I originally wanted to go to Birmingham University and has Nottingham as my back-up. I didn't have a huge amount of choice, as there are few places in the country that do my course (French, German and Russian). I never visited Nottingham before I came here, as I live in Bournemouth and it ... Read review
Advantages: transport links, surroundings, teaching, facilities Disadvantages: food in halls, no TV connection
...to Birmingham University and has Nottingham as my back-up. I didn't have a huge amount of choice, as there are few places in the country that do my course (French, German and Russian). I never visited Nottingham before I came here, as I live in Bournemouth and it is a very long drive.
I have found the teaching to be superb, and they are always most happy to help you if you have any problems. The modern language office is also very ... ...I would definitely have put Nottingham as my first choice. The grounds are beautiful, with a big lake by the Trent Building and the Portland Building, which means that it is not rare to see geese wandering across the road. There are a lot of trees on campus, which means that you also have squirrels running about and foraging for nuts. It makes you think that you're in (a slightly less smelly version of) the country.
I originally wanted to go to Birmingham University and has Nottingham as my back-up. I didn't have a huge amount of choice, as there are few places in the country that do my course (French, German and Russian). I never visited Nottingham before I came here, as I live in Bournemouth and it is a very long drive.
I have found the teaching to be superb, and they are always most happy to help you if you have any problems. The modern language office is also very helpful, although it seems to be shut at some odd times during the day so if you're doing languages it's always worth checking before you make a trip there specially.
I had fallen in love with Birmingham when I went there to visit, but I am so pleased that I didn't have the right grades and came here instead. If I had known what I know now, I would definitely have put Nottingham as my first choice. The grounds are beautiful, with a big lake by the Trent Building and the Portland Building, which means that it is not rare to see geese wandering across the road. There are a lot of trees on campus, which means that you also have squirrels running about and foraging for nuts. It makes you think that you're in (a slightly less smelly version of) the country.
The University is located a short walk from Beeston, where there are some shops, though if you want to have a wider selection, you can get a bus into Nottingham. Busses into the town centre go about every 5 or 6 minutes, though there are fewer busses at weekends. There are also a number of bus stops just off the university grounds if these are closer, and these will also take you into the town centre. One thing that I have found is that the busses do not give change, so make sure you have the exact money on you or you'll have to go back to halls to get some change. The driver did not seem to be particularly impressed when I tried to pay with a £5 note.
Nottingham as a city is nice. Having come from Bournemouth, where the selection of shops is somewhat limited, it is nice to be able to wander round the huge selection of shops that are there. I have found it a bit difficult to find my way around, so if you have a terrible sense of direction like I do, it is worth investing in a Nottingham A-Z.
If you are in catered accommodation, you have £4.50 to spend at lunch time, which means that you can get a sandwich or baguette, drink, crisps and fruit, still having some money left over. There are also foods such as pizza and pasta which can make a nice change sometimes. There are little cafes where you can eat in a lot of the buildings, so if they don't have what you fancy in one, you can always nip to another one to see whether they have anything that you would prefer to eat.
There are downsides to Nottingham University. I live in Ancaster House, which although seeming to have the most storage space, also seems to have the worst food. It is not unusual to see a pile of pizza boxes in the kitchen, or see people wandering in with takeaways of some sort. I chose catered accommodation because I thought that if I ran out of money then I would still be able to eat. I have found that I am now spending a lot more money on food than I would have done if I had more than a microwave to cook food in or chosen to live in self-catered accommodation. If you are vegetarian, and you have chosen self-catered accommodation, it is important to get down for food as soon as they start serving, as the vegetarian option usually looks the nicest and tends to be the first to run out, which, if you're lucky leaves you with a salad. I am a fan of salad usually, but I found that the lettuce was limp, the quiche was very solid, and as there were very few bits that I ended up eating, I was so hungry that I ended up ordering a takeaway.
Another thing that I was a bit miffed about what that I bought a TV licence as there was an aerial socket for a TV in my room. When I came to plug my TV in, it didn't work as the sockets in this building have never been connected, so it is definitely worth checking with the wardens first before you shell out any money, as I am now trying to decide whether to pay for cable or try and get my money for my TV licence refunded (an indoor aerial does not work).
If you are hoping to do languages then it is an awful lot of work, especially if you didn't do as much work in your A-levels as you should have done. As I had not worked particularly hard at 6th form, I have found that I am very busy learning everything that I need to for my course. It is very satisfying however, and if you are considering learning Russian from scratch, it is not quite as hard as you would imagine. They are very good at easing you in to it.
The university academic system is run using credits. Every year you have 120 credits which you can split between your department and other departments. Although I do not have this option, as learning 3 languages, with one from scratch means that I keep all of my credits in the language department, friends of mine have been able to pick up credits in other modules. You can use credits to learn a language from scratch, alongside your normal degree programme, and they offer a wide choice, including Chinese, Spanish, Greek and Italian. Non language modules can pretty much be anything you can think of, which means that you can tailor your degree programme to be exactly what you want it to be.
There are two banks on campus, HSBC and Natwest. The staff working in these banks tend to be very helpful, although the queues can sometimes be a bit long. There is also a campus bookshop, which sells all the books you might need for your course, and they also have a reward card, where you get £5 back for every £100 you spend (it might not sound like much but it certainly adds up).
The Student Union shop is good and stocks reduced price newspapers as well as the usual stationary, milk, food etc. Here you can also buy University of Nottingham hooded sweatshirts, which everyone seems to have, but they are very comfy, and as everyone else is wearing them you don't feel like too much of a chav. They do charge you for plastic bags though, so it is definitely worth taking your own bag, as it does start to add up.
As for the social side of it, there are plenty of events that go on, including a comedy night at the university. Every hall also has a very small bar, where the drinks are very cheap. There are plenty of clubs in town, and most people seem to like them. My situation is slightly different from most people's as I am a bit older than most of them and have already had my binge drinking days, so I do not visit these sorts of places very often, though when I have they have been good.
The students seem to be very friendly here, and it is amazing how many different people you can come into contact with. There are a lot of clubs and societies that you can join. I have recently started training to become a member if St John's Ambulance, and they are quite happy to train you up as much as you would like to be trained up for your £5 yearly membership. You can also join the Silver screen if you are a film buff, where they show popular films at a very discounted price. There is pretty much a society for anything you can think of, including the Pirate Society, though I am a bit unsure as to what they do exactly. There are a wide range of sports that you can participate in, and there are plenty of opportunities to learn new things. There are also societies just for socialising with people that have similar interests from you or have your religious views.
Overall, I would say that Nottingham is a very good place ot be and to study, and it is well worth looking at when you are deciding where to go and what to do, as now that I am here, I am so glad I didn't end up going anywhere else, as I can't imagine anywhere being better.
...the main selling point of Nottingham University. The campus is segregated from the rest of the city about 3 miles out from the centre, and as a result there is very little traffic indeed. The campus is very lush and green, and definitely in a lot more peaceful location than a lot of the universities I visited. Having said that, you are slightly isolated from the city centre, so it's swings and roundabouts. The campus is dominated by the imposing ... ...The actual city of Nottingham has good shopping facilities as well as a castle, cinemas, ice rink, bowling etc. There are also plenty of pubs and nightclubs, and in my experience the city was a friendly and enjoyable place to live in.
A MYTH
Whenever I mentioned to anyone that I was going to Nottingham University, they always told me about the male:female ratio at the university - how men are way outnumbered by women and that somehow each man becomes ...
jonathancowley 15.07.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nottingham University
Advantages: Applying for Medicine in Nottingham is very respectable as it combines clinical knowledge with basic lectures. Disadvantages: Work for 2 degrees in 5 years whereas most of the other unis have 6 yrs to do it in.
...i wanted to apply to Nottingham for a place in the Med School, I was strongly advised against it as my school claimed that they were biased against Northern Students and also students who had applied to Oxbrige. I hadn't however, but I was still a Northern lass. Anyway, I thought I would apply as I didn't have anything to lose.
Despite having sent a decent UCAS statement off, I couldn't help but become haunted by what the teachers had said. I waited ... ...fairly well.
Medicine in Nottingham is a wonderful course from my point of view as it combines clinical experience from the beginning with basic lecture notes. From basically the first day, you are assigned a GP to attach yourself to (metaphorically!) To me, this is brilliant as I get patient contact from the start. This is essential as Medicine is just as much an Art as it is a Science. Communication is vital.
My point is this......don't let other ...
kavita 28.08.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nottingham University
Advantages: Beautiful Campus, Good Reputation, Good Student lifestyle Disadvantages: Campus far from town, Student bar not great...
I chose Nottingham primarily because of its beautiful campus. Having decided on the course I wanted to do at Birmingham, I visited Nottingham for an open day. I was told that Nottingham was one of the most impressive campuses in the UK, but I didnt expect this to sway my decision. However, having looked around I loved it and completely switched my plans!
Nottingham campus is impressive. The Lake is wonderful in the summer and it frames the majestic ... ...discussing the academic merits of Nottingham in terms of my course as Im sure many of you reading this can't imagine anything worse than studying English for three years. If you are as mad as me, I wouldn't actually recommend my course! Its very broad based which is great and it will look good on my CV, but the department is a little too dry and traditional for my liking. Elsewhere, all you need to know is that the Uni has a very strong academic ...
lizzie_haycocks 15.07.2004 (24.03.2005)
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nottingham University
Advantages: GReat repuation, great campuses, and a great way of life. Disadvantages: Years in Industry aren't compulsary, and for the less self motivating, the fredom can come as a shock.
While the University of Nottingham is highly regarded, it manages to avoid the stigma and social stunting associated with the Oxford Cambridge experience.
I am a third year student completing my final year of a BSC in Computer Science. I spent my first year on the main campus, in Rutland Hall. The second year I spent in a rented house in Radford. I took the third year off, and took up a placement with IBM. This year I have returned to complete my ... ...at ISIS, on a purely Nottingham University student night. This makes for an excellent night of varied music without the unwanted attentions fo drunken "townies" looking for mischief. Sports are a big part of the uni life for those who choose to partake. Wednesday afternoons are always free from lectures, and all sports are arranged for this time.
One of the main non-academoic reasons for choosing this university is the campus. THe main campus is ...
DavidBell2000 05.02.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nottingham University
Advantages: Beautiful campus, great nightlife Disadvantages: Overpriced off-campus student accommodation
...facilities both on and off campus.
I would however, really recommend going on an open day - in the way that I knew Nottingham was the place I wanted to go when I first saw it, you may immediately know that it is not for you.
Good luck! ...
CookieMonster82 28.09.2004
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nottingham University
IT Facilities
Libraries
Societies/Clubs
Accommodation
Nightlife
Similar reviews »
Reviews which might be of interest for "Nottingham University"
Advantages: Great Uni. Fact! Disadvantages: Disadvantages?!
So, having just finished at Nottingham Trent University it made perfect sense to make this brief review on the place...trust me if I reviewed every aspect of life here that I've experienced it would equate to the length of War & Peace!
Trent is officially the leading "new" university in the country and is predominantly a city-based campus, with two other campuses located at Clifton (about 5 miles south of the city) and Brackenhurst (a very rural campus based to the north-east). I spend three years there and had an awesome time.
In my first year I was based at the Simpsons Halls of Residence, which are in the Lenton area of Nottingham. Although not the nicest area of the city, the halls were certainly some of the best. Having had coursemates and friends who were located at other halls such as Hampden and Sandby which are much closer ...
I’ve just completed my first year at Nottingham Trent University doing a BA in Textile Design. I’ve really enjoyed the course and it’s been a great learning experience. With less than a month left till I go back, I need to get back into a hardworking frame of mind.
As with any design-based course you are expected to have a certain degree of self- motivation. I must stress that it is a full-time course and needs your dedication if you want to do well. It is supposed to be a 9 to 5 course but it’s only essential to go tutorials and lectures, you can work at home more if you prefer.
Getting onto the course
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Most people have completed a BTEC foundation course in art and design prior to joining the course. Foundation to most students is a special time of their lives. I loved foundation as ...
Advantages: Everything stated in the above text Disadvantages: They are doing away with Recreation and Hospitality Management courses in one or two years time
I have been at Nottingham Trent University for 2 years, this being my third and I have throughly enjoyed the atmosphere, nightlife, activities, clubs, and most important of all the high teaching standards and the level of help that you get from any member of staff within the building. I first started Nottingham Trent through a franhise with New CollegeNottingham doing a Diploma in Recreation Management, and now I am doing a top-up degree course in Recreation and Hosiptality Management.
Firstly I would not recceomend them the college, but when I went to the main City Campus of Nottingham Trent, I was very please in the level and advancedness of the way lectures are put forward, the new types of technology, the large investment in new computers, and the friendliness of staff. This University has developed well since it change from ...
