course with a year in industry or without?

Can't you just defer for a year to do a year in industry at Birmingham? That would also save you the tuition fee for that year.

defer for a year? How does that work? is it after the first year/second year is finished?

Can't you just defer for a year to do a year in industry at Birmingham? That would also save you the tuition fee for that year.

You don't pay full fees for a placement year - just an amount to cover admin/visit.

Yes, so you still pay a tuition fee which would be avoided. (£1850 for Southampton)

You are earning approx £18K though - the fee is much less at other unis.

So? You're earning money either way... We are comparing paying money vs paying nothing. The latter is obviously better.

Not necessarily. At Loughborough you get a qualification from your year in industry. Your year in industry is far more likely to be linked to your degree and feed into your dissertation.
It's not that simple ...

Yes it is. The qualification is of very little value. The real value of the year in industry is the experience you gain which you get either way. It's not more likely to link to your degree at all. In either case, the placement you get will depend on what you were able to secure. If you find and are accepted on a super relevant placement, you can do that regardless of whether or not you're taking a year out or doing it as part of the course.

Sorry you are just wrong - the benefit from an official 'placement' year is far more than a random job. The best opportunities will be placements.

I've seen many of my ex-students go through uni so I think I probably have a better graps on this.

Not many unis are happy about a year's break that isn't 'official'.

What are you talking about? Who said anything about a 'random job'? You are doing a placement year either way, either as part of the course or during a year out. The job itself will be exactly the same in either scenario.

That's where you are wrong - some opportunities are only available through official placements. Companies want people who are being partly 'looked' after by uni - for example, tutor visits during the year.
Please don't mislead people .... the same sort of jobs will just NOT be available even if the uni agrees to a year off which most won't anyway.

I have not come across a single opportunity that will only accept people doing it as part of their course. If they exist they are definitely the minority and I would question the support the company provides if they insist on the uni looking after you.

The placement opportunities JUST WILL NOT accept anyone else. They want references from uni etc. and ongoing support.

Show me a placement that says you don't need to be on an 'official' placement .. if you want a job do that as a gap year.