Psychology Undergrads at Bristol, Why Bristol?

Hello, I am currently stuck between choosing Bristol Durham and Bath for Psychology.

I am very drawn to Bristol as it is a city uni, near home and I love the city itself and all the things to do in it. It’s very much my vibe, especially for its Arts scene. Bath and Durham on the other hand, I fear don’t offer as much experience in their cities.

However, unlike Bath and Durham, Bristol does not offer a year in industry or abroad which given the current state of employment feels like a huge draw back and is making me doubt choosing it.

So to any current psychology students there why ultimately did you choose Bristol, and to anyone else in Bath or Durham why did you choose these over Bristol?

Thank you!

Reply 1

University of Bath

Official Rep

Hi there 😊,

I'm a current student at Bath however I don't do psychology but I have some friends who do it. One of the reasons I chose Bath was because of the campus university whereas Bristol and Durham aren't. It's quite nice that everything is on campus in terms of teaching and the convenience. I would say Bath is a really pretty city to live in with many historical sites and things to do and Bristol is quite close as well.

On the Complete University Guide, the psychology course is ranked in 4th place which is great and shows how good the course is and how much student enjoy it. Our psychology department is praised for their teaching quality, student satisfaction and placement opportunities.

I hope this helps and good luck with your decision!

University of Bath

Reply 2

IIssaa

What’s it like being on campus, for example how does your typical day to day look?

Reply 3

DurhamRep Rosie

Official Rep

Original post

by Anonymous

Hello, I am currently stuck between choosing Bristol Durham and Bath for Psychology.
I am very drawn to Bristol as it is a city uni, near home and I love the city itself and all the things to do in it. It’s very much my vibe, especially for its Arts scene. Bath and Durham on the other hand, I fear don’t offer as much experience in their cities.
However, unlike Bath and Durham, Bristol does not offer a year in industry or abroad which given the current state of employment feels like a huge draw back and is making me doubt choosing it.
So to any current psychology students there why ultimately did you choose Bristol, and to anyone else in Bath or Durham why did you choose these over Bristol?
Thank you!

Hi there,

I'm a second year Psychology student at Durham. 😊 Choosing between a few great universities is really difficult, so I understand the confusion. I knew I wanted to go to Durham after I attended an offer-holder day, visited my college (St Aidans), got to explore the facilities, meet the staff and knew I could envision myself there.

The staff on my course are brilliant, and always offer opportunities for drop-insessions, support in assignments and are generally really approachable. My cohort is quite large, meaning you get to meet new people consistently and there’sa real range of interests and experiences. Everyone is super friendly, and I find theatmosphere on campus to be really lovely.

There are some pros and cons to studying at Durham that you might want to consider; I know you said you didn't feel like there as much experience offered, but I thought I'd give you some information incase it helps. 🙂

Pros:
• The collegiate system: each student is allocated a college, which will essentially become your second home! It's a great place to socialise, join societies, get involved in formals and get to know new traditions. It's an easy way of making friends and feeling like you have somewhere to belong.
• Durham is a very walkable city, with great transport routes also. You can get from campus to campus in around 30 minutes, making for an enjoyable and scenic activity.
• There are endless events to get involved in, including the famous charity fashion shows and student theatre, meaning there's something for everyone to enjoy.
• Durham has fantastic rankings, being named The Times and The Sunday Times University of the Year 2026 on account of exceptional teaching, research quality, and high student satisfaction.

•

The Psychology department has opportunities for year 1&2 students to get involved in Research Assistant schemes, meaning you're responsible for participant recruitment, data collection, data input, designing materials for a study, researching the literature surrounding an area / producing a research review, and other research related activities (dependent on staff member). I've been a part of one of these schemes since November, and it's been a really hands-on experience and I've really enjoyed how practical it can be. 🙂

Cons:
• Durham is quite a small town, meaning you may struggle to find things to do.Although there are numerous nice cafes, restaurants and activities, it is a small area. However, with good transport links, you're only ever a bus or train ride away from somewhere new!
• It can be quite expensive, in terms of accommodation and things like JCR memberships, though support is available in the form of things like scholarships or bursaries.

I hope this has given you some helpful information, and let me know if you have any questions about studying here. 😊
-Rosie (DU Representative)

Reply 4

University of Bath

Official Rep

Original post

by Anonymous

Hello, I am currently stuck between choosing Bristol Durham and Bath for Psychology.
I am very drawn to Bristol as it is a city uni, near home and I love the city itself and all the things to do in it. It’s very much my vibe, especially for its Arts scene. Bath and Durham on the other hand, I fear don’t offer as much experience in their cities.
However, unlike Bath and Durham, Bristol does not offer a year in industry or abroad which given the current state of employment feels like a huge draw back and is making me doubt choosing it.
So to any current psychology students there why ultimately did you choose Bristol, and to anyone else in Bath or Durham why did you choose these over Bristol?
Thank you!

Hi there!

I am a student ambassador here at the University of Bath, I'm currently in my final year studying Psychology. Here's my take on why I chose Bath:

Bath is a campus based university. You can get from one end of campus to the other in about 15 mins. On campus, we have almost everything you might need - lecture theatres, lecturer offices, laboratory buildings, department equipment and facilities, a bar, a nightclub, an SU, study spaces, the library, the lake (as a chill hangout spot!), part-time jobs, 10 food outlets, our amazing sports facilities at the Sports Training Village, career's service, a medical centre, a dentist, a barber, student support centre, shops (though not any large shops), and of course accommodation. There's also plenty of lovely greenery and fields around campus if you ever want to go for a walk or take up running. Societies thrive on campus more so than in the city in my experience, but there can be a good balance. Friends on campus live minutes away from you, so you can hang out with them really easily. In fact, the whole campus is almost like a small village, it's often unlikely to walk through it without seeing someone you know! When I lived on campus in my first year, I was extremely satisfied with the campus, and I still think I would not have enjoyed a city campus as much.

Bath has an excellent reputation for employability and graduate outcomes. Around 89 % of full‑time UK graduates were in high‑skilled employment 15 months after finishing (above national averages), and around 62–64 % of students take a placement year or study abroad option, which is fantastic for real‑world experience before you graduate - https://www.bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/facts-and-figures/. In addition, there are always opportunities for Research Apprenticeships, both in the summer and during term time. I personally have had 4 different research assistant roles!

I also have around six casual jobs through the university, many of which are remote and flexible, so I can choose when I work. These roles not only give me valuable experience to boost my CV, but also let me meet a wide range of people and get involved in different groups and events on campus. On top of that, they provide a good income. I'm very happy that I have these opportunities, and I'm afraid not all universities offer them in the same flexible, structured and accessible way.

In terms of your subject interests, it’s definitely worth looking closely at the specific unit breakdowns for each course Here's a website which outlines current course units: https://www.bath.ac.uk/catalogues/2025-2026/. I personally love my course. It is fulfilling, challenging and fascinating. The staff are very friendly and approachable, making it easier to get good grades as long as you're dedicated, consistent and driven.

Another great reason to choose Bath is the availability of fantastic scholarships and bursaries. You can check out all the options here: https://www.bath.ac.uk/topics/undergraduate-scholarships-bursaries-and-other-funding/

The best advice I can give you is visiting the universities yourself, if you haven't already. There are offer holder days, open days, and regular campus tours offered by many universities, it is 100% worth going if you can to see the vibe of the campus and the university. You also get to talk to current students like myself who will provide you with their own experiences. Our 2026 Offer Holder Days are on Saturday 21 February, Friday 10 April and Saturday 25 April: https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/undergraduate-offer-holder-events/

In the end, I hope you choose whatever you feel is best for you! They are all are strong universities, so it really comes down to academic fit and the kind of lifestyle you feel most comfortable in.

University of Bath

Reply 5

University of Bath

Official Rep

Original post

by IIssaa

What’s it like being on campus, for example how does your typical day to day look?

Hello!

Happy to answer this question for you.

I'm a final year psychology student at the University of Bath. Here is my typical day at university:

8am wake up, get ready, breakfast, cook for the day
9am go to campus - gym or group exercise classes
10.30-2pm part-time work on campus (not every day, but sometimes deifnitely!)
2-3pm lecture
3-4pm break, lunch, hanging out with friends
4-6pm lecture
6-7pm dinner on campus
7-10pm society activities

This is the structure of my most busy days. My less busy days are more like this:

8am wake up, get ready, cook for the day
9-11am rest, chill, stay at home, sometimes study or work
12-1pm dissertation meeting
1-2pm gym
2-3pm piano lesson
3-4pm chill, lunch, friends
4-6pm lecture
and go home!

With psychology there is a lot of independent work time expected, so even though I have about 10 hours of contact (lectures, seminars) on campus, I spend my days doing a lot of studying at home, plus tons of extra curricular activities.

Hope that helps! :smile:

University of Bath

Reply 6

Isla_24

To be honest, i don’t think the difference in course matters thatttt much. I think it’s more important to consider what type of people you want to be around and what type of city you want to be, because yes you are choosing where to study but you are also choosing where you want to live for 3 years!!!

I am a third year student studying psychology at Bristol Uni and was definitely considering all three options that you are considering when i applied. Personally, i am very glad I chose Bristol over the other two unis. I was scared that Bristol would be an overwhelming, big city but it really isn’t. I think you can find your sort of people at any university but i think Bristol is the best city to live in as a young adult. It has so much to do and is such a vibrant city, whereas I don’t think Durham and Bath is to be honest…

Reply 7

IIssaa

Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to reply so far! I really appreciate it, hearing all your experiences has been very helpful :smile:

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