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Durham , Manchester or Lancaster for Biosciences UG

My son has offers from Durham & Lancaster for Biosciences and from Manchester for Molecular & Cell biology for his UG. Any suggestions on which one he should opt for? He does intend to pursue PG and possibly a Doctorate after that.

Reply 1

mike23mike

All great unis so he is good wherever he goes. Very different unis though. Lancaster a campus based uni, Manchester uni is more integrated into the city and Durham has a college system. Take a look at the course contents since that may be a deciding factor.

Reply 2

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by Eljoe

Hi @Eljoe!

Congratulations to your son for getting those offers, that's amazing!

I'm currently studying Psychology here at Lancaster, not Biosciences, but I can offer some insight into what it is like to study here at Lancaster, and give some advice on choosing between universities.

The campus here is amazing, and was one of the initial things that drew me to the university. The accommodation and general buildings are both modern and have really nice facilities, and the campus also has plenty of green spaces! The library is probably my favourite building on campus, because it has three separate floors, each for different sounds levels, i.e., the first floor can be used for group work/more casual work, the second floor is for quiet study, and the third floor is silent study. It also has a wide array of seating options and rooms, so there's always something to fit what you are looking for. We also have plenty of ducks on campus, which is always a highlight when you are walking around!

The support services here are also really good. There are a wide range of services, and I have always felt supported and like a part of the community. There is also a great range of things that you can get involved in, i.e., societies, sports clubs, etc., no matter what your interests are.

In terms of just generally picking a university - my best piece of advice is to go with your gut. All the universities that your son has offers from are great universities, and have differences and similarities with one another. It can sometimes help to make a pros and cons list about the courses at each of the universities - this might help your son to find out which things he likes about each universitiy and what they each have to offer. If your son feels that he likes all of the courses equally and is still having a hard time choosing, if you can, I would definitely recommend visiting the universities, or even attending an online open day if you're unable to visit in person. Getting to personally experience the campus, and getting to look around the cities/areas themselves is always really helpful to gauge whether or not you can see yourself studying there.

Best of luck with making a decision!

~ Cathryn (Lancaster University Student Ambassador)