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Nottingham or Bournemouth uni?

I'm applying to arts unis in both places but I'm wondering which one would offer better student life.
How diverse and accepting are they?
What is there to do in Bournemouth? Are there any good clubs etc?

Reply 1

🤩 Bournemouth vs. Nottingham for Arts - Student Life Post 🎨
Hey! That's a super interesting subject choice, and good luck with your applications! I study Physiotherapy, so I can give you some general info about Bournemouth life, which I think would be super appealing for an Arts student.

☀️ Why Bournemouth Wins for Creativity
While Nottingham is a great city, Bournemouth offers something truly unique for creatives, especially if you're looking at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB):

AUB is a Creative Hub: You're not just a section of a bigger uni; AUB is like a mini university completely dedicated to the arts. This means you'll have modern, cutting-edge technology and equipment specifically designed to assist your academic and creative journey. 💡

Arts by the Sea Festival: Bournemouth hosts the annual Arts By The Sea Festival! 🌊 This is a massive, free celebration of arts, culture, and creativity, featuring large-scale installations, street theatre, diverse music, and more, taking over the town centre and seafront. It's an incredible source of inspiration and a great way to get involved in the local art scene.

🗺️ Endless Inspiration & Diversity

Coastal Beauty & Landmarks: The whole Down South area is beautiful! You're right on the doorstep of incredible natural spots like the New Forest and the world-famous Jurassic Coast (perfect for portfolio ideas and inspiration!).

Town Hopping & Different Vibes: Bournemouth itself is gorgeous, and its neighbouring towns (Boscombe, Southbourne, Westbourne, Winton) all have different, cool vibes. You can literally hop to another town in a blink of an eye—you'll never be bored exploring! 🏘️

Diversity & Acceptance: Bournemouth is a very diverse and welcoming place. The universities work hard to create an inclusive environment, and the town itself has a good mix of cultures. The Arts by the Sea Festival, for instance, puts inclusivity and diversity at the heart of everything they do.

🥳 Nightlife & Things to Do

Nightlife Variety: From what I've heard, you're spoilt for choice when it comes to nightlife! Students often say they haven't even fully explored everywhere by the time they graduate.

The Old Fire Station 🔥 is owned by the Students' Union and hosts exclusive student nights like Lollipop Friday and other themed events like Suddenly Funk.

You'll find a great variety of other clubs like Cameo (great for societies), and BarSo , Barbara's Bier Haus .

Bars & Socialising: If clubs aren't your thing, there are loads of great bars in the different areas I mentioned, like Westbourne and Southbourne. Think of places like The Botanist , Be At One , Slugs and Lettuce or Turtle Bay with their happy hours! 🍹

Transport: The great bus routes make it super easy to get around Bournemouth, Dorset, and the neighbouring towns for a great bar or club hop. 🚌

🏡 Accommodation
AUB has fancy accommodation available both on campus and in the Lansdowne town centre area, with excellent transport links. You've got lots of great options, like en-suite rooms and studios, often with free gym access and great social spaces!
I know a few students who came to AUB from my high school up north, and they achieved outstanding grades and have really developed their skills there. It's a fantastic place to grow as an artist!
Hope this helps with your decision!

Reply 2

Original post
by v3louria
I'm applying to arts unis in both places but I'm wondering which one would offer better student life.
How diverse and accepting are they?
What is there to do in Bournemouth? Are there any good clubs etc?
In terms of picking a city and university id encourage you to think very holistically.

The most important question, does either course offer significantly improved graduate prospects in what you want for your career. Ultimately universities is step 1 on what will likely be a 50 year career. So make sure you’re opening the doors you want

How is cost of living different (is this important to you)

Does it geographically work well for you

Can you do the hobbies and non-academic activities you want to try, university is also a great time to build broad experiences (I always encourage people to get some leadership experiences, volunteering and other valuable activities that you can do whilst you have lots of time, it’s much tougher after uni to do this stuff)

What do you need from the city: Nottingham certainly a much larger city so has more bars/clubs/restaurants and near the Peak District if you like nature and hiking but Bournemouth is smaller and coastal which brings in marine based hobbies and wildlife

(edited 1 month ago)

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