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University of Sheffield

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited March 27 in Work & Study
Couple of questions:

Accomodation: What do you recommend?
Specific places?
Halls?
Houses?
Catered?
Selfcatered?

And would anyone by any chance know if the studying is built up mainly by theory or case studying?

Anything else I should know before I send in my reply slip?
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    As far as I remember when I visited, the halls of residence are quite far away from the campus.

    I almost went there ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Halls away from campus can be a pain, but I'd move into them for your first year, especially as you're from out of the counrty. It just can make things a little easier, one less thing to worry about, then get a house with some friends the year after.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Dear Wendy wrote:
    Couple of questions:

    Accomodation: What do you recommend?
    Specific places?
    Halls?
    Houses?
    Catered?
    Selfcatered?

    And would anyone by any chance know if the studying is built up mainly by theory or case studying?

    Anything else I should know before I send in my reply slip?

    I'd go self-catered. I am, and I hear dodgy reports about the food in catered! I live in Taptonville flats number 30, the rooms are quite small but we've got fast internet and it's nice enough. Endcliffe vale is good..... What are you coming to study?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was in Halifax Hall, it's catered.....food wasn't great, but wasn't awful, was ok if you were happy to eat jacket potatoes when everything else looked horrible! It's a really popular hall for international students, because you can leave everything in your room over christmas and easter, but there's loads of english students there too. I really liked Halifax, but I think it was maybe more expensive than some of the other halls? (not sure though)....I payed more because I was spoilt and had an ensuite ;)

    I liked being catered, just because it meant I could be lazy and not cook :yes: but I know friends who liked the freedom of self catering (have a friend in Endcliffe Vale Flats who loves it there).

    I wouldn't live in a house, I know a few people who were in houses and they found it really hard to meet people. Flats are ok, because you tend to have lots of flats together, but houses can be very isolated. I'd definitely recommend living somewhere in the Endcliffe Vale complex (i.e Halifax, Sorby, Earnshaw, Endcliffe Vale flats etc), just because it's a really sociable place to be. In the summer it's lovely, there's a big grass area and everyone sits out there and stuff, very pretty :)

    You definitely coming to Sheffield then?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Renzo wrote:
    As far as I remember when I visited, the halls of residence are quite far away from the campus.

    They're generally about a 20/25 minute walk from uni, but it really doesnt seem that long, and the plus side is that they're in a really nice part of Sheffield.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Museman wrote:
    I'd go self-catered. I am, and I hear dodgy reports about the food in catered! I live in Taptonville flats number 30, the rooms are quite small but we've got fast internet and it's nice enough. Endcliffe vale is good..... What are you coming to study?

    Politics and International Relations.
    If I get in :)

    Thanks for the suggestions to you and Tates. I am sending off my slip ASAP and hoping for the best now.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd go for self-catering as the stories I hear from other first years about halls catering isn't great and being a sophisticated European you may be in for a culture shock when exposed to British canteen cooking. ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I thought the food was quite nice in my catered halls (Sorby) but then I probably did prefer the freedom when I got my own house in the 2nd year. It would depend how many people you had to share with though, too many would be bad imho.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    BlackArab wrote:
    I'd go for self-catering as the stories I hear from other first years about halls catering isn't great and being a sophisticated European you may be in for a culture shock when exposed to British canteen cooking. ;)

    Erm, I don't think my own cooking would by any means be any better. But rather save the money and buy cup noodles or prepare a salad or whatever, than doing that and paying for the catering :p
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Noodles and salad! you'll fit right in.

    well maybe not the salad...

    :lol:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    BlackArab wrote:
    Noodles and salad! you'll fit right in.

    well maybe not the salad...

    :lol:

    People can be amazed by how much olive oil and feta can do to some simple vegetables.

    Either way, I just saw the Guardian tables you posted, and it seems as if the impression I had of Sheffield was muchly overrated. Anyone care to tell me how good they're regarded (perhaps compared to other universities)?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You can pretty much ignore newspaper rankings like that when it comes to the 'overall' score.... universities are generally seen in two bands- 'red bricks' (traditional/original unis) and new unis which weren't originally universities. The original ones are one like oxford, Cambridge, Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds, Birmingham..... and about 10 more I think.

    Some of the subject rankings are pretty laughable too. For example I checked thw law rankings, and Durham are at some ridiculous low position in the 30s or something, when in fact they are widely regarded as the 3rd best law school in the country after Oxford/Cambridge. The come Nottingham and Durham in 3rd/4th. I also have friends at other unis who are on one of the top courses in the country in their subject and the are ranked nowhere.

    So basically, in the 'overall regard' sense in terms of tradition and prestige, you're looking at:

    Top: Oxford/Cambridge

    Next: Red bricks- the ones I mentioned above plus a few more

    Next: the other 90-100 (or whatever it is)

    Individual course rankings may vary and some unis will be in positions which belie their overall 'status', but in terms of how they are regarded, that's pretty much how it is. In one of those rankings about 3 years ago, Sheffield was around 6th. Last year, Durham law school was 3rd in one, now the Guardian are saying it's 30-something. Crazy!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Remember also that rankings are based largely on research and for the purposes of your undergraduate degree this hardly matters at all frankly.........
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