Which uni...?

Former Member

I'm doing a third year at college, so will be going to uni in 08. I'm thinking of applying to Sussex, LSE, Bristol, Nottingham, Sheffield and the last one I don't have a clue about, maybe Bath or if anyone has any reccommendations...?
Anyway, I'd love to hear if anyone has been to the Unis I mentioned, and what they thought, and if not, what uni they went to and what it was like! I don't want to make the wrong choice!
Thanks

Former Member

Depends entiely on what you want from uni life and what degree you wnat to do. Big/small/noisy/quiet town/campus near home, away from home. Best thing to do is go to the open days and have a look round the uni are the nearby town/city its based in as well.

I havent been to uni but Sussex has got a good reputation for most of its degrees, although competion is tough for a lot of places. Its on the outskirts of Brighton, but the centre is easily to get to by bus/train, and is a very laid back and eccentric city.

Former Member

A lot depends on the course you want to do!

Being a student in London is very different to anywhere else and may not be to your taste.

Former Member

I'd say namewise LSE there has the best reputation. But really I don't think that counts for as much anymore, a degree is much more just a basic requirement and it's the extra stuff - work placements etc. - that count towards a job.

Personally, I wanted to go to a prestigious, campus university, not in Leicestershire. I ended up with a shortlist of maybe 10, and just did it through a process of elimination. My last two were York and Warwick, but chose York over Warwick because the atmosphere when I went was just more laid back and such. I thought there was a bit of snobbishness / elitism at Warwick (obviously not all students though!) which put me off.

eta: my brother gave my some great advice! Consider that you will likely only go to university once in your life, and after that it's working and getting a job until you retire basically (how depressing) - so really although somewhere like oxford / cambridge will always carry a good reputation you should go wherever you will enjoy and feel comfortable living there for 3 years. The amount of people I know who went uni and just do it for the course and don't actually like the place / people / anything and travel home every weekend to see their friends...

Though as I'm sure scary monster will agree with, Oxford and Cambridge also have good social and outside uni bits I was merely saying pick where you will be most comfortable and happy! (Because it's downhill after that! )

Former Member

Oxbridge does have a social life, although I'm the first to agree its a very different uni experience.

Go for somewhere that has the facilities you want, has the modules on the course you like, that you find the travel between there and home achievable for and you like the place.

Former Member

Manchester is the place to beeeee

Former Member

It depends on what course you want to do.

Former Member

Manchester is fantastic, but I'm from Manchester and I really want to move away.

York sounds like a good uni, and it's meant to be a very pretty city too isn't it?

Former Member

i had an offer from nottingham and they're now my insurance choice simply on the strength that their communication was absolutely brilliant. which possibly isn't totally the best way to pick a university but hey....just get a ton of prospectuses and narrow it down from there. Position in league tables overall and for your subject, campus or city, size, accomadation, staff....etc.

But I must go and revise if I'm going to stand a chance of getting in anywhere....

Former Member

I've just finished my finals at Bristol and it's a fucking wicked place to be. Great city, great uni, just a great place to spend 4 years.

Incidentally, what are you applying for? As, obviously, certain subjects are better at certain unis than others.

Former Member

I'm planning to do politics and philosophy or social policy and philosophy, depending on which uni. Bristol does sound like an amazing place! And I love Portishead and Massive Attack etc!

Former Member

I know fuck all about unis but i do know that the competition to get into Bristol will be fiercer than the others you've mentioned. Not that that should put you off like but worth bearing in mind. The citys ok, depends on where you come from really and what you like. I personally think it's pretty boring.

Former Member

dreamy_me wrote: »

I'm doing a third year at college, so will be going to uni in 08. I'm thinking of applying to Sussex, LSE, Bristol, Nottingham, Sheffield and the last one I don't have a clue about, maybe Bath or if anyone has any reccommendations...?

LSE is by a mile the best place of those you can go to. 3rd best uni in the country after Oxbridge, and massive networking/career opportunities being in London and all.
Bristol is OK, good calibre of people there.
Nottingham and Bath decent, scrape the top 10 of a good league table.
Sheffield is pretty poor compared to these ones but decent for a few subjects. But generally prestige of the university matters much much more than your degree course for getting a good job.
And Sussex is shite.

Former Member

Jomery wrote: »

But generally prestige of the university matters much much more than your degree course for getting a good job.

That isn't strictly true any more. It all depends on the career choice that the OP wants to go into. Some careers yes that still matters in, others it doesn't at all. If the OP gets a good class of degree from anywhere they will not be looked down on for the university it came from in general. Most employees are looking for a far more rounded individual than purely the university.

Former Member

Edinburgh University :cool:

Beautiful city, prestigious respected university, sexual people.

What more do you want?

Former Member

Kazbo wrote: »

That isn't strictly true any more. It all depends on the career choice that the OP wants to go into. Some careers yes that still matters in, others it doesn't at all. If the OP gets a good class of degree from anywhere they will not be looked down on for the university it came from in general. Most employees are looking for a far more rounded individual than purely the university.

The vast, vast majority of graduate jobs are open to graduates who studied any course. Only relatively few sciency jobs like Medicine, Nursing, Biotech does your degree course matter. For most careers your university choice is of utmost relevance - you are incorrect to say if someone gets a 1st class degree from a bad uni they won't be looked down on - read the comments section in this - someone with a Cambridge Philosophy degree has a much better chance than someone with a Glasgow Finance degree at becoming an investment banker. Someone with an Oxford History degree has a better chance of becoming a lawyer at a top firm than someone with a Sussex Law degree (the Historian just needs to do a 1yr conversion course). I work for a top firm and the graduates here are almost exclusively Oxbridge, with a handful from places like LSE and Warwick. Someone with a top CV and a 1st from a 2nd-tier university would not be looked at. Same applies for top employers in a variety of sectors.

Former Member

What a load of rubbish, Jomery.

Former Member

Sorry Sofie, but it's not.

Pick any big investment bank, pick any top law firm, pick any of the top engineering companies and look at where their graduates come from. You'll find a massive percentage come from Oxbridge or at a push somewhere else in the top 10 universities.

Once you get away from the very top unis the difference is far less significant, but in the top vs the rest, the top win hands down.

Former Member

Jomery wrote: »

The vast, vast majority of graduate jobs are open to graduates who studied any course. Only relatively few sciency jobs like Medicine, Nursing, Biotech does your degree course matter. For most careers your university choice is of utmost relevance - you are incorrect to say if someone gets a 1st class degree from a bad uni they won't be looked down on - read the comments section in this - someone with a Cambridge Philosophy degree has a much better chance than someone with a Glasgow Finance degree at becoming an investment banker. Someone with an Oxford History degree has a better chance of becoming a lawyer at a top firm than someone with a Sussex Law degree (the Historian just needs to do a 1yr conversion course). I work for a top firm and the graduates here are almost exclusively Oxbridge, with a handful from places like LSE and Warwick. Someone with a top CV and a 1st from a 2nd-tier university would not be looked at. Same applies for top employers in a variety of sectors.

I did say that in some careers it did still matter, but I wouldn't say it is the vast majority like you are claiming. To speak of law since you mention it. I have a cousin who went to Oxford to do law, one who went to Sheffield, her husband went to Sheffield and my brother went to Leicester. Not a one of them has been classed any differently because of the university.

I went to an ex poly...should be lowest of the low. How have I got a grad job with one of the biggest and most sort after companies in the industry if they still look at university completely and looking at the people they have employed this year there isn't a single 1 from oxbridge.

I have a friend who works in recruitment for BAE and when I was applying to uni he told me to not worry about the university I went to because to their recruitment scheme, someone who got a 1st from an ex poly had actually worked harder and improved more than someone who got a 1st from a red brick university because in generally yes they were a lesser calibre of student in the 1st place.

You say the investment banks don't accept people from other universities, I know people who went to my university who have jobs in them so thats also a load of utter bollocks.

Yes there is in some industries still a snobbery about Oxbridge graduates, but it's a lot less than those people who are Oxbridge students/grads seem to like to suggest. :rolleyes:

Former Member

Kazbo wrote: »

Yes there is in some industries still a snobbery about Oxbridge graduates, but it's a lot less than those people who are Oxbridge students/grads seem to like to suggest. :rolleyes:

Mainly magic circle law firms and top investment banks but there are always anomalies.

Former Member

long lost lady wrote: »

i had an offer from nottingham and they're now my insurance choice simply on the strength that their communication was absolutely brilliant.

I can second this, they have really nice campus's as well. But speaking as a (rival) trent student - I'd rather be a poly than a cunt!

Former Member

icey wrote: »

I can second this, they have really nice campus's as well. But speaking as a (rival) trent student - I'd rather be a poly than a cunt!

Ahh, I love the Red Brick vs. Ex-Poly banter. We've got one of those down in Bristol too - UWE (The University Without Education )

Nottingham campus is really nice. But the city's not. Even Robin Hood couldn't sort out the gun problem there :no:

Former Member

Sofie wrote: »

What a load of rubbish, Jomery.

Sofie, you can tell me all you want that I'm talking rubbish in Sex/Relationships boards as I have little experience there, but please don't say I'm talking rubbish in one of my main areas of expertise. I've been featured in national newspapers and magazines giving student/graduate career advice, and have liased with heads of HR at many top firms during the last few years. As Thunderstruck says, magic circle law firms and top investment banks have a massive uni bias, and however good you are you may simply not get in if you're from an ex-poly. But even outside these most exclusive places, the VAST MAJORITY of graduate jobs (a) are open to graduates of ANY degree course, and (b) will definitely take into consideration what university you went to. People who get a 3rd Class degree from Oxbridge end up getting much better jobs overall than people who get a 1st from an ex-Poly. Anyway for virtually every degree course (provided the unis do them) my ranking a few posts ago is very accurate:

Jomery wrote:

LSE is by a mile the best place of those you can go to. 3rd best uni in the country after Oxbridge, and massive networking/career opportunities being in London and all.
Bristol is OK, good calibre of people there.
Nottingham and Bath decent, scrape the top 10 of a good league table.
Sheffield is pretty poor compared to these ones but decent for a few subjects. But generally prestige of the university matters much much more than your degree course for getting a good job.
And Sussex is shite.

Former Member

I have had a lot of employers say to me that my degree is worth more because it is from a red brick uni.

Former Member

Jomery, do you work for Goldman-Sachs?

Former Member

Jomery wrote: »

People who get a 3rd Class degree from Oxbridge end up getting much better jobs overall than people who get a 1st from an ex-Poly.

Got to say, I wouldn't think much of an employer who would prefer to take on someone with a 3rd from Oxford rather than a 1st from Oxford Brookes. How ridiculous.

I suppose it depends what you class as a "good job".

To the OP, go where you want to, and where the course is best. There's no point going somewhere you will hate just because it's high in a league table. I was offered a place at Warwick and turned it down because I didn't like it there based on my interview/entrance test.

Former Member

katchika wrote: »

Got to say, I wouldn't think much of an employer who would prefer to take on someone with a 3rd from Oxford rather than a 1st from Oxford Brookes. How ridiculous.

My thoughts exactly.

Former Member

katchika wrote: »

Got to say, I wouldn't think much of an employer who would prefer to take on someone with a 3rd from Oxford rather than a 1st from Oxford Brookes. How ridiculous.

Well, not as ridiculous as you might think. A Cambridge degree requires more work and is harder - in an essay subject you'll do 2-3 essays a week at Cambridge, at an ex-poly you can do 2-3 a year. A Cambridge Maths finals paper is bloody hard, a Brookes one isn't a huge step up from A-Level Further Maths. Some degrees require more work and are harder than others depending on the institution. At Cambridge pretty much everyone goes in with straight As, they are clever people, but the bottom 10-20% get a 3rd cos they can't give top marks to everyone, it's standardised. So just because they're the worst of a very very good bunch doesn't mean they're bad, they could have got a 1st or 2.1 if they'd gone to a uni where it was easier.

katchika wrote: »

To the OP, go where you want to, and where the course is best. There's no point going somewhere you will hate just because it's high in a league table. I was offered a place at Warwick and turned it down because I didn't like it there based on my interview/entrance test.

Dunno.. I'm sure I'd have had a much more 'fun' time if I'd gone to an insurance choice like Leeds or Manchester. Hey, I may have even got laid. But no regrets - 3-4 years of something you don't massively enjoy is a worthwhile sacrifice for the additional benefits it can give you for the rest of your life vs having fun for 3-4 years and not getting such a great career/future as a result. In my humble opinion.

Former Member

Jomery wrote: »

Well, not as ridiculous as you might think. A Cambridge degree requires more work and is harder - in an essay subject you'll do 2-3 essays a week at Cambridge, at an ex-poly you can do 2-3 a year.

How does this work? Surely all unis offer pretty much the same degree? (assuming it's offered there)

Former Member

Sofie wrote: »

How does this work? Surely all unis offer pretty much the same degree? (assuming it's offered there)

What? For the same subject, university degree courses are entirely different in terms of standards and work required across the country. Your average Oxbridge student will spend 30-40 hours a week throughout termtime having to do work, and even then struggle with essay after essay to do (for arts subjects). When your intake has average AAA at some unis and DDE at others, obviously they can't be taught the same level of stuff. Which is why a 2.1 from Oxbridge is much, much higher rated than a 2.1 from a 2nd tier uni. There's loads of articles on BBC, Telegraph, Guardian etc showing the remarkable differences in quality/standards between unis.

Former Member

Jomery wrote: »

What? For the same subject, university degree courses are entirely different in terms of standards and work required across the country. Your average Oxbridge student will spend 30-40 hours a week throughout termtime having to do work, and even then struggle with essay after essay to do (for arts subjects). When your intake has average AAA at some unis and DDE at others, obviously they can't be taught the same level of stuff. Which is why a 2.1 from Oxbridge is much, much higher rated than a 2.1 from a 2nd tier uni. There's loads of articles on BBC, Telegraph, Guardian etc showing the remarkable differences in quality/standards between unis.

Is it just me or have you got a large chip, nay, a whole potato, on your shoulder? Could that be why your av is what it is and why you're getting so defensive about this? Oxbridge is not the be all and end all of higher education as you seem to think it is. And on what authority do you speak for all education establishments around the country when you generalise the workload for 'less prestigious' universities?

I could do the basic psychoanalysis here of you but it's just too fucking obvious.