Do university rankings really matter?
Hey,
I'm considering the idea of going back into education, to ultimately study either Neuroscience or BioMed at university. I'm completely freaking out at the immense risk of it all, and having some serious fears of failure although I haven't even started the access course yet. Dumb, I know...
In order to try and calm myself down a bit, and help me think whether this is something I really want to be leaving my current cushty-but-boring career path for, I'm wondering how much what uni you get into actually matters.
If I don't get into an RG uni (Oxbridge is 90% off the cards as I almost certainly won't be able to do the required maths a-level, and access isn't enough for them) does it really matter? If not, where does that end? Could I go off to UWE (currently ranked about 80 on Complete Uni Gudie for BioMed, and a much lower grade requirement if I manage to completely bugger my course up) and still get into a good job/PhD after, or would I be completely doomed?
Advice greatly appreciated!
I'm considering the idea of going back into education, to ultimately study either Neuroscience or BioMed at university. I'm completely freaking out at the immense risk of it all, and having some serious fears of failure although I haven't even started the access course yet. Dumb, I know...
In order to try and calm myself down a bit, and help me think whether this is something I really want to be leaving my current cushty-but-boring career path for, I'm wondering how much what uni you get into actually matters.
If I don't get into an RG uni (Oxbridge is 90% off the cards as I almost certainly won't be able to do the required maths a-level, and access isn't enough for them) does it really matter? If not, where does that end? Could I go off to UWE (currently ranked about 80 on Complete Uni Gudie for BioMed, and a much lower grade requirement if I manage to completely bugger my course up) and still get into a good job/PhD after, or would I be completely doomed?
Advice greatly appreciated!
Scroll to see replies
For rankings to matter the league tables should matter. They dont, they can be manipulated so easily its made them redundant, apart from the top 10-15 unis the rest are on equal grounds.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by AmeliaLost
If I don't get into an RG uni (Oxbridge is 90% off the cards as I almost certainly won't be able to do the required maths a-level, and access isn't enough for them) does it really matter? If not, where does that end? Could I go off to UWE (currently ranked about 80 on Complete Uni Gudie for BioMed, and a much lower grade requirement if I manage to completely bugger my course up) and still get into a good job/PhD after, or would I be completely doomed?
Advice greatly appreciated!
Advice greatly appreciated!
(Oh ~ I'm studying at UWE!
)A high-ranking university might make your CV stand out when you're one of thousands of freshly-graduated jobseekers, but skills and experience are far more important. I'd say rankings might matter somewhat for the first one or two jobs. If you're a mature student with relevant work experience then I don't see why it should particularly matter.
If you're able to get into Oxford/Cambridge or some other Russell Group university then go for it, obviously, but I don't think it makes as much difference ultimately as The Student Room would have you believe. I've made some choices I'd probably rewind, such as taking a full-time a BTEC in Art & Design, but I absolutely don't regret settling for UWE rather than spending another two years at college, for the sake of getting into somewhere a bit more renowned.
NO.
School-leavers get obsessed about this but to employers and/or other Universities its totally meaningless.
For your degree to be useful you need a 2i or First and some other stuff on your CV apart from just the degree - ie. part-time and/or voluntary work, involvement in 'other stuff' at Uni like committees, clubs & societies, sport etc. Employers (and Unis offering PhDs) are looking for bright, interesting people - the name of the Uni really isn't a deal breaker if you have all of this.
School-leavers get obsessed about this but to employers and/or other Universities its totally meaningless.
For your degree to be useful you need a 2i or First and some other stuff on your CV apart from just the degree - ie. part-time and/or voluntary work, involvement in 'other stuff' at Uni like committees, clubs & societies, sport etc. Employers (and Unis offering PhDs) are looking for bright, interesting people - the name of the Uni really isn't a deal breaker if you have all of this.
Depends on the subject you want to do. For example Law is a subject in which going to a high ranked uni is important.
Original post by SmellyProtein
Depends on the subject you want to do. For example Law is a subject in which going to a high ranked uni is important.
This isn't actually true.
Original post by returnmigrant
This isn't actually true.
According to you? are you a university lecturer?
I suggest you read this - all of it - carefully and slowly, and do some adult thinking : http://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/media/1067/what_is_a_good_university.pdf
Original post by SmellyProtein
Depends on the subject you want to do. For example Law is a subject in which going to a high ranked uni is important.
This poster is right.
If you want to do well in Law, you're better off going to a university with established links and connections.
Yes. I wouldn't pay 50k+ to go to a meh uni. For that kind of money I want a name on my CV that impresses people.
Original post by Snufkin
Yes. I wouldn't pay 50k+ to go to a meh uni. For that kind of money I want a name on my CV that impresses people.
Hard to tell if that's sarcasm or not. If not, at what point do you think university names stop 'impressing people'? Apart from your parents no one in the real world will actually care where you go.
Original post by Duncan2012
Hard to tell if that's sarcasm or not. If not, at what point do you think university names stop 'impressing people'? Apart from your parents no one in the real world will actually care where you go.
I work in a Pharmacy and my boss gave me sh*t about two out of the five Pharmacy schools that I have chosen to apply to.
People do care in the real world - If he didn't know me to begin with and I qualified as a Pharmacist from one of the universities that he didn't think was a good Pharmacy school, would he offer me a job? I don't think so.
Original post by Duncan2012
Hard to tell if that's sarcasm or not. If not, at what point do you think university names stop 'impressing people'? Apart from your parents no one in the real world will actually care where you go.
Not sarcasm. People unfortunately do care where you went to university. There is a big difference between UCL and UCLan, for example.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Kaeden
I work in a Pharmacy and my boss gave me sh*t about two out of the five Pharmacy schools that I have chosen to apply to.
People do care in the real world - If he didn't know me to begin with and I qualified as a Pharmacist from one of the universities that he didn't think was a good Pharmacy school, would he offer me a job? I don't think so.
People do care in the real world - If he didn't know me to begin with and I qualified as a Pharmacist from one of the universities that he didn't think was a good Pharmacy school, would he offer me a job? I don't think so.
What's he basing his opinion on, though? There's no objective measure so opinions are meaningless. For example - Dundee dropped from 1st to 19th on one list between 2015 and 2016 (http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?s=Pharmacology%20%26%20Pharmacy) Did it suddenly get worse? Or would it still be a good choice?
Original post by Snufkin
Not sarcasm. People unfortunately do care where you went to university. There is a big difference between UCL and UCLan, for example.
But that won't make the difference between getting a job interview or not. Once you've left uni and are working no one will care. I have no idea where my colleagues went to uni, or even if they went at all. It doesn't affect their ability to do their jobs or my ability to do mine. I doubt any of them know what RG means either.
obviously having studied at a russell group uni would put you in an advantage as employers would notice it on your CV, however, you shouldn't be all too bothered about league tables, they change all the time and you need to find a university that is suited to more your learning style which may or may not be a russell group
Original post by Duncan2012
But that won't make the difference between getting a job interview or not. Once you've left uni and are working no one will care. I have no idea where my colleagues went to uni, or even if they went at all. It doesn't affect their ability to do their jobs or my ability to do mine. I doubt any of them know what RG means either.
That might be your opinion but it isn't shared by most employers.
Original post by Duncan2012
I doubt any of them know what RG means either.
Because you can speak for everyone, right?
Please.
Original post by maryamzahid
obviously having studied at a russell group uni would put you in an advantage as employers would notice it on your CV
The majority of mainstream employers haven't got a clue what 'Russell Group' even means.
For those that do, they know its a meaningless criteria - because its just highly contrived and over-hyped 'brand marketing', nothing more.
As a former poster said, other than the top 10 or so universities, the others are on equal ground when it comes to job applications... So other than the likes of Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, Bristol, Exeter, Warwick, Durham, LSE, Southampton and possibly Nottingham, there isn't too much distinction between the others
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Higher rank unis?
- marketing @ uni
- QMUL (higher ranked) or UoB (lower ranked but id rather go here)
- Honest opinions on Cardiff University?
- Do I need to go to a high ranking uni for computer science?
- university rankings
- Sheffield Hallam or Sheffield University
- University rankings
- Bath, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Manchester or UCL for Architecture
- Study now at Exeter or wait one year to study at KCL or Bristol?
- applying to Russel group unis if my undergrad is from a non Russel group
- Do university ranks affect employability?
- What would be the better option after bad a level results?
- Med school options
- Am I wasting my life?
- Turning down offer for King's College for a uni with low ranking
- Need advice; (University ranking)
- medicine in Italy
- Which university should I choose?
- law at manchester or nottingham
