How to choose a uni?

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doodles
Posts: 8300
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: How to choose a uni?

Post by doodles »

Guest55 wrote:RG unis are irrelevant for many degrees and some great unis aren't RG. Remember RG is just a self-selected group that prioritises research which does mean teaching undergrads is not always a high priority!

Look at:
* the course modules
* assessment [ balance of exams and coursework]
* location [large city/small city/rural]
* campus/non-campus
* accommodation [catered/self-catered] - if you are doing something like Engineering then you may prefer not to cook as you will be in lectures and workshops for 30+ hours a week. Do you have to clear your room at the end of each term/semester? [Quite a shock if you find you do]
You can't go far wrong if you use G55's list as a starting point for making up your target list. For both my DS the course content has been far more important than the name over the door!
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad !
Daogroupie
Posts: 11100
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: How to choose a uni?

Post by Daogroupie »

Why do you say seaside sort of for St Andrews? DG
hwood
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 9:44 pm

Re: How to choose a uni?

Post by hwood »

doodles wrote:
Guest55 wrote:RG unis are irrelevant for many degrees and some great unis aren't RG. Remember RG is just a self-selected group that prioritises research which does mean teaching undergrads is not always a high priority!

Look at:
* the course modules
* assessment [ balance of exams and coursework]
* location [large city/small city/rural]
* campus/non-campus
* accommodation [catered/self-catered] - if you are doing something like Engineering then you may prefer not to cook as you will be in lectures and workshops for 30+ hours a week. Do you have to clear your room at the end of each term/semester? [Quite a shock if you find you do]
You can't go far wrong if you use G55's list as a starting point for making up your target list. For both my DS the course content has been far more important than the name over the door!
Please listen to your DC, but not on some tom/dick/harry on a public forum.
doodles
Posts: 8300
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: How to choose a uni?

Post by doodles »

hwood wrote:
doodles wrote:
Guest55 wrote:RG unis are irrelevant for many degrees and some great unis aren't RG. Remember RG is just a self-selected group that prioritises research which does mean teaching undergrads is not always a high priority!

Look at:
* the course modules
* assessment [ balance of exams and coursework]
* location [large city/small city/rural]
* campus/non-campus
* accommodation [catered/self-catered] - if you are doing something like Engineering then you may prefer not to cook as you will be in lectures and workshops for 30+ hours a week. Do you have to clear your room at the end of each term/semester? [Quite a shock if you find you do]
You can't go far wrong if you use G55's list as a starting point for making up your target list. For both my DS the course content has been far more important than the name over the door!
Please listen to your DC, but not on some tom/dick/harry on a public forum.

?
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad !
hermanmunster
Posts: 12819
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: How to choose a uni?

Post by hermanmunster »

Daogroupie wrote:Why do you say seaside sort of for St Andrews? DG
probably because it isn't a "traditional seaside resort" - just a lovely town next to sea. (says Herman having just been for a wander on West Sands)
ToadMum
Posts: 11947
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: How to choose a uni?

Post by ToadMum »

hermanmunster wrote:
Daogroupie wrote:Why do you say seaside sort of for St Andrews? DG
probably because it isn't a "traditional seaside resort" - just a lovely town next to sea. (says Herman having just been for a wander on West Sands)
Just so :). Not really your bucket and spade territory (although to be fair, I've only had a couple of very brief visits, on days when you would really have had to be desperate to get your money's worth out of a beach to set down on it with a bucket and spade :lol:).
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
hermanmunster
Posts: 12819
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: How to choose a uni?

Post by hermanmunster »

hwood wrote:
doodles wrote:
Guest55 wrote:RG unis are irrelevant for many degrees and some great unis aren't RG. Remember RG is just a self-selected group that prioritises research which does mean teaching undergrads is not always a high priority!

Look at:
* the course modules
* assessment [ balance of exams and coursework]
* location [large city/small city/rural]
* campus/non-campus
* accommodation [catered/self-catered] - if you are doing something like Engineering then you may prefer not to cook as you will be in lectures and workshops for 30+ hours a week. Do you have to clear your room at the end of each term/semester? [Quite a shock if you find you do]
You can't go far wrong if you use G55's list as a starting point for making up your target list. For both my DS the course content has been far more important than the name over the door!
Please listen to your DC, but not on some tom/dick/harry on a public forum.

All very sensible advice from tom, dick and harry, do you have anything constructive to add hwood ?
KS10
Posts: 2516
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:39 am

Re: How to choose a uni?

Post by KS10 »

hwood wrote:
doodles wrote:
Guest55 wrote:RG unis are irrelevant for many degrees and some great unis aren't RG. Remember RG is just a self-selected group that prioritises research which does mean teaching undergrads is not always a high priority!

Look at:
* the course modules
* assessment [ balance of exams and coursework]
* location [large city/small city/rural]
* campus/non-campus
* accommodation [catered/self-catered] - if you are doing something like Engineering then you may prefer not to cook as you will be in lectures and workshops for 30+ hours a week. Do you have to clear your room at the end of each term/semester? [Quite a shock if you find you do]
You can't go far wrong if you use G55's list as a starting point for making up your target list. For both my DS the course content has been far more important than the name over the door!
Please listen to your DC, but not on some tom/dick/harry on a public forum.
Hwood, were you responding to Guest55 or to doodles? If it was doodles, I think you misunderstood what she was saying. If it was Guest55 ... :shock:
ToadMum
Posts: 11947
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: How to choose a uni?

Post by ToadMum »

Oh well, here's a bit more unsolicited (possibly, after all?) info from a Thomasina / Richenda / Harriet. Someone else out there might be interested.

To save trawling through every university on the web individually to find details of open days, there are listings, such as the one on TSR:
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/openday-calendar.php
If the one you are looking for isn't there, try the actual university website, obviously.

No idea how managed to miss it off the list, since la Famille Toad DC include one current student there and one fairly recent graduate, but the University of Birmingham is a (very attractive, imho) campus university. (Other universities are available in the city of Birmingham, notably Aston. And BCU if its Architecture one is looking to study).

Most of the London universities are 'campus within city', or e.g. LSE, 'city, but over a very small area', but Royal Holloway is out near Egham. People who don't actually visit (or even look at a map?) before they apply are sometimes caught out by this, apparently. It is another one with a very attractive campus.

UEA has a virtual open today, happening more or less now.

You're welcome :)
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
ToadMum
Posts: 11947
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: How to choose a uni?

Post by ToadMum »

KS10 wrote:
hwood wrote:

Please listen to your DC, but not on some tom/dick/harry on a public forum.
Hwood, were you responding to Guest55 or to doodles? If it was doodles, I think you misunderstood what she was saying. If it was Guest55 ... :shock:
It has been known for persons other than the member to 'hijack' the member's interaction with a thread when the member has left it open on an unattended device.

Perhaps hwood minor feels that they are more on the ball than their parents are aware of, and / or have perfectly valid views of their own already, thanks, whatever their parents may feel re their decisions...?
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
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