University Comparison
Hi! I've applied to Bath, Southampton, Reading, Exeter and Cardiff and have received offers from all except Bath which I'm still waiting on. From the open days, I liked Bath and Southampton best, followed by Reading. Bath is probably my top choice if I get in however I'm starting to have doubts as I've heard the nightlife is a bit dead (I know I can always take the train down to Bristol but worried I won't find fun people or a party crowd if I go to a "boring" uni), cost of living is very expensive and it's difficult to find accomodation- theres also no ASDA ;(. Southampton was probably my second because of the course but I'm swaying more towards Reading as the campus and buildings are prettier, I've heard similar things about both and have an impression that they are averagely fun for a night out, maybe a bit *****y in the town, obviously they have a bit less prestige than Bath but I don't know if that really matters. Let me know if anyone has any thoughts/contributions or would share their experiences. Thanks!
Original post
by owolfcallejaHi! I've applied to Bath, Southampton, Reading, Exeter and Cardiff and have received offers from all except Bath which I'm still waiting on. From the open days, I liked Bath and Southampton best, followed by Reading. Bath is probably my top choice if I get in however I'm starting to have doubts as I've heard the nightlife is a bit dead (I know I can always take the train down to Bristol but worried I won't find fun people or a party crowd if I go to a "boring" uni), cost of living is very expensive and it's difficult to find accomodation- theres also no ASDA ;(. Southampton was probably my second because of the course but I'm swaying more towards Reading as the campus and buildings are prettier, I've heard similar things about both and have an impression that they are averagely fun for a night out, maybe a bit *****y in the town, obviously they have a bit less prestige than Bath but I don't know if that really matters. Let me know if anyone has any thoughts/contributions or would share their experiences. Thanks!
You haven't mentioned the course you'd be taking. Will the suitability of any of those universities for your particular course not factor into your decision-making? Or have you already decided that they're relatively similar on that front?
Reply 2
20
There is an ASDA in Bath (London Rd) but that seems a very odd reason to choose a Uni.
As above - remember that its the course that you study everyday for the next 3 or 4 years, not 'the pretty buildings'.
As above - remember that its the course that you study everyday for the next 3 or 4 years, not 'the pretty buildings'.
Reply 3
Original post
by owolfcallejaHi! I've applied to Bath, Southampton, Reading, Exeter and Cardiff and have received offers from all except Bath which I'm still waiting on. From the open days, I liked Bath and Southampton best, followed by Reading. Bath is probably my top choice if I get in however I'm starting to have doubts as I've heard the nightlife is a bit dead (I know I can always take the train down to Bristol but worried I won't find fun people or a party crowd if I go to a "boring" uni), cost of living is very expensive and it's difficult to find accomodation- theres also no ASDA ;(. Southampton was probably my second because of the course but I'm swaying more towards Reading as the campus and buildings are prettier, I've heard similar things about both and have an impression that they are averagely fun for a night out, maybe a bit *****y in the town, obviously they have a bit less prestige than Bath but I don't know if that really matters. Let me know if anyone has any thoughts/contributions or would share their experiences. Thanks!
Hi there!
As others have said, it is your course which is most important, however I understand that lots of other things do come into your decision and I also factored in things like nightlife when making my decision!
I would say that if you really want to go to Bath then you should do it! I think that Bath would be decent for nightlife and it's also just a really nice place in general! As you said, you could always get the train to Bristol and you will meet lots of similar people I am sure who are up for doing this! I am sure there will be places to go out in town though and you will meet like minded people.
I would have a look and see what the accommodation is like - are there any that are generally seen as more lively accommodation? If so, maybe think about applying for this halls as you will meet people who are wanting to socialise and go out with you. This way, you get the best of both worlds.
As for cost of living, you will likely find that lots of Uni's down south are fairly expensive so if all your choices are southern, don't let this be the main reason for not picking Bath as your other options are likely to be quite expensive too.
I hope some of this helps
Lucy -SHU student ambassador.
Reply 4
20
Original post
by owolfcallejathank you! thats really helpful x
"I think that Bath would be decent for nightlife."
Have they even been to Bath?
"are there any that are generally seen as more lively accommodation?"
And how exactly are you supposed to deduce thar?
Reply 5
There's obviously a lot of factors to consider when choosing which university you want to attend. As others have mentioned above, principal among them would probably be the course itself and maybe the respective quality of the department as compared to other universities. In my experience, the vibe of the campus and/or city you will be staying in should be taken into consideration as well since you'll be spending a lot of time there - this was a big swaying factor in my decision when I went to university. And though you may have heard negative things about Bath's nightlife, I think it's fair to say that you will find other students that are up for a good time.
If you list out the factors that you're considering (course, university "prestige", atmosphere on campus/town, quality of the student accommodation, nightlife, etc. etc.) and order them in terms of your priorities, it might help you with the decision.
If you list out the factors that you're considering (course, university "prestige", atmosphere on campus/town, quality of the student accommodation, nightlife, etc. etc.) and order them in terms of your priorities, it might help you with the decision.
Reply 6
Original post
by owolfcallejaHi! I've applied to Bath, Southampton, Reading, Exeter and Cardiff and have received offers from all except Bath which I'm still waiting on. From the open days, I liked Bath and Southampton best, followed by Reading. Bath is probably my top choice if I get in however I'm starting to have doubts as I've heard the nightlife is a bit dead (I know I can always take the train down to Bristol but worried I won't find fun people or a party crowd if I go to a "boring" uni), cost of living is very expensive and it's difficult to find accomodation- theres also no ASDA ;(. Southampton was probably my second because of the course but I'm swaying more towards Reading as the campus and buildings are prettier, I've heard similar things about both and have an impression that they are averagely fun for a night out, maybe a bit *****y in the town, obviously they have a bit less prestige than Bath but I don't know if that really matters. Let me know if anyone has any thoughts/contributions or would share their experiences. Thanks!
Hiya there,
Sorry I'm coming to this a bit late. Fab that you've got 4/5 of your decisions and apologies you're having to wait on us - just bear with us, we'll get back to you and there's no pressure to make your decisions until June.
I completely understand your concerns about Bath's nightlife - it won't be as bustling as somewhere like Bristol, Liverpool or Manchester but there are a few really fun nightclubs in the city centre such as Labrynth, Komedia, the Second Bridge and Moles (as well as a Spoons) - all of which do student nights in the week. On your point about people judging you for going to a 'boring' uni the impression I get is that as long as you click with people and can have a nice time and have things in common they won't really care what uni you go to!
As has been said I'd recommend making your choice based first and foremost on the content of the course and whether the content is right for you, your interests and any ideas you have about where you want to get to in future. One thing I'd say is great about Bath for this is that you get the chance to do a year-long placement which will add its weight in gold to your CV when you graduate and give you a chance to have a break from studying and earn some money in a professional role for a year.
Secondly, what kind of city you'd want to live in? One thing that reassured me about Bath was that its currently ranked second safest city in the UK. However theres also a fair few places to visit such as the local pubs, the green parks, the royal crescent, oldy-worldy tearooms, street food stalls, theres also a place for axe throwing if you wanted to try something a bit mad and different.
I hope this helps from a Bath perspective but let us know if you have any more questions!
Holly
University of Bath
Reply 7
Original post
by owolfcallejaHi! I've applied to Bath, Southampton, Reading, Exeter and Cardiff and have received offers from all except Bath which I'm still waiting on. From the open days, I liked Bath and Southampton best, followed by Reading. Bath is probably my top choice if I get in however I'm starting to have doubts as I've heard the nightlife is a bit dead (I know I can always take the train down to Bristol but worried I won't find fun people or a party crowd if I go to a "boring" uni), cost of living is very expensive and it's difficult to find accomodation- theres also no ASDA ;(. Southampton was probably my second because of the course but I'm swaying more towards Reading as the campus and buildings are prettier, I've heard similar things about both and have an impression that they are averagely fun for a night out, maybe a bit *****y in the town, obviously they have a bit less prestige than Bath but I don't know if that really matters. Let me know if anyone has any thoughts/contributions or would share their experiences. Thanks!
Hi @owolfcalleja
I hope you're doing well.
It is so great to hear that Reading is one of your options! I can understand that this is a really difficult decision to make when the courses are all really good. I can definitely see the need for looking at other factors to differentiate between the different unis.
I can tell you a little bit about why I chose to go to Reading if that would be helpful! The pretty campus was definitely a huge pull for me. The campus is very green and has lots of wildlife which makes living and studying there really nice. The school of psychology in particular is in a very scenic location on campus with lots of lovely walks nearby. I also liked that even though the campus is very pretty and peaceful, there is a busy and exciting town centre so nearby. It makes it the perfect balance of peaceful, but still fun and busy with lots of things to do.
Another thing I loved, and still do love, is that it's so close to London. The train gets from Reading to Paddington in under 25 minutes so it is so easy to have a day or night out there if you would like to.
I don't personally go out out very much as it's not really my thing, but there are a number of options for clubs and pubs both on and off campus. 3sixty is the club on campus and is hugely popular with students so tends to be the go-to, but people do also go into town.
Finding accommodation is something I have not heard anyone having issues with, and there is also an ASDA! The bus actually goes straight from the uni to ASDA as it's so popular with the students. There are also plenty of other affordable supermarket options like Aldi, Lidl and Tesco.
I can't comment on whether the prestige is likely to matter in the long run unfortunately, but I would just consider what you would like from your university experience. As you have said, you are living there as well as studying so it is so important to love the whole experience.
Wishing you the best with making this tricky decision! If you have any more questions, please just let us know and we would be very happy to try and answer them.
Hattie😊
4MSci Speech and Language Therapy
Reply 8
Honestly, it does depend on the course, but from what I’ve seen and heard, most courses here are taught really well. The uni puts a lot of effort into making sure students are supported, and I’ve had a really good experience so far in terms of teaching and staff being approachable.
Now, about the nightlife Southampton is definitely not boring! There’s something going on pretty much every night if you're up for it. Some of the main club nights are:
I’ve been to a few, and honestly, they’ve been some of the best nights of my life, haha. The SU also throws their own club nights and events, and we’ve got karaoke nights with great drink deals that are so much fun. I’ve met some amazing people just by going out and attending uni events, so if you're worried about finding fun or social crowds, you'll be fine here!
The campus is lovely too, definitely check out our Instagram if you haven’t already. Freshers are guaranteed accommodation, and most halls are only about 15–20 minutes from the city centre by bus (and the bus pass is included in your halls fees). Cost of living isn’t too bad in first year since your rent includes bills and WiFi, so your main expenses are groceries (and drinks for nights out, let’s be real ). And yes we do have an ASDA
If Southampton felt like a good fit for you on the open day, I’d say trust your gut!
– Tanisha, BSc Criminology and Psychology
Now, about the nightlife Southampton is definitely not boring! There’s something going on pretty much every night if you're up for it. Some of the main club nights are:
•
Sobar Tuesdays
•
Switch Wednesdays
•
Trilogy Thursdays
The campus is lovely too, definitely check out our Instagram if you haven’t already. Freshers are guaranteed accommodation, and most halls are only about 15–20 minutes from the city centre by bus (and the bus pass is included in your halls fees). Cost of living isn’t too bad in first year since your rent includes bills and WiFi, so your main expenses are groceries (and drinks for nights out, let’s be real ). And yes we do have an ASDA
If Southampton felt like a good fit for you on the open day, I’d say trust your gut!
– Tanisha, BSc Criminology and Psychology
(edited 9 months ago)
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