The Student Room Group

Why are people so obsessed with ranking?!

So many people on TSR think that if you attend a low raking uni, you are screwed which absolutely :dolphin::dolphin::dolphin::dolphin::dolphin::dolphin::dolphin::dolphin:!

An employer does not give a :dolphin::dolphin::dolphin::dolphin: what university you went to! If you have the rights skills and abilities he will employ. Let me tell you a little story

I know a guy who studied law at a university which is NOT even at the top 50s. However, he managed to grab a job at one of the best law firms in the country after his bachelor. The secret was that he could speak 3 languages fluently, he used his summer holidays to gain work experience, he was the head of a student organization, and he had good grades at uni .

Another guy went to Cambridge and studied Law, and went on to do a Master at UCL. Two years have passed and he still has not got a job.

So anyone who is attending a low ranking university, you have a bright future IF learn another language, gain work experience, volunteer, join student organization and just be passionate. and have a great personality, you can 100% get a job and you dont need to be an Oxbridge graduate.

Employers dont care what uni u attended, if you contain the right skills, they will employ, and you can gain the right skills through attending any univeristy

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If you think that reputation and uni rankings aren't important, you're deluded. Are you seriously trying to argue that someone with a degree from London Met is as favourable to an employer as someone with a degree from Oxford?
Original post by TheTechN1304
If you think that reputation and uni rankings aren't important, you're deluded. Are you seriously trying to argue that someone with a degree from London Met is as favourable to an employer as someone with a degree from Oxford?


Oxford ~= London Met tbh
Reply 3
Avatar for King !
King !
OP
1
Original post by TheTechN1304
If you think that reputation and uni rankings aren't important, you're deluded. Are you seriously trying to argue that someone with a degree from London Met is as favourable to an employer as someone with a degree from Oxford?


Yes, if the person from London Met has the same skills as the person from Oxford.
Reply 4
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Vanny17
19
There has to be a balance between work experience and grades. It is a motivation for some people to go to higher ranking Universities, which is a good thing.You cannot judge everyone based on your anecdotal experience though. I would say that in this economic recession, the best thing for one to do is to have work experience and aim for a high grade at University. Different employers would look for different things.
Reply 5
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Asolare
20
I think rankings might have a tiny impact, but not such a large one.

Work experience, voluntary experience and other interests can definitely have more of an impact than the uni you went to.
Original post by King !
Yes, if the person from London Met has the same skills as the person from Oxford.


Considering the entrance requirement for London Met is "three C grades at GCSE and 2 GCE/vocational A level passes" I'm not sure on what planet a graduate from London Met and a gradute from Oxford are going to have the same skillset.
Reply 7
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King !
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Original post by Inexorably
I think rankings might have a tiny impact, but not such a large one.

Work experience, voluntary experience and other interests can definitely have more of an impact than the uni you went to.


I know so many people who attended below average or average universities but because they all had work experience, and had done so many extra curricular activities, they were able to grab jobs in companies and government bodies where you would normally expect Oxbridge graduates to work
In order to get a job it's mostly:

1) WHO you know. If you have connections to top businesses or people in high positions of power in a place you want to work, you're likely to get a job there.

2) EXPERIENCE. The more you have the better, it's obvious. Employers see it as you being committed to the role, and already having the skills they need.

3) WHAT you know. Qualifications and uni rankings are third on the list. If you go to Oxbridge, but you don't have the above two you may have a chance of getting an interview. However if you go somewhere else, e.g. university of East Anglia, and you have both of the upper two you're very likely to get in.

You also have to consider what degree you have too. An Oxbridge graduate with a 2:2 is going to be overlooked compared to another graduate with a 1st.
Reply 9
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King !
OP
1
Original post by TheTechN1304
Considering the entrance requirement for London Met is "three C grades at GCSE and 2 GCE/vocational A level passes" I'm not sure on what planet a graduate from London Met and a gradute from Oxford are going to have the same skillset.


You should not judge people. Some people might have gone through depression or might be suicidal, and therefore they were not able to reach their full potential during secondary school, but they may reach their full potential during university and therefore may activate those hidden skills
This is TSR. You're going to upset the kids with this thread. You watch.
Paying 9k a year + maintenance cost + getting drunk + three years of my life,

I think i'll make sure I go to a quality uni thank you.
When a university with a typical offer of BBB is above imperial on a ranking for a year for an engineering course you know that something is up.
Reply 13
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King !
OP
1
Original post by Vikingninja
When a university with a typical offer of BBB is above imperial on a ranking for a year for an engineering course you know that something is up.


Really?:s-smilie:
I agree with OP.

The type of university you go to is not the "be all end all" factor. Of course it is advantageous to have attended a Russell group university and this becomes increasingly important depending on the career you intend to pursue. Medicine, science subjects, Anthropology and Psychology, just to state a few, are research based degrees, therefore attending a research focused university is favourable. However for Law, English and some Art based subjects, for example, the research quality of a uni becomes less relevant.

I do believe reputation has some importance especially with first impressions, however you can still become a competitive candidate without having attended Oxbridge necessarily.

It really does depend on your chosen study program! :colone:
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by King !
Really?:s-smilie:


Guardian, civil engineer, 2015.

Was 3rd in 2014 and 2nd this year.
Original post by Vikingninja
Guardian, civil engineer, 2015.

Was 3rd in 2014 and 2nd this year.


theguardian cannot be trusted with small matters let alone making a decision worth three years of my life, it's propaganda for social mobility and doesn't hesitate to bend truth to this end.
Original post by TheTechN1304
Considering the entrance requirement for London Met is "three C grades at GCSE and 2 GCE/vocational A level passes" I'm not sure on what planet a graduate from London Met and a gradute from Oxford are going to have the same skillset.


Academic ability is not commensurate with skills sets. As most people know being able to pass exams is not a measure of intelligence.
Original post by King !
You should not judge people. Some people might have gone through depression or might be suicidal, and therefore they were not able to reach their full potential during secondary school, but they may reach their full potential during university and therefore may activate those hidden skills


This hits the nail on the head. A student who achieves greatly in their life will always be favoured to a student from a top uni regardless of what university they went to or why they went to that uni. The illusion that university ranking matters is due to the fact that top unis do attract on average more talent, and therefore on average get more students employed in top areas. The mistake people make is thinking that the university name you have on your CV is what gets you the job rather than your own personal performance in the interview and all the other skills on your CV.
(edited 8 years ago)
I know a leading recuitment agency that bins all applications from London Metropolitan. I rest my case.

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