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Torn between Leeds or Exeter geology Bsc

I'm struggling to decide between the University of Leeds and the University of Exeter. I'm carefully considering my options, but I'm unsure which course would be the better choice. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Reply 1

EuropeanIAm

Weather is a lot nicer in Exeter. Helps the mood.

(edited 2 months ago)

Reply 2

BetaVersion2.9

Look at where your interests lie. Exeter (Camborne school of mines) has a focus on mining geology. Leeds uni has a strong geophysics research group and overlaps with environmental science.

Reply 3

ExeterStudentRep

Official Rep

Original post by Geobaz

Hi Geobaz,

It's great to hear that you're thinking about studying Geology at the University of Exeter.

As already mentioned in this thread, if you were to study at the University of Exeter you'd be part of our Camborne School of Mines based at our Penryn Campus in Cornwall. I think it's important to do you research into the course and compare it to the degree at Leeds to see which one contains the most modules that interest you, as not every Geology degree will be the same and it can be quite a diverse subject to study.

As both Exeter and Leeds are research intensive universities, each course will be slightly different based on the research interests and expertise of the academics at each institution. You can find out more about the Geology course at Exeter here - in particular make sure to look through the Course Content tab that will break down exactly what you will study in each year of the degree, and look for extra opportunities such as fieldwork or summer placements.

As part of the Camborne School of Mines you will also be part of a department with an exceptional international reputation in Geology / Earth Sciences, and join an alumni network that has been established for over 100 years. You can find out more about being part of CSM here, but it includes lots of unique opportunities like being able to take part in the International Mining Games or compete in the annual Bottle Match varsity games against the Royal School of Mines (now part of Imperial College London).

Alongside considering the academic and professional opportunities available at each university that you're considering, I'd also encourage you to think about what kind of student lifestyle you want to live. Leeds and Falmouth will be quite different places to live, so think about whether you'd prefer living in a larger city or a coastal town. If your idea of a good weekend involves clubbing to the early hours of the morning, Leeds is likely a better choice, but if you'd rather go for a surf or beach BBQ, then the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus would be perfect. Remember that you're not just going to these places to study for three or four years, but to live and hopefully have a great time too!

I hope that helps give you some things to consider with your decision, but let me know if you have any further questions. I've been a student at the Penryn Campus for almost a decade now - all the way from my undergrad to PhD! - and I've had lots of friends study Geology / other CSM courses during that time. I couldn't recommend studying in Cornwall enough, but ultimately it has to be the right decision for you as an individual.

Kingsley
University of Exeter Student Ambassador

Reply 4

Geobaz

Original post by ExeterStudentRep

Hi Geobaz,
It's great to hear that you're thinking about studying Geology at the University of Exeter.
As already mentioned in this thread, if you were to study at the University of Exeter you'd be part of our Camborne School of Mines based at our Penryn Campus in Cornwall. I think it's important to do you research into the course and compare it to the degree at Leeds to see which one contains the most modules that interest you, as not every Geology degree will be the same and it can be quite a diverse subject to study.
As both Exeter and Leeds are research intensive universities, each course will be slightly different based on the research interests and expertise of the academics at each institution. You can find out more about the Geology course at Exeter here - in particular make sure to look through the Course Content tab that will break down exactly what you will study in each year of the degree, and look for extra opportunities such as fieldwork or summer placements.
As part of the Camborne School of Mines you will also be part of a department with an exceptional international reputation in Geology / Earth Sciences, and join an alumni network that has been established for over 100 years. You can find out more about being part of CSM here, but it includes lots of unique opportunities like being able to take part in the International Mining Games or compete in the annual Bottle Match varsity games against the Royal School of Mines (now part of Imperial College London).
Alongside considering the academic and professional opportunities available at each university that you're considering, I'd also encourage you to think about what kind of student lifestyle you want to live. Leeds and Falmouth will be quite different places to live, so think about whether you'd prefer living in a larger city or a coastal town. If your idea of a good weekend involves clubbing to the early hours of the morning, Leeds is likely a better choice, but if you'd rather go for a surf or beach BBQ, then the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus would be perfect. Remember that you're not just going to these places to study for three or four years, but to live and hopefully have a great time too!
I hope that helps give you some things to consider with your decision, but let me know if you have any further questions. I've been a student at the Penryn Campus for almost a decade now - all the way from my undergrad to PhD! - and I've had lots of friends study Geology / other CSM courses during that time. I couldn't recommend studying in Cornwall enough, but ultimately it has to be the right decision for you as an individual.
Kingsley
University of Exeter Student Ambassador

Thanks for your lengthy response—it really helped me understand more about what Exeter offers. I’ve been thinking things over, and I’ve got a few more questions that I’d really appreciate your insight on.

I’ve been looking at the modules at both Exeter and Leeds, and I think I’m leaning more towards Leeds in terms of what interests me. How flexible is the course at Exeter when it comes to choosing modules? Would I have room to explore different areas of geology before deciding what to focus on?

Since the campus is smaller, does that limit opportunities for things like networking, research projects, or student-led academic events? I really like the idea of a close-knit community, but do you think the smaller student body ever feels restrictive when it comes to making new friends and meeting different people?

I know Exeter is well-known for mining and environmental geology, but what about fields like structural geology, tectonics, or energy-related geology? Do students from Penryn still have good career prospects in industries like oil, gas, or geological research outside of mining?

I just want to make sure I’m making the best decision for both the course and my overall experience, so any insight would be really helpful! Thanks you again

Reply 5

ExeterStudentRep

Official Rep

Original post by Geobaz

Thanks for your lengthy response—it really helped me understand more about what Exeter offers. I’ve been thinking things over, and I’ve got a few more questions that I’d really appreciate your insight on.
I’ve been looking at the modules at both Exeter and Leeds, and I think I’m leaning more towards Leeds in terms of what interests me. How flexible is the course at Exeter when it comes to choosing modules? Would I have room to explore different areas of geology before deciding what to focus on?
Since the campus is smaller, does that limit opportunities for things like networking, research projects, or student-led academic events? I really like the idea of a close-knit community, but do you think the smaller student body ever feels restrictive when it comes to making new friends and meeting different people?
I know Exeter is well-known for mining and environmental geology, but what about fields like structural geology, tectonics, or energy-related geology? Do students from Penryn still have good career prospects in industries like oil, gas, or geological research outside of mining?
I just want to make sure I’m making the best decision for both the course and my overall experience, so any insight would be really helpful! Thanks you again

Hi Geobaz,

I'm glad the information has been helpful to you!

Generally our CSM degrees tend to have slightly less flexibility than our other University of Exeter degrees, as a lot of the final year modules require specific pre-requisites to be taken in the first and second year. Saying that, if you look at the 'Course Content' tab online you will see that there are optional modules in final year, for example CSM3061 Energy Resource Geology which may be particularly of interest to you given you've mentioned careers in oil and gas above.

Despite not having as much module choice, the BSc Geology degree is still really broad (again, check through the modules here) so that you'll be exposed to lots of different areas of the subject before deciding upon your research project or your post-graduate career options. You could also compare BSc Geology with our other Earth and Environmental Sciences Degrees to see if any of the others offer more modules that would interest you.

I've never felt limited by the size of the campus at all, and I think it actually lends itself to more opportunities rather than less. Being in smaller class sizes means it's much easier to get to know the rest of your cohort at a deeper level, and be recognised and appreciated as an individually by the academics (rather than just another face in the back of a 200+ lecture theatre). I think that's also reinforced further through the emphasis on practical fieldwork too. Those kind of personal relationships are really important at university as it can directly lead to more opportunities - my own Masters and PhD I don't think would've happened without having the opportunity to really get to know my current supervisor in 2nd year lectures and practicals.

The University of Exeter's Penryn Campus is also shared with Falmouth University - a specialist arts institution - which means in total there are approximately 7000 students or so in the town. There's lots of ways to meet people, from accommodation, lectures/practicals and Sports and Societies. Having the mix of more 'academic' Exeter students, and more creative Falmouth students makes the campus a really diverse and interesting place, and in almost 10 years of studying here I've not found it restrictive at all.

Talking of societies, on the previous webpage you'll notice lots that are especially focused towards geology students. This includes CSM Students Association, CSM Economic Geologists Student Chapter and Women in Mining Chapter. These societies will regularly put on events such as socials, networking and career development opportunities. For example, take a look at the CSM Student's Association webpage here - which will give you more insight into just how global and diverse the CSM alumni network is - including lots of former graduates working in oil, gas and other areas of geological research.

As an Exeter student you'll also have access to our university wide Career Zone, who can provide advice and support on things such as CV writing, interview techniques, job applications and more. If you have specific careers in mind, you also might be interested in accessing the Career Mentor Scheme, where you'll be paired with an Exeter alumni in that sector to help provide insight and advice for getting a job in that field.

Finally you can find out more about the broad research focus on the department on the webpage here. Although the name CSM reflects the mining history of the school (and Cornwall as a whole) our reputation and research definitely extends beyond that into other fields of geology too!

I hope that's helped, but once again, don't hesitate to ask if you've got any further questions. I appreciate it's a big decision to make and worth doing your due dilligence!

Kingsley
University of Exeter Student Ambassador