The Student Room Group

Bristol or Newcastle

I have unconditional offers from Newcastle for Biomedical Science and Bristol for Cellular and Molecular Medicine. I've visited both and I'm really struggling to choose.

They are both great unis and both courses look good, but Newcastle is so far away from home for me (almost 5 hours away). While Bristol is only 1.5 hours away, so getting home now and again would be fairly easy. Though do many students pop home for the weekend, or you just go home at the holidays?

What are the courses like? Are the tutors/lecturers helpful and easy to get in touch with, if needed? Is there much support for those wanting to do a professional placement? What kind of optional modules can you do at Bristol?

What's the student life is like (I'm not much of a party person)? What's the cost of living like? How hard is it to get a part-time job (I'm going to have to get one of these - my parents aren't in a position where they can really support me)? Anyone at Newcastle taken part in the part-time lab assistant scheme? Does Bristol have a similar scheme?

Is there anything you wish you had known before you went? What's it like living off a student loan?

I would really, really appreciate any advise.

Thank you!

(I hope I've posted this in the right thread. Sorry if I haven't)
Reply 1
Original post by Strawberrybeach
I have unconditional offers from Newcastle for Biomedical Science and Bristol for Cellular and Molecular Medicine. I've visited both and I'm really struggling to choose.

They are both great unis and both courses look good, but Newcastle is so far away from home for me (almost 5 hours away). While Bristol is only 1.5 hours away, so getting home now and again would be fairly easy. Though do many students pop home for the weekend, or you just go home at the holidays?

What are the courses like? Are the tutors/lecturers helpful and easy to get in touch with, if needed? Is there much support for those wanting to do a professional placement? What kind of optional modules can you do at Bristol?

What's the student life is like (I'm not much of a party person)? What's the cost of living like? How hard is it to get a part-time job (I'm going to have to get one of these - my parents aren't in a position where they can really support me)? Anyone at Newcastle taken part in the part-time lab assistant scheme? Does Bristol have a similar scheme?

Is there anything you wish you had known before you went? What's it like living off a student loan?

I would really, really appreciate any advise.

Thank you!

(I hope I've posted this in the right thread. Sorry if I haven't)



Hi, I'm currently in 6th form and have applied to Newcastle for Biomedical Science and it's probably my favourite of the 5 I applied to.

Concerning Bristol vs Newcastle, I was taking a look at this website to compare my unis and it puts Newcastle as 5* (top) for biological sciences and Bristol as 5, but this is concerning their research, which you may not find relevant to your decision, but I found important as it shows that if you were to go onto doing a phd or a masters, you could contribute to this...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/education/rae/2001/subjects/rating/14.stm

I have the same situation with distance, Newcastle is 5 hours from where I live, so it will be very hard to come home, but it really depends on how important closeness to your family is to you when making your decision..you could always Skype them?

Newcastle has the best student life in the country, even if you're not a party person, there is a lot to do and there are lots of shops everywhere right outside the uni! I loved it when I visited!

Also, I know someone who studies biomedicine at Newcastle at the moment and she was able to organise some payed summer lab work as a lab assistant at the uni in her hometown (UEA). So Newcastle has a lot of links. You could, of course stay at Newcastle to do lab work in the summer, but I'm sure you'd like to see your family at that time.

Sorry I can't help you with any of the Bristol stuff or getting a job in Newcastle stuff :P
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Flogga
Hi, I'm currently in 6th form and have applied to Newcastle for Biomedical Science and it's probably my favourite of the 5 I applied to.

Concerning Bristol vs Newcastle, I was taking a look at this website to compare my unis and it puts Newcastle as 5* (top) for biological sciences and Bristol as 5, but this is concerning their research, which you may not find relevant to your decision, but I found important as it shows that if you were to go onto doing a phd or a masters, you could contribute to this...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/education/rae/2001/subjects/rating/14.stm

I have the same situation with distance, Newcastle is 5 hours from where I live, so it will be very hard to come home, but it really depends on how important closeness to your family is to you when making your decision..you could always Skype them?

Newcastle has the best student life in the country, even if you're not a party person, there is a lot to do and there are lots of shops everywhere right outside the uni! I loved it when I visited!

Also, I know someone who studies biomedicine at Newcastle at the moment and she was able to organise some payed summer lab work as a lab assistant at the uni in her hometown (UEA). So Newcastle has a lot of links. You could, of course stay at Newcastle to do lab work in the summer, but I'm sure you'd like to see your family at that time.

Sorry I can't help you with any of the Bristol stuff or getting a job in Newcastle stuff :P


Sorry, I took so long to reply I've been pretty busy lately. What with starting a new job and attending two uni applicant days at very short notice.

Thank you, though!

After thinking it over, I'm pretty sure I'm going to accept Newcastle's offer - I just haven't accepted the offer/rejected the other on UCAS yet.

Btw, you said you have applied to Newcastle to study Biomedical Science. Have you been made an offer? If so, are you going to put it as you're firm/insurance choice? Feel free to tell me to mind my own business, if you'd prefer not to say.
Reply 3
Original post by Strawberrybeach
I have unconditional offers from Newcastle for Biomedical Science and Bristol for Cellular and Molecular Medicine. I've visited both and I'm really struggling to choose.

They are both great unis and both courses look good, but Newcastle is so far away from home for me (almost 5 hours away). While Bristol is only 1.5 hours away, so getting home now and again would be fairly easy. Though do many students pop home for the weekend, or you just go home at the holidays?

What are the courses like? Are the tutors/lecturers helpful and easy to get in touch with, if needed? Is there much support for those wanting to do a professional placement? What kind of optional modules can you do at Bristol?

What's the student life is like (I'm not much of a party person)? What's the cost of living like? How hard is it to get a part-time job (I'm going to have to get one of these - my parents aren't in a position where they can really support me)? Anyone at Newcastle taken part in the part-time lab assistant scheme? Does Bristol have a similar scheme?

Is there anything you wish you had known before you went? What's it like living off a student loan?

I would really, really appreciate any advise.

Thank you!

(I hope I've posted this in the right thread. Sorry if I haven't)


hi!

i got an unconditional offer from Newcastle to do Biomedical Sciences too, and I got a conditional offer from Bristol for cellular and molecular medicine.

I've never been to the UK, so I have no idea how accurate my opinions are, but I'm making Bristol my firm choice. I liked their modules most out of all the unis I've applied to.

What other unis have you applied to, if you don't mind my asking? and what offers have you gotten?
Original post by AvatarKorra
hi!

i got an unconditional offer from Newcastle to do Biomedical Sciences too, and I got a conditional offer from Bristol for cellular and molecular medicine.

I've never been to the UK, so I have no idea how accurate my opinions are, but I'm making Bristol my firm choice. I liked their modules most out of all the unis I've applied to.

What other unis have you applied to, if you don't mind my asking? and what offers have you gotten?


I've accepted the offer from Newcastle. Bristol does seem great, but after thinking about it their was just something about Newcastle that I preferred.

I got unconditional offers from Bristol, Newcastle, Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam and Surrey.

What unis did you apply to, if you don't mind me asking? What country will you be moving from to the UK, if you don't mind me asking?
Reply 5
Original post by Strawberrybeach
I've accepted the offer from Newcastle. Bristol does seem great, but after thinking about it their was just something about Newcastle that I preferred.

I got unconditional offers from Bristol, Newcastle, Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam and Surrey.

What unis did you apply to, if you don't mind me asking? What country will you be moving from to the UK, if you don't mind me asking?


Okay then. :smile: Newcastle is good too. :smile: Good luck!

I applied to Bristol, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester. I'm from the Philippines, so I'm really hoping I won't get a major culture shock when I get there.

Wow! All unconditional offers! :redface: Congrats! Didn't you have to wait for your A-level results first though?
Original post by AvatarKorra
Okay then. :smile: Newcastle is good too. :smile: Good luck!

I applied to Bristol, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester. I'm from the Philippines, so I'm really hoping I won't get a major culture shock when I get there.

Wow! All unconditional offers! :redface: Congrats! Didn't you have to wait for your A-level results first though?


Good luck to you too!

They're all really good universities. I'm sure you'll be fine! Bristol is a really lovely city and the people (well most of them) are really friendly. That's not to say the other cities aren't nice.

Thank you! I finished my A-levels last year and I'm taking a year out. It's a long story.
Original post by AvatarKorra
Okay then. :smile: Newcastle is good too. :smile: Good luck!

I applied to Bristol, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester. I'm from the Philippines, so I'm really hoping I won't get a major culture shock when I get there.

Wow! All unconditional offers! :redface: Congrats! Didn't you have to wait for your A-level results first though?


Hi! I see the poster has resolved their issue but I just wanted to reassure you that you will fit in perfectly well at Bristol! I have just firmed Cellular and Molecular Medicine at Bristol and I've lived in the city for around 2 years now already - it's a lovely place. I may not be from Bristol but it's now the place I call home. :smile: You may well get a culture shock, but it won't be a horrible one... The city has great vibes and most people are lovely and helpful. :smile:

Quick Reply

Latest