Russell Group does it matter?

melancholly

if it is pure snobbery for the russell group, how could durham, LSE, warwick, st andrews and york not be included (granted LSE and warwick have shifted to the russell group now)? i just get the impression that it must be a bit more complicated than just that. there are plenty of 'traditional' or unis thought of as 'posh' and 'elitist' not included..... i'm sure more went on....

tog22

I'd second all the people who've said it very much depends on what she wants to do.

Reactive

Person_one wrote: »

The Russell Group isn't really relevant to undergraduate study, its about the research carried out at that uni.

If she wants to go on to Masters/PhD study it might be useful but belonging to the Russell group does not mean that the quality of teaching at undergrad level will be any better. In fact some people believe its worse, as the staff are focused on their own work and the more advanced students rather than the 'beginners'!

Most science and engineering undergraduate degrees have a large research component. When applying for PhDs or technical graduate positions in science and engineering this becomes your number one selling point. I know this from personal experience. Russell group universities generally have much better research taking place, with better facilities, better staff connections, which all surmount to a better deal for the undergraduate.

Being in the Russell group has absolutely nothing to do with the teaching quality of the university. In a sense, you're right, in another you're completely wrong. Universities DO NOT teach. It is each students own responsibility to teach themselves. The sooner students realize this, the better off they are!


Sorry for my bad English!

bouncydog1

IMO the best Uni for your daughter is the one that offers the course structure she feels she will enjoy plus the "feel" of the Uni. When is she looking to enter - presumably 2012?

Would suggest she gets onto the UCAS site and finds the subjects she is interested in. Then she looks at which Unis are offering these courses. Have a look at the course entry requirements - no good wasting one of her five applications on a AAA entry requirement if she is predicted BBB. Have a look online and see which Unis she likes the look of. Join the student room to get a feel for the Unis from students actually there - then go have a look.

My DD looked at 9 ranging from West coast of Wales, North, South and East of England! One she really liked but is terrified of birds and there was a large grass area on campus teeming with ducks - crossed off list!! Eventually chose the last one we looked at and is praying she meets the offer!

It really isn't about whether a Uni is part of a certain group (although a lot of individuals would like to be snobbish about that) - it's more about what is right for your DD.

She is wise to be looking now as this is something that takes months to sort out. Good luck!

hbloomers

For what it's worth, I've studied at 2 Russell Group Universities (The University of Birmingham and Queen's University, Belfast) and the teaching varies wildly within the group. I much prefered Queen's to Birmingham, and I plan to continue my postgraduate studies there, after doing my PGCE. The PGCE incidently, is offered by an ex-Poly (University of Ulster), and it is extremely difficult to secure a place. I guess what I'm saying is, it doesn't matter the group the university belongs to, but the atmosphere created there. Music at Queen's has a 5* research rating, but I didn't feel that lecturers were more interested in their own research than teaching or helping students.

Have a look at Universities League table to get an idea of entrance grades and ranking, but also look at student satisfaction rates and graduate employment. In the end, what matters most is will your daughter be happy there. You can pick up very quickly on the atmosphere of a university, so trust your intuition. See as many as you can and have fun doing it.