Wondering between University of Birmingham or University of Bath

I used to be almost certain that I want to attend UoBirmingham and so i firmed it.As of recently however i have been having a lot of anxiety and have been thinking that maybe i have made the wrong choice. UoBath is my insurance choice but maybe I should rethink that. For more information, I have the course i have applied to in Birmingham is International Business with a year abroad and in Bath it is Business Administrations . What should i do ? Which do you think is the better uni?

Reply 1

esralled

18

What are your anxieties? Is it the city, the course, the campus, the distance?

Reply 2

Idekw

OP

2

Everything, I guess. Birmingham is more accessible to me because of its airport(which is great because i am from Eastern Europe and will have to travel often) , while the closest airports to Bath are in Bristol or London. As cities, Birmingham has more to offer but I have often read that people think that it is dirty and has quite a bit of violence (which i know is normal for a big city but still); as for Bath - almost every opinion i have read says that it is a lovely little town but doesn’t have much to offer for students and can get rather boring. As for the courses themselves, I have to say i like them both , even though one involves finances while the other does not. A big problem for me is that i have read that people believe that employers prefer Bath as it has more international and domestic popularity and prestige as opposed to Birmingham and if that is even the least bit true i really have to think about my choices. I know some people around the Birmingham/Coventry area so that is also a plus I guess.
As of right now i have firmed Birmingham but I have been overthinking it nonstop.

Original post by esralled

What are your anxieties? Is it the city, the course, the campus, the distance?

Reply 3

Vinny C

20

Brummies are nicer... rockers. Bath is more scenic but ooh... grebos not welcome.

Reply 4

UoB - Engineering and Physical Sciences

Official Rep

10

I'm a third year student at Birmingham. Birmingham is a bigger city so yes it does have more crime than Bath, however I have almost never felt unsafe throughout my time at Birmingham!
Being in a big city has plenty of pros too, there's a lot going on in the city including weekly street food festivals, film and cinema events and great gigs and events.

The actual Birmingham campus is separate from the city centre, and really nice, especially with the new green heart thats been constructed.

I really enjoy Birmingham and I bet you would too.

Thanks
Harry

Hi there!

Bath is quite a small city and very safe. For me it was reassuring living on campus 1st year, being close to all my lectures, but also living near all my friends and having 24/7 security. We have a limited number of clubs, but with Bristol so nearby (15-minute train to their main station or a direct bus to the airport from Bath) people often go on nights out there, but a lot of people I know like the balance of being able to come back to a quieter, safer Bath. I'm sure Birmingham is more than safe enough for students too, but I can only speak from my experience at Bath which feels exceptionally safe.

In terms of employers, I'd say a big positive about Bath is the fact a large majority of students take placement years, which helps Bath stand out from other British unis. Business administration is slightly different as you take half a year in 2nd year, and half a year in 3rd year for placement, however a few of my friends (one of which was actually from Eastern Europe too!) have done it and it's meant they've become very close to their course mates, but have also kept in touch with friends who are still at uni. In just my experience, my friends who have done business administration have gotten placements with Deloitte, BNY Mellon, and smaller startups. Some have even been offered grad jobs after their 2nd-year placement!

In terms of anxiety, we also have a wellbeing team on campus - here is our page if you need more info.

At the end of the day, the most important thing is you're happy with your decision and you enjoy your time at uni. I have friends who go to Birmingham who are loving uni, but I can only speak from my experience at Bath, which I have really enjoyed.

Let me know if you have any other questions or check out our forum for more info.
Katie, 2nd year Modern Languages student

Original post by Idekw

Everything, I guess. Birmingham is more accessible to me because of its airport(which is great because i am from Eastern Europe and will have to travel often) , while the closest airports to Bath are in Bristol or London. As cities, Birmingham has more to offer but I have often read that people think that it is dirty and has quite a bit of violence (which i know is normal for a big city but still); as for Bath - almost every opinion i have read says that it is a lovely little town but doesn’t have much to offer for students and can get rather boring. As for the courses themselves, I have to say i like them both , even though one involves finances while the other does not. A big problem for me is that i have read that people believe that employers prefer Bath as it has more international and domestic popularity and prestige as opposed to Birmingham and if that is even the least bit true i really have to think about my choices. I know some people around the Birmingham/Coventry area so that is also a plus I guess.
As of right now i have firmed Birmingham but I have been overthinking it nonstop.