Hey this post is coming from someone who recently dropped out of the University of Warwick (first year).
Like you, when I went to Warwick’s open day I wasn’t that impressed, the place didn’t thrill me with excitement. However, at the time I was on the gap year and to be honest with you I couldn’t be bothered to reapply to UCAS, so I stuck with my offer to study there. I mean how bad could it be? It was high on the league tables, a target for many employers (I was studying a course at WBS).
However, when I got there I knew I had made a mistake, I should have trusted my gut feeling about the uni. You see I am someone who likes to party and Warwick just doesn’t cut it, compared to my friends at other uni’s my freshers was pretty bad. I didn’t like the vibe of the place and its location; Coventry isn’t the best and even though Warwick is near Leamington Spa which admittedly is a really nice town, I can imagine getting the bus there and back every day to be quite an inconvenience in second and third year. Especially in the winter when you might have to wait at the bus stop in the freezing cold for up to half an hour. The buses are seriously crowded. After waiting so long for the bus remember the journey back is also another half an hour.
Clubs are decent-ish, however Ive been to clubs in London, Leeds and Brighton and I’m sorry but they just do not compare. Don’t even get me started on ‘circling’ in the Warwick SU, it’s an absolute joke.
If you’re someone who likes clubbing and wants a great social life, Id personally choose Notts, its still a high ranking uni, targeted by employers. You will get bored at Warwick because you will run of things to do, the nights out are very repetitive, trust me. However, if you are 100% set on IB, and want to sacrifice your soul (which you do anyway in that job area) then Warwick is the place for you!! In all honesty, Warwick is the go-to uni if you aren’t interested in partying and don’t like to drink, Im sure you would meet plenty of like-minded people and have a great time. It all depends on what type of person you are. If you aren’t convinced from what i'm saying and still want to go, I’d recommend applying to Rootes/Jack Martin/Arthur Vick accommodation to maximise your chance of a decent social life, please avoid the quiet areas such as Lakeside village at all costs.
I wish someone had told me this before I went because now im another year behind everyone else and by the time I finish my first year at university, my friends would have graduated, please consider VERY carefully before choosing your university.