The Student Room Group

Nottingham Trent vs Surrey?!

Hello all!
I am currently finishing off my A-Levels now, and I have two main choices of University that I've been considering, but I can't make my mind up with.

Before I continue I live in South England, near Hastings, and so Surrey is 2 hours away, whilst NT is 4 hours away. So at Surrey I've chosen Psychology with a placement year, which requires me to get grades BBC. At NT I've chosen Developmental Psychology with a placement year, which also requires me to get a BBC.

I've been to both campuses, and I have explored both cities, and these are my pros and cons for each:

Surrey -

Pros: Campus Uni, everything is close together. High student satisfaction, quality of teaching, and placement promises seem very good. Closer to home, and closer to London, if I ever wanted to travel there.

Cons: Expensive, both for accommodation and regular cost of living stuff. Guildford, whilst a nice city, seemed quite small and not very popular with nightlife.

Nottingham Trent -

Pros: WhatUni voted it 1st in student satisfaction, and has marginally higher rankings for both the course, and the quality of the University itself. City Campus is very close to ... the city, which I've seen very good things about. Cheaper accommodation and cost of living, and a good postgraduate employment promise.

Cons: Further away from home, and being smack dab in the midlands is far away from London and all that. Apparently Nottingham is a more dangerous city? I can't think of anything beyond this.

Beyond these points I feel like I don't know enough to make a decision, and I'd appreciate any help or insight I can get from both current and past students.
I'm stressing, alongside all the revision for my exams, I feel like if I don't make a decision now then there won't be any accommodation or something (despite all rooms still having loads of space.)

Thank you for reading up until now, and I can't wait to read all your responses!
Reply 1
Which course interests you the most.
Look at the optional units for all years of each course and think carefully about what you would actually choose if you went there. Placements - how long is the placement, is it paid, how much choice do you get, where are the placements, etc etc.
Original post by mob_lmao
Hello all!
I am currently finishing off my A-Levels now, and I have two main choices of University that I've been considering, but I can't make my mind up with.
Before I continue I live in South England, near Hastings, and so Surrey is 2 hours away, whilst NT is 4 hours away. So at Surrey I've chosen Psychology with a placement year, which requires me to get grades BBC. At NT I've chosen Developmental Psychology with a placement year, which also requires me to get a BBC.
I've been to both campuses, and I have explored both cities, and these are my pros and cons for each:
Surrey -
Pros: Campus Uni, everything is close together. High student satisfaction, quality of teaching, and placement promises seem very good. Closer to home, and closer to London, if I ever wanted to travel there.
Cons: Expensive, both for accommodation and regular cost of living stuff. Guildford, whilst a nice city, seemed quite small and not very popular with nightlife.
Nottingham Trent -
Pros: WhatUni voted it 1st in student satisfaction, and has marginally higher rankings for both the course, and the quality of the University itself. City Campus is very close to ... the city, which I've seen very good things about. Cheaper accommodation and cost of living, and a good postgraduate employment promise.
Cons: Further away from home, and being smack dab in the midlands is far away from London and all that. Apparently Nottingham is a more dangerous city? I can't think of anything beyond this.
Beyond these points I feel like I don't know enough to make a decision, and I'd appreciate any help or insight I can get from both current and past students.
I'm stressing, alongside all the revision for my exams, I feel like if I don't make a decision now then there won't be any accommodation or something (despite all rooms still having loads of space.)
Thank you for reading up until now, and I can't wait to read all your responses!
For rep, I would say Surrey Uni. However, for social life, as you mentioned, Nottingham Trent could be a better option.

If it was me, I would go for Surrey, but i like smaller lower key places.
Probably Surrey, as that’s ranked much better. I think Surrey is like 17th while Trent is 53rd or something
Original post by mob_lmao
Hello all!
I am currently finishing off my A-Levels now, and I have two main choices of University that I've been considering, but I can't make my mind up with.
Before I continue I live in South England, near Hastings, and so Surrey is 2 hours away, whilst NT is 4 hours away. So at Surrey I've chosen Psychology with a placement year, which requires me to get grades BBC. At NT I've chosen Developmental Psychology with a placement year, which also requires me to get a BBC.
I've been to both campuses, and I have explored both cities, and these are my pros and cons for each:
Surrey -
Pros: Campus Uni, everything is close together. High student satisfaction, quality of teaching, and placement promises seem very good. Closer to home, and closer to London, if I ever wanted to travel there.
Cons: Expensive, both for accommodation and regular cost of living stuff. Guildford, whilst a nice city, seemed quite small and not very popular with nightlife.
Nottingham Trent -
Pros: WhatUni voted it 1st in student satisfaction, and has marginally higher rankings for both the course, and the quality of the University itself. City Campus is very close to ... the city, which I've seen very good things about. Cheaper accommodation and cost of living, and a good postgraduate employment promise.
Cons: Further away from home, and being smack dab in the midlands is far away from London and all that. Apparently Nottingham is a more dangerous city? I can't think of anything beyond this.
Beyond these points I feel like I don't know enough to make a decision, and I'd appreciate any help or insight I can get from both current and past students.
I'm stressing, alongside all the revision for my exams, I feel like if I don't make a decision now then there won't be any accommodation or something (despite all rooms still having loads of space.)
Thank you for reading up until now, and I can't wait to read all your responses!

Hello,

It's great to see that you're carefully considering your university options. I can only speak on behalf of Surrey, but we have a lot to offer. It's important to find the best fit for your academic and personal needs.

As you mentioned, our campus has a strong community feel as everything is close together, and we all interact through events. Our psychology programme has wonderful academics who support you both academically and personally throughout the years. We offer excellent placement year options that provide valuable real-world experience. I agree that being closer to home and London can be convenient for travel and access to a larger city. I live 1.5 hours away, and being able to create a new life while still visiting home has been invaluable.

You've done a great job visiting both campuses and exploring the cities. We have a fantastic support team who can assist you throughout your studies: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/managing-your-money/support

We're actively addressing the cost of living crisis to support our students: https://surreyunion.org/voice/campaigns/your-cost-of-living/

I enjoy Guildford Town Centre, and as you mentioned, being close to London allows for larger outings. We have a variety of clubs, restaurants, and pubs it depends on the company, in my opinion.

Ultimately, choosing a university is a personal decision. Consider where you feel you will thrive both academically and socially.

Best of luck with your decision-making process, and feel free to reach out if you have any more questions about Surrey!

Sam (she/her)
MSc Psychology
University of Surrey Representative

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