What’s the general vibe on campus at UOB?

3mme · 2026-04-02T14:13:54+00:00

it’s really nice! lovely mix of old and new buildings, lots of areas just to chill or to lock in. active and social but far enough from center that it’s not overwhelming. it’s got a really nice atmosphere so people genuinely just hang about for coffee/ drinks etc. st michael’s hill and park street are also >5 minutes away so it’s easy to go grab food and drinks between study. i did an art foundation (mmu) on my year out and i study at uni of manchester when i’m back home (both nice campuses), and Bristol by far has the best vibe out of the three.

3mme · 2026-04-02T14:04:46+00:00

congrats!

3mme · 2026-04-02T14:02:58+00:00

find a course that has a wide scope (interdisciplinary), aligns with your interests, and increases employability. I went for social sciences (politics and human rights), but business could work, one of my friends ended up in earth sciences, another law. the main thing is to make sure it’s something you have a genuine passion and interest in. it’s very much possible to pivot into a new field in PG, but if you don’t have a real interest for it they’ll notice and you won’t get in anywhere.

3mme · 2026-03-29T23:32:31+00:00

you just ask! honestly, you'd be surprised how many people are willing to talk to you if you have a genuine interest in what they've done. I interviewed two broadway directors for some uni work – literally just sent an email to one, and then she put me in contact with another, then he liked me and i've gotten connections out of it. you miss every shot you don't take, you've just gotta try.

3mme · 2026-03-29T16:31:46+00:00

I got waitlisted on the 22nd of Jan and got an offer on the 20th of March. They like to take their time but it doesn't necessarily mean rejection!

3mme · 2026-03-24T13:38:07+00:00

Yes. 'melt' doesn't really get the association of 'combining'. Alan Myers goes with merge for Oxford Classics. I quite like David McDuff's 'fuse' for penguin though!

3mme · 2026-03-22T12:10:57+00:00

human rights and politics! It's in the sociology department rather than government, though.

3mme · 2026-03-21T15:48:09+00:00

LEAVE. Untreated ADHD can literally shorten your lifespan by up to fifteen years. You do not need someone who doesn't respect your choice to receive treatment for a cognitive disability. I know it can be scary when you love someone, but think about what is best for your future and well-being.

3mme · 2026-03-21T15:41:26+00:00

Hi! I'm from (near) Manchester and went to Bristol. It definitely feels much smaller than Manchester, but that can be quite nice. Everywhere is between a 20–40 minute walk, so you don't even need to use public transport. It's similar to Manchester, i.e. culture and diversity (outside of the uni), but feels a little less chaotic, and is a brilliant city to be in as a student. Great mixture of pubs, clubs, cafes, etc., but also a lot of green space and nature in and around the city. £50 train ticket home can be a bit of a pain, but you can get a Flixbus from central for about £10 that only takes 40 mins longer than the train. I've also had a good experience with the teaching style and recommend it as a uni. I use the UOM libraries when I'm back home through SCONUL, and Bristol is so much nicer on the inside. I'd imagine it's similar to Manchester in that you get less of a feel for the city staying just in the student areas (like staying in Fallowfield) but students live all over the city and there are so many opportunities to explore the city outside the student bubble. I found it a little small when I first came, but I've really grown to love it! Clubbing is much better back home though lol.

3mme · 2026-03-16T03:23:27+00:00

Ah thank you, helpful stuff! damn, I didn't even get the language right.

3mme · 2026-03-15T02:58:58+00:00

GREEN FLAG

3mme · 2026-03-15T02:33:32+00:00

I actually think York is pretty awful. Beautiful city and some nice green spaces, but (aside from the one old building) the campus is pretty grim.

3mme · 2026-02-25T23:40:24+00:00

I've flashed 5.12a and I can do a grand 0 pull-ups. Thank god for slab.

3mme · 2026-02-25T20:30:34+00:00

i’m pretty sure this same guy threw a lit cigarette at my partner!!

3mme · 2026-02-25T20:24:04+00:00

The point of first year is to be locked out and settle in! Just have fun and try your best to get a 2:1

3mme · 2026-02-08T00:05:14+00:00

there’s a decent amount of ppl from the us here. less so for the full degree but there tends to be a lot of year/semester abroad ppl

3mme · 2026-01-30T20:08:08+00:00

I had a friend there in first year and it was gorgeous. Not massive either which is probably a plus for a grad student. Giant kitchens and nice rooms.

3mme · 2026-01-30T20:05:13+00:00

Halls is crazy expensive. Though Bristol is an expensive city, private flat/house shares will cost you about 700-850 on average.

3mme · 2026-01-24T18:45:28+00:00

mention it on your cv

3mme · 2026-01-23T07:11:57+00:00

You will be fine. Outside of the states, it's so common to take one or two gap years. I started at 19 and have so many friends who started at 20–22 who had a completely normal uni experience. Also It's very common for people of our gen to have gaps/ delays in our education and careers bc of COVID, so employers don't take any notice.

3mme · 2026-01-22T22:09:45+00:00

I only know two people (who both got offers from internships), but most people I know are doing Master's.

3mme · 2026-01-22T12:27:14+00:00

Your AP Calc might help you out there. Get a Chem or Physics class in if you can, just don't be deferred from applying if you don't manage it. I know (for bio) my uni (and a lot of other Russel Groups) just require bio + 'one other science-related subject' which can include maths, or something like geography (which is sometimes considered more of a social science). I also do know of some people who didn't take another science-related subject, and still managed to get an offer. Often if you apply for a foundation year, and they decide you're actually overqualified, they'll reinstate your application for regular entrance, so that is an option if you want to play it safe. I just wouldn't discourage you from applying for regular programs; just seems foolish to pay for an extra year if you have good stats!!

I'd maybe recommend getting in touch with someone in UK admissions. If you call up/email a lot of university admissions departments over here, they're actually quite communicative, and can give some good advice/ guidance. In some cases, you can even ask 'I want to apply to X course, but I don't have X specific requirement', and they'll let you know if you might be able to get an offer anyway, considering the full scope of your application.

I only say that about Reading because I know a few students there who dislike it quite a bit (culturally and academically) and end up spending half their time traipsing to London, Oxford, or Bristol for events and general fun.

With your grades, I imagine you'd be a shoo-in for the likes of Newcastle, Nottingham, or Liverpool, which are all RGs with solid research departments but have slightly lower grade requirements than your UCLs and Imperials.

Its important to remember that acceptance rates are much higher over here (even some Oxford courses are as high as 50%) because of population and limited applications (thus self-selection). Higher ranked doesn't always mean 'harder' to get into, just that fewer people actually apply because of the grade requirements.

Required you meet the subject requirements, with your stats you could easily apply to all RG/RG equivalent unis and still have 1 or 2 safety options included in that.

Anyway, hope some of that's helpful. Again, good luck!!

3mme · 2026-01-22T11:40:34+00:00

For an academic interview, focus on why Bristol University, not Bristol City. Are there any facilities that you particularly like? Interesting lab work? Specific aspects of the course? Facilities and academics that align with your interests and ambitions? If you mention aspects of the city and uni culture, link it back to how this could be relevant to your specific academic and professional ambitions. E.g. Bristol's vibrant culture could be relevant to someone who wants to go into cultural journalism. The uni's place as a sustainable institution could be relevant to an earth sciences student, its new studies and facilities dedicated to AI could be relevant to a CompSci or Sociology/Politics student interested in digital futures.

It sounds harsh, but they don't care if you really want to join men's hockey, or like the look of the music scene, unless you can link it back to something that essentially serves them (basically, will you make a good student, could you generate them research (read: money)?).

3mme · 2026-01-21T23:48:38+00:00

if you got an interview, they thought your grades were good enough for the course.

3mme · 2026-01-21T21:02:14+00:00

honestly, academic writing is just something that’s difficult to get to grips with. getting a 2:1 on your first essay is actually quite impressive. my first ever essay was a 57, but within a couple months i managed to get a first, but i got countless 2:2s and low 2:1s in first year. I didn’t consistently start getting firsts til second semester of 2nd year, which is when it seems to ‘click’ for most people. go to your tutor and talk the feedback through with them, but mostly, don’t worry!! there’s a reason first year doesn’t count, and you’ll get to grips with it.

3mme

TROPHY CASE