University life, dose it matter?

I’m still trying to decide on what university I want to go to. One university has a really great course and good future prospects. It’s also a smaller class and the tutors are able to help students one and one better. They feel really passionate about helping the students get opportunities while studying! but on the other hand, the student life is notoriously bad there’s nothing to do in the local area it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere and there’s no party scene or even hobby scene. When I went there, I got this depressing, feeling like I can tell that my values and the school at large values don’t align.

The other school I want to go to also has a great course and has produced some great alumni that have gone to do great things. However The course is definitely more freefall. They just kinda tell you stuff and then expect you to either swim or sink. It definitely doesn’t feel like the tutors don’t have that same connection with the students As the other school as the class is a lot bigger. But the student life is just so much better. it’s near the beach there are a bunch of extra activities like laser tag and fun shops along the pier. They also have a good night scene as well overall a very colourful place.

And I’m wondering should I prioritise the uni experience the course I’m going for is notoriously intense at both schools and I’m worried that when I get overly stressed they’ll be nothing to calm me down or to cheer me up nothing for me and my potential friends to do, and no way to meet new people.

For anybody who has made their decision or is making their decision I wanna ask are you thinking about the uni experience do you think it really matters or should I just focus on the course and the ability to have that one on one time?

Reply 1

JF ZAK

2 be honest im on the same boat
however i dont recommend the first uni for 1 important reasons
1 it can make u feel so depressed and bored due to not being able to change atmosphere from working all the time
the second uni i guess if ur passionate u wont sink and do well.
also most unis are like this but u have teacher for a reason so u can ask them for any inquiries u have.
and we live in a cyber world u can ask questions here and other unis also friends can help
so i highly recommend uni number 2 as u will likely pass there than the other one

Reply 2

Kingston Reps

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous #1

I’m still trying to decide on what university I want to go to. One university has a really great course and good future prospects. It’s also a smaller class and the tutors are able to help students one and one better. They feel really passionate about helping the students get opportunities while studying! but on the other hand, the student life is notoriously bad there’s nothing to do in the local area it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere and there’s no party scene or even hobby scene. When I went there, I got this depressing, feeling like I can tell that my values and the school at large values don’t align.
The other school I want to go to also has a great course and has produced some great alumni that have gone to do great things. However The course is definitely more freefall. They just kinda tell you stuff and then expect you to either swim or sink. It definitely doesn’t feel like the tutors don’t have that same connection with the students As the other school as the class is a lot bigger. But the student life is just so much better. it’s near the beach there are a bunch of extra activities like laser tag and fun shops along the pier. They also have a good night scene as well overall a very colourful place.
And I’m wondering should I prioritise the uni experience the course I’m going for is notoriously intense at both schools and I’m worried that when I get overly stressed they’ll be nothing to calm me down or to cheer me up nothing for me and my potential friends to do, and no way to meet new people.
For anybody who has made their decision or is making their decision I wanna ask are you thinking about the uni experience do you think it really matters or should I just focus on the course and the ability to have that one on one time?

Hey!

Choosing which university to go to is hard at the best of times, nevermind when both of your university choices seem to have good courses/future prospects - so I completely understand where your dilemma is coming from.

I think what's really important is to weigh up what you personally want out of your university experience. Are you someone who needs access to academic support and one-on-one time, and could struggle if you don't have a tutor you can get in touch with quickly? Do you work better in a smaller class, or do you thrive under a more hands-off approach? Is participating in societies/making new friends a big reason behind why you're attending university in the first place, or is it just more of an added perk? If you don't think your values align with the first university, why is that, and do you think you could ever get past that if you chose to attend?

It's difficult to say you should prioritise 'this over that' when choosing a university: for some, an active social/party scene could be the most important factor in choosing where to go, whilst for others, it might not even cross their mind when making the decision. Hopefully, weighing up exactly what you need out of a university will help make your decision that bit easier. 😁

Best of luck!
Eve (Kingston Rep).

Reply 3

Durham Rep Ghala

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I’m still trying to decide on what university I want to go to. One university has a really great course and good future prospects. It’s also a smaller class and the tutors are able to help students one and one better. They feel really passionate about helping the students get opportunities while studying! but on the other hand, the student life is notoriously bad there’s nothing to do in the local area it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere and there’s no party scene or even hobby scene. When I went there, I got this depressing, feeling like I can tell that my values and the school at large values don’t align.
The other school I want to go to also has a great course and has produced some great alumni that have gone to do great things. However The course is definitely more freefall. They just kinda tell you stuff and then expect you to either swim or sink. It definitely doesn’t feel like the tutors don’t have that same connection with the students As the other school as the class is a lot bigger. But the student life is just so much better. it’s near the beach there are a bunch of extra activities like laser tag and fun shops along the pier. They also have a good night scene as well overall a very colourful place.
And I’m wondering should I prioritise the uni experience the course I’m going for is notoriously intense at both schools and I’m worried that when I get overly stressed they’ll be nothing to calm me down or to cheer me up nothing for me and my potential friends to do, and no way to meet new people.
For anybody who has made their decision or is making their decision I wanna ask are you thinking about the uni experience do you think it really matters or should I just focus on the course and the ability to have that one on one time?

Hi there

To answer your question in short, yes it does matter.

This is a place where you have to spend 3-4 years of your life. To be able to do that successfully, you need to be happy where you are living as that ultimately feeds into your motivation to do well on the course too. From the sound of it, it doesn't seem like the first city offers anything vibrant so I would be wary of that. However, consider how much time you'll actually be spending going out compared to studying or working a part-time job. If that leaves you with just a few hours a week to socialize, would that really be too bad in the limited opportunities this city has to offer?

As your problems are with the course, can I ask why you think that the course at the second uni is just 'freefall'? Also just because the cohort in the second uni is bigger, it doesn't mean that the tutors will be less in touch. If you have tutorial teaching in small groups, your group would probably still contain 6-8 people depending on how things work at that uni. Try and talk to current students there and figure out what the ground reality is, if you haven't already (Unibuddy ; LinkedIn). I'm just saying this because sometimes things seem a certain way from the looks of it but when you actually experience it, the reality can be different. I think Durham is a good example of this because even though there are 400 students in my cohort of law, the tutors are available to contact via email and they genuinely help you out. Even though I don't have a very close relationship with all of them, they were very receptive to my request for a reference for an internship I was applying to.

Hope this gives some perspective and good luck!

-Himieka

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 4

De Montfort University

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I’m still trying to decide on what university I want to go to. One university has a really great course and good future prospects. It’s also a smaller class and the tutors are able to help students one and one better. They feel really passionate about helping the students get opportunities while studying! but on the other hand, the student life is notoriously bad there’s nothing to do in the local area it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere and there’s no party scene or even hobby scene. When I went there, I got this depressing, feeling like I can tell that my values and the school at large values don’t align.
The other school I want to go to also has a great course and has produced some great alumni that have gone to do great things. However The course is definitely more freefall. They just kinda tell you stuff and then expect you to either swim or sink. It definitely doesn’t feel like the tutors don’t have that same connection with the students As the other school as the class is a lot bigger. But the student life is just so much better. it’s near the beach there are a bunch of extra activities like laser tag and fun shops along the pier. They also have a good night scene as well overall a very colourful place.
And I’m wondering should I prioritise the uni experience the course I’m going for is notoriously intense at both schools and I’m worried that when I get overly stressed they’ll be nothing to calm me down or to cheer me up nothing for me and my potential friends to do, and no way to meet new people.
For anybody who has made their decision or is making their decision I wanna ask are you thinking about the uni experience do you think it really matters or should I just focus on the course and the ability to have that one on one time?

Hey there!

As a fellow student, I completely understand your dilemma. Both aspects, the course and the university experience, are important. It seems you're torn between a supportive academic environment and a vibrant social life. This is a decision you'll have to make based on what you value more. If you think you can find ways to entertain yourself at the university with the better academic support, then perhaps that's the better choice. However, if the social aspect is really important to you, you might find the other university more suited to your needs. Remember, university is not only about academics, but also about personal growth and learning to navigate life independently. Ultimately, you should choose the environment where you think you'll be happiest, because that's where you're likely to thrive academically as well.

Let me know if you have any questions,
Ilya :smile:

Reply 5

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I’m still trying to decide on what university I want to go to. One university has a really great course and good future prospects. It’s also a smaller class and the tutors are able to help students one and one better. They feel really passionate about helping the students get opportunities while studying! but on the other hand, the student life is notoriously bad there’s nothing to do in the local area it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere and there’s no party scene or even hobby scene. When I went there, I got this depressing, feeling like I can tell that my values and the school at large values don’t align.
The other school I want to go to also has a great course and has produced some great alumni that have gone to do great things. However The course is definitely more freefall. They just kinda tell you stuff and then expect you to either swim or sink. It definitely doesn’t feel like the tutors don’t have that same connection with the students As the other school as the class is a lot bigger. But the student life is just so much better. it’s near the beach there are a bunch of extra activities like laser tag and fun shops along the pier. They also have a good night scene as well overall a very colourful place.
And I’m wondering should I prioritise the uni experience the course I’m going for is notoriously intense at both schools and I’m worried that when I get overly stressed they’ll be nothing to calm me down or to cheer me up nothing for me and my potential friends to do, and no way to meet new people.
For anybody who has made their decision or is making their decision I wanna ask are you thinking about the uni experience do you think it really matters or should I just focus on the course and the ability to have that one on one time?

Hi there,

There isn't one set answer to this question as it really depends on what you want out of your university experience. It's different for everyone but its important to do what you want to and what will make you happy as ultimately you are the one who is going to be living there!

You will be at uni for 3 or 4 years so it is important that you are happy and if this means being able to have more of a social life and having more things around you to do, then this sounds like a good idea. Wanting to have more of a social life, make friends and join societies isn't a bad thing to want to do at uni, as much as it is important to do well and get the grades you want to and are capable of, it's about the experience too.

I would say another important factor when choosing the uni is how best you learn. Some people learn better with more of a hands on approach, with lots of support and guidance from tutors and would perform better in a small class, while others are happy to get on with work on their own and don't need the reminders to do the work or as much support.
It's important to think about what you would do better with as you may find you would be okay with less support that you would receive at your second option.

Another thing to think about is that you will perform better at university if you are happy and your mental health is the best it can be in your environment. If you feel unhappy then you will likely lack motivation to work and this could hinder you grades so I think the most important factor in your decision should be where you would be the happiest as this will allow you to get the best grades you possibly can.

I hope this helps,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador :smile: