive accomodation / travel. UC has a relatively cheap accomodation option - Kentish Town is more or less walkable. There isn't really a walkable cheap option for Kings.
The good thing about the London unis is the proximity to employment type stuff if you are looking to practise. All the big boy firms are there, and the Chancery is pretty much across the road from Kings - a 10 min walk from UC. Both will be highly convenient if you get into pro-bono work.
====
Durham and Exeter share one specific trait - they are both absolutely rammed with wealthy, attractive people from the South of England. If you want an "eclectic" experience like you'd get in SOAS or QM- you are going to absolutely the wrong place. They are in many ways an extensions of private schools. Both are excellent universities with the main difference being whether you want to pretend you're at Cambridge or not. Exeter is a defined campus on a hill a 10 min walk from town. Durham, as you know is a bunch of colleges dotted all over the place. It's literally budget Cambridge.
====
Academics - there's not a huge amount to choose. They'll all get you a job, and they all look kind of cool on your CV. Durham and UCL are very slightly better maybe - but we're talking very marginal terms that don't really make a difference. All of them have decent research departments and lecturers who have written decent texts and decent papers - although UCL will always win in that particular department due to the highly commercial nature of their business model.
It's going to boil down to choice. Do you want a crazy Central London experience? Choose UCL or Kings. Do you want to pretend you're at Cambridge, boast about your college, wear an evening gown a lot and hashtag Harry Potter on Instagram? Choose Duzz. Do you want to have a campus in the sunshine (sometimes) and play sports with beautiful people? Choose Exeter.
Let's start by dividing them that way. Kings and UC are straight up London Unis. They're in the middle of London, spread all over the place (moreso for UCL) and in absolutely no way could be described as campuses. UC is very much Camden/Bloomsbury. Mostly the area between TCR and Kings Cross. Kings is a blob by the Strand. Law Faculty will be at Somerset House - but this does not mean that all your lectures will be there.
Both these universities are very strong academically - UC is slightly better overall - but be prepared for a different experience to any other university outside of London. There will be all sorts of crazy stuff going on and it will be very expensive accomodation / travel. UC has a relatively cheap accomodation option - Kentish Town is more or less walkable. There isn't really a walkable cheap option for Kings.
The good thing about the London unis is the proximity to employment type stuff if you are looking to practise. All the big boy firms are there, and the Chancery is pretty much across the road from Kings - a 10 min walk from UC. Both will be highly convenient if you get into pro-bono work.
====
Durham and Exeter share one specific trait - they are both absolutely rammed with wealthy, attractive people from the South of England. If you want an "eclectic" experience like you'd get in SOAS or QM- you are going to absolutely the wrong place. They are in many ways an extensions of private schools. Both are excellent universities with the main difference being whether you want to pretend you're at Cambridge or not. Exeter is a defined campus on a hill a 10 min walk from town. Durham, as you know is a bunch of colleges dotted all over the place. It's literally budget Cambridge.
====
Academics - there's not a huge amount to choose. They'll all get you a job, and they all look kind of cool on your CV. Durham and UCL are very slightly better maybe - but we're talking very marginal terms that don't really make a difference. All of them have decent research departments and lecturers who have written decent texts and decent papers - although UCL will always win in that particular department due to the highly commercial nature of their business model.
It's going to boil down to choice. Do you want a crazy Central London experience? Choose UCL or Kings. Do you want to pretend you're at Cambridge, boast about your college, wear an evening gown a lot and hashtag Harry Potter on Instagram? Choose Duzz. Do you want to have a campus in the sunshine (sometimes) and play sports with beautiful people? Choose Exeter.
(edited 3 years ago)
Something I should have said - although it sounds a bit flippant above - although it will largely come down to the last paragraph- the value of those things cannot be overstated.
If you want to be in London, there's no amount of Durham that can make up for that. If you aren't from London, that experience can't be gotten anywhere else (although chances are you'll end up working there). At Kings you can walk out of lectures and to Downing Street, or go and watch a major trial at the central courts. At UCL - anything - anything can happen. Stormzy might show up and give an impromptu gig where the football club is having training - and Camden Town is what it is - towns like Exeter and Durham have a 50 yard strip of edgy shops that is their pathetic equivalent to pretty much half a borough of music, booze, drugs and weirdos. But make no mistake, there will always be an inherent background stress to being at university in Central London. There will always be the now now now, the bustle, some kind of protest, some kind of murder.
On the other hand, if you want to have that experience all your life of going to a bailey college, having the formals, having inter-collegiate sports and all the beautiful photos - you can't substitute that out, either. Similarly, if you want peace, relaxation, friends and a really fun time on campus - if that's what you want, then don't go somewhere else.
If you want to be in London, there's no amount of Durham that can make up for that. If you aren't from London, that experience can't be gotten anywhere else (although chances are you'll end up working there). At Kings you can walk out of lectures and to Downing Street, or go and watch a major trial at the central courts. At UCL - anything - anything can happen. Stormzy might show up and give an impromptu gig where the football club is having training - and Camden Town is what it is - towns like Exeter and Durham have a 50 yard strip of edgy shops that is their pathetic equivalent to pretty much half a borough of music, booze, drugs and weirdos. But make no mistake, there will always be an inherent background stress to being at university in Central London. There will always be the now now now, the bustle, some kind of protest, some kind of murder.
On the other hand, if you want to have that experience all your life of going to a bailey college, having the formals, having inter-collegiate sports and all the beautiful photos - you can't substitute that out, either. Similarly, if you want peace, relaxation, friends and a really fun time on campus - if that's what you want, then don't go somewhere else.
Original post by Trinculo
I have been a student at Kings and UCL, I have visited Durham and Exeter for lectures.
Let's start by dividing them that way. Kings and UC are straight up London Unis. They're in the middle of London, spread all over the place (moreso for UCL) and in absolutely no way could be described as campuses. UC is very much Camden/Bloomsbury. Mostly the area between TCR and Kings Cross. Kings is a blob by the Strand. Law Faculty will be at Somerset House - but this does not mean that all your lectures will be there.
Both these universities are very strong academically - UC is slightly better overall - but be prepared for a different experience to any other university outside of London. There will be all sorts of crazy stuff going on and it will be very expensive accomodation / travel. UC has a relatively cheap accomodation option - Kentish Town is more or less walkable. There isn't really a walkable cheap option for Kings.
The good thing about the London unis is the proximity to employment type stuff if you are looking to practise. All the big boy firms are there, and the Chancery is pretty much across the road from Kings - a 10 min walk from UC. Both will be highly convenient if you get into pro-bono work.
====
Durham and Exeter share one specific trait - they are both absolutely rammed with wealthy, attractive people from the South of England. If you want an "eclectic" experience like you'd get in SOAS or QM- you are going to absolutely the wrong place. They are in many ways an extensions of private schools. Both are excellent universities with the main difference being whether you want to pretend you're at Cambridge or not. Exeter is a defined campus on a hill a 10 min walk from town. Durham, as you know is a bunch of colleges dotted all over the place. It's literally budget Cambridge.
====
Academics - there's not a huge amount to choose. They'll all get you a job, and they all look kind of cool on your CV. Durham and UCL are very slightly better maybe - but we're talking very marginal terms that don't really make a difference. All of them have decent research departments and lecturers who have written decent texts and decent papers - although UCL will always win in that particular department due to the highly commercial nature of their business model.
It's going to boil down to choice. Do you want a crazy Central London experience? Choose UCL or Kings. Do you want to pretend you're at Cambridge, boast about your college, wear an evening gown a lot and hashtag Harry Potter on Instagram? Choose Duzz. Do you want to have a campus in the sunshine (sometimes) and play sports with beautiful people? Choose Exeter.
Let's start by dividing them that way. Kings and UC are straight up London Unis. They're in the middle of London, spread all over the place (moreso for UCL) and in absolutely no way could be described as campuses. UC is very much Camden/Bloomsbury. Mostly the area between TCR and Kings Cross. Kings is a blob by the Strand. Law Faculty will be at Somerset House - but this does not mean that all your lectures will be there.
Both these universities are very strong academically - UC is slightly better overall - but be prepared for a different experience to any other university outside of London. There will be all sorts of crazy stuff going on and it will be very expensive accomodation / travel. UC has a relatively cheap accomodation option - Kentish Town is more or less walkable. There isn't really a walkable cheap option for Kings.
The good thing about the London unis is the proximity to employment type stuff if you are looking to practise. All the big boy firms are there, and the Chancery is pretty much across the road from Kings - a 10 min walk from UC. Both will be highly convenient if you get into pro-bono work.
====
Durham and Exeter share one specific trait - they are both absolutely rammed with wealthy, attractive people from the South of England. If you want an "eclectic" experience like you'd get in SOAS or QM- you are going to absolutely the wrong place. They are in many ways an extensions of private schools. Both are excellent universities with the main difference being whether you want to pretend you're at Cambridge or not. Exeter is a defined campus on a hill a 10 min walk from town. Durham, as you know is a bunch of colleges dotted all over the place. It's literally budget Cambridge.
====
Academics - there's not a huge amount to choose. They'll all get you a job, and they all look kind of cool on your CV. Durham and UCL are very slightly better maybe - but we're talking very marginal terms that don't really make a difference. All of them have decent research departments and lecturers who have written decent texts and decent papers - although UCL will always win in that particular department due to the highly commercial nature of their business model.
It's going to boil down to choice. Do you want a crazy Central London experience? Choose UCL or Kings. Do you want to pretend you're at Cambridge, boast about your college, wear an evening gown a lot and hashtag Harry Potter on Instagram? Choose Duzz. Do you want to have a campus in the sunshine (sometimes) and play sports with beautiful people? Choose Exeter.
Wow! This is without a doubt the best answer I have ever received on TSR and I cannot thank you enough! It has genuinely cleared up a lot of things for me. As a Year 13 I haven't visited any of the campuses yet but this so incredibly helpful!
Judging from what you're saying I think I do prefer London universities (preferably KCL just because I prefer their course structure), but Durham and then Exeter will come close behind. If I don't get into London, I don't think I'll have any problem with going to the latter unis.
So once again thank you so so much!
Have an amazing day.Original post by chloenix
Wow! This is without a doubt the best answer I have ever received on TSR and I cannot thank you enough! It has genuinely cleared up a lot of things for me. As a Year 13 I haven't visited any of the campuses yet but this so incredibly helpful!
Judging from what you're saying I think I do prefer London universities (preferably KCL just because I prefer their course structure), but Durham and then Exeter will come close behind. If I don't get into London, I don't think I'll have any problem with going to the latter unis.
So once again thank you so so much! Have an amazing day.
Judging from what you're saying I think I do prefer London universities (preferably KCL just because I prefer their course structure), but Durham and then Exeter will come close behind. If I don't get into London, I don't think I'll have any problem with going to the latter unis.
So once again thank you so so much!
Have an amazing day.I can't emphasise this enough - you really should prioritise visiting these places above everything else - *before* UCAS goes in, but definitely before making any decisions. You're about to spend tens of thousands of pounds and 3-4 years of your life; other than prison, I can't imagine any circumstances under which someone would go somewhere for years without seeing it first.
If you are in the south east, visiting UCL and Kings should be easy and relatively cheap. You can just walk in to the campuses in general. For UCL, walk around the Wilkins building a bit (thats the famous one with the portico and dome etc). No one will care. Have a mooch around the cafes and union bars - you should be able to just walk in to the Gordon Street Union during the day. Have a drink and see how you feel about the place. Same with Kings. Just go in, wander about, mingle a bit and see Somerset House - there might even be something going on at the chapel. You need to see these places with the students there.
Exeter and Duzz are a bit more challenging unless you live nearby. Can be expensive via train and right now it's not going to be very nice sitting on a megabus with a mask on for 6 hours - but think about what you are about to invest, and consider that you really don't want to be one of those people that never bothered to check out where they were going first - and importantly to compare them. A lot of people go to visit a uni first (usually Birmingham cos they send you free tickets) and are blown away by it - because they have nothing to compare it to. With Exeter and Durham, you may have to give them more time, possibly even stay overnight - but you really have to see these places in the context of the students. There's no point going in the summertime when its empty - or worse, at offer-holders day, when you're pretty much committed.
You'll find a lot of people have one thing in mind, usually based on scholarship or hearsay / reputation. They desperately want to go to the LSE or Lufbra or whatever because a few lines in the prospectus tells them that the course structure is for them (sidenote- it's not) but then they go to actually visit some other university and just fall in love with the place or the town. This is especially true for places like Durham, where it's pretty pretty and they have weird try-hard customs. You might go to Exeter and just like the countryside, the proximity to the beach and the feel of the town.
My advice would be - do the visits and decide where you think you'd do your best work and be happiest. If it's Kings - it's Kings. What I would definitely not do is make a decision on the basis of course structure or module choice. Absolutely not for an undergrad. I say this as someone with a law degree- it makes no difference. The syllabus is pretty much whatever it is, and these things can be changed in a heartbeat. Some module that you desperately wanted to do in 3rd year might just not be offered by the time you get there. The nuances of any particular course get lost when you realise in first term that you can't stand the module convenor.
Original post by Trinculo
I can't emphasise this enough - you really should prioritise visiting these places above everything else - *before* UCAS goes in, but definitely before making any decisions. You're about to spend tens of thousands of pounds and 3-4 years of your life; other than prison, I can't imagine any circumstances under which someone would go somewhere for years without seeing it first.
If you are in the south east, visiting UCL and Kings should be easy and relatively cheap. You can just walk in to the campuses in general. For UCL, walk around the Wilkins building a bit (thats the famous one with the portico and dome etc). No one will care. Have a mooch around the cafes and union bars - you should be able to just walk in to the Gordon Street Union during the day. Have a drink and see how you feel about the place. Same with Kings. Just go in, wander about, mingle a bit and see Somerset House - there might even be something going on at the chapel. You need to see these places with the students there.
Exeter and Duzz are a bit more challenging unless you live nearby. Can be expensive via train and right now it's not going to be very nice sitting on a megabus with a mask on for 6 hours - but think about what you are about to invest, and consider that you really don't want to be one of those people that never bothered to check out where they were going first - and importantly to compare them. A lot of people go to visit a uni first (usually Birmingham cos they send you free tickets) and are blown away by it - because they have nothing to compare it to. With Exeter and Durham, you may have to give them more time, possibly even stay overnight - but you really have to see these places in the context of the students. There's no point going in the summertime when its empty - or worse, at offer-holders day, when you're pretty much committed.
You'll find a lot of people have one thing in mind, usually based on scholarship or hearsay / reputation. They desperately want to go to the LSE or Lufbra or whatever because a few lines in the prospectus tells them that the course structure is for them (sidenote- it's not) but then they go to actually visit some other university and just fall in love with the place or the town. This is especially true for places like Durham, where it's pretty pretty and they have weird try-hard customs. You might go to Exeter and just like the countryside, the proximity to the beach and the feel of the town.
My advice would be - do the visits and decide where you think you'd do your best work and be happiest. If it's Kings - it's Kings. What I would definitely not do is make a decision on the basis of course structure or module choice. Absolutely not for an undergrad. I say this as someone with a law degree- it makes no difference. The syllabus is pretty much whatever it is, and these things can be changed in a heartbeat. Some module that you desperately wanted to do in 3rd year might just not be offered by the time you get there. The nuances of any particular course get lost when you realise in first term that you can't stand the module convenor.
If you are in the south east, visiting UCL and Kings should be easy and relatively cheap. You can just walk in to the campuses in general. For UCL, walk around the Wilkins building a bit (thats the famous one with the portico and dome etc). No one will care. Have a mooch around the cafes and union bars - you should be able to just walk in to the Gordon Street Union during the day. Have a drink and see how you feel about the place. Same with Kings. Just go in, wander about, mingle a bit and see Somerset House - there might even be something going on at the chapel. You need to see these places with the students there.
Exeter and Duzz are a bit more challenging unless you live nearby. Can be expensive via train and right now it's not going to be very nice sitting on a megabus with a mask on for 6 hours - but think about what you are about to invest, and consider that you really don't want to be one of those people that never bothered to check out where they were going first - and importantly to compare them. A lot of people go to visit a uni first (usually Birmingham cos they send you free tickets) and are blown away by it - because they have nothing to compare it to. With Exeter and Durham, you may have to give them more time, possibly even stay overnight - but you really have to see these places in the context of the students. There's no point going in the summertime when its empty - or worse, at offer-holders day, when you're pretty much committed.
You'll find a lot of people have one thing in mind, usually based on scholarship or hearsay / reputation. They desperately want to go to the LSE or Lufbra or whatever because a few lines in the prospectus tells them that the course structure is for them (sidenote- it's not) but then they go to actually visit some other university and just fall in love with the place or the town. This is especially true for places like Durham, where it's pretty pretty and they have weird try-hard customs. You might go to Exeter and just like the countryside, the proximity to the beach and the feel of the town.
My advice would be - do the visits and decide where you think you'd do your best work and be happiest. If it's Kings - it's Kings. What I would definitely not do is make a decision on the basis of course structure or module choice. Absolutely not for an undergrad. I say this as someone with a law degree- it makes no difference. The syllabus is pretty much whatever it is, and these things can be changed in a heartbeat. Some module that you desperately wanted to do in 3rd year might just not be offered by the time you get there. The nuances of any particular course get lost when you realise in first term that you can't stand the module convenor.
This is exactly it. Life in London is different to elsewhere and Durham and Exeter are totally different. If you want a city life then Bristol, Manchester etc will be better for you.
Original post by swanseajack1
This is exactly it. Life in London is different to elsewhere and Durham and Exeter are totally different. If you want a city life then Bristol, Manchester etc will be better for you.
Strangely enough, I did see Bristol mentioned. It might be something of a compromise between the lot of them. Bigger town, campus close to the centre, but not a huge city.
On the other hand, why compromise? Go for the things you actually want, not to the place that has a few bits of everything.
Original post by Trinculo
I can't emphasise this enough - you really should prioritise visiting these places above everything else - *before* UCAS goes in, but definitely before making any decisions. You're about to spend tens of thousands of pounds and 3-4 years of your life; other than prison, I can't imagine any circumstances under which someone would go somewhere for years without seeing it first.
If you are in the south east, visiting UCL and Kings should be easy and relatively cheap. You can just walk in to the campuses in general. For UCL, walk around the Wilkins building a bit (thats the famous one with the portico and dome etc). No one will care. Have a mooch around the cafes and union bars - you should be able to just walk in to the Gordon Street Union during the day. Have a drink and see how you feel about the place. Same with Kings. Just go in, wander about, mingle a bit and see Somerset House - there might even be something going on at the chapel. You need to see these places with the students there.
Exeter and Duzz are a bit more challenging unless you live nearby. Can be expensive via train and right now it's not going to be very nice sitting on a megabus with a mask on for 6 hours - but think about what you are about to invest, and consider that you really don't want to be one of those people that never bothered to check out where they were going first - and importantly to compare them. A lot of people go to visit a uni first (usually Birmingham cos they send you free tickets) and are blown away by it - because they have nothing to compare it to. With Exeter and Durham, you may have to give them more time, possibly even stay overnight - but you really have to see these places in the context of the students. There's no point going in the summertime when its empty - or worse, at offer-holders day, when you're pretty much committed.
You'll find a lot of people have one thing in mind, usually based on scholarship or hearsay / reputation. They desperately want to go to the LSE or Lufbra or whatever because a few lines in the prospectus tells them that the course structure is for them (sidenote- it's not) but then they go to actually visit some other university and just fall in love with the place or the town. This is especially true for places like Durham, where it's pretty pretty and they have weird try-hard customs. You might go to Exeter and just like the countryside, the proximity to the beach and the feel of the town.
My advice would be - do the visits and decide where you think you'd do your best work and be happiest. If it's Kings - it's Kings. What I would definitely not do is make a decision on the basis of course structure or module choice. Absolutely not for an undergrad. I say this as someone with a law degree- it makes no difference. The syllabus is pretty much whatever it is, and these things can be changed in a heartbeat. Some module that you desperately wanted to do in 3rd year might just not be offered by the time you get there. The nuances of any particular course get lost when you realise in first term that you can't stand the module convenor.
If you are in the south east, visiting UCL and Kings should be easy and relatively cheap. You can just walk in to the campuses in general. For UCL, walk around the Wilkins building a bit (thats the famous one with the portico and dome etc). No one will care. Have a mooch around the cafes and union bars - you should be able to just walk in to the Gordon Street Union during the day. Have a drink and see how you feel about the place. Same with Kings. Just go in, wander about, mingle a bit and see Somerset House - there might even be something going on at the chapel. You need to see these places with the students there.
Exeter and Duzz are a bit more challenging unless you live nearby. Can be expensive via train and right now it's not going to be very nice sitting on a megabus with a mask on for 6 hours - but think about what you are about to invest, and consider that you really don't want to be one of those people that never bothered to check out where they were going first - and importantly to compare them. A lot of people go to visit a uni first (usually Birmingham cos they send you free tickets) and are blown away by it - because they have nothing to compare it to. With Exeter and Durham, you may have to give them more time, possibly even stay overnight - but you really have to see these places in the context of the students. There's no point going in the summertime when its empty - or worse, at offer-holders day, when you're pretty much committed.
You'll find a lot of people have one thing in mind, usually based on scholarship or hearsay / reputation. They desperately want to go to the LSE or Lufbra or whatever because a few lines in the prospectus tells them that the course structure is for them (sidenote- it's not) but then they go to actually visit some other university and just fall in love with the place or the town. This is especially true for places like Durham, where it's pretty pretty and they have weird try-hard customs. You might go to Exeter and just like the countryside, the proximity to the beach and the feel of the town.
My advice would be - do the visits and decide where you think you'd do your best work and be happiest. If it's Kings - it's Kings. What I would definitely not do is make a decision on the basis of course structure or module choice. Absolutely not for an undergrad. I say this as someone with a law degree- it makes no difference. The syllabus is pretty much whatever it is, and these things can be changed in a heartbeat. Some module that you desperately wanted to do in 3rd year might just not be offered by the time you get there. The nuances of any particular course get lost when you realise in first term that you can't stand the module convenor.
Haha don't worry I'm definitely planning to make some visits before applying before January. I'll be going down to London next weekend for Kings and UCL and Durham and Exeter will also come in the next month or so!
And I completely understand what you mean. When I say course structure, I mean that for Law with French Law, you get to spend 2 years in France (at Kings) rather than only one year in France (at UCL, Exeter and at Durham it's a different course). I think I'd prefer this because I'm from Paris originally! Do you still think that I shouldn't let this influence my decision? I'd like to know what you think because you seem very knowledgeable about this topic.
Original post by chloenix
Haha don't worry I'm definitely planning to make some visits before applying before January. I'll be going down to London next weekend for Kings and UCL and Durham and Exeter will also come in the next month or so!
And I completely understand what you mean. When I say course structure, I mean that for Law with French Law, you get to spend 2 years in France (at Kings) rather than only one year in France (at UCL, Exeter and at Durham it's a different course). I think I'd prefer this because I'm from Paris originally! Do you still think that I shouldn't let this influence my decision? I'd like to know what you think because you seem very knowledgeable about this topic.
And I completely understand what you mean. When I say course structure, I mean that for Law with French Law, you get to spend 2 years in France (at Kings) rather than only one year in France (at UCL, Exeter and at Durham it's a different course). I think I'd prefer this because I'm from Paris originally! Do you still think that I shouldn't let this influence my decision? I'd like to know what you think because you seem very knowledgeable about this topic.
That's a really tough one because you're going to be far more expert on that specific than I ever will be, if you're originally from Paris.
Take this entirely with a pinch of salt - were it *my* decision, I would not take the 2 year thing into consideration, and take the universities on their other merits. My rationale would be that spending time whether that's leisure or work, is something that can be made up after the event, or even as part of an postgraduate course. I'd say that 1 year would be enough. I knew people at UCL who would just get straight on the Eurostar and go to Paris whenever. One girl was on her year abroad and used to come back on Wednesdays to do sports at UCL.
It also depends a lot on what you're planning to do afterward - are you thinking of practising?
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