University rankings.
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Original post by danny111
My honest opinion, I would have been disappointed to go anywhere outside the top 5 for my subject.
Depends on what subject though. It is easier to get into a top 5 uni for say film stuides than it is for history, law or medicine etc
Original post by xxm
Depends on what subject though. It is easier to get into a top 5 uni for say film stuides than it is for history, law or medicine etc
for me top 5 overall is more important than top 5 in the subject you want to study.
reputation is crucial.
Original post by xxm
Depends on what subject though. It is easier to get into a top 5 uni for say film stuides than it is for history, law or medicine etc
How does it depend on subject, it's my own opinion.
Original post by beingatulk
UK education system is ranked 6th best in the world. Thats a great news.
Would you please state a source, am interested in that.
Original post by danny111
How does it depend on subject, it's my own opinion.
Ooops misread
Oxbridge or gtfo
(this is intended as satire.)
(this is intended as satire.)
Original post by xxm
What are advantages of a Russell group uni compared to one not in it?
Russell group universities collude with each other in order to facilitate and obtain better research information.
They also boast to have fantastic links to companies in the business world.
There's more info here:
http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/about-russell-group/
To be honest, the UK's major newspapers' league tables are mostly useless. They only tell you what you already know: Oxbridge tops it all, LSE, Imperial, St. Andrews, Warwick, Edinburgh and UCL form the second tier of elite institutions and the rest is roughly divided into very good, good, average, bad and London Met 
Major differences between the rankings in different tables, universities falling from 22nd to 44th etc. (what happened, did half of the campus burn down?) etc. demonstrate the reliability they lack.
In order to form a comprehensive opinion of a certain subject at a certain university, specific research rankings (Leiden etc.), student satisfaction and other factors should be taken into account.
Major differences between the rankings in different tables, universities falling from 22nd to 44th etc. (what happened, did half of the campus burn down?) etc. demonstrate the reliability they lack.
In order to form a comprehensive opinion of a certain subject at a certain university, specific research rankings (Leiden etc.), student satisfaction and other factors should be taken into account.
(edited 11 years ago)
Top 20 I imagine.
It's interesting though, people very rarely mention Durham which was placed 3rd this year, and 5th on the complete uni guide - ahead of UCL, Lancaster, St Andrews, Bath, Bristol, Edinburgh etc? To be honest, before i researched uni's I never heard of it, yet people rank Edinburgh as more prestigious when it's 11 places lower?
I think it demonstrates that you can't place too much weighting on uni guides. Going to a top 5 uni - Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial, Durham, St Andrews etc doesn't guarantee you'll have a great degree or a good experience at uni.
It's interesting though, people very rarely mention Durham which was placed 3rd this year, and 5th on the complete uni guide - ahead of UCL, Lancaster, St Andrews, Bath, Bristol, Edinburgh etc? To be honest, before i researched uni's I never heard of it, yet people rank Edinburgh as more prestigious when it's 11 places lower?
I think it demonstrates that you can't place too much weighting on uni guides. Going to a top 5 uni - Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial, Durham, St Andrews etc doesn't guarantee you'll have a great degree or a good experience at uni.
Original post by Sir Fox
Would you please state a source, am interested in that.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-20498356
Original post by linney
Top 20 I imagine.
It's interesting though, people very rarely mention Durham which was placed 3rd this year, and 5th on the complete uni guide - ahead of UCL, Lancaster, St Andrews, Bath, Bristol, Edinburgh etc? To be honest, before i researched uni's I never heard of it, yet people rank Edinburgh as more prestigious when it's 11 places lower?
I think it demonstrates that you can't place too much weighting on uni guides. Going to a top 5 uni - Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial, Durham, St Andrews etc doesn't guarantee you'll have a great degree or a good experience at uni.
It's interesting though, people very rarely mention Durham which was placed 3rd this year, and 5th on the complete uni guide - ahead of UCL, Lancaster, St Andrews, Bath, Bristol, Edinburgh etc? To be honest, before i researched uni's I never heard of it, yet people rank Edinburgh as more prestigious when it's 11 places lower?
I think it demonstrates that you can't place too much weighting on uni guides. Going to a top 5 uni - Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial, Durham, St Andrews etc doesn't guarantee you'll have a great degree or a good experience at uni.
Completely agree - I don't want to move out for University, and want to stay local. I live in the North East, so applied for Sunderland, Teesside and lastly, Durham. To my surprise, I actually got a conditional for Durham University (Social Sciences with Foundation) that I seem to be meeting (it's with a Foundation Year - they want me to pass my NVQ Apprenticeship, which I have).
I thought Durham was heard of? It is without a shadow of any doubt prestigious.
University Rankings won't guarantee you anything, though. Just because it's number one for academics and such, does not mean that you will 'enjoy' every aspect and get the 'student experiences'. On top of that, it might not even be for you.
Universities are there for all kinds of people. It shouldn't just be for people that get A*'s. University and education offers diversity; people may want to do HND courses, Foundation Degrees. Maybe they did bad when they were younger years ago and want another shot after proving themselves worthy with experience, hence Foundation Years. Maybe they did good, but not the best, within a course that has nothing to do with what degree they want to do.
Don't just take rankings into consideration. Go where you will enjoy, where feels right. Rankings can change all the time. What if someone went to University 20-30 years ago, and that University was ranked in the top 10, and is now much lower? Or vice versa.
Go where is best for you.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Tabzqt
top 30, I'd say. Make sure you use a decent league though. The Guardian one is rubbish!
There are no decent leagues. They all work on silly criteria.
"Good" depends on who you are, what you want to do, etc. There really isn't an objective answer. Usually I hate when people play the subjectivity card, but here there's no escaping it.
Original post by linney
Top 20 I imagine.
It's interesting though, people very rarely mention Durham which was placed 3rd this year, and 5th on the complete uni guide - ahead of UCL, Lancaster, St Andrews, Bath, Bristol, Edinburgh etc? To be honest, before i researched uni's I never heard of it, yet people rank Edinburgh as more prestigious when it's 11 places lower?
I think it demonstrates that you can't place too much weighting on uni guides. Going to a top 5 uni - Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial, Durham, St Andrews etc doesn't guarantee you'll have a great degree or a good experience at uni.
It's interesting though, people very rarely mention Durham which was placed 3rd this year, and 5th on the complete uni guide - ahead of UCL, Lancaster, St Andrews, Bath, Bristol, Edinburgh etc? To be honest, before i researched uni's I never heard of it, yet people rank Edinburgh as more prestigious when it's 11 places lower?
I think it demonstrates that you can't place too much weighting on uni guides. Going to a top 5 uni - Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial, Durham, St Andrews etc doesn't guarantee you'll have a great degree or a good experience at uni.
People mention Lancaster and Bath more than they mention Durham? Who are these people?
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by xxm
What are advantages of a Russell group uni compared to one not in it?
The Russell Group are the top research-intensive universities with first class teaching methods, but although it is very good to attend one, there are some non-Russell Group universities which are also outstanding
In the UK i would say that the top 20-30 are the cut-off for universities although you could probably split that into three groups within, the top 5, 5-20 and then 20-30. Below that point then you are not in dire straights but it is probably advisable to study a postgraduate qualification at a top institution in order to negate the comparative advantage of undergraduates from those institutions.
Original post by Rakas21
In the UK i would say that the top 20-30 are the cut-off for universities although you could probably split that into three groups within, the top 5, 5-20 and then 20-30. Below that point then you are not in dire straights but it is probably advisable to study a postgraduate qualification at a top institution in order to negate the comparative advantage of undergraduates from those institutions.
So institutions such as Leeds, Reading and Queen mary you are at a bit of a disadvantage in terms of employability compared to unis such as Manchester etc?
Original post by xxm
So institutions such as Leeds, Reading and Queen mary you are at a bit of a disadvantage in terms of employability compared to unis such as Manchester etc?
I should have mentioned subject specific, whilst i don't know about Queen Mary i would include Leeds and Manchester as being in the top tier overall, Reading for specific subjects such as Meteorology.
Original post by xxm
So institutions such as Leeds, Reading and Queen mary you are at a bit of a disadvantage in terms of employability compared to unis such as Manchester etc?
personally Id put manchester in the same league as Leeds, QMUL etc, albeit at the top end of the league.
Original post by Jackkkkk
personally Id put manchester in the same league as Leeds, QMUL etc, albeit at the top end of the league.
I was thinking this.
Original post by Rakas21
I should have mentioned subject specific, whilst i don't know about Queen Mary i would include Leeds and Manchester as being in the top tier overall, Reading for specific subjects such as Meteorology.
No problem I see you point, thanks.
There was a debate about choosing Russell Group on the Guardian on Thursday - http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/dec/19/should-i-go-to-a-russell-group-university?intcmp=ILCMUSTXT9385 comments section
Russell Group really is down to research and medical schools. Bragging on teaching etc just supports the Group's case for money. Naturally they do have good links with industry because industry often requires their research!
In terms of league tables, you'll probably want to look at the reputation for the specific course you'd like to study rather than the institution as a whole, as reputation can vary significantly within a university!
That said, league tables need to be taken with a fairly large pinch of salt. They're based on dubious methodologies, often out-dated data, and don't adequately reflect what students, staff, or employers think and feel about the universities. Universities themselves know that some students and employers rely on this and the media makes a big deal out of league tables and they spend a considerable amount of time just trying to get higher in the tables rather than improving learning experiences, study environments and academic quality.
Russell Group really is down to research and medical schools. Bragging on teaching etc just supports the Group's case for money. Naturally they do have good links with industry because industry often requires their research!
In terms of league tables, you'll probably want to look at the reputation for the specific course you'd like to study rather than the institution as a whole, as reputation can vary significantly within a university!
That said, league tables need to be taken with a fairly large pinch of salt. They're based on dubious methodologies, often out-dated data, and don't adequately reflect what students, staff, or employers think and feel about the universities. Universities themselves know that some students and employers rely on this and the media makes a big deal out of league tables and they spend a considerable amount of time just trying to get higher in the tables rather than improving learning experiences, study environments and academic quality.
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