The individual student vs. the uni's reputation

I have 150 pages of European Union Law to be reading. I read 1.5 pages on the coach the other day and promptly nodded off for an hour.

Sadly, as was revealed in the independent back in july, the type of school you went to as a child seriously affects your chances of success. Likewise the university you attend, as you mentioned.

Okay, I can understand the job market.

But what about the academic side?

What about ambitious students full of expectations from a subject totally loose their enthusiasm and motivation to hold on to a university?

e.g. a computer science student who doesn't have access to the latest hi-tech facilities vs. a computer science student at MIT with all the modern technology, motivated environment, latest inventions, etc. ?

Many people say a degree is just to get your first job and after a couple of years, it doesn't matter what/where you did your degree but what you've done with it so far (ie your experience)...

An Oxbridge graduate who gained a 1st but then dossed about a couple of years would IMO be significantly disadvantaged when pitted against somebody with a 1st in the same subj coming from TVU who's excelled in the field...

And in terms of pure academe.. remember you don't have to be at university to learn - Google is your friend here. In fact, I've been prepping myself for upcoming uni using courseware mostly written by MIT's professors. It might be overkill for my exams, but then again I'm not going to university to pass exams but to learn.

And universities of course are aware of how one's educational background can affect one's development; hence the numerous Access schemes set up to include as many people into admissions as possible. The ambitious student at TVU can very well find himself at MIT if he works and becomes the best in his class/is the best student the professor's ever seen.

If you lose all hope because you're not at the most prestigious universities then the game's already half lost; if you take the situation in your stride and make the most of it you'll find more opportunities are afforded you and you can succeed.

Just my very saccharine two cents,

fais

Who's going to take me seriously with a BSc(Hons) in quantity surveying from the University of Central Lancashire, an LLb(Hons) in law (by distance learning) from the Open University, and an LLM (also by distance learning) from Northumbria?