Stirling University open day thing tomorrow (sat 14th)

Metalface Mark

Metalface Mark

Metalface Mark

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Just wondered if anyone is going to this, Im taking my daughter along as she has enrolled for the coming year.

Im a bit nervous about her going away and leaving home as I suppose all parents are.

Does anyone here stay in Stirling halls? What is the quality like?
 
Don't know the halls but the campus is fantastic, I used to work in a lab beside it and went for walks round their giant pond at lunch time.
 
I live fairly close by in Stirlingshire, in my job we used to visit the Uni regularly for loads of malicious false alarms when the kids were playing up but that has all but vanished now ( I'm talking a good 15-20 years ago ;) ).

AFAIK, the halls are very good and there are some off campus halls of a fair size just over the Stirling Bridge on the Cornton Road as well as at the top of Union Street nearer the town itself. If I remember rightly, some of the on campus halls were given a complete refurbishment a few years back.

The Uni itself is excellent as I'm sure you will already have investigated. Stirling and the surrounding area offers loads to do and see, it's a fantastic part of Scotland. :)
 
what degree? Im currently in my final year at stirling. Might be attending tomorrow as a guide. Im out at mo so posting from my phone. More in depth answer later when im back at my computer.

/Salsa
 
Never heard of it but I guess it's in stirling?
Bit unusual to have an open day at this time of the year, I hope she enjoys it. Scary to think that some people are parents of children my age on here.
 
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Said I would post a little more when I got back in so...

Im just finishing my degree in Environmental Science and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Stirling Uni. This is actually my second degree and I am in the same department as your daughter will be going into (School of Natural Sciences).

The teacher contact is much better than my previous University and a lot better than other Universityes where I have friends. The department really makes an effort to get to know the students on a personal level, not just as a number, and I think it shows. I have gotten to know some of the staff really quite well and all of them operate an open door policy for any issues. I cannot fault them for that!!

I dont know much about her particular course but I do know the biology dep is one of the bigger departments in the Uni. The School of Natural Sciences is actually the largest in the Uni so has some very good facillities. A lot of the course will be taught in tandem with other biology/environmental courses for the first year. She will start to soecialise in biology in 2nd year and Animal biology in 3rd and 4th year I would imagine.

The halls are much like any other halls in my experience, fairly basic with narrow corridors and bare painted walls. A little bit prison like but exactly the same as Herriot Watt and other universities I have visited. The kitchen facilities in the main blocks are not that fantastic . 1 kitchen per floor which is shared between around 10 people. To be honest though that is where I did most of my socialising and had I not slummed it in halls for a year then I dont think my experience would have been nearly so rounded. Some of the halls have been renovated although if I remember correctly Murray Hall and Geddes Court were the least "nice" of the halls and had not yet been renovated. When I went to my induction they took us round one of the recently renovated halls but I ended up in Murray which was not as nice. You could look at Alexander Court which is individual en-suite rooms but from my experience they are located much further away from the Uni (although still on campus its a good 20-25 min walk) and the demand/price is much higher.

Like said I stayed in Murray halls and while it was no Ritz it was perfectly adequate and I had a blast!!

Sports facilities are top notch if your daughter is into that kind of thing. Think my gym membership was £75 for the year for complete access and their facilities are olympic class as they are the Scottish Institute for sport! We trained Andy Murray dont you know!!

Stirling itself is quite small. something like 33% of its population is students and this shows on a night out. The local population in stirling can be a little "chavy" but for the most part there is little trouble and generally students are left alone. It is no worse than any other city I have been to or lived in although the lack of variety in the nightlife gets a little tedious.

Bus service into town is excellent (little steep perhaps but montly/weekly passes are not bad) and it is within walking distance if your daughter is not excercise averse. Since it is central scotland Edinburgh/Glasgow are less than an hour on the train and from there you can access anywhere in thre UK!

One criticism I would have is that the union is a bit naff. Its fine for a few beers now and then but I think I had been spoilt from living in edinburgh before moving here and it just seemed a little sub par.

On the whole I think Stirling is a fantastic uni. Great setting, decent uni and not too busy like some of the big city Uni's. Much more personal approach to teaching than a lot of other Uni's. Friends from edinburgh and glasgow couldnt believe how easy it was for me to go and speak to staff and get help with work for any reason.

I cant think of anything else right now.

My flatmate is doing some of the departmental tours tomorrow (tall mexican bloke with a badass moustache!!), along with some other firends. I am supposed to be helping out but not sure I will make it.

Any more questions just ask.

/Salsa
 
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RomanNose said:
Never heard of it but I guess it's in stirling?
Bit unusual to have an open day at this time of the year, I hope she enjoys it. Scary to think that some people are parents of children my age on here.
Click to expand...

I went to a few oxford ones a few weeks ago, and bristol uwe and uni next week.
 
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