Help me decide which (UK) university to go to

April 25, 2007 7:43 AM

I've recieved offers from The University of Plymouth, Winchester School of Art and Bath Spa University. At the moment I'm torn between Plymouth and Bath. Bath has a good reputation for art and design subjects (I'm studying graphics) and its a really beautiful city (this is the halls of residence) but its an expensive place to live and there's no internet access in the halls of residence which is a big drawback for me. Plymouth is a nice enough place but compared with Bath it's a complete dive and I don't think it has as good a reputation as Bath. It does have free broadband in the halls of residence though, and they've just built a brand new art and design campus with state of the art facilities. Also, in Bath I'd be living exclusively with art and design students whereas in Plymouth I'd be living with people studying different subjects which I find more appealing. Any thoughts on which is the better option? Solutions to the internet problem would also be welcome.
posted by Andy Harwood to Education (11 answers total)

Pretty dorms and amenities are nice, but your college experience won't be ruined without them. The most important thing to consider is the quality of the schools' academics: course offerings, placement (where do graduates get jobs), quality of the professors, and so on.
posted by chickletworks at 7:56 AM on April 25, 2007

In Bath you'd be close to Bristol which has a pretty thriving digital/creative culture which may mean lots of potential employers and placement hosts. Some links for flavour:

www.dshed.net and www.watershed.co.uk
www.paintworksbristol.co.uk
www.artsmatrix.org.uk
www.connectingbristol.org
posted by Ness at 8:17 AM on April 25, 2007

Do your research and think carefully, but in the final analysis, the quality of your experience will be decided by factors you simply can't control or predict, such as the other students you meet and the relationship you develop with your tutors.

That's not an argument for picking names out of a hat, but don't lie awake worrying that you might make the wrong decision, it's something of a lottery.

Good luck!
posted by Busy Old Fool at 8:35 AM on April 25, 2007

Here's a link to a post someone made asking to be convinced to go to college (in the US) in the first place, and here's my list of things I did that had almost nothing to do with the curriculum and everything to do with the people and organizations I found there. Busy Old Fool's got it though - you really can't know if a university is right for you until you go and make it work for you.

Also, isn't Plymouth in a (relatively) beachy, sunny part of Britain? That would sort of seal the deal for me if I'd been admitted to a bunch of equally good places.
posted by mdonley at 10:46 AM on April 25, 2007

As Ness mentioned, Bath is very close to Bristol, where I used to live, and I think (maybe I'm biased!) it's a really cool city. There is so much to do, so many places to go, and, like suggested, a very arty culture which will probably enrich your academic experience as well as provide opportunities for jobs/ work experience etc. Bristol is only a short train ride from Bath.
While I can't say anything about the art/design/creative culture in Plymouth, it is in a beautiful area of Devon, with gorgeous beaches just a drive away, and great surf at some beaches if that's your sort of thing.

Obviously the area/city is only one aspect to consider when making this decision, with the most important one being the quality of education you will receive. However, hopefully this might help a little in getting a feel for the places.

Also, I don't know if I were making the decision if I would let the lack of internet access be a major factor - after all, you will only be living in those halls for the first year. Ditto for the beautiful halls of residence.

Oh, and if cost is a really big concern, my friend's at Bath, and I can attest to the fact that it is a very expensive city. She's in her third year now sharing a house, and paying the most out of all our friends for her room (£310 per month for a room in a house if you're interested, where around £280 seems to be the average amongst the rest of my friends).

I think you're probably right about Bath having the better reputation, although the brand new campus in Plymouth sounds good. Have you been to check out the art and design facilities in each uni?

Also I woldn't worry about living in Bath exclusively with art and design students. There are so many opportunities to make friends out side of your subject - clubs/societies/the union/going out/friends-of-friends etc - you won't be lacking friends from other subjects.
posted by schmoo at 12:58 PM on April 25, 2007

If I were you I'd put quality of the course above most other things. You don't want to be in a position where you look back and realise that you would have got that dream job were it not for your desire to have broadband in your halls...
posted by prentiz at 2:26 PM on April 25, 2007

I had friends who after living in Bath for a year, moved to bristol and commuted on the days he had classes...

His main complaints were that they really ran out of things to do in Bath after a very short time...
posted by stratastar at 2:52 PM on April 25, 2007

Response by poster: Thanks everyone. I researched the quality of both courses before I applied and as far as I can tell they're both very good. I'll definately look into it some more before I make my decision though. I think I'd be happy at either place and I don't think I'll have any deep regrets about whichever one I choose.

At the moment I'm leaning towards Bath because of its closeness to Bristol and better reputation. The lack of internet and non-arty friends isn't a huge deal, it's just a niggling little thing that's preventing me from making a final decision.

I've lived in a seaside town in the south west my whole life so Plymouth's beaches and sunshine don't really appeal to me that much.
posted by Andy Harwood at 3:08 PM on April 25, 2007

I spent a year in Plymouth and I remember it being, yes, nice and sunny in the warm months but cold and rainy with a wind that blew the rain horizontal in the cold months. (I also went to a university based on location and reputation only to transfer to my second choice that was seriously lacking in both but better matched to my specific goals). If I were you I'd look at the faculty at both and pick out 1-3 people focused on your interests or who teach upper level modules that you see yourself taking, and get familiar with them and their work. Then make time to visit with at least one from each institution and talk things over with them (as well as let them try to pitch their programme to you and give you a little tour). Talk to them about placements/internships/post-graduation prospects and opportunities. Institutions can look comparable (or not) on paper but staff who are dedicated to their students (as opposed to thinking of them as a distraction from their other work) can make all the difference.

Also, Bath is a quick, cheap coach/train ride from London.
posted by Martin E. at 4:28 PM on April 25, 2007

Have you been to any open days?

I remember going to the Winchester School of Art's open day/degree show, and realising that the quality of the work there was so far above the quality of work I'd seen in many other places.

I couldn't pass judgement on bath/plymouth, having not applied to either. But the end results are a good way to judge the facilities and quality of teaching, which in the end is why you're going to uni, right?
posted by iamcrispy at 5:04 PM on April 25, 2007

Response by poster: I've been to open days at all three places. The overall quality of work was a little higher at Bath I think, but the tutors at Plymouth seemed friendlier and more approachable. Also, Plymouth was much more impressed by my portfolio than Bath which I guess either means they have lower standards or their sensibilties are more in tune with mine.

Winchester is really prestigious but I get the impression it's more of a fine art place (I saw alot of weird installations and giant sculptures on display but no graphics work). Plus, it seems like a dull place to live.
posted by Andy Harwood at 6:04 PM on April 25, 2007