<p>There's a good chance that I'll be studying abroad in the UK next year for about six months, and what better place to find out some info on a few prospective universities than here? If at all possible, I'd love to get your opinions on the following options that I have (both in terms of the actual place, the city, whatever you feel like talking about)</p>
<p>University of Bristol
University of Durham
University of East Anglia
University of Edinburgh
University of Glasgow
University of Kent
University of Leeds
University of Manchester
University of St. Andrews
University of Sussex
University of Warwick
University of York</p>
<p>You’re gonna have to narrow that list down a bit if you want any detailed feedback. People aren’t going to spend an hour on here writing out descriptions of each of these places.</p>
<p>What are you looking for exactly? If you want to be near loads of Americans, I’d say St Andrews (though a lot of them are actually enrolled there and not ‘studying’ abroad so you might not have much in common with them). If you want to be surrounded by ugly concrete buildings, pick Warwick.</p>
<p>To further reiterate the above. Knock off all of the scottish unis (if you want a genuine experience). Then kick the sub par unis. That leaves you with Durham, Bristol, Manchester, York and Warwick.</p>
<p>Manchester=best city of those 5, but lowest academics.
York=Fairly new uni, weak city.
Bristol=Solid academics, solid city.
Warwick=Bad city, terrible architecture, solid academics.
Durham=Solid academics, great traditions, 20 minutes from newcastle, hour and a half train ride from edinburgh. (I’m biased towards this one…if you pick it, I’ll be seeing you). </p>
<p>Give me some more info on what you want in academics (what subjects you’ll be doing), nightlife etc. Then I can help you narrow it from there.</p>
<p>I can’t really give you any advice until you say what it is you want to experience and achieve. Personally I think Edinburgh is a great city to study abroad in; the university itself is superb, the city is a cultural hub and it’s beautiful. Bristol, Durham, East Anglia, Glasgow, St Andrews and York are all good options too, though all very different (ignore adam0302’s post).</p>
<p>The website [url=<a href=“http://www.unionview.com%5DUnionView%5B/url”>http://www.unionview.com]UnionView[/url</a>] has lots of short introductory videos on the universities and cities you’ve listed, you might find them helpful.</p>
<p>Keepittoyourself, yeah but we’re dealing with an American. So it’s unlikely that they’re looking to make friends with the locals. </p>
<p>Dionysus58, I don’t see what there is to ignore. Scottish unis sell to Americans, hence the large proportion. They seem to be an extension of american campuses. Yes, edinburgh is a lovely city and academics are excellent. But I believe you can get a stronger study abroad experience at a uni where there is a smaller portion of American students (in the OP’s case). My opinion is that scottish unis are better for Americans who want to go for a degree, rather than a semester or two abroad. Just think about it this way. If an asian came here saying they wanted an authentic study abroad experience, I wouldn’t advise them to go to a london uni.</p>
<p>Thats quite the stereotype but I think is the case for all international students anywhere. People from the same country tend to group together. Also British people tend to keep to themselves and not make friends with people from outside either so makes sense why americans stick together. </p>
<p>You are correct though- Scottish Universities are very much extensions of American campuses lol and the OP would end up feel like he is in the US. He should go to the places you mentioned because they are fewer Americans and he might be “forced” to interact with a different set of people.</p>
<p>Durham/Warwick/York are very very boring relative to Major American cities but an American might be excited since this is their first time out of the country.</p>
<p>Bristol/Manchester are decent. Not like New York, DC or Atlanta</p>
<p>Dont expect the red-cup crazy house parties like they have in the US, but a lot of clubbing, going to bars (pubs as they say). </p>
<p>As for academics, I think I will pass except I see something worth mentioning.</p>
<p>Perhaps at St Andrews the OP may be hard pressed to have an authentic study abroad experience, but Edinburgh? I’m sure that in a city of over half a million people the OP could easily have an authentic experience if they made the effort to socialise with local students. The ghettoisation of international students is hardly restricted to Scotland; it’s a problem all students face when abroad.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the great responses, so far. I really appreciate them and find them informative. As soon as I posted this, I realized that I really needed to narrow my list down, so the preliminary list would probably look something like (but I’m still open to any suggetions):</p>
<p>University of Bristol
University of Kent
University of Manchester
University of Sussex
University of Warwick</p>
<p>I’m a psychology/philosophy double major (not exactly the most practical of majors), but to be perfectly honest, I’m looking for more of a great experience than great academics (as I’m only going to be there for roughly six months).</p>
<p>I live in Leeds, and I wouldn’t write off the university. What are you actually looking for in a city - somebody wrote of York as a weak city which is completely unfair - it’s by far one of the most historic cities in the UK and has the sorts of things that makes Yanks excited - cobbled streets, cathedrals etcetera - it’s very middle class and relatively undiverse compared to places like Manchester.</p>
<p>In my opinion Bristol trumps Mancherster - but you haven’t really said what you have wanted from a city - you have picked Warwick - which isn’t actually in Warwick - but instead in Coventry, I find Coventry quite dull and nothing on a par with Bristol or Manchester - it was also completely destroyed by bombing in WW2 so it’s architecture isn’t fantastic (apart from a bombed out cathedral kept as a monument). </p>
<p>So yeah, what sort of experience are you after?</p>
<p>I think I’m looking just for, well, a fun experience. Something different, probably in a bigger city, and preferably a university with somewhat of a campus-feel (which might be the one thing that Manchester’s lacking?)</p>
<p>I think you’d be hard pressed to find any university in the UK that’s in a city but retains a campus feeling. Is being in a big city more important than being on a campus?</p>
<p>I spent two weeks in the city of Manchester attending an international sporting event this past summer. Manchester is extremely diverse. That’s code for “hope you like curry.” Our friends who did a day trip to London and back made the comment “Manchester needs to be power washed.” The campus is outside the city center to the south. Athletics are quite far south and with an ordinary dorm complex, but the main portion of the campus had some typical campus type buildings.</p>
<p>Manchester was heavily bombed during WWII and has sort of layered feel to it … peel back the new construction (and there’s a lot of new) and you’ll find the old industrial remains just below the surface.</p>
<p>Transportation from Manchester to the rest of the UK seems fairly easy.</p>
<p>All in all however, I would explore different universities.</p>
<p>Oh yeah. I was there for the middle two weeks of July and it rained every single day. Every one. Grey skies.</p>
<p>University of Bristol: lovely city, excellent university, fairly near Wales and the SW for outdoor pursuits. </p>
<p>University of Kent: campus outside the small city of Canterbury in Kent. Canterbury is very old and beautiful with the world famous cathedral. Campus is ‘modern’ buildings outside the city. Its a good 1.5 hours from London, but then you can get to France via the ferry pretty easily… quite a lot of students from south of england</p>
<p>University of Manchester - see other posts</p>
<p>University of Sussex - again, a fairly modern campus just outside Brighton. Brighton is a really fun city, but very liberal with a big alternative and gay scene. I’m saying this in case you’re from a conservative background, as you could be in for a shock. Sussex uni therefore has quite an alternative vibe to it. You’ll be taking the bus back and forwards to Brighton for going out etc. The south coast, however, with the cliffs and downs is rather beautiful however, and there are umpteen trains to London every hour…a lot of students from south of england…</p>
<p>University of Warwick - 60s campus in the middle of nowhere. 3 miles from Coventry and Leamington Spa. Great academics, but really not sure about the experience. Most students have to live off campus in 2nd/3rd years in Coventry/LS</p>