University of Warwick

Coventry

Is Coventry really that grim? (Warwick uni)

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Original post by screenager2004

Bear in mind: I'm not totally 100% sure about the Politics Department's regulations, so it might be different to how things work at the Sociology department.

Okay - In the Sociology department we're allowed to take modules outside our home department. They're called "unusual options". For example I've been taking Japanese as part of my degree - nothing to do with sociology!!!

You need permission from the head of your home department, and permission from the leader of the outside module you want to take. If they both agree that you can take the course, you simply sign an "unusual options" form and voila: you can take a module from outside your home department.

If you wait 10 minutes I'll have a look on the Warwick website and see if I can find anything about it for the politics department. I'll also find a list of gender-related sociology modules.

Update
Okay congratulations - the politics department does do outside options forms!! (For first, second and third years) so it looks like you will be able to take outside options! (Come to think of it, I knew three Politics students in my first year: all of them took outside options - Spanish, Sociology (Social Welfare) and English Literature) so there is a lot of flexibility.

Gender modules for first year students: International Perspectives on Gender
There are also modules such as "Gender, Culture and Popular Media", "Technologies of the Gendered Body" and "Transformations: Gender, Reproduction and Contemporary Society" but these options are for second and third year students, so you will have to wait before you can take them!

Just amazing! It just sounds soooo interesting. I am interested in gender, sexuality, race can affect our every day life and decisions and since this is an international perspective it's even more thought provoking to learn about other cultures and society. Ahhh!! Excitement. I like learning about social welfare too.

University of Warwick

Coventry

Reply 21

Tsunami2011

Original post by such_a_lady

I'm visiting next week for an Open Day so will experience it with my own eyes :tongue:

How was it? and be honest. :biggrin:

Reply 22

kelsbean21

Coventry is disgusting I hate living there and I got stabbed there too! I know I live in the worse off areas as I'm at cov uni rather than Warwick but I'd discourage you from going if you have an alternative x

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Reply 23

Ice_Queen

I love Coventry. It does have grim bits, but which city doesn't? The good bits more than make up for it. Very historic, everything within walking distance, nice and busy, very varied.

I went to Coventry Uni, and have recently moved to Warwick. I absolutely hate it here, there is nothing here except a castle and a little hospital. I go to Leam occasionally but I feel it is all very 'samey' and I only go there if I can't get into Coventry when I need something for some reason (I don't drive). Other than that, I am in Warwick because I have to be, I go to Leam because that's where the train change War-Cov is, and my heart lies in the city itself.

But that might just be me.

Reply 24

Pebbles19

Coventry really isn't that bad. Students tell horror stories about it without even having stepped foot in it! I'm a local but also a student at warwick so when my flatmates started telling me how bad it was I thought they were ridiculous. Granted it isn't the nicest place to be but its no worse than a lot of other cities, its grey and dull but its fine. Huge primark (there isn't one in Leamington) and a cinema, ice rink and standard chain restaurants as well as others like cosmos (definitely go there if you like asian food!), and kasbah which is good on a friday night although only if you live on campus as its a long taxi ride back to leamington! yes leam is nicer and I'm glad I'm living there next year but don't let stories about coventry put you off (infact the crime rate at the bottom of leam is about as bad as cov!), besides apart from the odd trip for cheap fancy dress items and the odd night out you'll hardly even visit coventry anyway

Reply 25

deathhead

I just finished 7 years of school and sixth form there. It's mixed like all places, some chavs, some nice places. Always decent night out, good clubs, restaurants, shopping. Connected to areas around via town centre train station. Pretty nice town tbh.

Reply 26

georgia

Original post by Pebbles19

(infact the crime rate at the bottom of leam is about as bad as cov!)

Pretty sure it's worse. South Leam is scummier than the studenty bits of Cov imo. North is gorgeous, fair enough, but I actually don't feel safe walking around in South by myself in the evening/at night.

Reply 27

ziggyzog

There are some really nice parts of Coventry which are also easy for getting to uni., such as Earlsdon (a short 15 min bus ride), which not only gives quick access to uni., but the city centre, has bus routes to everywhere, is quite near a train station, it also has a village centre which has lots of cafe/bars and shops of all kinds and is quite cosmopolitan, its also has lots of good pubs for quiz nights etc. Lots of students live there and really enjoy the place. Its also a safe place to live.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 28

321zero

Original post by Tsunami2011

Just wondered, whether it was as bad as people make out. Since, that's always the first negative I hear about the uni and the surronding area. I'm from Hackney, so in all honesty, I doubt its anything for me to worry about, but I'm still intrigued. :smile:

If you go to Warwick Uni, Leamington and Warwick won't be too far away. Both of which are pretty nice. Cov isn't a very nice place (at all). You've also got places like Stratford-Upon-Avon pretty close too.

Reply 29

redangie

don't suggest that hackney and coventry are similar... hackney is really nice. there is no need to ever enter horrible coventry

Reply 30

laura130490

Original post by screenager2004

No it's not bad at all. The only people who seem to complain about 'poventry' are pampered little rich kids who recoil in horror at the sight of your standard working class ex-council estate.

This^^^

Coventry is just a pretty bog standard city. Has everything you need, has rough parts and nice parts. It's hardly a ghetto. I've been to Warwick and although it's prettier it's very boring. I'd rather live in Coventry where there's good shopping facilities, bars, cinemas, bowling etc.

Reply 31

ziggyzog

Original post by Tsunami2011

Reply 32

ziggyzog

It's not bad. Theres much much worse in other parts of uk. Theres some really nice parts, some not so... Like any city I guess. A lot of the students like Earlsdon cause its easy and quick to get into uni and is a really nice place with a village feel in parts with lots of cafes and individual shops but also easy to get to the train station (London line) and the shops in the city. Easy cycle distance too

Reply 33

nevergohalfpace

Most Warwick Uni students have flats in Leamington, where I live. Posh area with a decent nightlife for a smallish town. Coventry is alright, a bit grim but there's plenty to do (well for me anyway).

Reply 34

amy96

I've lived in Coventry all my life, and I can't wait to leave. I live in an 'average' area of Cov. The city centre has improved a lot in recent years, but there is much that still needs doing. I take regular visits to Leamington and often wish I lived there-it's so much nicer!

Reply 35

emmieaston

I live in coventry and it isn't grim at all, its not as big as other cities surrounding us like birmingham or leicester, but in all honesty they themselves are quite "grim".

Coventry has amazing night life, restaurants, decent shopping facilites. It has the ricoh arena for sport and entertainment, there is also a casino. The center of the city has just been refurbished and modernized and is looking better as the time progressed.

Most of the student accommodation is in earlsdon or leamington, both amazing locations for night light and are both really safe and student orientated.

I think people that have never stepped foot in coventry need too in order to have their own opinions, especially those calling it "poventry" when it is one of the most up and coming cities in the midlands.

The area surrounding Warwick university is full of greenery and close to a large tesco, gym, restaurants, pubs, excellent travel links.

Reply 36

encounters01

Coventry is quite grim, but then you hardly spend any time there. I've only been around four times myself (and those trips were just for the Nando's) and I have friends who have only ever been once or twice despite spending three years at Warwick!

Reply 37

123maz

it depends really, people say its boring if they live near cov, but it has some really good student buildings.

Reply 38

Krydel

Every time I've been, it smells of weed. Mostly because they quite blatantly walk down the high street doing it. Nice people, really...

Reply 39

ChrisCarter

Honestly? There's nothing wrong with it. Yes, it has rough areas and undesirable spots - just like any town or city, including Leamington. But I've lived in both Coventry and Leamington over the years, and have always much preferred Cov. I've also felt far more threatened walking back through South Leam or down the Parade late at night than I ever have in Cov City Centre.

I've always found that it's more about attitudes than anything else - Leamington puts on a lot of airs and graces (as do many of the students who sings its praises while having a go at 'Poventry'), while Cov doesn't. In terms of facilities, they're both much of a muchness - while Leamington is more picturesque and arguably has better nightlife, Coventry actually has far more to do, is much cheaper to live in and also has more/better shops and superior transport links.

Really, it all comes down to personal preference and priorities, but you may find that Cov swings it for you on buses & transport alone when it comes to the second year and beyond (believe me when I say that it becomes a MAJOR priority, and the last thing you want every day is to be having to do the Leamington journey twice a day in peak traffic!)