Big Uni Choice Mistake?

This year i applied to the University of Bath for Aerospace Eng. Only AFter did i foolishly realise it wasn't in the Russel Group of Universities and is a fairly newish university. I can't help thinking did i make a mistake in choosing Bath over Bristol? i Know Bristol is well established and a part of the Russel Group. Do you guys think....

Bath is as equally respected as Bristol?

Bath is a new university? so lacks those links an established university has?

I also have offers from Southampton and Glasgow, so should i firm one of these instead of bath?

Much help would be appreciated. I feel as if i want to rewind time and should have looked at my choices more wisely instead of happily pressing the send button :/

EDIT: Bit harsh on the negs guys

(edited 13 years ago)

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Reply 1

Vitamin D

Bath is a good university. There's no use only concerning yourself with those unis perceived as "respected" on here, go to Bath if you want to.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 2

hoopyfrood199

Russel Group isn't everything. I'd say Bath is better respected than Bristol anyway.

Reply 3

fhewitt1

Go somewhere YOU want to go.
Im rejecting my unconditional from Edinburgh because i HATED the place, and am now going to a much less 'established' university but i know im going to have a great time :smile:

In my opinion it doesnt matter where you go, it's only going to be as good as you make it :smile:

Reply 4

Augustus Woods

Do you not think you're taking a particularly snobbish approach? Bath is still highly regarded as one of the best uni's. I think you need to take a look in the mirror, and access your attitude.

Reply 5

infernalcradle

bath is by far one of the best unis out there for your subject....

don't worry about it

Reply 6

street.lovin'

Bath is one of the best university in UK.

AndI amprettysure it is not a so called NEW university. =.=

Reply 7

Potally_Tissed

Original post by Airbus.Boeing

This year i applied to the University of Bath for Aerospace Eng. Only AFter did i foolishly realise it wasn't in the Russel Group of Universities and is a fairly newish university.

Do you even know what the Russell Group is? It's entirely about research. For undergraduates, it's pretty much completely irrelevant.

It's not exactly representative of every good university in the UK when it doesn't include Durham, St Andrews, Bath, York, Loughborough, Exeter, UEA, etc etc.

Reply 8

Airbus.Boeing

Original post by fhewitt1

In my opinion it doesnt matter where you go, it's only going to be as good as you make it :smile:

Thanks, and good luck. Suppose you made the right choice in the sense that you don't want to spend years at a place you hate, good luck! I went to see Bath and fell in love with the place :smile:

Original post by Augustus Woods

Do you not think you're taking a particularly snobbish approach? Bath is still highly regarded as one of the best uni's. I think you need to take a look in the mirror, and access your attitude.

Dude, your being a bit harsh. I had a concern, and theres no harm in putting my mind to rest. I know bath is a good uni, but i didnt know a fairly new uni could be better than an established one. Also i was worried about the meaning of not being in the Russell Group.

Reply 9

Airbus.Boeing

Original post by street.lovin'

Bath is one of the best university in UK.

AndI amprettysure it is not a so called NEW university. =.=

I am ssure it was created in the 1960's along with Loughborough? That is fairly new

Reply 10

ikoghoo

Bath is a great uni, when people worry about a uni being in the Russel Group, it's only necessary if your subject is relevant to the research that's going on there. High profile employers are notorious for only selecting candidates from russel group uni's which is a shame; so the worry is understandable.
But Bath has a very good general reputation.

Reply 11

michael clayton

You shouldn't look at the age of a university to determine how respected it is- Bath was created around the same time as other top unis such as Warwick/York and very much holds it's own against the older institutions. For Engineering it is probably top 5 in the country and that's what Bath is best known for so you've made the right decision.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 12

Potally_Tissed

Original post by ikoghoo

High profile employers are notorious for only selecting candidates from russel group uni's

Certain high profile employers are notorious for only selecting candidates from specific unis, many of which happen to be in the Russell Group.

Reply 13

street.lovin'

Original post by Airbus.Boeing

I am ssure it was created in the 1960's along with Loughborough? That is fairly new

Yeah, but when people said 'new' universities I have the feeling that they associate it with the colleges that gained university status in 1992.

Bath is doing amazing on the league table and it is very good for most courses. I dont see the problem tbh. :dontknow:

It doesnt really matter when the uni started anyway. Loughborough is also a very good uni. :P

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 14

ikoghoo

Original post by Potally_Tissed

Certain high profile employers are notorious for only selecting candidates from specific unis, many of which happen to be in the Russell Group.

You just said what I said but with more words, I genuinely don't understand your point. :confused:

Reply 15

River85

Original post by Airbus.Boeing

This year i applied to the University of Bath for Aerospace Eng. Only AFter did i foolishly realise it wasn't in the Russel Group of Universities and is a fairly newish university.

With respect, so what? Neither is Durham, St Andrews, York, Exeter....Warwick weren't until a few years ago and neither were LSE. Do you know what the Russell Group is?

It's not a collection of the "best" or most targeted universities, it's a collection of the largest research intensive universities.

Bath (and the universities mentioned above) are in the 1994 Group, a similar lobbying group created at the same time as the Russell Group, consisting of the smaller research intesnive universities.

Bath was given its university charter in the the 1960s if I remember correctly. This is the same decade as Warwick and York. Warwick in particular is very much favoured.

Bath is a well recognised and established university who have strength in their enigneering programmes. Going to Bath instead of Bristol is unlikely to disadvantage you.

Original post by ikoghoo

Bath is a great uni, when people worry about a uni being in the Russel Group, it's only necessary if your subject is relevant to the research that's going on there.

Even if a student is concerned with research quality and quantity, Bath can compete.

Not being in the Russell Group doesn't mean that it is poorer in research. It's still a research-focused university.

Some 1994 Group universities have a higher research income than Russell Group universities.

I cannot emphasis how little it really matters.

High profile employers are notorious for only selecting candidates from russel group uni's which is a shame; so the worry is understandable.

Not really. On only a handful of occasions have I seen "graduate must have attended a Russell Group university" and it's quite likely that the employer doesn't know what the members of the Russell Group is. Rather it's just used as a term for "good" university and this is certainly what Bath is.

Again, not being in the Russell Group doesn't harm gradutes of other universities, particularly those in the 1994 Group who are still highly targeted and sought after.

Reply 16

Potally_Tissed

Original post by ikoghoo

You just said what I said but with more words, I genuinely don't understand your point. :confused:

My point is that some (but not all) high profile employers target specific universities (Oxbridge, LSE, UCL, whatever) and don't just arbitrarily say "we only look at candidates from Russell Group unis". Many of the targeted unis are in the Russell Group, but they are not targeted because they are in the Russell Group, so I thought your statement was a bit misleading in that regard.

It's not like you're going to turn up to an interview and hear "Ah good, I see you have a 1st, that's quite impressive. Oh, it's from Durham. Would you mind showing yourself out?"

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 17

yesioo

Have you visited it? Do you like the course? Will you be happy there?

'Prestige' isn't everything. With the Russell Group it's not a huge factor.

Listen to River85.

Reply 18

Airbus.Boeing

River85,

I agree totally with your point below:

"It's not a collection of the "best" or most targeted universities, it's a collection of the largest research intensive universities."

However do you think employers think deifferently at all?

Reply 19

ikoghoo

Original post by Potally_Tissed

Now you're just exaggerating what I said. It's true that some employers look for candidates from russel groups, i didn't just pluck that out of thin air. If you didn't go to a Russel Group, then in some cases you won't even get an interview. The point is, the reputation of the uni you went to matters.
Durham has a good reputation because it's a traditional uni, you are most likely to be turned away if you went to a Met or a Hallam.