Advice on which university? University of Bristol vs Reading University

Hi Everyone,

I have applied for Business Management with Spanish (Ab Initio) for September 2021, at the following universities:

- Reading University
-Warwick University
-Bristol University
-Southampton University
-Surrey University

I really would like to know everyone's personal opinions/experiences in regards to student life/location/standard of teaching & support etc. it has been difficult since I have had to rely on virtual tours.

Of course, I understand the decision has to be my own, however, an additional perspective could prove useful.

Thanks.

Hiya!

It's great to hear you have applied for Surrey I am a second year student studying Psychology. I can try and help you out in terms of what Surrey is like and my experience there. I'll break it down into the headings you have stated so it is easier for you to follow and read

Student Life: Firstly, I have found student life to be very welcoming from the moment I moved onto campus! Everyone I came across was very friendly and helped me whenever I needed help (students included). On campus, there is places you can study or just chill in such as The Nest or The Hive and the Library. Furthermore, there is many food outlets on campus such as a mini supermarket to be able to quickly get any essentials or to buy lunch. There is also a Starbucks and other food outlets such as Wates House and Hillside. Every week there is also a fresh fruit and veg market so you can get these at your door step without going to Tesco. There is a nightclub on campus called Rubix which is always putting on great events each week. With COVID Rubix has been put on hold, however hopefully it will make a return soon! As well as this, there is also so many societies and club you can join, this will help you to make more friends at university too Here is a link to see the full list of clubs and societies we have at Surrey - https://www.ussu.co.uk/getinvolved/clubs

Location: The University is about a 20 minute walk from Guildford town centre and 10 minute bus journey which has a variety of shops and many restaurants! My favourites are Positano and La Casita, so if you end up in Surrey make sure to check these out What I loved about Surrey is that the Uni isn't far from London. It is about a 34 minute train journey making trips to London quick and efficient. There is also a big Tesco that is about a 3-5 minute bus journey or 10 minute walk so it is easy to pick up your shopping for the week.

Standard of Teaching & Support: In the Psychology department, the department has always maintained a high standard. I feel as though I am really benefitting from the teaching here and learning new things. The lecturers have always been quick in helping me. They also have contact hours which you can attend and ask them any questions you may have. Although this is in the Psychology department - I have no doubt that the teaching will be great and supportive. For other support around the uni, there is a health and wellbeing centre which can help with any needs such as sexual health, mental health or any queries you may have. There is also a Career service team that can help with CVs and cover letters and even interviews. I am currently applying for placements in HR and the career team have been extremely helpful in reading my CVs and helping me improve it to enable me to get through the application process of many HR roles.

I hope this helps, please feel free to ask any more questions! Also check out our Instagram to see Surrey from students perspective each week: SurreyStudent

Becca

i live in Reading, the Uni is really nice. Literally bam smack in the middle of town, and there’s a really pretty lake and forest too. I don’t really know the facilities and stuff but i wouldn’t say it’s hugely modern. Reading, personally, isn’t that great for going out since there isn’t a great number of clubs, but some good ones are spoons, sub89 and purple turtle. I once saw Hybrid Minds at sub89. So not too shabby. Sorry i couldn’t really give more info

Thank you for such a detailed reply, really helpful! I know I will in the library often, is the library a good size or is there a struggle for space?