Durham or Manchester (UoM)?

Hi, I'm an international student and have been offered places in Durham and Manchester (MA in Creative Writing). Both courses are good, but I'm leaning more towards Durham majorly because 1. I'd love to have the whole collegiate experience 2. their English Department is better regarded 3. the research ties and opportunities are probably better. One potential drawback is that there might be fewer opportunities for part-time jobs to fund my living costs since it's a smaller place than Manchester. I'd quite like to hear your thoughts on this matter! Any tips or suggestions are welcome, and thanks in advance :smile:

Reply 1

GravelKing

3

Hi, I went to Manchester uni and it was such a great experience. I don't know much about Durham but going to uni in a big city like Manchester was definitely worth it for me :smile:

Reply 2

arundhati94

OP

3

Original post by GravelKing

Hi, I went to Manchester uni and it was such a great experience. I don't know much about Durham but going to uni in a big city like Manchester was definitely worth it for me :smile:

Thank you! May I know what your subject was?

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 3

GravelKing

3

Original post by arundhati94

Thank you! May I know what your subject was?

I studied Economics :smile:

Reply 4

Lykkk12322

2

Original post by arundhati94

Hi, I'm an international student and have been offered places in Durham and Manchester (MA in Creative Writing). Both courses are good, but I'm leaning more towards Durham majorly because 1. I'd love to have the whole collegiate experience 2. their English Department is better regarded 3. the research ties and opportunities are probably better. One potential drawback is that there might be fewer opportunities for part-time jobs to fund my living costs since it's a smaller place than Manchester. I'd quite like to hear your thoughts on this matter! Any tips or suggestions are welcome, and thanks in advance :smile:

Hi. As also an international student of UoM, I can offer some subjective suggestions to you:

1.

Actually I think both these uni are at the same level, so it's important to choose the courses that are most consistent with your talent or interest.

2.

Manchester is more culturally inclusive and has more international students. But it means more inner competition. I am a Materials Science student and I am still struggling to get a full-fund PhD although my overall grade is over 80. Also it sounds like liberal schools even have much fewer opportunities.

3.

It's true that in Manchester there are more part-time job opportunities. I live in Hulme where the rent cost is low but quite close to the uni, and lots of pubs where you can get employed.

I hope these will help you to justify the cons and pros of studying in Manchester.

Reply 5

Yipiyap_Brooke

9

Hiya!

I'm aware this thread is quite Manchester heavy in the replies but as a recent Uni of Manchester student I thought I'd chime in!

1.

Manchester is very diverse and there's even an International Society which is thriving! Lots of opportunities and events, as well as other people in the same boat as you as an international student to help you feel more at home!

2.

There's plenty of jobs around in Manchester as there are so many places here to work at- but maybe you could find a job online doing remote work now so that you're taking that out of your decision?

3.

Funding is important for a phd so worth investigating both uni options and seeing if Manchester offers the same level of funding!
Good luck with everything :smile:

Reply 6

emilyemg

3

Which one did you end up picking? I will be doing the Creative Writing MA at Durham this fall!

Reply 7

arundhati94

OP

3

Original post by Lykkk12322

Hi. As also an international student of UoM, I can offer some subjective suggestions to you:

1.

Actually I think both these uni are at the same level, so it's important to choose the courses that are most consistent with your talent or interest.

2.

Manchester is more culturally inclusive and has more international students. But it means more inner competition. I am a Materials Science student and I am still struggling to get a full-fund PhD although my overall grade is over 80. Also it sounds like liberal schools even have much fewer opportunities.

3.

It's true that in Manchester there are more part-time job opportunities. I live in Hulme where the rent cost is low but quite close to the uni, and lots of pubs where you can get employed.

I hope these will help you to justify the cons and pros of studying in Manchester.

Hello! I'm really sorry for the delay, and thank you so much for replying and offering your perspective! Hope you get that funding soon - good luck 🙂

Reply 8

arundhati94

OP

3

Original post by Yipiyap_Brooke

Hiya!
I'm aware this thread is quite Manchester heavy in the replies but as a recent Uni of Manchester student I thought I'd chime in!

1.

Manchester is very diverse and there's even an International Society which is thriving! Lots of opportunities and events, as well as other people in the same boat as you as an international student to help you feel more at home!

2.

There's plenty of jobs around in Manchester as there are so many places here to work at- but maybe you could find a job online doing remote work now so that you're taking that out of your decision?

3.

Funding is important for a phd so worth investigating both uni options and seeing if Manchester offers the same level of funding!
Good luck with everything :smile:

Hello there! Thank you very much, these answers did help me get the feel of the cities a bit and help me with my decision. Good luck to you too! 🙂

Reply 9

arundhati94

OP

3

Original post by emilyemg

Which one did you end up picking? I will be doing the Creative Writing MA at Durham this fall!

Hi there! I ended up choosing Durham too! Looks like we'll be classmates 🙂 Did you decide on a college yet?

Reply 10

Anonymous #1

Original post by Yipiyap_Brooke

Hiya!
I'm aware this thread is quite Manchester heavy in the replies but as a recent Uni of Manchester student I thought I'd chime in!

1.

Manchester is very diverse and there's even an International Society which is thriving! Lots of opportunities and events, as well as other people in the same boat as you as an international student to help you feel more at home!

2.

There's plenty of jobs around in Manchester as there are so many places here to work at- but maybe you could find a job online doing remote work now so that you're taking that out of your decision?

3.

Funding is important for a phd so worth investigating both uni options and seeing if Manchester offers the same level of funding!
Good luck with everything :smile:

hiii

How safe is Manchester in terms of crime. also chances of getting mogged at night as a girl?

Reply 11

Yipiyap_Brooke

9

In terms of going home late at night, I would say to travel in a group to be safest! Taking public transport is generally okay, and the streets are well lit in city center. In a student house, I would make sure to hide my laptop before going away for the weekend or heading out, as well as any other valuables.

Durham or Manchester (UoM)?

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