Bristol Uni, would you recommend? Elitist or myth? Racist or myth?

Hi all, I've been to all the open days and I really liked Bristol. Loved the course and that it's a city uni with nice harbour etc. HOWEVER.... I am so so torn. 2 major considerations really holding me back. Is it elitist or in reality is this not really visible?? Are the students friendly or is there a rich/posh stuck up atmosphere? I do not want to go somewhere where I do not feel comfortable! Also, it was clear that there wasnt a lot of diversity in terms of black representation. I am mixed race. It would be nice to feel comfortable. Is this an issue for any other black students that have been to Bristol Uni? Are there any good rnb student nights or is it all alternative music?? I'm so excited about uni but so conscious about making right decision as I've not enjoyed high school. Just want good vibes 😍. Liked Warwick too but it's just campus and not much else. Again has the rep of being boring for student life???

Reply 1

ALEreapp

21

I don’t think it’s majorly elitist, don’t get me wrong there are people here who will say very out of touch shif but we generally just take the p*** out of them for it. A lot of the people who are from wealthier backgrounds are not private school a holes who refuse to interact… I would actually find a lot of the elitist pov and statements come from the international students (who are predominantly south East Asian).
I can’t speak on race as I am white but hopefully someone else can give some insight into that x

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 2

Anonymous #2

bristol done video about diversity this week , you can watch it here. https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/virtual-bristol/undergraduate/

What I can see that they are trying to encourage people to apply, so don't decide until you go to offer day and see if it is right for you .

Reply 3

traductionline

2

I would not say Bristol uni is too elitist. I did two terms in Oxford and there it was way more noticeable.

Reply 4

TheWord

8

Original post by Anonymous

Hi all, I've been to all the open days and I really liked Bristol. Loved the course and that it's a city uni with nice harbour etc. HOWEVER.... I am so so torn. 2 major considerations really holding me back. Is it elitist or in reality is this not really visible?? Are the students friendly or is there a rich/posh stuck up atmosphere? I do not want to go somewhere where I do not feel comfortable! Also, it was clear that there wasnt a lot of diversity in terms of black representation. I am mixed race. It would be nice to feel comfortable. Is this an issue for any other black students that have been to Bristol Uni? Are there any good rnb student nights or is it all alternative music?? I'm so excited about uni but so conscious about making right decision as I've not enjoyed high school. Just want good vibes 😍. Liked Warwick too but it's just campus and not much else. Again has the rep of being boring for student life???

I can't speak too much for the University but the city itself is a vibrant, multi-cultural, lively, curious place. Possibly the most exciting city to be a student in, I'd say.

Reply 5

Anonymous #3

Original post by Anonymous

Hi all, I've been to all the open days and I really liked Bristol. Loved the course and that it's a city uni with nice harbour etc. HOWEVER.... I am so so torn. 2 major considerations really holding me back. Is it elitist or in reality is this not really visible?? Are the students friendly or is there a rich/posh stuck up atmosphere? I do not want to go somewhere where I do not feel comfortable! Also, it was clear that there wasnt a lot of diversity in terms of black representation. I am mixed race. It would be nice to feel comfortable. Is this an issue for any other black students that have been to Bristol Uni? Are there any good rnb student nights or is it all alternative music?? I'm so excited about uni but so conscious about making right decision as I've not enjoyed high school. Just want good vibes 😍. Liked Warwick too but it's just campus and not much else. Again has the rep of being boring for student life???

Hi There,

I’ve seen your post, and I’m happy to give an unbiased opinion from two perspectives and share a few quotable points. For reference, I (the writer) am dark-skinned, Black, and from London (yes, it does matter). One of my closest friends and current roommate is mixed-race and not originally from the United Kingdom, though they’ve lived here for up to five years before attending university.

I’ll start by saying you’re right to be curious. I was, as were most others in your position. I’m in my final year, and I won’t sugarcoat it: this uni wasn’t my first choice. If I could go back, I can honestly say I’d have taken my chances elsewhere—literally anywhere else.

Bristol as a city has a lot going for it. The locals are very nice—they’re the reason for the positive press Bristol gets, and it’s warranted. The nightlife is steady, but it’s more centred around DnB. RnB events occur occasionally, and the clubs that play it on a more consistent basis either don’t usually have the best reputation or are half-empty most weekends. My friends and I believe this is due to the cost of living here, which puts a strain on maintaining a social life. If money isn’t an issue for you, you can disregard this. As for everything else, it’s what you’d expect from a city of this size: public transport isn’t great. In some parts, it’s just straight-up dogsh%&. However, for where you’ll most likely be staying, you may not need the bus often.

Now for the bad: our experiences. As mentioned earlier, my friend and I are both Black. We’ve been here for almost four years as students, and I’ll say outright that I didn’t enjoy my experience at all. The only reason I stayed and didn’t transfer out (which we tried to do in our first year here) was because we met people we really got on with. They made the bad times more bearable, so we chose to stick around. To this day, we’re all still very close, but we collectively wish we’d gone elsewhere.

Here are the reasons, starting with my own personal experience. I (dark-skinned male) simply got tired of the profiling, the passive-aggressive behaviour, and the cliquey nature of the people I met at uni. This wasn’t something I ever really experienced with the locals. In fact, they are more direct than I expected people in a southern city to be, which was refreshing. But for the most part, I dealt with other students who came to Bristol from small towns or villages. They seemed to view Bristol as their first step toward a metropolitan lifestyle. Unfortunately, despite their intentions, they make little to no effort to embrace the mindset and culture that the locals embody and what Bristol stands for.
I spent almost four years being ostracised repeatedly and enduring weird comments about things ranging from my face to my 'manhood' and my 'attitude'. Also, the fact that I’m from London didn’t help. I tend to 'dress like a Londoner', and when I attended lectures, seminars, or social events, I’d often be disregarded, ignored, or hyperfixated on—there was no in-between. In lectures, people assumed I was quiet or angry, and it felt like they were clenching their buttcheeks, waiting to see what I’d do, as if I wasn’t there to simply take notes. In social settings, I was left feeling unapproachable, with people staring incessantly but never saying hello. When I introduced myself, I’d often be blanked or met with scared or shocked expressions.

This dynamic happens within cohorts of students at both universities in Bristol. It’s not something I see changing, as a large proportion of students come from places where they seldom interact with people of colour, and they often show no desire to. At one point, I even changed my style to avoid coming off as standoffish or 'like a Londoner'—knowing we have a reputation. This didn’t change anything. In fact, it made people more uncomfortable in how they dealt with me, as I wasn’t fitting the stereotype anymore. Because people made little to no effort to understand me beyond my skin colour, they would more often than not avoid me altogether.

As for my friend (mixed-race male), much of what I experienced, he experienced too, albeit in different environments and at different times. The same situations applied. Specifically for him, he found that he was heavily fetishised during his four years here. Whenever he dated someone or met someone he was interested in, the conversations often centred around the fantasies they had about being with him, rather than a genuine attempt to get to know him. In his own words, it made him feel as though he was 'an accessory', like a handbag or an exotic dog. He often felt like he was being matched to an aesthetic rather than regarded as an equal.

As for opinions from other people we know or friends who’ve visited us, they were similar. I’ve had numerous friends visit me, and upon leaving, they all asked me the same question after I took them to the usual spots most students go to and showed them around campus: "Why is everyone so strange here? I thought Bristol was really diverse." One friend said this to me, while others told me, "Can’t place it, but something feels off about here. People stare a lot."
Once, at my workplace, I served someone who had recently joined Bristol Uni. When I asked how they were getting on, the first thing they said was: "One thing I’ve noticed compared to back home..." (he was from the US) "...the racism here is a lot more covert than I’ve ever experienced." When he said that, I burst out laughing, shocked at how quickly he caught on compared to me and every other person of colour I know out here.

On a brighter note, Bristol ACS is certifiably good. The university cooperates with the society, so they often host events and try to foster a sense of community and a safe space. UWE ACS, on the other hand, is disorganised, but they try their best. Unfortunately, the university doesn’t seem to want it to exist and has tried to disband the society on more than one occasion for various reasons.

If you do decide to come, just know that you will meet good people. If you’re lucky, you may even meet your people, and you’ll have a blast. If you’ve gone to private school or are from a small town, this environment may not be much different from what you’re used to. However, I can’t imagine wanting to stay in such a setting.

Reply 6

adalovelace73

7

Original post by Anonymous

Hi all, I've been to all the open days and I really liked Bristol. Loved the course and that it's a city uni with nice harbour etc. HOWEVER.... I am so so torn. 2 major considerations really holding me back. Is it elitist or in reality is this not really visible?? Are the students friendly or is there a rich/posh stuck up atmosphere? I do not want to go somewhere where I do not feel comfortable! Also, it was clear that there wasnt a lot of diversity in terms of black representation. I am mixed race. It would be nice to feel comfortable. Is this an issue for any other black students that have been to Bristol Uni? Are there any good rnb student nights or is it all alternative music?? I'm so excited about uni but so conscious about making right decision as I've not enjoyed high school. Just want good vibes 😍. Liked Warwick too but it's just campus and not much else. Again has the rep of being boring for student life???

In terms of the elitism; yes, it exists, and you will probably notice it with some students while you're here making odd comments or being oblivious or whatever. But generally those kinds of students are concentrated in certain areas: the 'posh' halls, eg Wills; certain courses that attract that sort of person regardless of the uni, eg econ; and specific societies such as hockey and snow sports. Outside of those spaces, that kind of person is usually made fun of.

It may not be the most statistically diverse uni but you will find all sorts of people here, and depending on your circles, most people aren't elitist. The societies here are fantastic - so, so much choice, and they're mostly pretty active and friendly. So if you're finding lots of posh people in your hall or course, you can always try out different societies to find your people.
There's also the 93% club which is a society for students that went to state school - I haven't had a chance to try it out but I imagine it's got some nice people, and I think they get free stuff from companies.

So far I'm loving Bristol despite its reputation for posh students. The main thing it's got going for it is how much is always going on. In societies, in the city itself, in the nightlife and the community (although this may just seem that way to me as someone from a smaller town). This means that as long as you put a bit of effort in, there's always somewhere to be at all times of day, with all different types of people and activity.

I am white, so I am afraid I can't help with the experience of being Black here, but the post above mine is very informative.

Bristol Uni, would you recommend? Elitist or myth? Racist or myth?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Articles for you