Bristol or Sheffield

I'm really struggling to chooses where to go to study civil engineering at uni next year😬. Could anyone with any experience of living at either of these places give me and pros or cons about living there and let me know where you think would be better😊 Thank you!

Reply 1

super_kawaii

20

Original post by Procastination

I'm really struggling to chooses where to go to study civil engineering at uni next year😬. Could anyone with any experience of living at either of these places give me and pros or cons about living there and let me know where you think would be better😊 Thank you!

I did my undergrad at Sheff and am applying there for postgrad, so hopefully can give some advice

Sheffield pros:
-Best union in the country for 9 years running
-Over 300 clubs and societies
-Internationally renowned for engineering courses-if you do an engineering degree here, it will be so highly respected, worldwide
-Pastoral support is miles better than I ever could have dreamed possible
-Amazing nightlife
-Great choice of food in the city
-Cheap and regular public transport
-Rents and general living costs are super cheap
-People are incredibly friendly
-The peak district is within the city borders

Cons
-None

Reply 2

Theaetetus

7

Currently doing my undergrad in Bristol (maths not engineering tho, currently 2nd year). Only downside I have experienced is that it is an expensive city. Other than that, great university, gorgeous buildings, never had a problem with administration or lecturers or tutors, nightlife is great. Really having a wonderful experience.

Reply 3

EmmaCx

13

Original post by Procastination

I'm really struggling to chooses where to go to study civil engineering at uni next year😬. Could anyone with any experience of living at either of these places give me and pros or cons about living there and let me know where you think would be better😊 Thank you!

Try and not let other people's experiences influence you too much - remember, someone could absolutely hate it but you could end up loving it & vice versa.
Have a look at the modules of both courses. Is there anything unique to one university in regards to modules?
What about the facilities?
Have you been to visit either of the universities, if so, what were your thoughts?
Have you looked through the videos about both of these universities?
Think about the cities, which one would you most enjoy living in?
What societies are on offer at each university, that you'd enjoy? - e.g. think about your hobbies, if you enjoy going on nights out, visiting museums etc
Is there anything unique to one of the universities, that you'd be interested in?
Which one is more expensive?
Could you see yourself at one of those universities, but not the other?

Try also looking at a course comparison over at UniStats - http://unistats.direct.gov.uk
Also have a look at The Complete University guide's to both university, it might be able to help you out.
Bristol - https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/bristol/
Sheffield - https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/sheffield/

Reply 4

swilliams17a

1

Book a hotel for a weekend in each, try and do it in term time because Sheffield is a really different place when there's no students about. Feels like a ghost town. See what you think.....

Reply 5

Procastination

OP

4

Cheers for advice guys! i just feel that whichever one I pick I'll end up wishing I picked the other

Reply 6

999tigger

19

Original post by Procastination

Cheers for advice guys! i just feel that whichever one I pick I'll end up wishing I picked the other

Thats why going on an open day is useful to get a feel for the place and the uni.

Bristol is far more affluent, nicer city centre and more expensive.
Sheffiled is more down to earth northern city, but feels a bit like a village.

Reply 7

Helloworld_95

19

Original post by super_kawaii

-Cheap and regular public transport
-Rents and general living costs are super cheap

Buses are cheap, their regularity is debatable though and Trams are a bit pricey, if there's more than one of you you're better off getting an uber.

Rents in Sheffield definitely aren't cheap unless you specifically go looking for cheap housing, but you lose a lot going from £5500pa inc bills (which is about the average) to 5000pa, let alone 4000pa. But yeah my friends who got to unis in rich parts of the South pay less than I do for similar quality accommodation. General living costs are about normal in the uni areas, they're not London prices but they're also not nearly as low as some of the other areas of Sheffield.

Reply 8

TheDefiniteArticle

20

I used to live in Yorkshire (York and Scarborough) and currently live in Bristol. I went to uni in a third city.

Benefits of Sheffield:
---Friendliness of the North
---Has basically everything Bristol has
---Is slightly cheaper
---Proper chips
---Bacon sarnie on a morning for less than 2 quid

Benefits of Bristol:
---Generally better university
---Better if you're a big beer nerd (SMALL BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR)
---Better for gigs

On the whole, I'd go for Sheffield.

Reply 9

YourGoddamnRight

15

Original post by Procastination

I'm really struggling to chooses where to go to study civil engineering at uni next year😬. Could anyone with any experience of living at either of these places give me and pros or cons about living there and let me know where you think would be better😊 Thank you!

Flip a coin,
heads = sheffield
tails = Bristol

If you are disappointed by the result, it will mean you want to go to the other place. if you are happy with the result then you should go to your result.

Reply 10

super_kawaii

20

Original post by Helloworld_95

Buses are cheap, their regularity is debatable though and Trams are a bit pricey, if there's more than one of you you're better off getting an uber.

Rents in Sheffield definitely aren't cheap unless you specifically go looking for cheap housing, but you lose a lot going from £5500pa inc bills (which is about the average) to 5000pa, let alone 4000pa. But yeah my friends who got to unis in rich parts of the South pay less than I do for similar quality accommodation. General living costs are about normal in the uni areas, they're not London prices but they're also not nearly as low as some of the other areas of Sheffield.

When you're from an area that doesn't have buses and you have to walk half an hour for a bus that comes once an hour, the Sheffield public transport system, with buses every 4 minutes, is amazing.

And cheap housing actually exists, unlike in the south, where I'm from. My friends in the south, their weekly rent without bills was the same as my monthly rent! Was insane!

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Reply 11

Xelene

1

Old thread is old. Both cities are very good places to student. Source: I grew up in Sheffield, studied in Brighton and live in Bristol. You’ll have to work on your calves as all three places are built on mountains. In your second or third year you’ll be living off campus and it’s r ally expensive to get to lectures on public transport so for that reason I’d say Sheffield.

Original post by Procastination

I'm really struggling to chooses where to go to study civil engineering at uni next year😬. Could anyone with any experience of living at either of these places give me and pros or cons about living there and let me know where you think would be better😊 Thank you!

Hey there @Procastination !
I currently live and study in Sheffield so can give you some insight into what life is like living there.
The nightlife is amazing if that's your sort of thing. There's a main events company that does nightly events in the city so there's always something to do. They also run drinks promotions which means you can get drinks and shots for really cheap prices. The city centre is where you'll find the bulk of your nightclubs and bars. The centre is big but not too big to the point where it's impossible to learn your way around. Ecclesall Road area is the main students area in the city. A lot of students get their second year house in this area and it's very social with lots of parties going on and lots of cute bars down the road.

The city has really good transport links and you can use the First Bus app which literally plans out your journey for you. If you apply for a Zoom 18-21 card before you arrive, you can get the tram and Stagecoach buses for 80p a journey. It works out so cheap and it's free to apply for. The tram can also take you to Meadowhall shopping centre which is a really good place for clothes and nice places to eat. There's also an Ikea down by Meadowhall which certainly helps. I found it difficult initially to get a job, however I now have found a part-time job just outside of the city which i love and is easy to get to by tram.

There's lots to do if you don't enjoy nights-out including many cute cafe's in the city centre. There's also a cinema in the centre as well as a ballroom that does karaoke nights, laser tag and they have a ball pit I believe which is kind of fun. The majority of the bars and clubs are on West Street which is just a five minute walk from the city centre and it's where you'll find the majority of students on a weekend. There's also supermarkets dotted all over the city and there's an Aldi just slightly off the city centre which is within walking distance.

I've found Sheffield flat and house prices are a lot cheaper than other places I've looked as well and you actually get good quality rooms. I currently live in a high-rise student accommodation in the city centre and the location is so convenient for getting to university and going on nights-out. There's also a train station in the centre which makes it easier for me to get home on the weekends if I want to see my family. I rate Sheffield as a place to live because it doesn't feel as daunting as a major big city like Manchester, but it's also got that city feel to it and it's easy to learn your way around.

Hope this helped!
Lucy - Digital Student Ambassador SHU

Bristol or Sheffield

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