Oxford and Manchester for PGCE (MFL)- looking for advice!!

Hi everyone!

I'm a Cambridge graduate (Modern Languages) and I've applied for the MFL PGCE at both Oxford and Manchester. I'm really torn between the two and would love to hear from people who've studied at either, especially for teacher training. One thing that's making this decision difficult is that after graduating from Cambridge I felt quite depressed, I was very attached to my college, the peaceful green spaces... Part of me would also love to return to Cambridge one day to do a Master's in Education Policy, so staying in that sort of academic "world" feels appealing.

At the same time, Manchester really excites me. I like the city, the music scene, the people seem so friendly and I'd get to experience living somewhere much bigger. Everyone I've spoken to in the department has also been lovely. I'm also a climber, so being close to a big climbing community is definitely a plus.

The thing is, I know a PGCE is very demanding. I'll probably spend most of my time on school placements and lesson planning, so I'm wondering whether it's silly to base such a big decision on what each city offers outside the course. Then again, I thought the same before going to Cambridge, and despite the workload I still managed to have a decent social life.

Oxford is... well, Oxford. It would be pretty cool to experience living there, and I am already familiar with the college system. But I'm wondering whether the PGCE there is more academic or intense than Manchester's and whether I'd receive as much support. I also thought the college system might make it easier to make friends, although I'm not sure how much free time I'd actually have during the course.

For anyone who's done a PGCE at Oxford or Manchester (or knows someone who has):

• How supportive was the course?
• Did you have any kind of social life during the PGCE?
• Did the city you lived in make much difference given how busy the course is?

thank you!!