Highly regarded universities for computer science

Hello, I would like to know the best universities for computer science that will not put too much pressure on me. Should i go off of league table position. As well as other metrics such as student satisfaction and graduate prospects. I am currently in the university of Essex. It is fine but I wish to study in another county apart from Essex. So please what are the best alternatives that will not induce too much mental stress on my part but are still highly regarded by employers?

I am thinking of Bath, Bristol, Loughborough, Southampton and Nottingham. Any advice would be helpful 🙏🏾

Reply 1

StuRepAbian

Official Rep

Original post

by chinuaynd

Hello, I would like to know the best universities for computer science that will not put too much pressure on me. Should i go off of league table position. As well as other metrics such as student satisfaction and graduate prospects. I am currently in the university of Essex. It is fine but I wish to study in another county apart from Essex. So please what are the best alternatives that will not induce too much mental stress on my part but are still highly regarded by employers?
I am thinking of Bath, Bristol, Loughborough, Southampton and Nottingham. Any advice would be helpful 🙏🏾

Hello @chinuaynd!

Your job opportunities are bound to very attached to your attitude, approach and the manner by which you may articulate your skills and experience thus far. Some unis have good alumni (graduate) links which can helpful in some case. Nonetheless, irrespective of whichever university you choose, I would suggest that engaging with the careers team could be very useful!

Likewise, you may look at things like the NSS (National Student Survey) outcomes for the universities that you have listed. By doing so, you may get an idea of what students felt about the course and the university in general. However, it is worth considering that most students will not have another university experience to compare it to. Another option is to look at the content covered by the potential modules that you may study to help your decision making process.

Best of luck,
Abian.

Reply 2

McGinger

Original post

by chinuaynd

Hello, I would like to know the best universities for computer science that will not put too much pressure on me. Should i go off of league table position. As well as other metrics such as student satisfaction and graduate prospects. I am currently in the university of Essex. It is fine but I wish to study in another county apart from Essex. So please what are the best alternatives that will not induce too much mental stress on my part but are still highly regarded by employers?
I am thinking of Bath, Bristol, Loughborough, Southampton and Nottingham. Any advice would be helpful 🙏🏾

Ignore rankings and league-tables - they can never tell you if you will enjoy that course or like being at that Uni.
Look at the optional course units for all years of each course and think about what you want to study fir 3 or 4 years - and for CS, a course with any sort of work placement will greatly add to your graduate job chances. go to Open Days, look around, ask questions, and think about where you will feel happiest.

Reply 3

chinuaynd

Original post

by McGinger

Very true. I will most definitely do a placement year. Both Bath and Loughborough don't have optional modules until year 3, while Essex has optional modules in years 2 and 3. I really want to get involved in game development and animation while still studying computer sci. Both Bath and Loughborough have some sort of animation/visual computing module, while Essex has a game development module that could involve learning about computer-generated animation.

Reply 4

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post

by chinuaynd

Hello, I would like to know the best universities for computer science that will not put too much pressure on me. Should i go off of league table position. As well as other metrics such as student satisfaction and graduate prospects. I am currently in the university of Essex. It is fine but I wish to study in another county apart from Essex. So please what are the best alternatives that will not induce too much mental stress on my part but are still highly regarded by employers?
I am thinking of Bath, Bristol, Loughborough, Southampton and Nottingham. Any advice would be helpful 🙏🏾

Hello!

Everyone is different and it is very difficult to judge whether the university is the right fit for you by looking at the metrics available online. I would echo the previous responses in that the league tables should not be your primary determining factor, although the university statistics are worth looking at.

From my personal experience, the best way to get to know a university is by attending an Open Day and talking to the students. When selecting universities to apply to and attending Open Days, I had instances where I either felt a sense of belonging and excitement or where the university had not left any lasting impression on me at all.
It is also good to try and engage with current students - try reaching out and asking questions via UniBuddy or the course websites: these allow you to have 1-1 private chat conversations with the students studying your course of interest at the university.

As a 3rd year student studying Computer Science at Lancaster University, I can highly recommend the university and the course, if you are looking for a practical and enjoyable course and a fantastic career support program. There is a lot of flexibility thanks to being able to select from a range of optional modules in years 2 and 3, as well as switch between different degree pathways until year 2 (e.g. switching from BSc Computer Science to BSc Cyber Security or Software Engineering). The academics are very approachable and I ended up almost "making friends" with some of the lecturers and teaching assistants. I think overall, the university has a very homely and welcoming campus and creates a positive and inclusive community feel, which certainly helps with the mental health aspect of university life.

Furthermore, the career support is very accessible and diverse, ranging from 1-1 CV checks, interview workshops, career advice sessions, mentoring opportunities, and micro-internships within the university. For example, I had a wonderful opportunity to work flexibly part-time as an Innovations developer for a local charity and a Back-end developer at the university's IT team: a great way to gain relevant industry skills, learn, and earn extra income alongside my studies.

Unfortunately, I cannot speak for other universities, but I did hear good things about Nottingham and Sheffield from my friends who are studying for different degrees there. I would encourage you to visit the universities you are curious about and/or get in touch with the students or the department 🙂

Here is a link to the Lancaster University's UniBuddy page if you wish to chat to one of our CompSci students: Ask a Student - Lancaster University

Best wishes and best of luck with your university choices!

Polina,
Lancaster University Computer Science Student Ambassador.

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