UK Student Life Guide?

Hi all!

Just a quick question for everyone who has a better working knowledge of this internet thingymabob.

I have been accepted to about three different universities in the U.K. and am really trying to decide which to pick. Of course, things like the actual academic standards and how often I'll be able to pop up to York to see the love of my life will figure in to the decision, but I also am trying to find out some information beyond the dry university tables the Guardian and the Times put up.


Does anyone know of any good links (or books maybe?) That give you a good idea of student life, the degree to which the Student Union is active, whether or not all the UK-based students go home on the weekends (a big problem when I studied at York St. John) that sort of thing...you know, the stuff that those tables don't tell you.

Anyone who can help...well, I'll be eternally grateful.

http://www.hero.ac.uk/universities_and_colleges/england.cfm will give you brief links to the campuses and most include a link to info about the student unions....

(Honey, look!  I'm plugging the site!)   

Didn't I see on another of your posts that you are doing an MA? If so, you'll find that postgrad life is a bit different than undergrad life. Do you mind if I ask how old you are? This will also make a difference. As you may have seen, UK undergrads are younger than US ones.

I came here as a 'mature' postgrad in 2000. I had just turned 30. I was placed in Uni accomomdation in a section specifically for postgrads and it also had a high international population and it was fantastic. I was one of the oldest, but it was still better than being  with the first year undergrads!

I was at Reading Uni and they had an active SU and lots of organizations for various hobbies and groups (film, Latin - as in hispanic students -, walkers, American football, etc).

I think you'll find the UK students at the major Universities go home less. The smaller Unis, what we'd call "commuter" schools back home, tend to clear out. Try to find out the demographic of your chosen Unis.

Also ask your chosen dept specifically about social events, the mix of students, etc. My dept was and still is horrid at socializing and I HAD to find it elsewhere.

Hi guys...thanks for taking the time to answer my questions and thanks for the link! It was a great starting place


Anyway, I'm a little young for a postgraduate. I'll be 21 when I start whatever MA program I decide on (Thank you Advanced Placement!!) and the colleges I got accepted to are all smaller-scale schools that bung the international students in with the undergraduates so I imagine I will probably be more involved in the undergraduate student life.

Incidentally, does anyone know anything about the Push Guide to Universities? My girlfriend mentioned it to me as a good source of information on this sort of thing, and I browsed their site and the new guide is there for 30 dollars. Is it worth it?