Universities

Why Oxford?

Advantages: Friendly students and social life, Fantastic societies to get involved with, Proximity to London
Disadvantages: Very academic! Highly pressurised and very stressful

The aura surrounding Oxford is one which contributes significantly to the pressure on students who are accepted to the university. Not only do they have to contend with very intense workloads and deadlines, but they have to finish term without collapsing and return home to face the curiosity (and often anticipation) of friends and family - making it difficult to admit that the experience may not be as rewarding as it seemed initially. My own experience ...
...My advice to anyone considering Oxford - with or without an offer - is to make sure you know exactly what you're letting yourself in for. I am a music student, and accepted my offer from Oxford on UCAS simply because of the prestige which surrounds the name, as opposed to doing the sensible thing and evaluating the Oxford music course with ones at other universities, to check I was committing to the right degree. There are some courses which have ...

teenage_legend 11.03.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Oxford University

Durham is excellent and probably the best

Advantages: collegiate system works well and makes this place a lot of fun despite the work
Disadvantages: the high grades needed to get in, and the demanding workload

Durham university has been a wonderful time and choosing it was the best decision i have made. The lecturers are world class and leaders in their field but they are accessible, contact hours are 30+, and the tutorial system is very useful in keeping you on track. The library is one of the biggest in england. The facilities have all been refurbished recently (especially in the spanking new parts of the science site) and the whole place is very well ...
...like this just happen). Durham is one of the unis that has the highest number of societies, and you can start them up really easily. The best colleges are the bailey ones, where you can have the real durham lifestyle and live the traditions especially at castle or hatfield. The formals might sound stuffy but in fact are a blast especially when boozing it up with faculty and friends. The students are really motivated high achievers but also know how ...

kafka1 19.09.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Durham University

Probably the Best Place to Study in England

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 helpful, although ...
...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 ...

kstracey 11.10.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: exceptional
Review of Nottingham University

OPen University

Advantages: Good tutors and interesting courses
Disadvantages: i cant think of one thing

I am currently studying a open university course in Social Science, which i am doing from home. I hope to study up to degree level, i have just completed the introduction to social science, and i have to admit i am loving doing this course. I find the course extremely interesting, the tutors are great and i cant wait to start my new course in October. I have recieved £250 for a laptop to do my work on and also i get credit towards my course. The ...
...that i do actually enjoy the course, social sciences includes a lot of interesting topics and i dont actually see it has doing work. I think the open university is great for eople like me who do actually have the time to do the work and work full time. ...

emmaburns 05.08.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Open University Milton Keynes

The University of Birmingham

Advantages: Great teaching, facilities, opportunites and social life
Disadvantages: i am only here for 3 years, wish it could be more.

...student at the University of Birmingham in my first year of the popular course; Sports and Exercise Sciences. Although it is a difficult university to get in to, there are hundreds of different courses to choose from if you are not accepted on your favoured course. Also, they are quite lenient with grades as I did not achieve the expected marks but still got in... shhh! So what made Birmingham my number one choice? As soon as I arrived at the open ...
...which runs to New Street. Birmingham is the only university in the UK to have a train station on site. This proves very helpful for getting around. The student housing around Selly Oak is favoured for 2nd and 3rd years as the majority of students will move into halls of residence for their first year and there are plenty to choose from. Victoria Halls is I Selly oak, meaning you can roll out of bed 15 minutes before lectures and still grab a good ...

Greenyman 19.02.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Birmingham University