University of Reading Applied Economics or University of Birmingham Economics

I am an international student from Bangladesh, I have studied econ on my bachelors, I am stuck between choosing between these unis and programs. I want to have perspective of studying in these two unis and about the environment and work opportunities as well

Reply 1

MindMax2000

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by Nazneen Afreen

I am an international student from Bangladesh, I have studied econ on my bachelors, I am stuck between choosing between these unis and programs. I want to have perspective of studying in these two unis and about the environment and work opportunities as well

I haven't been to either universities, but I would be favouring Birmingham's course over Reading's, purely on content and reputation.

In terms of location, Reading is a lot closer to London than Birmingham, and possibly nicer. However, city of Birmingham has a strong Bengali community, not that it should sway your decision on where you should study. Both areas have good amenities, so you shouldn't be left hanging trying to find what you need.

I don't know what you like doing, but Reading is known to have a music festival every year, and Birmingham is a hotspot for events.

In terms of costs, it's very likely that Birmingham is going to be significantly cheaper. Having said that, Birmingham is a city (second biggest after London, kind of like London 2.0) whereas Reading is more like a town.

In terms of work opportunities, it depends more on factors other than what degrees you have. Other factors include:

•

Your network of contacts

•

What you do outside of your degree

•

What job you specifically want to do

•

What other qualifications you have

•

Where you intend to work

•

What your personality like

•

What skills do you have outside of your qualifications

•

What work related experience you have

•

How much competition you have

Your degree alone is not going to be a huge determinant on what job opportunities are available to you, unless you're specifically looking for opportunities in academia or roles in economics.

Original post by Nazneen Afreen

I am an international student from Bangladesh, I have studied econ on my bachelors, I am stuck between choosing between these unis and programs. I want to have perspective of studying in these two unis and about the environment and work opportunities as well

Hey @Nazneen Afreen,

Great to hear you're considering studying at Reading! Totally get that it is a big decision to make and you want to make the right one, so looking for perspectives is a great thing to do.

At Reading, you have the opportunity to study a BA or BSc in Economics, or even study it alongside another subject. Our economics department takes pride in having 100% of our research rated outstanding, and offering the opportunity to do professional placement in some of the biggest organisations. Due to our location and links, placements can be done in places like Disney, NHS England, Bank of England, Airbus, and so many more! You can find out more about our Economics courses here.

You could chat to some of our current students, Jack or Mweo who both study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (Mweo is also an international student so will be able to give some insight into what it has been like for her to study at Reading as an international student too, as well as her outlook on the Economics side of things which may be useful!), or Tom, who studies Politics and Economics. Any of these three will be able to give you their perspective on what the Economics department is like here and what their experiences have been like, and they will be more than happy to answer any questions you have. Just click on their name and it will take you directly to a page where you can chat directly to them, which may be helpful.

As for the environment of the university: I've always found Reading to be a very welcoming and inviting campus, that has always made me feel at home, which I immediately felt the first time I visited the campus and was why I chose to study here in the end. It is a very green space with beautiful scenery and wildlife to enjoy, and some state-of-the-art facilities to use such as our very new, modern library and other study spaces , as well as coffee shops, restaurants and bars all in one place! One thing that really stood out to me was the community here, and I would hope you would feel the same should you visit or choose to study too.

If you have any other questions about the environment or Reading Uni, please let me know! I would be so happy to try and help.
Ultimately though, the decision should be down to where you feel like you would be happiest. I would advise you to look into the courses at each university in depth and what you are interested in compared to what each course offers, as well as what the environment is like in each surrounding area and what you as an individual would be looking for in a place to study that would make you feel most at home, as this is what will make you thrive throughout your time at university - your wellbeing is most important.

Hope this helps, but do let us know if you have any more questions!

Skye :smile:

3rd Year Speech and Language Therapy Student

Reply 3

Nazneen Afreen

OP

Original post by UniofReading

Hey @Nazneen Afreen,

Great to hear you're considering studying at Reading! Totally get that it is a big decision to make and you want to make the right one, so looking for perspectives is a great thing to do.

At Reading, you have the opportunity to study a BA or BSc in Economics, or even study it alongside another subject. Our economics department takes pride in having 100% of our research rated outstanding, and offering the opportunity to do professional placement in some of the biggest organisations. Due to our location and links, placements can be done in places like Disney, NHS England, Bank of England, Airbus, and so many more! You can find out more about our Economics courses here.

You could chat to some of our current students, Jack or Mweo who both study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (Mweo is also an international student so will be able to give some insight into what it has been like for her to study at Reading as an international student too, as well as her outlook on the Economics side of things which may be useful!), or Tom, who studies Politics and Economics. Any of these three will be able to give you their perspective on what the Economics department is like here and what their experiences have been like, and they will be more than happy to answer any questions you have. Just click on their name and it will take you directly to a page where you can chat directly to them, which may be helpful.

As for the environment of the university: I've always found Reading to be a very welcoming and inviting campus, that has always made me feel at home, which I immediately felt the first time I visited the campus and was why I chose to study here in the end. It is a very green space with beautiful scenery and wildlife to enjoy, and some state-of-the-art facilities to use such as our very new, modern library and other study spaces , as well as coffee shops, restaurants and bars all in one place! One thing that really stood out to me was the community here, and I would hope you would feel the same should you visit or choose to study too.

If you have any other questions about the environment or Reading Uni, please let me know! I would be so happy to try and help.
Ultimately though, the decision should be down to where you feel like you would be happiest. I would advise you to look into the courses at each university in depth and what you are interested in compared to what each course offers, as well as what the environment is like in each surrounding area and what you as an individual would be looking for in a place to study that would make you feel most at home, as this is what will make you thrive throughout your time at university - your wellbeing is most important.

Hope this helps, but do let us know if you have any more questions!

Skye :smile:

3rd Year Speech and Language Therapy Student

Hi Skye,
Thank you for your detailed reply. Sitting here in Bangladesh I can imagine the depth of the community value, which is astoundingly beautiful.
I'd like to mention that, I am a Masters applicant for both, and the program that UoR is offering is new, so I could not find the detailed version of the courses there. With little insights about the course I am a little confused.
In general, how are cooperative are the teachers and the study load?
Thank you for sharing the profiles the persons who I can communicate with, it's going to help me greatly and, I'd try to find someone from the Msc in econ/ applied econ too for a clearer understanding. In case, if you have the links of Msc. Econ or related, please drop down here.
I can not thank you enough.
Nazneen
Msc Applied Economics Applicant

Original post by Nazneen Afreen

Hi Skye,
Thank you for your detailed reply. Sitting here in Bangladesh I can imagine the depth of the community value, which is astoundingly beautiful.
I'd like to mention that, I am a Masters applicant for both, and the program that UoR is offering is new, so I could not find the detailed version of the courses there. With little insights about the course I am a little confused.
In general, how are cooperative are the teachers and the study load?
Thank you for sharing the profiles the persons who I can communicate with, it's going to help me greatly and, I'd try to find someone from the Msc in econ/ applied econ too for a clearer understanding. In case, if you have the links of Msc. Econ or related, please drop down here.
I can not thank you enough.
Nazneen
Msc Applied Economics Applicant

Hey Nazneen Afreen

No problem at all - that’s what we’re here for!

Totally okay to be unsure about it being a new course; it’s a big decision and you need to make sure it’s right for you. The course will have been through a lot to approve it though and will have to meet certain criteria.
In terms of the tutors, I don’t personally do Economics, so I would suggest chatting to those I linked above as even though they don’t do the specific economics course you’re looking at, they will have experience of teaching and interaction with at least some of the same lecturers so will be able to give you some insight into what it’s like in your department. Unfortunately we don’t have any current ambassadors who do Economics on its own to point you to I’m afraid, but we may do in the future, so do check our website for any changes here.

From my personal experience though, I’ve always found any tutor I’ve come across in Reading to be super supportive and encouraging, and really easy to approach, which I can only assume is the same across all the schools hopefully! The tutors want you to succeed so will always be ready to answer any questions or chat through your workload with you if you need it - communication is definitely key, so don’t be afraid to raise any concerns as soon as you have them so they can help you figure things out as soon as possible!

All the most up to date information about your course can be found here though and if you have any further questions, you could contact the admissions team who will be more than happy to answer anything they can or point you to someone who knows more. You can contact them via email or phone: +44 (0) 118 378 5289 / [email protected]

I hope that helps a little bit - sorry I don’t have too much information I can give you about the course personally but let us know if you have any other questions about Reading and we can try to help.

Skye :smile:

3rd Year Speech and Language Therapy Student

University of Reading Applied Economics or University of Birmingham Economics

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