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Moving up the rankings.

Hello there,

At the current moment in time, I'm just starting my third year at a University that is lower down in the rankings (league tables, the formal list compiled by newspapers that defines how successful you will be in life) and am starting to dread the rejection letters when I graduate as the reputation of my institution won't get me very far.

So I've been having a little think to myself about, perhaps, moving to postgraduate study at a more respected University. I've been emailing various institutions, including Nottingham University (15th and 19th in the tables) to ask whether my course/degree/university would be acceptable for their Masters courses and I was told it'd be more than appropriate as long as I got at least a 2:1.

Do you think this is a good idea to improve my social status in the world?

Thanks for any help/replies.

Reply 1

Tomber

13

Don't do it if your only aim is to improve your social status in the world, post grad study requires considerable commitment and hard work.

Do it if your willing to invest a lot of money in gaining a qualification which you would find intellectually rewarding, and would benefit you in the long run, not just to 'look good' to peers.

djhworld

league tables, the formal list compiled by newspapers that defines how successful you will be in life

Either you are being facetious, or it's is really, really sad you think like that :frown:

Reply 2

djhworld

OP

Sorry yeah, I tend to be a little too sarcastic at times, something that often doesn't come across in text.

I don't want approval from peers, I want approval from employers. Some people in other forums have unanimously agreed that the Times "Good University Guide" reflected the employment statistics after graduation as an indicator to how well you do once you leave. As you can imagine this isn't a high figure at the current institution that I'm attending.

I understand that postgraduate education is hard work and shouldn't be something that's taken lightly, however I feel dejected in terms of prospects later on in life.

My main question really is, would having a top 20 institution on my CV be enough to encourage more employers to take notice?

Reply 3

Tomber

13

Heh, yeah forums don't really convey sarcasm that well. The answer to your question is, another question, what kind of employers are you looking to impress with your degree? Have you any specific vocation you're looking to pursue?

Reply 4

ChemistBoy

16

djhworld

I don't want approval from peers, I want approval from employers.

Then go and ask them rather than expecting them to come on a student forum and tell you.

Some people in other forums have unanimously agreed that the Times "Good University Guide" reflected the employment statistics after graduation as an indicator to how well you do once you leave. As you can imagine this isn't a high figure at the current institution that I'm attending.

But there are still people who succeed. Remember that as you go down the tables, the percentage 1st/2:1 generally decreases and the number of UCAS points on entry decreases, now, as many large grad employers want at least a 2:1 and good UCAS point score, of course less people are going to be successful from the universities down the table at getting entry into these programmes. However, if you have a 2:1 and good UCAS points then you have just as good a chance as anyone else in these schemes. If you don't have a good UCAS points score then doing an MSc isn't going to change that.

Of course that isn't even going into the flaws of the system using the in times guide.

I understand that postgraduate education is hard work and shouldn't be something that's taken lightly, however I feel dejected in terms of prospects later on in life.

You have to ask what a postgraduate qualification is going to bring you? Most employers don't need someone with that level of education, so unless you are going to retrain in another area to gain advantage or you need the qualification to do a certain job then I question why you would bother in the first place. Those few, highly elitist employers (in the City) know all the tricks anyway and will see right through your attempt to ingraciate yourself with them by doing an academically pointless course to get a 'brand name' on your CV - these people aren't stupid, that's why they make a lot of money.

Reply 5

djhworld

OP

ChemistBoy

Those few, highly elitist employers (in the City) know all the tricks anyway and will see right through your attempt to ingraciate yourself with them by doing an academically pointless course to get a 'brand name' on your CV - these people aren't stupid, that's why they make a lot of money.

Yeah I understand what you mean, although I have no interest in getting a city job, nor anything from an "elitist" employer.

To tell you the truth, my course is involved with the creation of computer games, a specific subset of computer science. While many may laugh (what is most often the case) and discard it as a "mickey mouse" degree, I beg to differ. The course involves quite an intensive knowledge of 3D mathematics and programming in the context of games, combined with an understanding of other disciplines such as physics and psychology.

The MSc I'm looking into going into is a taught programme concerning user interface design (Interactive Systems Design) and I feel this would put me to an advantage within the games industry.

Reply 6

Tomber

13

Dude, if you want to go into Computer games design, a career that I think would be awesome, then your degree sounds perfect. You're better off going to a software house after graduation than doing an MSc I would imagine, but if you can get an MSC in that afterwards, then I'm sure it wouldn't do you any harm at all. University rankings with vocational courses like yours are doubly meaningless.

Reply 7

Josho

4

djhworld

Yeah I understand what you mean, although I have no interest in getting a city job, nor anything from an "elitist" employer.

To tell you the truth, my course is involved with the creation of computer games, a specific subset of computer science. While many may laugh (what is most often the case) and discard it as a "mickey mouse" degree, I beg to differ. The course involves quite an intensive knowledge of 3D mathematics and programming in the context of games, combined with an understanding of other disciplines such as physics and psychology.

The MSc I'm looking into going into is a taught programme concerning user interface design (Interactive Systems Design) and I feel this would put me to an advantage within the games industry.

Just as a side point here - it is possible to graduate from Licoln and be successful in life. Yeah its attrociously ranked for nearly every subject but its having a degree which is normally admired by employers and its possible to repudiate the 'stigma' of a Lincoln degree by still being great in your field. My sister graduated from Lincoln a couple of years ago and has been working as a managing psychologist in Canada and her boyfriend who dropped out of Lincoln has just finished working on Mass Effect. :smile:

Obviously anecdotal evidence which is worthless in the long run - but in the games industry its about your talent at manipulating the software - not where you graduated from.

Reply 8

Tomber

13

Yeah a friend of mines sister graduated from Lincoln and is now a really successful art conservator, she was headhunted to work in a museum in the Bahamas.

Reply 9

Eubacterium

13

What is your uni? If it's in the league tables then you're probably be alright (they're not accruate). If not then it might be something to worry about. I dropped out of a course at a unrated uni partly because I knew I wouldn't be able to do anything with it. It partly depends on how competitive the subject is.

Reply 10

Jazzza

1

Yeh. Do it. I did an undergrad at a new university and then did a masters at Southampton. What happens is anyone who looks at my CV just talks about me going to Southampton. Loads of people do it - move upwards to a uni with a better reputation. Well, I guess most people would think of Southampton as higher up the league than Greenwich. I think it was much better anyway. If you can get to Nottingham or Durham, whatever yeh. Do it.

Reply 11

jeebsa

im also doing that, im at queen mary in third yr and plan to go to UCL, LSE, KCL. Of course the university you have been to will play a major role in ur application but remember it is only part of it! As long as you can complete the degree its absolutely fine, apart from impressing your employer it is a great ego boost. My reasons for doing a masters at a better uni is i regret messing around at schools and not making the most of my potential but im hopeful that i will have another shot at it.