Are there any truly 'bad' universities in the UK?

You do have a point, most of the ex-poly threads are started by the "one who goes to Cambridge for optometry".

Doesn't either Cambridge or Oxford give out EE offers? What about their students who achieve that? They shouldn't be allowed to study right?

Even though, both of us probably know that those students are capable of achieving more, if they get EE at A level, according to you - they have failed.

Here's where I'm going with this - just because someone got EE at A level doesn't mean they are doomed for life! They may have extenuating circumstances or various other things going on in their lives at the time. Also, entry requirements are an indication of interest in the subject NOT only academic ability!

Oxford and Cambridge offers of EE are only given out to exceptional students in order to negate the pressures of exam stress.

Perhaps it's unpopular because it's bad

I think the 'bad' universities are either ones with a bad reputation or with no reputation at all.

Like Derby, it must be the most anonymous university in the country. You never hear of anything about it, good or bad.

As well as academic requirements. Medicine is far more popular than Classics at Cambridge, yet they have the same standard offer.

I would argue, if a university is unpopular, why on earth does it exist? Why does that course exist?

If anything it. shows that the course is **** (otherwise why on earth would it be unpopular?). If a university has a significant amount of low-entry requirement courses, then yes, I constitute it as a bad university as it is a waste of money.

They used to or at least they were much better before their upgrade to university status. Polytechnics in other countries are doing an excellent job (like ours used to) because they don't pretend to be something they are not, they offer excellent vocational training unlike ours that suffer from lack of identity and purpose nowadays.

Perhaps it's unpopular because it's bad

I think the 'bad' universities are either ones with a bad reputation or with no reputation at all.

Like Derby, it must be the most anonymous university in the country. You never hear of anything about it, good or bad.

There are numerous departments in this country which have good teaching and research, but still remain relatively unpopular

Oxford and Cambridge offers of EE are only given out to exceptional students in order to negate the pressures of exam stress.

But theoretically, someone could then decide to stop bothering and focus on other things that they may have to give up in a few months to cope with Oxbridge expectations for studying, just about EE grades ... then, according to some people, they'd be a waste of space.

i think it was TSR who got accepted into LSE for maths and then switched courses?
am i rite?
/stalker.

Oh come on, you and I both know that Cambridge and Oxford can be excepted from most general rules regarding these things.

Besides, Cambridge is so popular that they have to give out A*AA for everything, the sheer volume of applicants is unreal.

That doesn't make them a waste of space. I would love to meet a person who actually thought EE-offer holders for Christ's College Cambridge were a waste of space, really.

Get a grip, it's still an offer for Cambridge given to the very best of candidates.

Any reason why?

You are right, but that's not my point. I just find it curious that people can slate any university in the UK, considering that if you put in effort and don't just treat it like one long party, pretty much all of them are worth it.

I was wondering if someone could produce a convincing argument why one actually is a complete waste of time.

They must remain unpopular for a reason.

I don't know why, but there must be a reason. Perhaps sometimes it is their geographical location, mind.