Better job prospects from a big name uni?

MrsManda

birduk wrote: »

In addition, he should meet the academics he would be working for and with. That will give him the biggest boost. Research their work. Is it something he wants to develop?

This is a really important point. Presumably as your brother is doing a PG course he has some idea what he wants to specialise in. Therefore going to the university where there are the best researchers in that particular field makes a lot of sense.

Oldernotwiser

birduk wrote: »

It all depends what he wants from his masters degree. Is it going to be a full-time one year degree? Does he want to have a life, or does he want the reputation?

Bizarely I went to Oxford for a year and then Surrey to study engineering. I had a much much much better time at Surrey than I ever would have had at Oxford. Oxbridge is about the studying, not the student life. You really do have to be a certain 'type' to fit in. The reputation of the Engineering department at Oxford really wasn't that great, but it is better for Civil.

Oh and it helps that Surrey has a good Engineering reputation (engineering geeks) and a School of Dance (very lithe). What a mix!

You seem to forget that for some people, the studying IS the student life!

melancholly

i just wanted to add that it's a real shame that there is such a stigma applied to going to oxbridge - i'm not quite sure how 'different' people think the students are who go there but it's just so silly. university is largely what you make of it - in my experience at cambridge, it was certainly about the student life as much as working.

don't ever let out of date stereotypes of a place influence a decision - go there and meet people and judge the reality of the situation. the choice of college will also have a big impact on this. i don't understand why oxbridge attacking is still so common and acceptable. granted, so people bring it on themselves by taking a superior attitude, but that is by far the minority of students and they represent oxbridge students as effectively as those at any uni who never do any work and are drunk all the time and give students a repuation of being lazy and work shy. it's just not based in fact!

birduk

melancholly wrote: »

i just wanted to add that it's a real shame that there is such a stigma applied to going to oxbridge - i'm not quite sure how 'different' people think the students are who go there but it's just so silly. university is largely what you make of it - in my experience at cambridge, it was certainly about the student life as much as working.

don't ever let out of date stereotypes of a place influence a decision - go there and meet people and judge the reality of the situation. the choice of college will also have a big impact on this. i don't understand why oxbridge attacking is still so common and acceptable. granted, so people bring it on themselves by taking a superior attitude, but that is by far the minority of students and they represent oxbridge students as effectively as those at any uni who never do any work and are drunk all the time and give students a repuation of being lazy and work shy. it's just not based in fact!

I'd agree that you certainly need to meet the people and make up your own mind. You will certainly get a vibe for the place (but make sure you do it while the students are there, or the impression could be completely out).

I am not trying to bash Oxbridge at all, I appologise if it came across like that.

Don't forget that what you what from a PG may be different than an UG degree. I am just remembering what Greenwhich was like (my ex went there) and comparing that with what you may expect from Surrey or Oxbridge.

Milky_Mocha

birduk wrote: »

I am just remembering what Greenwhich was like (my ex went there) and comparing that with what you may expect from Surrey or Oxbridge.

out of interest, what do uthink of Greenwich? I wasn't impressed when he told me he was going to do his undergraduate studies there.

bandraoi

Does he ever plan to work abroad?

If he does, go for Oxford/Cambridge. The name recognition abroad would be worth it.

For Civil Eng they wouldn't have the best reputation though. Imperial in London would be the place to go.

If it's research he's going for then who his supervisor is will matter far more than almost anything else.

birduk

Which campus did he go to?

Milky_Mocha

birduk wrote: »

Which campus did he go to?

He went to the Dartford campus

birduk

I have PMd you.