University of Lancaster VS University of Birmingham as a geography student?

1

Hello! I'm currently struggling to decide between a geography degree at the University of Birmingham or the University of Lancaster. Currently my insurance choice will be the University of Gloucester because I managed to get an unconditional offer for the course, so now I'm left to decide which of the two will be my firm choice.
Grade wise Birmingham is one higher however I know that by choosing it as my first the AAB will go down to a ABB, which is the same as Lancaster, so its not about the actual grades I receive but rather the University itself. I have managed to visited them both on the open days and I found positives for both.
For me Birmingham is a bit closer to home (which is a positive in my case), and I also really loved the campus overall however the geography building itself I didn't get to have a look around (although from the outside it wasn't that impressive). In contrast Lancaster had an amazing new geography department building and the campus was nice as a whole as well. I know basing the choice of my University on buildings is a very shallow reason but I'm really struggling to decide and this seems to be one of the most determining factors at the moment.
In terms of the location within the local area I have driven round both Lancaster and Birmingham and I really did like both, It was my first time in Lancaster and it was very charming and I've visited Birmingham many times before so I know the area relatively well.
I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the social aspect of these universities, I will admit that I struggle meeting new people and have a bit of social anxiety around making new friends (its very stressful ahaha) although once a friendship is formed I'm all good. In this aspect I'm leaning more towards Birmingham just because of its relation towards home ( about an hour away) and the security I will therefore have with relation to family etc, but I also know that University is the time to reach out and be confident and independent so I'm worried in choosing Birmingham I'm only doing it for the security I think I will have instead of trying something new which might actually be better for me.
I suppose my question is whether anyone had any experience on the courses themselves in regards to quality of teaching, extra opportunities, student satisfaction and also pastoral care and support. Any advice on making a decision, especially when these universities are so closely tied in my head would be much appreciated ... Thanks for any help I receive! :smile:

Reply 1

totallyfine

12

Both are excellent choices and I doubt it will make much difference where you go in the end.
What about the modules on offer? Do they look more or less interesting going into years 2,3. Do either of them have any added extras that are interesting? (trips, courses abroad). Check out their society pages, what clubs are on offer. This is a great way to get into Uni life, so what would interest you?

Reply 2

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

18

Original post

by EmilyLF07

Hello! I'm currently struggling to decide between a geography degree at the University of Birmingham or the University of Lancaster. Currently my insurance choice will be the University of Gloucester because I managed to get an unconditional offer for the course, so now I'm left to decide which of the two will be my firm choice.
Grade wise Birmingham is one higher however I know that by choosing it as my first the AAB will go down to a ABB, which is the same as Lancaster, so its not about the actual grades I receive but rather the University itself. I have managed to visited them both on the open days and I found positives for both.
For me Birmingham is a bit closer to home (which is a positive in my case), and I also really loved the campus overall however the geography building itself I didn't get to have a look around (although from the outside it wasn't that impressive). In contrast Lancaster had an amazing new geography department building and the campus was nice as a whole as well. I know basing the choice of my University on buildings is a very shallow reason but I'm really struggling to decide and this seems to be one of the most determining factors at the moment.
In terms of the location within the local area I have driven round both Lancaster and Birmingham and I really did like both, It was my first time in Lancaster and it was very charming and I've visited Birmingham many times before so I know the area relatively well.
I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the social aspect of these universities, I will admit that I struggle meeting new people and have a bit of social anxiety around making new friends (its very stressful ahaha) although once a friendship is formed I'm all good. In this aspect I'm leaning more towards Birmingham just because of its relation towards home ( about an hour away) and the security I will therefore have with relation to family etc, but I also know that University is the time to reach out and be confident and independent so I'm worried in choosing Birmingham I'm only doing it for the security I think I will have instead of trying something new which might actually be better for me.
I suppose my question is whether anyone had any experience on the courses themselves in regards to quality of teaching, extra opportunities, student satisfaction and also pastoral care and support. Any advice on making a decision, especially when these universities are so closely tied in my head would be much appreciated ... Thanks for any help I receive! :smile:

Hi @EmilyLF07
I studied my undergraduate degree in Physical geography at Lancaster last year, and I'm currently studying a masters in Lancaster, so will try to give an insight into the geography department here at Lancaster.
Firstly, I love the course, the modules were engaging, with lots of opportunity for practical work either on fieldtrips or in the labs, which really helped with the overall learning experience, as i find you get a deeper understanding for the processes that are occurring by viewing them for yourself. I also really enjoyed the flexibility of the course in later years too, first year tended to be a broad overview of lots of different geographical areas to give everyone the same understanding, then in second and third year there was quite a lot of freedom in term of what modules you could pick. This meant that some people enjoyed studying a broad range of modules from both the human and physical sides or you have the option to specialize in an area, which is what i chose to do, specializing around water management (eg. river and coasts). I would recommend looking at the modules you could expect to study on both of the courses at Lancaster and Birmingham, to see if any modules interest you more as this is one of the areas i based my final university decision around. Lancaster's modules can be found here Geography BSc Hons (F800) - Lancaster University.
Another great thing about geography at Lancaster is the range of fieldtrips you are able to go on. In my first 2 years, there were lots of opportunities for local fieldtrips in the Lake district and Yorkshire dales, with more far away field trips in 3rd year. Personally, i went to Slapton in Devon to study catchment hydrology but i also had friends who travelled to Croatia, Mount Etna and the Isle of Mull, there were lots of opportunities available.
As you mentioned, the geography department at Lancaster is a lovely building, which i really enjoy studying in, there's the atrium which is the main place people study in the department which is a chilled collaborate study space. Also, the department has lots of fantastic facilities in terms of the different labs and what you are able to study in them.
Also, the department has our own society called LECSOC, which consist of students studying geography, ecology, environmental science ect. and runs lots of events throughout the year, with guest speakers, conservation work as well as lots of fun activities (they even have their own netball team), which is a great way to meet people in the department in a more social setting.
The local area around Lancaster is really nice, with the campus being set in the countryside with lots of nice walks around campus. Equally the city center is historic and has a real community feel with a wide selection of shops, cafes and nightlife, there is lots to get involved in within the city.
Also, i would say the social experience here at Lancaster is great, with a wide variety of activities to get involved with. Lancaster is one of only a few universities in the UK to have colleges, which i found a really nice way to make friends and meet new people. Basically, everyone in your first year accommodation was part of the same college, which meant that i got to live with students studying a wide variety of degrees which was nice. The colleges run lots of events throughout the year like quizzes, live music, crafting nights, nights out, with lots of activities during freshers week to allow you to meet lots of new people. Also at Lancaster we have over 150 different societies which also act as a great way to meet people, as everyone there has the same interest which usually makes it easiest to create conversation and make friends.
If you have anymore questions about the department or studying at Lancaster, feel free to ask!
-Jasmine (Lancaster Student Ambassador)

University of Lancaster VS University of Birmingham as a geography student?

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