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Birmingham v Sheffield for politics and IR

I’m struggling to decide whether Birmingham or Sheffield is the right option for me. I’ve done Chemistry Biology and Economics for a levels and achieved ABC respectively and only now, in my gap year, have I decided I don’t want to do STEM in uni so i’m planning on applying to sheffield or birmingham in clearing because they're most likely to have international relations in clearing. I am also resitting biology and most likely getting an A*.

I have strong intentions on going on a year abroad to sciences po in paris which birmingham has a stronger partnership with than sheffield but birmingham is lower ranked for the course. I feel like the course quality and uni ranking is most important to me but they're both lower ranked than unis I’d prefer and I dont have much uni choice at this point.

my plan as of now is to get a 1st honours in my undergraduate degree with a 1st in my year abroad then do my PGDL at ulaw bloomsbury then my MJur at oxford, all to aim for top barristers chambers in london at the end.

I know I’m starting from a low point, especially because majority of barristers are oxbridge alumni, but I’m willing to make the effort in the coming years to make up for the wasted time, and i want to go to a good uni that is attractive and reputable for my postgraduate studies and career aspirations.

I also have to account for costs as well for my undergrad specifically, i’m getting £9k from sfe but i need to think about rent and cost of living when i’m there as well because the rent in sheffield is around £6-7k and birmingham is £5-6k for the accommodations im looking at. And I also want a good social life as well, like i dont want my university experience to be majority work because i still want to enjoy the city and the nightlife.

I’ve tried to weigh the pros and cons but i’m still struggling to see which is better. Is there a better university that i haven't considered? is there a clear winner between sheffield and birmingham?

Reply 1

McGinger

Don't worry about League Tables and 'rankings' - its all a bit daft, even academics don't take these seriously, and any perceivable difference between these two top Unis is not going to impact your degree / career etc in any meaningful way. For postgrad, Unis really are not bothered about 'which Uni' - they are interested in a First or 2i, a solid application statement and two good, supportive references. And, Law firms are increasingly recruiting 'Uni blind' and 'I went to Oxbridge' is no longer an automatic passport to a privileged career or lifelong happiness.

Obviously your course choices are going to be determined by what is actually available in Clearing - remember that Unis usually publish their Clearing vacancies on their websites the evening before Results Day so this will give you extra time to look at the course content and make some more informed decisions rather than just going into a spin on Results Day morning. And, once you have gathered some offers, you then have until 1pm before you can actually enter your final choice on UCAS, which again gives you time to think/consider.