Social History postgraduate degrees in North East England

Durham is a beautiful city and university with great social opportunities. The traditions are very strong at this school. It feels today like how Oxford and Cambridge were twenty years ago. Sometimes administration can be a challenge, many people have difficulty in knowing how to pay tuition and the university is slow to respond to emails. Also, there are far too many international students and just students in general. The university’s expansion plans are causing a drop in the school’s national and international rankings and causing the university to be in danger of losing its character.

Leeds Beckett is situated in a great location. Firstly city campus is situated around 10-15 minutes walk from the city centre meaning if you are in first year student halls this is very convenient as many of them are right in the city. Furthermore if you are at Headingley campus you able to hop on the free shuttle to the city centre or if your living in the Carnegie halls, then this is right on your doorstep. Otherwise you are 10 minutes walk from Headingley centre and around 20-25 minutes from Hyde Park which is where many 2nd year and 3rd year students live in student houses. Leeds Beckett has a variety of courses and a great selection of staff on each course, meaning you interact with different lecturers and leaders. Moreover, the societies and student events mean socialising is encouraged and can lead you to make unforgettable memories and lifelong friends. I would say this is probably the best uni for someone to attend due to the close knit community that is created by Leeds Beckett and its location as it is an easy city to find your way round and it very quickly becomes a home away from home that you will be sad to leave.

Best aspects: One of the best things about my experience at York St John has been the strong sense of community. The campus is a really welcoming environment, and because it’s a smaller university, it’s easy to build meaningful relationships with both lecturers and other students. My course has felt very supportive, with lecturers who are approachable and genuinely invested in student success. The location is also a huge positive — being so close to York city centre makes student life enjoyable while still having a calm, close-knit campus atmosphere that’s great for studying. Worst aspects / improvements: While the supportive environment is a real strength, one area that could be improved is communication around timetabling and assessment deadlines, which can sometimes feel a bit last-minute. Additionally, expanding study spaces during peak assessment periods would be helpful, as the library can get very busy. That said, the university is clearly responsive to student feedback, and I’ve seen positive changes being made over time.