Advice on Offer acceptance, please ....

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If you get to Stansted, you can travel from Stansted and only have to change trains once

With Gatwick, you will have to travel through central London

Check out East Midlands, Birmingham International, Doncaster for nearby possible airports.

Reply 21

Freckles

Okay, cool, thanks :smile:

Couldn't find East Midlands with any low fare airlines, but possibly Birmingham. Will check.

Reply 22

beanie

You could always fly in to Manchester and then get the train down to Nottingham, its a straight through train from Manchester to Nottingham. also, East Midlands airport is now known as "Nottingham East Midlands" airport, so it might be classified as that instead.

I'm from just over the border in Derbyshire, but I go to college in Nottingham and spend the majority of my spare time in and around the city centre and when describing where I live I say near Nottingham, even though I live in a tiny village bordering the Peak District! Its a great place, I love Nottingham so much. Its really no more dangerous than any other city, its really over exagerated- I always go around town at night and I'm not dead yet, nor have I ever actually seen any trouble. Yes, things do happen here but they do everywhere and as long as you're sensible and stay out of the 'no-go' areas, although students aren't generally in St Anns or The Meadows anyway, so you'd be fine... with private accommodation, find somewhere in a reputable area, and again you'll be fine. If you want any advice on places PM me and I'll be happy to help.

People in Nottingham do have an accent, but its not a strong one. I first noticed it when I started at college as here, you can move about 5 miles and notice a change in accent, so going 20 miles away there was a big difference. But thats just a local thing! Words such as better are pronounced 'bet ahh', and then words ending in 'ie' or 'y' are pronounced 'kay-t ehh' ... I notice that kind of thing though as I'm a language student! The only time you'd have trouble understanding people is if they purposley decided to annoy you and use all the dialect terms for everything, but you'd soon pick them up! Anyway, we aren't that far from London, it takes just over 2 hours on the train down to St Pancras.

Nottingham is wicked, come here... we have Robin Hood... :biggrin:

Reply 23

Happy1

Anne*UK*06

I have also posted this in the Notts subforum, but seeing as more people are in here and I can use everyone's opinion, I hope you don't mind :wink:

Here's the thing:

I got an offer for American Studies at Notts and I really, really didn't think I would! I don't know why I was so pessimistic about my whole application altogether, but I was. So Nottingham was the only "good" uni I put down. Which, by now, I regret, but different story! Basically, I love the sound of the course and I know the uni has a very decent reputation. So seeing that I have the chance (offer's unconditional, already have my qualifications), I might as well go to a good uni instead of to a regular one.

I haven't visited any so far, so I don't have my own opinion yet. I'll go and look at them in February. Up until today, I was considering either Plymouth or Winchester, because I love their courses. However, Plymouth apparently is a bit rough and chavvy and that's not for me. Plus, it's really remote, which sucks as I am from Germany and I would like to be able to have good connections to London for going home. (cheapest flights to Hamburg go out of Gatwick and Stansted) So Winchester's closeness to London is a big bonus. Also, I am not a smalltown girl, but Winchester seems like a lovely place and I have a friend there who loves it. The uni itself, even tho not prestigeous, seems really friendly and caring, too. So basically, as I really wasn't expecting an offer from Nottingham, I was thinking I'd probably end up there.

But now everything's different!

I hear Nottingham is dangerous etc, but maybe ppl are just exaggerating?
Here's what I am mainly concerned about:

1) Seeing as Nottingham is a campus uni, will you be really isolated if you do not live in halls? Because I can't. I'll have to live off campus because I'm bringing my dog. Don't start telling me how my dog will be holding me back, there's no way around bringing him !!! Also, how much do you reckon private accomodation will be?

2) Please, please don't be offended, I really don't mean to sound like a bitch, but do they have a strong accent in Nottingham? I am not used to British English at all (sound really American myself and learned it that way, too) and I find it really difficult to understand people from Liverpool, for example. I know the English spoken in the south is generally considered more "proper", so that's part of why I choose only souther places, except for Notts. My English is really good, it's just really American. Will I have trouble understanding people?

3) This is the last thing and not as important, but seeing as Nottingham is one of the "better" unis, I was wondering how much the workload and expectations are likely to differ from the ones at a smaller place like Winchester? Don't mean to sound daft or lazy, I'm devoted to the subject and I'd obviously enjoy the work, but I am just not the type who has spent her high school time studying and only studying ...

Okay, sorry this has become soooo long! But I'd like to hear what people have to say! Thanks :smile:

Hi... here are my two cents!

1) I've applied to 5 campus unis and I'm not living in halls. I doubt i'll be isolated though because it just a case of being a bit more outgoing in your course, and making a bit more of an effort to make friends. I dislike the way a lot of people on this site say "if you dont live in halls, you'll miss out". To be honest, I doubt you will... you just wont have people throw into your lap... you'll have to make an effort to make friends :smile:

2) Nottingham is one of those unis where a hell of a lot of people from all over the UK and the world converge to study. There will be a lot of accents in one place, but Nottingham itself is quite neutral. East midlands' accents aren't bad heh (if i do say so myself... i was born in the east mids). Unfortunately though, a lot of people in your course etc will be from elsewhee but hey, its not as hard to understand as you think. Most english people can manage to pronounce things prpoperly is you just ask them to... even Liverpudlians lol!

3) I personally doubt that the workload will be any different at any of your unis. All will require hard work and committment. Nottingham may expect slightly more from you... but still, not a great deal more than winchester for example would expect.

About the planes... i know everyone's already tried to help lol but Plymouth has direct train services to birmingham New Street (takes about 3 hours... correct me if i'm wrong) so flights from birmingham could be useful... and Notts has trains to Stanstead usually. Also... East mids is VERY close to Notts, and the train takes about 2 hours to London.

Congratulations on your offer! Its fantastic... you must be so happy :smile:

Reply 24

Freckles

Thank you both for these last two posts, they were quite detailed and very helpful :smile:

I like how I'm receiving los of encouragement to go to Notts. Just what I needed :biggrin:

Everything sounds pretty good and I've already looked into living costs and they seem very decent, too :biggrin:

I'll just see how I like every place in February and decide then, but I can definitely say that I am leaning towards Nottingham now. Even if it's just for that I am struck by the fact I got in :eek:

lol
Thanks again :biggrin:

Reply 25

beanie

Living costs here are pretty cheap in relation to most places I think, I've never looked at accommodation costs as I don't need to, but the general living prices for stuff like food, nightlife, shopping, transport are fine. When you come go on the trams! Hehe, they are great even though they are annoying with their stupid bongy bell. I'd never been on until last week as I had no reason to, but they're so much fun :smile:

Well done for getting in, thats really great! Notts Uni is a good university, I would have definatly applied there if I didn't live so close.

Reply 26

Bdarnell

great job Anne :smile:

Reply 27

Freckles

Thanks you 2 :biggrin:

I know, I feel honored they have offered me a place lol. And you're right, I was surprised with the living costs. They're lower than in Plymouth and Winchester, which is always a plus :biggrin:

Can't wait for the open day now :biggrin: