Transferring Uni to surrey or staying at brighton

Ive spent 1 year in Brighton Uni, and quite liked it, its a very pretty town with alot of shops and bars, and the uni is decent too.

However i worked hard and i am now in the position to switch to surrey for the next year of my course, which ive seen is very good for my subject, and is close to london so that would be great for work experiences and events in london.

I enjoy being in brighton but with a uni like surrey on the table, i feel its an oppourtunity to big to pass up. What should i do?

NOTE: The course in question is biomedical science.

Any advice and suggestions would be great, thanks.

Reply 1

McGinger

Have you even asked Surrey if you can transfer to Year 2 there - or is this just 'what if'?
Just remember than a) Surrey isnt any 'better' than Brighton (however you think you can measure this), and b) whatever reasons you have for leaving Brighton, transferring into the middle of a course at Surrey isnt going to solve them.

Reply 2

DrPepper8

Original post by McGinger

I think you misunderstood, i finished my foundation year and recieved a high enough overall grade to transfer to surrey, i have made calls and sent all documents, and done the UCAS process and have been informed to await the pending offer, Which will lead me to year 1.

It is a what if question to some degree, but some consideration will be needed at some point

(edited 5 months ago)

Reply 3

Physician

It depends really what you want to do later on. If you wanted to go into academia via a PhD, they look at your grade first, and you usually need a good 2.1 (minimum 65%) to be in contention for an interview. They look at the calibre of your university second, alongside lab experience (or coding experience if you are looking to do Bioinformatics). Lab experience is really important, so try to get some voluntary experience or an intern, or even an industrial or lab placement. An MSc or MRes can also help, but they will expect a grade at merit or distinction level, and that isn't easy to get at a top university, so this is where going to somewhere prestigious could work against you. That being said, a good uni does look impressive on the CV, and if you do well in your degree, it will add something extra there.

Personally l would transfer to Surrey. It has a good name in academia, and the campus and location are fabulous. I considered doing my PhD there, but in the end went for a Russell Group university.

(edited 5 months ago)

Reply 4

University of Surrey Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by DrPepper8

I think you misunderstood, i finished my foundation year and recieved a high enough overall grade to transfer to surrey, i have made calls and sent all documents, and done the UCAS process and have been informed to await the pending offer, Which will lead me to year 1.
It is a what if question to some degree, but some consideration will be needed at some point

Hi @DrPepper8

Congratulations on finishing foundation year with a high overall grade!

Transferring to another uni can sometimes be a big decision, so it’s best to consider the main reasons for your wish to move. Overall, my advice is to probably choose the course/uni that most excites you and aligns with your future goals. Reading between the lines, I think you’re leaning more towards Surrey; but staying in the place where you’ve already spent a year and made new connections isn’t bad either.

I’m currently studying Biomedical Science at Surrey and I am loving it so far! I find my modules interesting and my professors helpful. The course is accredited by the IBMS, so whether I wish to pursue a Biomedical Scientist career or go into research, I think the course will prepare me well for it. That’s not to say those are the only career options out there!

Students get access to the £12+ million lab, where we use equipment found in research labs around the world and the NHS! Practicals seem daunting at first but the course is kind of set up in a way to ensure that by the end of first year, you’ll be significantly more confident and competent in your abilities. Plus, lessons are fun and engaging so it’s not a huge surprise that the Surrey Biosciences Department is ranked top 5 in the UK for overall student satisfaction in 2023. There is also plenty of support as well, be it academics or well-being too. So, if you’re ever struggling, there’s lots of places to turn to.

If you want to gain industry work experience, then I definitely recommend the Professional Training Placements offered in the course. You can work in the UK or around the world in our partner institutions in the USA, Asia, Europe etc.

Even if you’re not doing a placement year, our award-winning Employability and Careers Team can also help you find graduate jobs, work experience and internships too. They offer several services such as CV Checks, Mock Interviews, LinkedIn Checks and many more. You can find work experience within the uni research facilities or in neighbouring institutions in Guildford. Guildford has well connected transport links and London is conveniently only 35 mins away. It’s basically a great place to access a bigger job market and other exciting events throughout the year!

Our beautiful campus itself is what attracted me to join. It has probably everything you need with a nice large community feel to it. There are plenty of great places to eat and socialise too! Outside of classes, you can take part in any of our 100+ clubs and societies at the Students’ Union (ranked 5^th best in the UK) or head into town that’s a 10-15 minute walk away. Town has multiple pleasant bars and shops also.

Overall, you should choose the uni/course that’s right for you. I hope the above information helps and wishing you the best in your decision.

Kind Regards,
Britina
Biomedical Science BSc (Hons)

Reply 5

DrPepper8

Original post by University of Surrey Student Rep

Hi @DrPepper8
Congratulations on finishing foundation year with a high overall grade!
Transferring to another uni can sometimes be a big decision, so it’s best to consider the main reasons for your wish to move. Overall, my advice is to probably choose the course/uni that most excites you and aligns with your future goals. Reading between the lines, I think you’re leaning more towards Surrey; but staying in the place where you’ve already spent a year and made new connections isn’t bad either.
I’m currently studying Biomedical Science at Surrey and I am loving it so far! I find my modules interesting and my professors helpful. The course is accredited by the IBMS, so whether I wish to pursue a Biomedical Scientist career or go into research, I think the course will prepare me well for it. That’s not to say those are the only career options out there!
Students get access to the £12+ million lab, where we use equipment found in research labs around the world and the NHS! Practicals seem daunting at first but the course is kind of set up in a way to ensure that by the end of first year, you’ll be significantly more confident and competent in your abilities. Plus, lessons are fun and engaging so it’s not a huge surprise that the Surrey Biosciences Department is ranked top 5 in the UK for overall student satisfaction in 2023. There is also plenty of support as well, be it academics or well-being too. So, if you’re ever struggling, there’s lots of places to turn to.
If you want to gain industry work experience, then I definitely recommend the Professional Training Placements offered in the course. You can work in the UK or around the world in our partner institutions in the USA, Asia, Europe etc.
Even if you’re not doing a placement year, our award-winning Employability and Careers Team can also help you find graduate jobs, work experience and internships too. They offer several services such as CV Checks, Mock Interviews, LinkedIn Checks and many more. You can find work experience within the uni research facilities or in neighbouring institutions in Guildford. Guildford has well connected transport links and London is conveniently only 35 mins away. It’s basically a great place to access a bigger job market and other exciting events throughout the year!
Our beautiful campus itself is what attracted me to join. It has probably everything you need with a nice large community feel to it. There are plenty of great places to eat and socialise too! Outside of classes, you can take part in any of our 100+ clubs and societies at the Students’ Union (ranked 5^th best in the UK) or head into town that’s a 10-15 minute walk away. Town has multiple pleasant bars and shops also.
Overall, you should choose the uni/course that’s right for you. I hope the above information helps and wishing you the best in your decision.
Kind Regards,
Britina
Biomedical Science BSc (Hons)

Thank you SO much for this advice, i really needed to hear this. how challenging do you find it to work in surrey? i know all uni work will be challenging of course, but naturally it would be nice to know. i would love to attend surrey university, but since i only did a foundation year, i feel it will not matter too much if i move since i will end up in year 1 anyway.

Reply 6

University of Surrey Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by DrPepper8

Hi @DrPepper8

No worries, I’m glad to be of help! :smile:

In terms of my experience, Biomed Year 1 was a time to get everyone up to the same level in terms of knowledge and skills. First year doesn’t count towards your final degree grade/classification, so it’s a good time to learn from what does and doesn’t work. Then really refine them in subsequent years. Academics wise, I personally didn’t find first year as challenging as I thought it’d be. Sure, there were some occasional bumpy roads but even the people I know who did Foundation Year said it was doable.

Year 1 will be a mixture of people who completed foundation year and those who have just newly joined the course. I think the fact that you did a foundation year outside of Surrey shouldn’t deter you from making new friends. The University of Surrey is a diverse place, so wherever you’re from or what background you have will seem cool/interesting to others. Everyone during this time just wants to get to know each other more (some people have even transferred from other courses too!) Regardless, I’d recommend to take first year as a time to settle into your new surroundings, make new friends and a chance to try new things. Although just because the year “doesn’t count”, shouldn’t mean you can slack off! Just try and do your best. It can help a lot in things like job hunting/placement searching later.

Things did ramp up a bit in second year. The workload increases and subjects do get more challenging. There is a lot of content to go through and it’s a time when extra reading does pay off. Topics get more complex and abstract, but the lecturers will teach you at a reasonable pace that everyone can manage. So, it doesn’t get too overwhelming. If you need extra help, you can go over content 1-to-1 with them by appointment or use the weekly tutorials, which are super useful for this too.

To be frankly speaking, the more you learn through the different topics – the more fascinating they get!

Overall, the workload does get more challenging but if you manage your time well, set realistic goals and ask for help when you need it, you’ll succeed. You’ll have more time than you think outside of lectures to do what you like but make sure not to ‘bite more than you can chew’ – as the saying goes.

Anyways, university is an exciting time to grow as a person and see what you’re capable of, so wishing you all the best!

Kind Regards,
Britina
Biomedical Science BSc (Hons)