Southampton or Plymouth ?
 

DD has been accepted for grad school at the University of Southampton and the University of Plymouth for marine geosciences/oceanography for fall 2009. We are trying to get a trip in to check out both schools but her work schedule is difficult to get off.

I am NOT asking about the programs but more about each city and living there. Thoughts on either of them or if you have vacationed there,etc. Thanks so much!

I live on the outskirts of Southampton - my dad and his family come from Plymouth but I don't know it very well. Both are reasonable cities - Plymouth possibly having the edge as far as history is concerned, and proximity to Devon and Cornwall (beautiful parts of the UK).

Southampton has the advantage of being closer to more - London, Oxford, Winchester, Salisbury, Portsmouth, Brighton and Bath are all within and hour/75 minutes by train. It is also close to the New Forest.

If all else fails then you can escape the country through the local airport (mainly flights to other UK destinations, Ireland and France). Heathrow is an hours drive.

It is not that I have anything against Southampton itself (Not strictly true, but we won't go into sporting teams and red and white stripes), but it is fairly uninspiring.

The University has quite a good reputation.

Thanks for the help Willit-anyone else?

ttt

willit has more detailed info for you. I've been to both places several times but only as a visitor.

But I honestly don't think your daughter would regret either choice. Southampton would be more convenient if she plans on spending much time in London or flying to other countries. Plymouth is smack dab in the middle of the glorious scenery of Devon/Cornwall.

Plymouth is probably a slightly nicer area - Southampton was bombed to oblivion in the war, but does have proximity to the New Forest, nice coastline and easyish access to London. Neither have any major negatives that I can think of.

I know you weren't looking for course advice, but FYI, Southampton will probably look better on a CV (its sciences are very well regarded - my ex-employer recruited in preference from there, Bath and Oxbridge). Not that it should really matter, in this day and age - the course content won't be that different after all - but some prejudices die hard, I'm afraid.

Hi,

Well I live in Eastleigh - same as willit ... Southampton is fine as a university town ... for a student there is a decent nightlife, pubs, resturants.

But as willit states you can get to most places fairly quickly ... Heathrow is about a 1 hour drive & London can quickly be reached by fast train. The New Forest, Salisbury, Dorset, Winchester are all her doorstep.

Plymouth is a naval town with plenty of history ... it is also close to Devon / Cornwall which are beautiful areas of the world.

So I suppose it comes down to what she plans on doing in her spare time .... maybe she knows people in London & will want to visit at weekends ... so Southampton would be better ....

I would recommend Southampton, but I live near there.

Mark

DD and I really appreciate everyone's thoughts on the two towns-keep them coming. Thanks!

Let's get back to the course itself. Southampton University is a member of the Russell Group - the 20 British universities that regard themselves as the country's top. With some justification: Southampton regularly gets major courses (like medicine) rated more highly than Oxford.

The University of Plymouth is one of those places that provoke from any Briton interested in these things the question "what's it really called?" That doesn't mean its oceanography teaching is lousy: but for all most of us know, it may have been rebranded from the North Devon Petsitters' Academy in the past five years. Obviously, mass British ignorance of Plymouth's possible high oceanographic standing probably doesn't matter - but I'd double check Plymouth's academic housekeeping several times. What's its dropout rate? What's the physical state of its labs etc? How much faculty energy gets diverted into hokey stunts aimed at making money from admitting non-EU students (whom they can charge more)? Higher Education institutes rebranded as universities in the past decade have a poor overall reputation which isn't deserved in most cases - but constitutes good grounds for a great deal of due diligence.

Both Plymouth and Southampton were badly damaged in the Blitz, and in both cities the subsequent redevelopment has probably made things worse. As others have said, Plymouth's surrounded by more striking natural scenery. Southampton's in blander countryside. Southampton's in a far more affluent area and - what's relevant to your daughter, most of that affluence is built on high technology or the maritime industry: one local lobbyist I know claims that 20% of all employment in the area is in marine-related business, which includes some high security Naval establishments. The 023 (the local phone prefix) conurbation is a kind of miniature British marine version of Silicon Valley.

Plymouth's next door to a large naval port, but the city's not a centre of marine technology: it's where sailors come to get pissed if their ship's in Devonport (by which I do NOT mean it's like a Far East R&R place), and it's surrounded by rural Devon, as opposed to Southampton's sprawl - which practically joins up with London's.

Plymouth's a free-standing city: Southampton's the south-western edge of Greater Greater London, with fast trains into Town every few minutes. Southampton's also got terrific train connections to most of England's SE: Plymouth is really out on a limb.

Both being a glorified London suburb and being on the edge of things have their own advantages for a student. But the two are very, very different places.

Plymouth's work on marine life is world renowned, Southampton barely appears in my experience.

Plymouth is in the middle of nowhere (if that is what you want great)

Southampton has the better sailing and is a bigger city near bigger cities

I have no knowledge of the comparative merits of the schools (which the OP specifically did not ask about), but several sites list the National Oceanography centre in Southampton as one of the worlds leading institutes.

This is what we want to know because living in the states we do not know their reputations or "the areas".DD is really enjoying everyone's imput!

hi dutyfree,

most unis in the UK have web-sites on which prospective students can get in touch with existing ones to find out the answers to [most of] their questions.

that might be a way to go for your daughter.

also, the entry requirements for each course can tell you a lot - generally the higher the requirements, the more respected the course.

my DD has a number of friends at uni in Plymouth [which is not too far from where we live in Cornwall and therefore comfortably near home for these cornish country mice!] and they all seem to love it there. I'm not that fond of it, but then, I'm not a 20 somthing sutdent!

good luck to your daughter,

regards, ann

May I ask why your daughter didn't consider any U.S. schools for her studies? Was she trying to avoid writing the GRE?

I haven't the foggiest about Plymouth so can't really offer a comparison, but one thing I would check is where she would be based in Southampton.

The University is huge and spread all round the city. Some bits are of the city are nicer than others (although nowhere in Southampton could really be described as anything other than bland).

There are two Universities in Southampton. Which one is your daughter considering?

One is the University of Southampton
www.soton.ac.uk
which is the old 'proper' university.

The other is Southampton Solent University
www.solent.ac.uk
which is the old polytechnic, and is therefore a 'new' university.

There is still a degree of 'snob appeal' over here as to whether one (or one's offspring) attended a proper University which still persists, even though many new Universities are much better than some of the old ones! Flanner and RM67 said the same thing in more tactful terms.

Incidentally, my daughter has been offered a place at Southampton Solent for next September - it will be her second choice after Manchester Metropolitan (as opposed to Manchester University) LOL!

Julia-she would be at the University of Southampton and probably more on the coast at the Marine Science center since she will be doing all of her grad school work there.

My reaction was the same as flanner's - what is this 'University of Plymouth' really ? And it seems it's the Polytechnic of the South West, which I have to say I'd never heard of either. Southamption is, as flanner also says, one of the country's top universities.

Aside from that, I agree with those who say that Plymouth is physically out on a limb and Southampton would be a better base for a student in terms of big city life and access to the rest of the UK and the Continent.

My DD is very pleased to hear that Southampton has a good reputation from all of you-now she just has to wait for some other schools to let her know if she has been accepted.

Do keep any thoughts coming as they are greatly appreciated!

I've worked for quite a while in the University of Southampton, and with close links to the University in Plymouth. I would say flanneruk has it spot on. Neither place is beautiful, as a result of bombing, though each has one or two remnants worthy of note. Plymouth may be known for marine biology but Southampton is definitely the one for oceanography. Southampton has very much better links to the wider world.

AnnM-any ideas on the best sections to live at around the Marine Science/Oceanography Center by the water? We are hoping to go over and see the school but DD would rather not live in unversity housing at the main campus and have to have a meal plan since she will be a graduate student.thanks!

Hi dutyfree,

I had a look at the uni web-site accommodaition secction and there is definitely some self-catering - see:

http://www.soton.ac.uk/accommodation/halls/index.html

as she is from overseas, being on campus but self-catering would be the way to go, IMHO.

regards, ann

We would like to do a trip within the next month to Southampton to check out the school and find out about the off campus housing. Any suggestions about things to do or see OR hotel suggestions nearer the Oceanographic Centre?
DD doesn't want to live on main campus with undergrads and is interested in off campus apartment living closer to the Oceanography Centre but school says that it is all private apartments we would need to check out. Thoughts?

Also-would you fly into LHR or LGW and secure train or car transport from there? I usually stay in Crawley so was wondering if that would be the best to spend the night in and then leave for the school?

I find the journey to Heathrow easier. Cheapest way down would be the national express coach. All the post grad students I know share private flats etc. They usually find these by word of mouth. I believe there is a section on the university website, but all I could find was effectively what you already know.

Things to do and see in Southampton itself? There is a small museum, and a medieval merchants house. The shopping is fair by UK standards. Most of the attractions are outside the city - The New forest, Winchester or Salisbury would be my choices.

Thanks for the info Willit.Now to try and find a way and day to get to LHR.

I've run businesses in both - S'hampton has no great coastline, of harbours rocks etc, but it is in easy reach of London and has London prices Hampshire is one of the richest counties in UK. It IS of course in close proximity to both Hamble and Lymington -the sailing Meccas

Plymouth is a navy town emerging from centuries dominated by the navy who are now dwindling in numbers - the infamous Union street made Southampton's Derby road look like a girl-guides' pinnic. But even that has been shortened and to some extent tamed.
Plymouth is pout on a limb geographically and as such has to make it's own entertainment.
from a sailing point of view I prefer it - more sailing and less snobbery.

The countryside around Plymouth is probably some of the most varied and beautiful in the UK - the town itself - was ALSO bombed to buggery in the war and the re-development leaves a lot to be desired.

If I was to choose, I'd go for Plymouth - lots of "studenty" entertainment, easier access to boats and great countryside.

Don't forget to sample an "Ivor Dewdney" "Oggie"-and-beans when you're in Plymouth....it may decide for you - either way!

khunwilko, the OP posted way back in February. AFAIK they subsequently decided on Southampton.

Thanks everyone-she has decided to go to the University of Southampton as the National Oceanography Centre of the UK is right there and there are more opportunities for her. This will actually work out for me as I can bid Heathrow layovers and she can take the train to London and visit-or is it just bringing staples from the US?

As UK universities start in Sept/Oct I thought it might be useful to her and any others to do a quick comparison.
Many years ago I was an Entertainments/music business in S'hampton, but I'm afraid that any info I had in that area is long out of date.

Just a quick update...

My 18yo daughter is now going to Southampton Solent University (on September 19th - so soon!)

Anyway, just a thought, if your daughter would like a contact in the same town, if not the same university, then post back and maybe they can get in touch via facebook or even good old email!

Julia-just saw your note on the other thread. Good luck to both you and your daughter on her starting college-its just as hard as kindergarten I think in regards to letting go?
I am excited for my DD about Southampton as she has a great apartment down near the water and will have lots of interesting courses in the next year to get her masters degree completed.She starts school at the end of September so we will have a week at Ikea to decorate her apartment before we come back to the states-cannot wait!
All the best to you on this new journey with your daughter!