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plymouth vs chester university?

im looking at going to either Chester or Plymouth university to study zoology. ive been to open days for both and loved them both however Plymouth seemed the best for me. the catch is Plymouth is over 4 hours away from home and Chester is only an hour and a half. any help would be appreciated to make this huge decision.

Reply 1

PG Study Chester

Official Rep

Original post by meg.c97

Hi Meg,

It is so good that you’re considering joining us at Chester university, it’s a brilliant university, as I’m sure you discovered at the open day that you attended. I can’t speak for Plymouth but I know that Chester has an excellent reputation for STEM subjects and the science departments are really great.

As important as the course delivery itself is, Chester university also offers a fantastic student experience. The student support departments are really invaluable as I’m sure you found out during your visit, the library offers a subject librarian for each subject which is really helpful for research. The academic skills team is also available to offer support in everything from time management, note taking, academic reading and researching skills, writing skills as well as data analysis etc. away from the academic support, there are finance and accommodation departments, as well as a team that is devoted to student well being and mental health. The Student Union is really visible on campus with all of the committee members taking an active role in organising campaigns all for the good of students and making our student experience brilliant. One really big thing that the union and the university as a whole is establishing is the Student Voice so as to make sure every student’s voice can be heard. The union holds loads of fun events on a regular basis, so you will always find something going on, and then there are all the clubs and societies on offer to join!

Away from the university, we have Chester zoo and the zoo keepers and scientists often collaborate with students at Chester and come on to campus to give talks. As a zoology student I’m sure you will find opportunities to get involved with collaborative projects. The university is a hedgehog friendly campus and students can volunteer with this - we are now encouraging more and more native species onto campus and it’s so much fun to work on this project.

As well as the zoo, the Cheshire wildlife trust has reserves nearby to volunteer and visit, as well as the Dee Estuary and other RSPB reserves.

Chester as a city is great - it’s small for a city but jam packed with loads of restaurants catering for every global cuisine and dietary requirement, the high street has all the major shops and there are 2 cinemas and a brilliant theatre that doubles as a lovely cafe, study space (we regularly use it) and Library. There is also a race course. The main campus is only a 10 minute walk from the city centre.

I hope I’ve given you a bit more information that you might find useful,
If you would like to know anything else please just as,!
Jess
PhD English
University of Chester

Reply 2

University of Plymouth Undergraduate Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by meg.c97

Hi there! 😊 Glad to hear you're considering Plymouth for Zoology! It's the subject I study and absolutely love it. The course has a great range of modules, practicals and learning styles, as well as friendly staff and interesting assessments. The field trips (including to Kenya) are great fun too and useful for putting things into practice into real habitats. I'm currently on placement year in South Africa so if you have any questions about taking a sandwich year in industry, feel free to let me know too!

Plymouth is about 4-5 hours away from home for me too but it's an ideal distance for me as it's far enough to have some nice independence living away from home, but close enough to get there fairly easy by good rail links, affordable coaches, or driving. It's a lovely city and that's one of the main reasons I chose the uni- the walks along the coastline, Dartmoor, student-friendly city, and transport/walkability, were all a plus for me!

If you have any questions about the course or anything in general feel free to reach out! 🤩

-Alfie, University of Plymouth Undergraduate Student Rep