does it really matter what uni you go to (russell group?)

may_2003

so i'm making my list of the 5 uni choices and since I live in London it was initially going to be the london russell group unis (ucl, kings, qmul and imperial) but some of them didn't have my course so i looked at unis that were quite high in rankings but up to 2 hours away from london (warwick, bath, nottingham) and now my parents are telling me they only want me to stay in london regardless of what uni it is. i was always told i should go to a russell group uni or a uni with a good ranking in the course i want to do, but in the end does it even matter?

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Which course?

Original post by ajj2000

Which course?

most unis don't offer the course i initially wanted to do (pharmaceutical science) apart from nottingham so i've been looking at similiar courses aswell and i have decided on medicinal/pharmaceutical chemistry. so far for my choices i have pharmaceutical chemistry (qmul) and chemistry with medicinal chemistry (warwick)

Reply 3

ajj2000

Original post by may_2003

I'll bet UCL has a brilliant course - maybe under a slightly different name - and that the Imperial chemistry course would be very good for that career.

Reply 4

swanseajack1

Generally the university you go to doesnt matter and the Russell Group means nothing. It is just a marketing group. Universities like Nottingham, Warwick, Bath and Kings are all broadly of similar standard. You need to choose where you will be most comfortable.

Reply 5

_gcx

Study Forum Helper

Yes.

Your job opportunities will be more or less the same, if that is your only concern then your answer is no unless you're looking at the narrow subset of jobs that have "target" unis.

You have to like your course, (they are not all the same even if they have the same title) be/feel adequately supported, be comfortable in the area, and so on. 3-4 years is no short length of time to grind through.

Kings/QMUL are somewhat overhyped purely because they are in London. There are plenty of equally good/better universities elsewhere.

Reply 6

may_2003

Original post by ajj2000

I'll bet UCL has a brilliant course - maybe under a slightly different name - and that the Imperial chemistry course would be very good for that career.

yes, ucl was my first choice until i recently found out they have discontinued the medicinal chemistry course due to short numbers last year. imperial would be good too but it's asking for AAA and which i should work really hard for (i'm predicted ABB)

Reply 7

username5435422

I know both Barristers and Solicitors from ex-poly Universities. I worked as a paralegal for a short time and majority of the Lawyers at the firm were from Liverpool John Moores. It honestly does not matter where you go, but instead life and work experience. You will learn this soon enough when entering the world of work. I studied both my undergrad and postgrad at non-Russell group Uni’s and I’ve worked all over the world.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 8

AndyChow

Original post by may_2003

It's not too late to give up on this route. I studied this course at Imperial and most people don't find related jobs. Medicinal chemistry is on its way out and pharma companies want new biochem stuff like Car-T, Antibodies, Bioinformatics etc... I used to have a passion for drugs but I was naive, I used to be one of the brightest chemistry student in the county, I grew old and experienced the industry and saw talented and hard-working colleagues eventually giving up on this route. Even if you find a medchem job, it's low paid and laborious, and your job security is a project by project basis.

Picking a subject you love is a horrible advice and I strongly advice against it. If you turn your hobby into a job eventually you will end up tired of it and hating it. You pick a subject you find accepable and don't hate, with the maximum starting salary, you will thank me in 10 years

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 9

_gcx

Study Forum Helper

Original post by AndyChow

Picking a subject you love is a horrible advice and I strongly advice against it. If you turn your hobby into a job eventually you will end up tired of it and hating it. You pick a subject you find accepable and don't hate, with the maximum starting salary, you will thank me in 10 years

So basically this advice reads to me "sod passion, focus on the cash". You have to understand people want more out of life than this.

Reply 10

Mhazie

Russell group unis don't really matter imo. You want to go to a uni that teaches the course you want in the way that you find best for you.

Reply 11

McGinger

Aside from some up-themselves London Law firms, no employers will care where you got your degree.
All they want to see is a 2i or a First and that you did more at Uni than just study.

Choose the Uni and course that will make you happiest. If that means leaving home and moving away, go for it.
Your parents aren't going to Uni - you are.

Reply 12

username5435422

Original post by McGinger

To be honest even grade doesn’t matter that much. I did a LLM in law and I had a associate who had a 1st that he always boasted about. Dropped out after 5 months as he just couldn’t hack it.

Reply 13

may_2003

Original post by AndyChow

oh wow. whats your career journey has been like since you finished your degree then? i've always wanted to work at gsk but that seems unlikely now. also how was the course at imperial?

Reply 14

Muttley79

Original post by may_2003

Move out of London ... you'll get a much better university experience. RG means nothing in the career you are considering

Reply 15

AndyChow

Original post by _gcx

So basically this advice reads to me "sod passion, focus on the cash". You have to understand people want more out of life than this.

OK Mr Study Forum Helper not like you will give him any money if he ended up with no job in 5 years time. You have no idea that MedChem is about, I'm giving he/she first-hand insight. I'm telling he/she the not-so-rosy side of idealism to help them make a more informed decision.

The fact they even asked this question, implies they are concerned with employment opportunities, and it's a matter of fact chemistry is very poor. You are free to voice your idealism but you should finish your undergraduate degree and enter the job market before you open your mouth to criticise me. Because I had your mindset few years ago.

What you say is only viable if you have a rich family that doesn't care if you fail or not. In which case study anything you like just treat it as a hobby subject. Most of us, need to make a living to feed our family

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 16

username5420160

Original post by Muttley79

Move out of London ... you'll get a much better university experience. RG means nothing in the career you are considering

I kinda agree! You don't have to go too far from London you could always just stay in near the South East!

Reply 17

Sinnoh

The distinction between Russell Group and others isn't particularly important or significant.

I guess your parents don't want you to move out, which is annoying since you'll be an adult and you're paying for the degree, but they do have the leverage of financial support. You should remind them that London doesn't automatically imply that it's good.

If you like the course then apply for it, I don't think location should be the main priority. Like don't apply somewhere only because of where it is, apply because of what you'll be studying.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 18

RogerOxon

Original post by may_2003

Move out - not only will it give you more choice, but it's a major part of growing-up, IMO. The distance typically be a major consideration - some kids prefer more, although my son took the mickey at over 5000 miles ..

Look at the courses more than the university, although lowly ranked ones are often best avoided.