Russell Group does it matter?

GeneHunt_2

My daughter has taken a fancy to Sussex Uni. She could probably get into a Russell Group Uni. Do you think a Russell Group Uni is actually important?


Back in the day, when I went to Uni, the Russell Group didn't exist.

Lokolo

Completely depends on the person, what they want to do in life, at uni etc.

Oldernotwiser

Sussex is a perfectly respectable university. In the main, avoid the ex polys and jumped up technical colleges.

jmd4eva

To be honest, people like Oldernotwiser are just snobs - most ex-polys are perfectly as good as any other.

Russell Group unis focus on research.

Newer unis, including the Millenium+ group, focus on teaching the skills needed to excel in specific areas, rather than abstract concepts that aren't massively going to help the country.

Lokolo

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Sussex is a perfectly respectable university. In the main, avoid the ex polys and jumped up technical colleges.

I've turned out alright

3v3

jmd4eva wrote: »

To be honest, people like Oldernotwiser are just snobs - most ex-polys are perfectly as good as any other.

Add me to your "snob" list

Lokolo

And to add onto my original post it depends on the course, what it involves, what contacts the university have, what you want to get out of your university experience.

Looking just at the university name isn't the best way to go about things.

3v3

GeneHunt wrote: »

My daughter has taken a fancy to Sussex Uni. She could probably get into a Russell Group Uni. Do you think a Russell Group Uni is actually important?


Back in the day, when I went to Uni, the Russell Group didn't exist.

To be honest, the most important thing about *any* Uni is ... does it teach the course your daughter is passionate about? Will she be happy in the environment of the particular Uni she chooses?

If it doesn't teach her course, there's no point looking at it; and when she does narrow her choices, she needs to *feel* right about the place, her peers, the facilities, well, everything about it really: she'll be spending quite a bit of time there

Lokolo

3v3 wrote: »

To be honest, the most important thing about *any* Uni is ... does it teach the course your daughter is passionate about? Will she be happy in the environment of the particular Uni she chooses?

If it doesn't teach her course, there's no point looking at it; and when she does narrow her choices, she needs to *feel* right about the place, her peers, the facilities, well, everything about it really: she'll be spending quite a bit of time there

Exactly, no point spending 3+ years in a place you loathe with people that you just want to kill

cgk1

Depends really - some large organisations will still select from the Russell group universities first when looking at graduate trainees, so that might be a factor if there is a specific career in mind.

Newer unis, including the Millenium+ group, focus on teaching the skills needed to excel in specific areas, rather than abstract concepts that aren't massively going to help the country.

No University really concentrate on teaching "skills" (except in some specific circumstances) - functionally a business studies degree at Liverpool Hope will cover much the same content as Manchester or Leeds. The idea that similar degrees at the new Universities are somehow more practical than their equal at the older is a non-starter. That's not to say that the *mix* might not be different but when comparing like to like you aren't going to see a lot of difference.

Now I've worked in both types of University but if pushed, I'd say go to the Russell group if the chance was offered. However the student experience can be better in newer Universities as many of the staff are more interested in lecturing so have more time for the students.

3v3

Lokolo wrote: »

Exactly, no point spending 3+ years in a place you loathe with people that you just want to kill

I've just survived two years and came within a whisker of killing the people I worked with that I loathed! :rotfl: (Thank goodness I had MSE to vent to in the dreary times )

Ok update my earlier post ... she can go to any Uni she likes ... just so long as when the going gets tough ... she comes to these forums for advice :rotfl::beer: