ntu or reading uni

i love the course equally at both, both have excellent modules and teachers, and both equal on the subject league table. so mostly the decision for me is about the location and social life. social life, nightlife, and having lots to do in the day are all really important to me, but the reputation (i'm sure you know what i mean) of ntu is a massive worry to me. i'm also an lgbt woman and have been bullied for this previously so wherever i end up i wanna make sure is somewhere i don't feel judged, so ideally somewhere with a larger lgbt presence. i liked both when i visited but the vibe of notts was a little rough and overwhelming, whilst reading's was underwhelming and a bit depressing - so i'm not exactly sure where to go.

don't wanna go to reading and feel disappointed and underwhelmed (since i wanted my uni experience to be exploring a more hectic, city-like lifestyle), but don't wanna go to notts and feel like a fish out of water in a rougher place. i wanted to go to sheffield because it felt like the perfect balance for me, but didn't get in. it's difficult. ig clearing is always an option.

thoughts?

Reply 1

normaw

Volunteer Section Leader, Clearing and Applications Advisor

19

Original post by Anonymous

i love the course equally at both, both have excellent modules and teachers, and both equal on the subject league table. so mostly the decision for me is about the location and social life. social life, nightlife, and having lots to do in the day are all really important to me, but the reputation (i'm sure you know what i mean) of ntu is a massive worry to me. i'm also an lgbt woman and have been bullied for this previously so wherever i end up i wanna make sure is somewhere i don't feel judged, so ideally somewhere with a larger lgbt presence. i liked both when i visited but the vibe of notts was a little rough and overwhelming, whilst reading's was underwhelming and a bit depressing - so i'm not exactly sure where to go.

don't wanna go to reading and feel disappointed and underwhelmed (since i wanted my uni experience to be exploring a more hectic, city-like lifestyle), but don't wanna go to notts and feel like a fish out of water in a rougher place. i wanted to go to sheffield because it felt like the perfect balance for me, but didn't get in. it's difficult. ig clearing is always an option.

thoughts?

If you're not happy with either of your choices, consider applying to another uni through UCAS Extra - but you will have to give up your current offers so think carefully. More info here:

https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/after-you-apply/types-offer/extra-choices

Reply 2

ScrawnyPotato

1

Original post by Anonymous

i love the course equally at both, both have excellent modules and teachers, and both equal on the subject league table. so mostly the decision for me is about the location and social life. social life, nightlife, and having lots to do in the day are all really important to me, but the reputation (i'm sure you know what i mean) of ntu is a massive worry to me. i'm also an lgbt woman and have been bullied for this previously so wherever i end up i wanna make sure is somewhere i don't feel judged, so ideally somewhere with a larger lgbt presence. i liked both when i visited but the vibe of notts was a little rough and overwhelming, whilst reading's was underwhelming and a bit depressing - so i'm not exactly sure where to go.
don't wanna go to reading and feel disappointed and underwhelmed (since i wanted my uni experience to be exploring a more hectic, city-like lifestyle), but don't wanna go to notts and feel like a fish out of water in a rougher place. i wanted to go to sheffield because it felt like the perfect balance for me, but didn't get in. it's difficult. ig clearing is always an option.
thoughts?

Hi I don't know if you've made a decision yet but I'm also going to NTU in September and part of the LGBTQ+ community so if you want we could be friends!!

Reply 3

UniofReading

Official Rep

14

Original post by Anonymous

i love the course equally at both, both have excellent modules and teachers, and both equal on the subject league table. so mostly the decision for me is about the location and social life. social life, nightlife, and having lots to do in the day are all really important to me, but the reputation (i'm sure you know what i mean) of ntu is a massive worry to me. i'm also an lgbt woman and have been bullied for this previously so wherever i end up i wanna make sure is somewhere i don't feel judged, so ideally somewhere with a larger lgbt presence. i liked both when i visited but the vibe of notts was a little rough and overwhelming, whilst reading's was underwhelming and a bit depressing - so i'm not exactly sure where to go.
don't wanna go to reading and feel disappointed and underwhelmed (since i wanted my uni experience to be exploring a more hectic, city-like lifestyle), but don't wanna go to notts and feel like a fish out of water in a rougher place. i wanted to go to sheffield because it felt like the perfect balance for me, but didn't get in. it's difficult. ig clearing is always an option.
thoughts?

Hi @Anonymous,

A little late to this, but sorry to hear you're feeling conflicted on where to go - a lot of people do! I know this post is a little old now, so apologies if you've already made your decision. Obviously I can't comment on NTU, but I found Reading to be a really great place to study because of its student presence. Although we aren't a big city uni, having everything in one place on campus close to accommodation is really nice, and its usually really busy with lots to do to make up for that! We do have a really active and diverse student body with plenty of societies & events on campus as well as loads of places to go out in town and easy connections to London, Bristol, Brighton, etc which can be hard to gauge when visiting, but ultimately I would say its important to choose a university that you feel comfortable in, and for me that was Reading because of all the measures for student safety, inclusion, and entertainment they took. There's 150+ societies you can find out about here and you can learn all about our student life and opportunities too.

If you have any questions about Reading, please let us know. Best of luck wherever you end up!

Kat :smile:

MA Diplomacy Student

Reply 4

Nottingham Trent University

Official Rep

15

Original post by Anonymous

i love the course equally at both, both have excellent modules and teachers, and both equal on the subject league table. so mostly the decision for me is about the location and social life. social life, nightlife, and having lots to do in the day are all really important to me, but the reputation (i'm sure you know what i mean) of ntu is a massive worry to me. i'm also an lgbt woman and have been bullied for this previously so wherever i end up i wanna make sure is somewhere i don't feel judged, so ideally somewhere with a larger lgbt presence. i liked both when i visited but the vibe of notts was a little rough and overwhelming, whilst reading's was underwhelming and a bit depressing - so i'm not exactly sure where to go.
don't wanna go to reading and feel disappointed and underwhelmed (since i wanted my uni experience to be exploring a more hectic, city-like lifestyle), but don't wanna go to notts and feel like a fish out of water in a rougher place. i wanted to go to sheffield because it felt like the perfect balance for me, but didn't get in. it's difficult. ig clearing is always an option.
thoughts?

Hi 👋

Sorry to hear that you feel conflicted with your choices. Having grown up in Nottingham and being an NTU alumni, I thought I could provide some insight into what living here is like concerning what you're looking for. Whilst Nottingham's got a very famous nightlife, there's loads to get involved in during the day - both inside and outside of the university. It's a super versatile city. We've got a range of green spaces and a thriving arts and culture scene that offers different independent venues and spaces to visit. Within the university, there's a variety of different societies and extracurricular activities that regularly run during the day to get involved in. You can find out more about what's available to get involved in here.

We've also got a highly supportive LGBTQ+ community within the city and at NTU. There's a range of different LGBTQ+ communities networks and communities to connect with and find support through that celebrate the city's long-standing LGBTQ+ history. NTU has a dedicated Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) team that supports staff and students to help create a culture of engagement underpinned by respect.

You can find out more about our inclusive community support here.

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions 🙂

Best wishes,
Gurpreet - NTU Rep

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 5

Robin29472839

6

Original post by ScrawnyPotato

Hi I don't know if you've made a decision yet but I'm also going to NTU in September and part of the LGBTQ+ community so if you want we could be friends!!