University league tables

jemcart

The Times University Guide is always a good one. However, uni’s do vary each year as they take into account things like food and accommodation, which whilst important don’t really give an indication of the academic success.

Many employers still have fixed ideas of which are the best. At the top are Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London, the followed by the Russell Group:

• University of Birmingham
• University of Bristol
• University of Cambridge
• Cardiff University
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Glasgow
• Imperial College London
• King's College London (University of London)
• University of Leeds
• University of Liverpool
• London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London)
• University of Manchester
• Newcastle University
• University of Nottingham
• University of Oxford
• Queen's University Belfast
• University of Sheffield
• University of Southampton
• University College London (University of London)
• University of Warwick

As of August 2012:
• Durham University
• University of Exeter, Queen Mary
• University of London
• University of York

amiehall

As a student now well into my 20's, I brought someone along to quite a few open days. I don't think that's always reflecting how much say that person would have in the decision... I didn't live at home when I was applying but my mum came to a couple of my visits. It was nice to have someone to discuss it with later and tbh as everyone else had families with them, at least I had someone to talk to going round! She liked being involved as well and it gave us something to do together.

I'm left to conclude that if I (as a strongly independent 20 something) brought someone along, having a parent there probably means very little either way

stedwell

Sorry if this thread is still off topic but I felt I had to respond as a parent who is attending open days at the moment.

My daughters decision will be entirely her own but she welcomes my thoughts about where we visit.

At the open days I felt very welcome and my presence expected by the uni. I think at 17 a little moral support can still be needed.

We were at Nottingham this weekend which was a HUGE campus! Also - catered accomodation will cost £191 a week:eek:. As I will be paying a good amount of this am I meant to send her out to choose a uni armed with an open cheque?? (I don't think the minimum maintenance loan is going to cover nearly £800 a month.) I think as mentioned in a previous post the involvement of parents is increasing due to the financial commitment expected from them.

Dunroamin

I think that the changes can seem greater if you're older.

Like all my friends, I went off to interviews on the train on my own at the age of 17. I can remember travelling from Surrey to Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle at different points in my Upper Sixth Form.

melancholly

PaulW1965 wrote: »

but just because parents go to open days, doesn't mean they are picking their kids uni courses and unis - that bit,.........it's just not true.......it's a made up, piece of fiction....

In the majority of cases, you're right. However, it's certainly true in some that the kids just do what they're told (I definitely knew some students at uni where that was the case!). Obviously parental input is important. Why does cautioning against an extreme get interpreted as being a personal attack on your parenting?

It's equally dangerous when students sign student forms just because their parents or a teacher told them to. That's when a whole world of problems often develop later with the graduate having no idea of the terms and conditions!

As is always repeated, and always ignored by the usual suspects, no-one is anti parental involvement, just anti the parents taking the decision. In most cases that doesn't happen but when it does, the consequences are usually bad. Some people seem to read that as an insult when it isn't intended. So be it......

Person_one

I'd just like to point out that I wasn't suggesting parents at open days must be choosing the courses, just that the increase is be an indication of the fact that parents are becoming more involved, even if it is just as a sounding board or offering guidance rather than exerting pressure. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with taking your parents to open days, although I always enjoyed trying to get to far flung places with friends, made it seem like an adventure!

Parents at interviews however is a different matter.

Char_pdc

When I was applying for my undergrad courses back in 2005 (hasten to add I am still a student now) I took my parents with me to open days and it was nice having them around to take notice of things that I perhaps wouldn't have thought important at the time, particularly for the first few open days that I visited. It was also interesting to hear their perspective of the campus/university compared to my own. When it came to the decision, the uni I picked wasn't the one they personally liked the best but they went with it because as has been mentioned in this thread already, although I valued their input and advice I was the person studying/ and living in this place for at least 3 years, so I needed to be happy.

Now, with regards to the OP:

kateo wrote: »

Not a finance question - but I know these forums are the font of all wisdom

Which is the most reliable league table to look at for universities? I've looked on a few ( Guardian, Complete Uni Guide.... ) & some of the rankings vary wildly.

Thank you.

As I think has been mentioned before, these tables are widely open to interpretation and vary between different sources. I have seen my uni preferentially refer to one newspaper ranking over another, simply because they were positioned higher.

Again, I think it depends what you are looking for at the university or as a career. At the time I made my choice, I was looking to work in academic/research and as such I made my decision based on the general reputation of my department/subject area, rather than the university alone. However, if you are looking to a study a subject of interest, before moving into an unrelated field, then the position of the uni in league tables might be more important.

Hope this helps

PaulW1965

melancholly wrote: »

However, it's certainly true in some that the kids just do what they're told (I definitely knew some students at uni where that was the case!).

Really????? I'm not sure I believe you???

V_Chic_Chick

I'm also not entirely sure that parents are there to pick their students course either. When I went to open days (2009), I went to some by myself (by train), and others I got free transport from a parent, so they came along too. In one case the free transport was because I was visiting a town where my mum had gone to college, and she wanted to see how it had changed - it was naff all to do with seeing the university itself. To some extent I think it was nice to have someone there who spotted the things I didn't. I did bump into one girl I knew on an open day who was shocked that I had gone to an open day by myself - she seemed to think that at the age of 17, people still need chaperoning on trains!

melancholly

PaulW1965 wrote: »

Really????? I'm not sure I believe you???

OK - then don't. I can only go by my personal experience as a student, with friends who were students and of teaching students. I'm not sure what your point is, other than to somehow validate your own parenting style (which, incidentally, no-one has criticised but somehow you're still just disagreeing, presumably for the sake of it?).