Money issues, 6th form & uni

Oldernotwiser

The_One_Who wrote: »

I don't often say this, but bravo to that careers advisor! Unless you want to go into the high circles of law or investment banking, your university name won't matter.

Why go to a university where the course content doesn't interest you?! That's ridiculous. It's like my previous Cambridge example, I would have a degree with the Cambridge brand, but would've had a miserable few years and probably less likely to get a good grade.

If you were so 'clued-up' you would also know just what the Russell Group is and how insignificant it is to undergraduates.

Perhaps things are different in Scotland, but university choice really matters in England, in many areas of employment and further education. Of course content is important as well but it would be a terrible waste for someone really academic to go to many institutions, both for their personal development and for their future career.

Unfortunately, many careers advisers nowadays don't have the expertise to guide clients in these matters and schools often don't like to out of misplaced egalitarianism. As I said, this disadvantages the very people who most need help because of the lack of knowledge within their home.

I'm really glad that you're happy with your university choice (as a matter of information, where is that?) but to talk of Cambridge as simply a "brand" is just laughable and shows a lack of understanding.

Lokolo

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Perhaps things are different in Scotland, but university choice really matters in England, in many areas of employment and further education. Of course content is important as well but it would be a terrible waste for someone really academic to go to many institutions, both for their personal development and for their future career.

Unfortunately, many careers advisers nowadays don't have the expertise to guide clients in these matters and schools often don't like to out of misplaced egalitarianism. As I said, this disadvantages the very people who most need help because of the lack of knowledge within their home.

I'm really glad that you're happy with your university choice (as a matter of information, where is that?) but to talk of Cambridge as simply a "brand" is just laughable and shows a lack of understanding.

Would you not say personality, work experience and such counts just as much?

Given that I go to a not so good university, I got interviews with HP, Microsoft, Accenture and IBM (4 out of 5 I applied for) which no doubt would have been through more than just my degree status.

Never will I say Maths at Bucks University is better than at York but I wouldn't say university is everything.

welshmoneylover

I've never heard of the Russell Groups before, what are they?

Lokolo

welshmoneylover wrote: »

I've never heard of the Russell Groups before, what are they?

Top 20 Universities. Like the Ivy League in the USA.

http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/our-universities/

List is there.

Absinthe_Fairy

The_One_Who wrote: »

I don't often say this, but bravo to that careers advisor! Unless you want to go into the high circles of law or investment banking, your university name won't matter.

Why go to a university where the course content doesn't interest you?! That's ridiculous. It's like my previous Cambridge example, I would have a degree with the Cambridge brand, but would've had a miserable few years and probably less likely to get a good grade.

If you were so 'clued-up' you would also know just what the Russell Group is and how insignificant it is to undergraduates.

Sorry, I probably didn't explain properly. I didn't mean that you should go to a university where the course content doesn't interest you at all. I applied to universities that had both good reputations and interesting courses. Judging from what you've said, not going to Cambridge was the right decision for you. I personally didn't bother applying to Warwick because the course structure and focus didn't appeal to me at all. I didn't apply to Durham either because it was too close to home, so I did take many things into account other than the university's reputation!

I absolutely disagree that the Russell Group (or indeed the 1994 Group or Oxbridge) is irrelevant to undergraduates. I'm sure I got my last (graduate) job partly on the strength of having a good degree from a good university, and I'm absolutely certain that I wouldn't have been given AHRC funding for my MA if I hadn't gone to a university with a good reputation.

I also think ONW is absolutely right, a course where all the students have 2 Ds at A Level just can't be as challenging as one where everyone has 3 As. If you're academic you want to push yourself and do really well, right?

rev_henry

Absinthe_Fairy wrote: »

Sorry, I probably didn't explain properly. I didn't mean that you should go to a university where the course content doesn't interest you at all. I applied to universities that had both good reputations and interesting courses. Judging from what you've said, not going to Cambridge was the right decision for you. I personally didn't bother applying to Warwick because the course structure and focus didn't appeal to me at all. I didn't apply to Durham either because it was too close to home, so I did take many things into account other than the university's reputation!

I absolutely disagree that the Russell Group (or indeed the 1994 Group or Oxbridge) is irrelevant to undergraduates. I'm sure I got my last (graduate) job partly on the strength of having a good degree from a good university, and I'm absolutely certain that I wouldn't have been given AHRC funding for my MA if I hadn't gone to a university with a good reputation.

I also think ONW is absolutely right, a course where all the students have 2 Ds at A Level just can't be as challenging as one where everyone has 3 As. If you're academic you want to push yourself and do really well, right?

I agree with everything you've said so far. If Cambridge is just a brand name why do schools concentrate on getting people in each year and why is their standard offer A*AA?
Russell group etc is entirely relevant. Many million+ universities people begin to stop taking seriously.
Its such a shame the quality of connexions advisors is so mixed, we have 2 excellent ones at our school.

Oldernotwiser

Lokolo wrote: »

Would you not say personality, work experience and such counts just as much?

Given that I go to a not so good university, I got interviews with HP, Microsoft, Accenture and IBM (4 out of 5 I applied for) which no doubt would have been through more than just my degree status.

But isn't the course you're on (gaming?) rather specialised?

Oldernotwiser

rev_henry wrote: »

Its such a shame the quality of connexions advisors is so mixed, we have 2 excellent ones at our school.

The thing with Connexions advisers is that some of them are the qualified Careers Advisers who were with the Careers Service before it was demolished and replaced by Connexions. The newer Personal Advisers, who have trained since Connexions was introduced, are expected to have a much wider role (drug advice/accommodation/personal problems) and just don't have the depth or breadth of knowledge of traditional careers areas like university entry.

Lokolo

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

But isn't the course you're on (gaming?) rather specialised?

Yep! There aren't many unis that do it and mines not the best. But I didn't want to live on Wolverhampton, Hull, Liverpool, or in Scotland. All for obvious reasons

Oldernotwiser

Lokolo wrote: »

Yep! There aren't many unis that do it and mines not the best. But I didn't want to live on Wolverhampton, Hull, Liverpool, or in Scotland. All for obvious reasons

More obvious than Stafford?