Southampton Solent Uni - opinions :/

I have applied to Southamtpon and Southampton Solent University, receiving a conditional offer from Southampton and an unconditional offer from Solent to study Psychology (Forensic and Psychopathology) MSc (Hons). I have firmly accepted Solent’s offer, however after reading some quite shocking things on here about the quality of the uni overall (lectures, staff, degree quality) I am panicking!
I wish I did not rush into accepting the offer, as I think I was overwhelmed of the thought of an unconditional offer, and am not too sure I would have met the conditions or get the grades for Southampton.
Can anyone give me anymore opinions on this university which could reassure me? as I am not sure now it is the place I would like to complete my degree :frown:

Thanks !!!

Reply 1

yt7777

University of Southampton is far superior, if you have/can get the grades for Uni of Southampton you'd be making a terrible mistake going for Solent. Also, you'd regret it for sure once you're there Uni of Southampton give Solent students so much stick but with almost 100 places different in the rankings you can see why.

Solent are also in the bottom 10 in the UK for their Graduate Prospects out of around 130 universities. And they are in the bottom 15 for entry standards so if you have the grades for Uni of Southampton which is a top university then you'd really bet selling yourself short by going to Solent, as well as this they are in the bottom 5 for Psychology compared to Uni of Southampton who are in the top 25.

This is the reason they give out straight unconditional offers they've convinced you to commit to them by guaranteeing you a place rather then backing yourself to get the required grades and go somewhere where you'll get a solid education.

On UCAS it says the following:

"If you accepted your offers in the last 14 days, contact one of our advisers to make any changes to your replies. If it’s been more than 14 days since you replied to your offers, there is a more detailed process you need to follow. As you’ve agreed to a contract with your chosen unis, it may be possible, but we are unable to guarantee you can change them. You’ll need to speak to them about changing your replies, and then call us, to let us know what you want to do. No reply swaps are possible after 19 July 2018"

I also read this online too:

"Swapping your firm and insurance choices. Both universities will need to agree for you to swap your firm and insurance choices. Contact your current insurance choice first to check if they are happy to become your firm choice. If they are, you can contact your current firm choice to ask for the change."

Maybe this would be worth looking into?

Solent University

Southampton

Reply 2

DCFCfan4eva

Southampton is a far superior university (Russell Group I think?)
if you can, I would

Reply 3

Solent University, Southampton Student Ambassador

Hi @clprizeman

Congratulations on your offer! :smile:

And as far as I’m aware, this is a common problem for applicants, having to pick between Solent and Uni of.

I’ve managed to get in touch with Natasha, a final year student from the Psychology (Forensic and Psychopathology) course here at Solent and asked her to respond to some questions to give you a flavour of the course, uni and city.

What do you like about the course?
The approachableness of all the staff makes it very comfortable for students to ask for help and express their personal interests of the course, either in class or through one-to-one meetings. Students also have 24 hour access to all resources in the library which relieves the pressure during busy periods! As the course is BPS accredited, there are core modules which must be taught which cover a broad range of psychological methods and perspectives. I was surprised at actually how much I enjoyed all of these modules, despite having quite a specific interest in criminal behaviour and forensic psychology. Having freedom to focus essays and projects on an area that interests me allows me to explore and develop my passion and enjoy my assessments!

Which units are particularly good and why?
I personally find that, in my third year, I have a lot more freedom to explore my personal interests of the course. Modules such as ‘Extended Essay’ give me the opportunity to be specific, take my idea and run with it! I also personally enjoy maths and statistics – I found that the statistics module was really enjoyable and helpful. However, the majority of students to not enjoy maths, so there is also guidance available from the lecturers, all the way to step-by-step demonstrations online, to adhere to students who may need that extra help!
Of course, all of the crime modules are my personal favourite!

What do you not like about the course?
There is a lot of writing and presentations. However the staff offer amazing help for students who are not as confident or comfortable with these methods of assessment. There is also a lot of group work which sometimes adds an extra obstacle to the task when trying to assure everybody is co-operating, however this is necessary as because being able to work in a team is vital in the workplace!

What do you like/ not like about the city?
When moving from a smaller town from a few hours away, I was worried that the transition of living in a city would overwhelm me, but I was so wrong! I absolutely love the convenience of having everything I need in my day-to-day life only a 5/10 minute walk away. Living in the centre of Southampton is so advantageous for travel, nightlife and leisure. I feel very safe living here (which was a big concern for me when choosing a University). It’s also lovely to be able to walk down to the docks and get a bit of peace and quiet and some fresh air when needed!

With Southampton being a large city, I do find that it’s incredibly busy sometimes when out and about, however I think I only notice this because I’ve never lived in a city before now.

Any other info you feel would be relevant to someone thinking about joining the course…
I think it would be use for them to know that I too was torn between the same two universities! While the other does have its academic merits, I absolutely made the right choice choosing Solent. The staff take a personal interest in your interests and get to know you on a first name basis, which is not common in larger Universities – especially popular courses like Psychology with lots of students! From day one there was always been a warm and welcoming attitude from every member of staff who has taught me, making me feel comfortable to express my personal goals and also concerns for my future career prospects. This course gives you a BPS accreditation which is a huge advantage when starting a career in psychology, and, in the real-world workplace, your confidence and skills and qualities developed throughout your years at Solent as well as your accredited degree will make you shine a lot more rather than just what’s on paper!
Where there are such few courses that offer forensic psychology, I absolutely recommend this one!

Natasha is happy to answer any further questions you may have so let me know if you do!

I hope this has been useful.

Thanks,

Mike :smile:

Graduate Intern

Reply 4

JilldoBaggins

I go to Solent studying Music Prod, I'd definitely say UOS is better considering it's a Russel Group Uni, but at the same time Solent is pretty renowned for it's Psychology I think! Pretty sure you can contact UCAS if you've changed your mind!

Southampton Solent Uni - opinions :/

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