We're going to be running a six-page student special in the Farmlife section of FW on November 11.

We've picked 10 ag colleges and universities that that we think are among the best in the UK and given a guide to the type of student experience they offer - from courses to social life to extra-curricular activities to simply why students love it.

Here's where you come in...

We want to know what YOU think about your college or uni. You might be a current student, a past student, a lecturer, or you might have visited on an open day and want to share your initial impressions. You might want to tell us what makes (or made) your student experience so special, or perhaps there’s something you’d change that could make it even better.

Post a review on this thread and you'll automatically be entered into a competition to win £200. The best overall submission, as judged by the Farmlife team, will win the cash. There are only two criteria: be honest, and be specific about your likes/dislikes.

If pictures are more your thing, you can load some into our designated gallery (this is quick and easy to do).

And if you like video, film a short clip - either on your phone or on a hand-held video camera - giving us a flavour of one or more aspects of what life is like there (or was like when you were a student). Then email the YouTube link to fwfarmlife@rbi.co.uk

We are welcoming submissions relating to any agricultural or land-based course in the UK. The comment/review/picture(s) or film we like best wins £200 and we’ll be publishing a selection of the your comments/pictures to publish in a future issue of Farmers Weekly.

Newcastle Being a city centre campus, Newcastle is a hive of activity. Where some other uni's are stuck on campus, Newcastle boasts a city experience...which is probably something new to anyone studying Ag! With great night life and a very active Agric Society, there is always plenty to do and fun to be had. As we as this, with such a diverse range of degree programmes, there is an equally diverse range of people and societies so non-farming friends can be made too. Although it is a city centre, the uni has two farms not far away which allow us to do practicals and such like. One of the farms is probably the only unit to be half organic and half conventional - meaning comparisons between the two can easily be made! Bad points - lack of tweed and too many cyclists.

It's too long since I was a student to review my old Uni - which was Reading.

But I would echo the comment above from Matty about it being nice to be part of a establishment which gives you a city experience and the ability to mix with students who aren't studying an ag course. I found it opens your eyes as to how non-farmers ie your customers perceive agriculture and the food we sell to them. I think having friends from outside farming can be incredibly helpful - it makes you appreciate the good bits of the industry and put the bad bits in perspective. And there is plenty you can learn from people in other jobs and roles. 

 

I go to Harper Adams University College, and I am studying FdSc Agriculture. I'm currently on my placement year, and this is one of the best things about Harper, the placement year; it allows you to gain actual job related experience, meet new people of all ages, and gain many contacts out in industry. It also aids in getting a job after uni, which in current economical circumstances is a great help!

The fact that Harper has its' own farm on campus is one of it's strongest points with regards to lectures, research or just going for a walk around and having a nosey at some rather impressive kit! The services available, such as the library and the Faccenda building are very modern and have everything you could wish for!  Plans to add to these facilities by extending the legendary student union, redeveloping the Ancellor Yard and moderising the engineering block will enhance the Harper experience further. All of the staff are very helpful and are always willing to help you.

The social life is second to none, it is the only place you can go out by yourself and there is always somebody out that you will know and have a good time with! There are no end of clubs to join, such as the clay shooting team and the rugby club. The socials are hellish, and are always the highlight of the week! The student union is excellent; some of my best nights ever have been in the bar! Drinks are nice and cheap and the Wednesday night themes never fail to impress.

The reason that Harper is so good is because everyone is so friendly there, and everybody is there to have a good time. The banter is unbelievable, and the things that you get up to are just insane! Some of the antics that I got up to are probably too wild to be told on here, but I don't know any Harper student that doesn't have stories that are very explicit!

The bad points about Harper are - Being on placement is very annoying when you know you have a lot of friends at Harper having a crazy time without you, you never come back clean after a night out (especially on a night out in the bar), your daily live weight gain does increase significantly and you can only live in halls for your first year! 

 i went to Lackham in Wiltshire and i studied NDFM the course in the first year was Amazing and i learnt so much and had the time of my life. it was full of practicals, the tutors knew what they were on about. when i told people i was there they knew about the college etc all was good!

However due to spending cuts in my second year (this year) the course along with other Agricultural courses were cut from 4 days a week to effectivly 2 and 1/4  and they wernt even consecutive days. and costing approximatly £400 a month to live in just wasnt justifiable and unable to find a local job i had to start looking to leave and find a full time job (which i did) i was utter dissapointed my point here is. we are trying to encourage young people in to the Ag sector so why make college so hard for them. i know lots of people that are in the same boat as i was not being able to justify all the money for college training for only a couple of days a week.

shame the campus was excellent all the facilities we wanted were there in the work shops or for social stuff.

 

Coming from a strong family farming background, attending Agricultural College felt like a right of passage. Life at Cirencester seems a distant memory now, and farming is certainly in a different (most would agree better) place now than when I left in 2005. But has it equipped me for the future in the way that I would have hoped?There is no doubt that most of us had a fantastic time at Ciren, made life long friends and still feel a strong attachment to the place. But you can’t help but wonder sometimes what life would have been like at a rival Ag college (read Harper etc!).

The negative points when I look back have been the slightly parochial nature of a specialist agri college, rather than say a university with an agri department. While this undoubtedly gives a unique sense of pride, you could argue that for an industry trying to reach out to politician, consumers and others, having a web of “non-farming” friends could have its long term advantages. But I do find that despite moving out of the industry, people have still heard of and respect the Ciren "brand".

I remember driving up the college drive for the open day and those cold, windswept buildings and the immaculate, almost “ministerial” feel of the reception and wondering how I’d fit in – I’ll admit it’s clicky to say the least! The social life was good – the May ball excellent, although I know that some colleges held more events over the weekends than Ciren which was sometimes frustrating when everyone else had gone home and left you at uni on your Tod!The setting was one of the major plus points – picturesque but not too rural, plenty of people but not so big that nobody would recognize you. The lecturers were personable and really knew their stuff which mattered (to some of us at least!). One of the first things I point out to anyone considering their Agri college options now, is that those of us who came from county agri colleges with a National Diploma background often found ourselves frustrated, feeling that we were covering old ground. I also sensed that the buzz of college life maybe didn’t quite have the same “electric” feel to us as it did to those straight out of boarding school. So would I go to Ciren if I had the choice again? Actually, I’d probably opt for a change of scenery and have a go at a maths or physics degree instead (if I survived in London that is). 

 

Hi guys I graduated from a HND in Agriculture this year (June 11) at Greenmount College (CAFRE) in Northern Ireland. I really enjoyed my time there as I had a good mixture of practical hands on experience and lectures of different modules of varying topics. The college is well situated not far from Antrim town and Belfast etc. There were 3 enterprise to choose from when I arrived in 1st year (Sep 08) CREAM, CROPS and UPLANDS. I chose CREAM as it was an enterprise made up of 30 high yielding Holstein cows. The reason I chose this one was because I had never milked before and I wanted to learn something new as I have some experience on suckler beef/sheep system. I enjoyed working with the herd but when you were for a week each term the 3 times a day milking took some time to get used to espically on the weekends.

Moving away from home and living on campus was an experience and it also took sometime to get adjusted but I made loads of friends and had plenty of good times. Also I was on the student council as my class rep/counciller which was to good to help voice our views and to help organise events etc. Also as a born again christian the college has a Christian Union which I really enjoyed and got more involved in during 3rd year. The HND includes a placement year which is the 2nd year so for that I got experience on a dairy farm for 6 months and I spend around 10 weeks each at two different machinrey dealers. I really enjoyed the different placements and earned a bit along the way which helped! My lecturers knew what they were talking about when teaching and they were easy to get on with and only to glad when I had a problem etc.

We had plenty of good vists as well especially to Kildalton college in ROI, Brussells and to good performing farms etc. To wrap this up I would recommend Greenmount becuase of the good facilities, staff, experience and courses available. I am currently at SAC Edinburgh to top up to a BSc in Agriculture in 1 year.

Regards

Stephen Crawford 

Although I’ve only been at the Royal Agricultural College for the grand total of four weeks I can already say it’s been unforgettable.

I had my doubts about coming here; being away from home for the first time, fitting in, but I’ve found my place. A place with people of all ages and backgrounds,  that find it perfectly acceptable to wake up at 7am on a Saturday, that don’t think having chickens that knock on the kitchen door for scraps is absurd and that find the smell of manure homely.

 It’s so refreshing to find like-minded, intelligent people who share all the same interest’s I’ve looked a bit odd for enjoying in the past. The lecturers vary hugely, teaching us farming from all aspects with a few months practical experience in the second year. The social activities have something for everyone, from early morning beagling at the weekends to polo or shooting on a Wednesday afternoon and late nights at the only nightclub in town. With stunning views of the Cotswolds from your bedroom window and lovely old buildings, this college has the whole package.

 Despite being strongly disliked by the locals, here it doesn’t matter if you’re tall, short, northern, southern, male or female, as long as you own a pair of wellies, you’re bound to fit in.  

 Like Steve above, i also attended Greenmount College in NI.  I'm from North Yorkshire and decided that i wanted to completely get away and study somewhere different and so chose to do the degree in Agriculture which is jointly run between Greenmount College and Queen's University, Belfast.  Although i was the only person from outside of Northern Ireland on my course i apsolutly loved it.  The course is a 3 year course with a 16 week placement inbetween the 2nd and 3rd year.  The best thing about it was that the course was held for the first 2 years at the agric college with the final year in the middle of Belfast.  This meant that you got the best of both worlds with practical on-farm work on the college farms in the first 2 years and the experience of living in the middle of a capital city for a year.  This not only meant that we got to meet a wide range of people, learn a wide range of topics, but also that we could have an immense social life!!  Theres something strangely pleasing in being able to walk to bars, clubs, the kebab shop and then home again when normally that would include a 20 quid taxi!  The irish people are also extremely friendly and i've made some fantastic friends.  The only bad point about going to Northern Ireland was that it could be a bit steady at the weekends.  This is because most of the people on my course had family farm commitments at home, requiring them to go home at the weekends.  Although I often went home with them and the free time gave me chance to catch up with work it did get a bit annoying.  However, if more people from the mainland UK started to take this course, this problem would soon disapear.  So anyone wanting to get away from the usual UK Agric colleges should definetly have a look out for the Greenmount and Queen's Uni open days.  Its far cheaper to get over there than you might think aswel, if you book the flights in advance it only cost around 70 quid return.  Don't just write it off because its in a different country!!!

As a former Harper Adams student (Graduating with a 2:1 in 2010) I now look back on my choice of university with both fond memories and a strong sense of achievement.

The experience at Harper starts even before you arrive as a fresher. I visited two of the "HEC" conferences which gave a taste of Harper life during the UCAS application period - both of these visits further enforced my decision to come to Harper as being the right choice to make.  I chose to study the BSc (Hons.) Agri-Food Marketing with Business Studies because I wanted to work in the food industry but wasn’t sure exactly in what capacity.  My original expectations were to leave university in some sort of marketing / commercial role but from just the initial few months of varied lectures I was able to see a wider and more interesting set of options were available.

Without doubt the course content is first rate and you can clearly see that the lecturers at Harper have such a wealth of experience that translates into their lectures.  The facilities are equally as fantastic with continual investment into the agri-food sector.  While I was there we used the on-campus farm, and lab facilities but also got chance to use the new food academy which was complete by the final year. Since then I keep checking up on the website and see millions and millions of pounds being invested to develop the facilities further – The new student SU being one of the extremely impressive additions.

One of the best things about the all the courses at Harper (as someone above mentioned) is the placement year in industry.  I'm now writing this from Peru working as a Grape Technologist for a UK fruit importer supplying M&S and Tesco. The company I work for (MMUK, based in Cambridgeshire) offered a placement year where I got to see all aspects of their business and found the niche that I liked - the technical side.   At the end of the year the company offered me a financial scholarship to return back to them with a guaranteed job once I graduated. In the difficult times graduates are currently having getting jobs I realise how invaluable this was – more so than the financial part!

I now travel the world following the grape harvest from country to country. I know that I wouldn't be in the position or have these opportunities if I had chosen anywhere other than Harper.   I'm not the only person who will tell you this about Harper and its placement year, it's a story the majority of my friends would tell you too.

I’ve talked a lot about the academic side but obviously uni life isn’t all about work!! The Harper campus and SU are fantastic at getting people involved. One of the things Harper prides itself on is the "Harper Spirit" which is difficult to describe in words until you first arrive at Harper in fresher’s week and see what it's all about. Believe me when I say Harper students know how to work hard and they certainly know how to play hard!

The only thing I didn't like about Harper, and I'm being serious here, was the fact I had to leave. Not a week goes by when I speak to my friends made at Harper without us reminiscing about times we had and how much we all want to go back - if that's not an advocation for an amazing university college then I don’t know what is.

I go to Duchy College Rosewarne in Cornwall, there's always something happing at college on day we could be weighing cattle the next day we could be ploughing. Although its a small agricultural college with only 90 acres of land, it gets support from local farmers to go and use there land. We got our new college tractor last week a New Holland 113hp tractor also a new manure spreader. I enjoy Duchy college cause the staff are supportive and i learn important skills for my future in farming.

Here's a review from 18-year-old Alex Robinson of Gelli Aur Campus, at Coleg Sir Gar (Carmarthenshire College):

"I am currently a second year student at Coleg Sir Gar, studying for a level three Extended Diploma in Agriculture at Gelli Aur Campus.
The college farm is located in the Towy Valley in the heart of Carmarthenshire and offers a range of agricultural and land based courses for all abilities and attracts students from a radius of well over 65 miles.

So what makes Gelli Aur so special? I don’t think there is one particular thing that makes the college what it is; it is down to many reasons. The location of the college itself is one thing, located in the fertile basin of the Towy Valley surrounded by stunning woodland and an overall breathtaking landscape make travelling to college everyday a pleasure. Also the availability of having two herds of cows on site as well as bull beef cattle and a small flock of sheep aid the courses, as hands on experience is always available for even the most inexperienced of students.

But in my opinion the thing that makes the Gelli Aur most successful is the people. The students' willingness to learn and lecturers years of experience come together to achieve great things and every year students go on to university at Aberystwyth, and Harper Adams after gaining their qualifications at the college.

There is a slightly relaxed, family atmosphere at the college where everyone feels a part of the action, where there is always time for a debate about farming issues, and definitely the chance to have kick about with the rugby ball every now and again!

There are of course many more things that make the experience at a Gelli Aur a memorable one, but the one thing that will stand out the most are the friends that are made along the way. Friends that you will keep for the rest of your life!"

I am currently studying BSc (Hons) Agriculture at Harper Adams University College. I'm in my first year and loving every aspect of life here. The teaching is a high standards, with tutorials every week to build upon the knowledge gained in lectures. All of the lecturers are friendly, knowledgeable and know each and every student. The social side of Harper is amazing, every night there is something going on, including film nights and a big sports night every Wednesday. The main advantage of the degree at Harper is the year placement, which is in year three. I am able to travel and work anywhere in the world for 12 months, which is a great chance to experience other cultures and farming methods. This is not offered by many other universities which is what makes Harper Adams the best and most recognised agricultural university in the UK.

 

I go to Duchy College stoke climsland, and doing my second year in a level 3 national diploma in agriculture. The college offers us many opportunities and each day we are doing something different. The college farm has a strong dairy herd that level 3 first years share milking duties, and fully experience a dairy lifestyle, including the 4am starts! The College farm also has a sheep flock, suckler herd, and often keep a few pigs. Although i dont come a strong farming background, they teach you knoledge for all sectors of farming, from dairy to crops to the ins and outs of tractors, to prepare you for when you wish to fully go into the industry. They encourage youngsters to go into farming by giving them the most options and chances. And when possible they offer extra courses such as AI, foot trimming, or sprayer with funding so that it is made more eddordable. Over all, for a smallish college compared to other agricultural colleges it does well to exceed for its students.

I've worked at Harper Adams University College for nearly 20 years. There's something of a family atmosphere at Harper that tends to make staff stay once they've arrived. More people leave by retiring than by seeking new positions, and many retirees are glimpsed on campus long after they have stopped teaching. Even though the place has grown considerably since I first set foot here (a somewhat accidental affair - I applied for a part-time lecturer post but was employed as a full-time technician!) it remains a close-knit community, with a strong alumni, who often encourage their siblings, children and even grandchildren to study here. The only pity is that the staff's extracurricular social life is less prominent than it once was. The stories of the grandees when I first arrived suggested that the staff once regularly had dinner dances in the Queen Mother Hall (in formal attire, obviously)...  though, even now, there are still a few who try to keep up with the undergrads to be awake for the breakfast photo after the Summer Ball!  The themes of the Summer Ball deserve mention in themselves - I will never forget the giant inflatable King Kong on the roof for the Hollywood themed one, and there were amazing sideshows for the Wild West Rodeo one. The students work hard but never take themselves too seriously; nor indeed do the staff! I, myself, have participated in the once regular Staff Revue and other performances of the Society for Charity Revues and Pantomimes (SCRAP), though sadly there is little time these days (and maybe we're getting somewhat older).

The campus has developed vastly over the years. I have seen, in the last 20 years, a new student services building, a new environmentally-friendly library (despite the fact that the old one was fairly new), a couple of new student halls, a new soil hall, a new postgraduate centre and countless renovations and renewals of old buildings including the Aspire centre and the new Food Academy. The farm has had a new poultry unit, a new pig unit, new dairy housing and a new rotary parlour (all state-of the-art and scientifically designed) amongst other novelties which escape my recollection. All these make fantastic resources for the students. The students also have (what I believe is, or once was) the longest student union bar in the UK as well as new all-the-year round pitches and up-to-the-minute gym. We boast some of the most successful clay shooting teams in national university competitions plus some excellent rugby teams.

As if this was not enough, we lead the way in on-campus renewable technology development with photo-voltaic roof-tiles, a new anaerobic digester, and electric vehicles (amongst other things) plus an award-winning catering department that prides itself on using local produce to reduce its food miles. No doubt our students clock up a few extra miles compared with their urban counterparts, as despite having beautiful grounds (tended by master gardeners who've shown at Chelsea) the campus is a little isolated from bright lights and big cities. My observation, however, is that the vast majority don't seem to miss a metropolitan existence because there is so much entertainment on the campus, plus the College farm and the local lanes for walking and cycling. I'm a city girl myself and I can't say I'd rather be back in London. I'd like to think I will still be here, coaching students in statistical analysis until I finally reach retirement myself, and become one of a long line of ex-employees to leave here only when my working life is over.

I'm in my third and final year at Harper Adams University College and although I’m clear about what I want to do when I finish, I’m gutted to be leaving the place that, for the last three years, has been home. The staff and my fellow students have made my time here truly unforgettable. I've been supported, guided and encouraged to grow and develop in a subject I’m passionate about and it is only from this support that I feel both confident and excited about my future.

Harper lives and breath’s its "work hard play hard" motto; the Library is always accessible, the farm is a great case study for students and the staff are unfailingly supportive. (Whilst as 'down to earth' as the rest of us, literally). Alongside Harpers capacity to produce hardworking, dedicated academics, comes an ability to 'let it's hair down' and entertain. There’s always something to get involved with; charity fund raising, sports events and let’s not forget the legendary Harper balls! University is monumental in defining who a person is to become and for me, Harper Adams has been invaluable.

Elizabeth Bourne

I'm in my final year at Harper Adams University College, studying Veterinary Nursing, and it will be all too soon before I have to leave.  However, I know that when the time comes, Harper has prepared me for the "big wide world".  This is especially due to the inclusion of a year out on placement during the third year of a majority of the the degree courses at Harper.  It allows you to develop as an individual, and gain both confidence and knowledge in your area of study, in addition to providing you with the chance to form invaluable contacts.  I've always been told its "not always what you know, it's who you know", and both the staff and the people you encounter on placement have a large amount of contacts they can put you in touch with.    

The courses at Harper are all a balanced mixture of practical and theory, which allows you to use your knowledge and apply it in a practical manner, as you will in any future career in the agricultural sector.  Harper is constantly planning and developing the site.  This year, as mentioned previously, the Faccenda Student Union building was built, with an accompanying shop and cafe.  The library is also relatively new, and was refurbished throughout only this year.  Furthermore, Harper's on-site farm is a precious commodity for students, providing experience with arable, machinery, and a wealth of livestock.  Many students also conduct their final year dissertation on the farm, which is ideal as the farm staff and lecturers are highly knowledgable about the farm and experienced in carrying out such studies, therefore providing unrivalled support.

The staff at Harper are all really approachable and friendly, and will go out of their way to support you.  Furthermore, compared to other much larger universities, they know you by name.  This means that they know where your individual strengths and weaknesses lie and can help you accordingly.  They also have an accompanying sense of humour, which is a requirement at an agricultural college!

The social life at Harper is indescribable.  It ranges from what you would normally expect at a university to the totally bizarre!  I shall never forget my Freshers' week, what with events such as the "Freshers' Challenge"!  There is never a time to be bored, as there is always something going on.  Due to Harper's small size, everyone either knows, or knows of, everyone else.  This makes for a fantastic close-knit community, with an accompanying friendly supportive environment.  It is a shame in one way that you cannot stay on campus for more than your first year, but the experience of living in a house with fellow students is brilliant.  Other students in the area are always on hand to help each other out.  I remember in my second year we forgot to top up the gas card, and so some lovely chaps over the road were nice enough to allow four cold and hungry girls into their house, saucepans in hand!  And in return we cooked them Christmas dinner!

That's basically what Harper is about, giving and taking.  You get out of Harper what you put in, both socially and academically.  It's about getting involved, mucking in, and being open-minded.  University is a period of your life that stays with you forever, yet at Harper students never seem to leave, even after they have graduated! 

As a fourth year student reading for a BSc Honours degree in Agriculture at Harper Adams I feel dwarfed by the answers to the question: ‘What do I think about my university/college?’ Starting from my very first impressions of Harper, almost five years ago when I rather innocently turned up to an open day with no real thoughts on what to expect, I have never looked back. As soon as we arrived we were met with the ‘Harper community spirit’, not one unfriendly or unhelpful person, it was impossible to get lost yet large enough not to feel crowded. University statistics and pictures cannot possibly do this justice. I found, as did many other students that you have to actually visit Harper to see what it’s all about. Lecturers at Harper are second to none, their enthusiastic flair and diverse experience in Agriculture is the main reason as to why we all love lectures so much. The facilities used for lectures are fantastic, including the new food academy, laboratories, environmentally friendly library and new SU building. Lecture content is a mix of theory and practical, making the on campus farm essential. Throughout my three years of lectures, at least 20% of the time has been spent on farm. This is something that most other Ag universities cannot compete with Harper on. Having a basic farm a couple of miles away is no good to a final year student. With the farm being the centre of most dissertation subjects, students need to have safe, unaccompanied, nearby access to it whenever they need it. Harper offers students a 93.8% chance of employability when they graduate. This was the deciding factor for me when I applied for a place. Going to university is no longer about reading up on your favourite subject. Increasingly high studying costs mean that a degree has to pay. Prospective students looking at university choices can no longer afford to ignore these statistics. The placement year at Harper is in one word FANTASTIC. Nothing can prepare you more for your final year, in terms of motivation and concentration than a ‘taste of the real world’. One year of hard work gave me invaluable industry contacts, career related experience and a reference to put myself ahead of all of those graduates who only have a degree. Finally, there is no way I can miss out mentioning the famous Harper spirit and social life. With events such as fresher’s week, end of term balls, Agric block fixture, societies and clubs and the notorious Wednesday nights out, it really is hard to find time to do your work! The SU at Harper are fantastic, they devote all of their time to getting everybody possible involved in social events and making sure they go exactly to key, something you won’t find at larger universities. Sometimes I feel that yes, maybe Harper is a little small, but on the other hand why do I feel the need to waste my over financed student loan on expensive city nights out when I have the rest of my twenties, and an unexploited, hopefully decent wage (thanks to Harper) to spend on this?

Seems a bit weird not to have included Reading in the top ten?

I doubt they need the publicity.

the beast:

Seems a bit weird not to have included Reading in the top ten?

I doubt they need the publicity.

Are you an ex-Reading student? If so, what did you like most (and least)?

during my four years at Harper Adams it has not been a easy ride but its been a memorable one where i have made friends for life.

whilst undertaking my placement year in a trainee role i faced lots of challenges being away from home, with no contact with people after my work hours ended, and a not wanting me to be there attitude from the management. but when i returned early back to my home town of newport where the university college is based i received some fantastic support from my tutor and my friends which got me through some tough times.

 the learning atmosphere, the harper spirit, and wednesday night antics are things which i will always be truly gratefull for have missed harper very much since i have completed my studies.

 

 

I am an ex Reading student

I studied Food Marketing and Business Economics so I cant really comment directly on the Ag Course.

Positives.

Reading is an enormous place and has a large Uni with a massive cross section of courses and people, which means

You have no choice but to experience the urban world the majority of the country live in; terraced houses and a complete social mix.

Facilities that only a large university can deliver a massive union (the nightclub has 1500 people 3 bars 2 floors etc), loads of sports rowing rugby football etc etc.

You’re twenty mins form London, if Reading isn’t exciting enough.

The boy girl mix is brilliant.

You are a tiny fish in a big pond which encourages you to try harder and aspire to more.

For most there’s an element of moving out of their comfort zone and a massive eye opener to the world beyond the farm gate

If it all gets too much we have the best agriculture club in the UK and we are 20 mins form Henley if you want some country.

 

On the teaching side-

Lecturers are genuinely world leading because of the cross over between courses the person taking you intro to accounting lecture may well be teaching advanced accounts to masters students that afternoon.

Everything on my food marketing course was linked to the real world and bang up to date. The links into industry are really strong and I am coming across them all the time.

 No one who graduated my course has struggled to find a job several went onto the grad schemes for Pepsi co, Unilver etc etc and are now in high level management positions.

Ultimately The Ag/food marketing department   is forward thinking and dynamic, there is no need for pretention. The most influential people I work/have worked with came from Reading, and they didn’t feel the need to tell me until I asked.

 

Down sides.

Might be a little more expensive than other options in terms of living costs

 Its sink or swim.

Here's a review from Henry Barber, 2nd year Agric at the University of Reading:

Reading is the best place to study.

I don't come from a farming background so I wasn't sure what to expect from a degree in agriculture. I had visited all of the main agricultural colleges and universities, and I chose Reading for several reasons: The university is ranked in the top two places to study agriculture in the UK (1st in The Guardian, 2 in The Independent university guide) and the university as a whole was ranked by The Times in the top 200 places to study in the world (ranked 164th).

Another reason that I chose Reading was for the excellent facilities, with two farms in close proximity and transport readily available, the fact that the university is in the town doesn't matter.

When I visited, the staff were all very friendly and took the time out to speak to me, and this trend has continued into my second year when the staff will always take time out to explain things to you in private.

The course also takes you to view other farms as well, with visits a regular thing every week, to see various different systems, as well as a study tour to see a variety of hill farming systems at the end of your first year.

In the second year you also get to put what you have learnt into practice, with a competition to see who can make the biggest gross margin from their plots. One of the advantages of having the university in a town is the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and with excellent public transport meaning that a trip into town doesn't have to be planned.

The course: not as practical based as some agricultural courses, the course at reading aims to look at the biology behind agriculture, and then helps you to apply that biology.

For example, in the second year you have the option of looking in more detail at plant disease through a microscope, understanding their structure and how they function, and how to stop them!

The opportunities at Reading are also excellent, with placement years encouraged and careers fairs throughout the year. As well as this, at the end of the second year, there are opportunities over summer to join in with the research teams at the university and to engage in the research areas you're interested in.

Here's a review from Tom Blanchard, a second year Bsc Agriculture student at the University of Reading.

I find it surprising that the University of Reading has not been included in your list.

Firstly I believe it is important to talk about Reading's investment in research. Reading boasts a modern 580-cow dairy herd with a portion dedicated solely to research in the sector which required a multi-million pound investment. This is enhanced with the other university farm at Sonning consisting of an arable operation as well as young stock rearing and, most importantly, independent crop trials in which I and the rest of the second year are currently involved in.

Your list seems to comprise of mainly agricultural colleges which I find very disappointing. Agriculture is a science which is something the public don't often appreciate; your article gives the impression that agriculture is merely driving tractors and injecting cattle which will not attract the investment in research and improvement worldwide agriculture needs.

I do not dismiss the importance of practical skills as I, too, enjoy operating machinery in the holidays on my father's arable farm and seek livestock experience within neighbouring farms.

I chose to study at University of Reading because I will gain knowledge and experience not possible on the farm and, with the tuition fee rise coming into place, I believe people will need more than just practical knowledge to justify the investment.

Looking at your list, I feel that for anyone whom is academic or has completed A-levels, agriculture is not for you - consistent with only Newcastle University making the cut.

Your analysis also includes proximity of large populations to the institutions, Reading town itself has a vibrant atmosphere which is also conveniently close to London. This, matched with an enclosed university campus home to a broad mix of subjects and people from across the country and indeed the world, makes it a vibrant place to study.