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Durham University

Durham

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is LSE better than Durham

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Reply 40

Sorcerer's Storm

Original post by RoyalBeams

You will grow up and learn eventually.

So much projection.

Durham University

Durham

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Reply 41

RoyalBeams

Original post by Sorcerer of Old

So much projection.

I shall suggest you sit down, think through the people you have met in the last week or month (those that you did not know before) and then think of how you subconsciously came up instantly with perceptions and thoughts about them (aka stereotyping).

Reply 42

tiny hobbit

Original post by RoyalBeams

And what I am telling you is that people do care. It will be a subconcious decision on certain occasions once you are working like job interviews and promotion.

Even in the tier below Oxbridge, there are still general tiers and Durham, as good as it is, is below LSE, Imperial and UCL.

People subconciously stereotype you based on your gender, race, height, looks, subject you studied and university you attended. That is the real world!!!

All employers will notice any bad spelling on your application, even if you don't put it in bold.

Reply 43

tiny hobbit

Original post by username6135883

Purely out of curiosity.
I’ve seen mixed but most are 10+ years old
And curious about what you think

Doing Durham btw

You also need to think about whether you want to live in London. Some people would love to live there, others would hate it and much prefer a smaller city.

Reply 44

Okorange

Original post by RoyalBeams

Apart from just brand prestige, I think if you look at earnings figures of LSE, Imperial and UCL graduates, you will realise Durham is not in that league.

So those rankings are not totally meaningless, but they do have some subtle impact on employment opportunities and outcomes. The situations where they have large impact is when you look across like 3 to 4 tier differences.

Where I'm from, people want to go outside the city for uni because it gives them a student bubble. Consequently, a lot of students prefer the smaller town unis over the big city unis for undergrad and then prefer the big city unis for postgrad and then work. Others, know they would want to live in the big city for work or postgrad and/or have lived in the city most of their lives and want a change of scene and undergrad is the perfect time to do it.

When you go to uni in the middle of a city with sky high rent, you don't usually form those strong student bonds because everyone is just so distracted by the city itself.

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 45

RoyalBeams

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-37011638

Very interesting article that shows how stereotyping is really the norm by human beings; even when people have no intention to offend.

Reply 46

Anonymous #2

Original post by RoyalBeams

LSE is more research intensive.

LSE is better funded and has superior finances.

LSE has superior reputation in both the UK and globally.

LSE has superior alumni despite being a younger university.

LSE alumni get superior jobs and pay.

I am a Durham student and I agree.

I would go on and add LSE being in London might land you a better job through their career department.

It will be much easier to get summer internships in London than in the North East as I am currently struggling due to the limited number available.

However, if someone is a good student they will end up with a good job if they graduate in either.

A big factor though is whether someone can afford London.

Saying that though, Durham rents increased incredibly over the last year. Where I am staying from 110 a week has gone to 165 a week. This was caused due to the uni accepting more students and the council not allowing houses to be converted to student housing fast enough. Next year I will be leaving outside Durham and will be paying 125 a week without bills included. Be careful as Durham Uni does not help you with accommodation other than offer you a place at college accommodation if there is a place available after the first year

Reply 47

KKR75

Original post by Carrotsroom

Durham and Warwick both rank higher than Edinburgh and KCL for politics. Warwick is just a generally good uni for social sciences including politics.

Can you back this opinion back by a link to ranking? Because I see something different when looking at QS World Uni rankings

Reply 48

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by KKR75

Can you back this opinion back by a link to ranking? Because I see something different when looking at QS World Uni rankings

What do you think the QS ranking is measuring?

Reply 49

KKR75

No need to get defensive…

The QS World University rankings indicators include academic reputation which has a 40% weightage, employer reputation has a 10% weightage, faculty student ratio and citations per faculty have a 20% weightage each, and international faculty ratio / international student ratio has a 10% weightage.

I am asking whether you can refer the audience here to the rankings you’re talking about.

Reply 50

Augustina Acquah

Original post by RoyalBeams

Apart from just brand prestige, I think if you look at earnings figures of LSE, Imperial and UCL graduates, you will realise Durham is not in that league.
So those rankings are not totally meaningless, but they do have some subtle impact on employment opportunities and outcomes. The situations where they have large impact is when you look across like 3 to 4 tier differences.

What I have learned in my educational life is that being in the best school does not define you, but studying harder will define your chances in life. I have been in schools with students who came from first-class high schools, but they were not that intelligent as compared to the name their school has attained over the years. There are some students in low-ranked schools who are more intelligent than those in prestigious schools.
These prestigious schools are overrated. You should know that these schools are mostly based on elite selection and are not merit-based.

I don't know how employment in the UK works, but I know that employers want students who can use their brains to deliver and add value to their company.

All these prestigious schools are for bragging. What matters is the individual. If the individual is excellent, it doesn't matter if he or she was rejected by a prestigious school. But rather, the individual will excel more even in low-ranked schools.
Besides, if you attend Oxbridge, it is normal to have good grades, but an individual who has completed a lowly-ranked school can also get excellent grades. What draws the attention of employers is that they will employ the individual in a lowly-ranked school who was able to get good grades like an Oxbridge student. This individual has made a positive difference.
It is good to attend a prestigious school but know that the fact that you attend these schools doesn't mean that you are intelligent than a student in a low ranked school.

Reply 51

Augustina Acquah

Original post by TSR George

post removed

The advice that I will give is that it doesn't matter which university is better than the others; rather, focus on yourself as an individual. Are you a good student? If you are, then it doesn't matter if you end up in Durham or LSE. Just follow what your heart and brain want, and no matter where you end, always know that you will make a positive change in your educational journey.

Again, check their course outline to see if the course that you will study has your interest since every university has its own course outline.

Also, no matter your decision, you should take full responsibility for your choices. Do not make decisions based on rankings or others opinions.

Analyze yourself to know what you want.

Most of the time, we choose prestigious schools because of the rankings and the name the school has attained, but aside from these names and benefits, what are the main reasons why you would want to attend that university?
I wanted to attend Oxford to study for my masters, but I changed my mind for two reasons.
1) I just wanted to attend Oxford so that I could brag about it to my peers, and I wanted to hold their certificate.

2) I decided to try Durham University, and one thing that I realized is that they are down to earth. The representatives they assigned to me will mostly reply to your emails and your needs. I felt important when they replied to my emails with a considerable response. Even if I don't get an unconditional offer, I will always be grateful that they answered my emails most of the time.

I am from Ghana. And I have never heard of Durham University. The only university I knew in the UK was Oxbridge. A friend of mine relocated to Durham. That was when I decided to Google if there was a university in Durham. Then, boom, I came across Durham University. I read a lot about the university. Their rankings move forward almost every time. Then I knew that this was a university that was growing over the years. They keep improving and improving. Most of their subjects are highly ranked as compared to Oxbridge. They are also good at the course I wanted to study.

Every university has its own strengths and weaknesses. Oxbridge has its weaknesses too. They are not perfect.
So please take your time and make the decision quickly before you lose these opportunities from Durham and LSE. If the course you want to study is highly ranked in any of these schools, then you should consider that, but this shouldn't be the only factor to consider.
Also, we don't know what the next year will be so please pray about it too🙏

Reply 52

Anonymous #3

Original post by fec1864

It doesn't hurt you. Both are excellent.
I got into Durham this year too, but I also got into Cambridge. If I had firmed Durham, my job prospects would not suddenly worsen to the point where I would not be able to get the same jobs as I would've if I had firmed Cam, just like going to Durham over LSE is not going to worsen your job prospects. At this calibre, no employer, embassy, government or whatever, is going to care that you went to Durham over LSE.
I *definitely* would not recommend reapplying next year because there is no guarantee you would even get another offer from Durham because it is competitive and there is definitely no guarantee of an offer from LSE, for which the competition is insane.
Relax. You're going to an excellent university.

🤦*♂️