Bristol or Imperial Physics

Go where you want. A physics degree from Bristol is a good degree to have.

Reply 2

Pendulum

14

Msayner

I know most of you will say i am crazy but i have an offer from both and am seriously considering Bristol over Imperial :s-smilie:

Maybe this is just mr being stupid but i guess i preferred the place and the atmosphere when i went there... Is that all for show or will it actually be like that?

Anybodies opinions on this will be valued

If you wish to be anal about things, then Imperial > Bristol, but the difference between them is pretty minute, I suppose if you're really not sure about where you want to go, maybe it is worth going to look at them both again? If you prefer Bristol and you're sure about it, then go there, its a great uni, London is also pretty expensive.

Reply 3

fonzievision

14

Do you get into academica, or graduate careers? If graduate careers, then Imperial trumps Bristol 10x over. Academia.. go where you feel happiest.

Reply 4

fonzievision

Do you get into academica, or graduate careers? If graduate careers, then Imperial trumps Bristol 10x over. Academia.. go where you feel happiest.

I should think that you'll be able to do whatever you want with a good physics degree from Bristol.

Reply 5

shiny

12

ChemistBoy

I should think that you'll be able to do whatever you want with a good physics degree from Bristol.

Lets face it dude. We're idiots. :rolleyes:

Reply 6

shiny

Lets face it dude. We're idiots. :rolleyes:

Of course I'm a bloody idiot! I just found out that one of my colleagues spent a couple of years doing hedge funds before starting their PhD so they have a nice sum in the bank - why didn't I do that.

Oh and for those prestige freaks out there his undergraduate degree was from Aberystwyth.

Reply 7

shiny

12

ChemistBoy

Oh and for those prestige freaks out there his undergraduate degree was from Aberystwyth.

No one will believe you :rolleyes:

Reply 8

ChemistBoy

Of course I'm a bloody idiot! I just found out that one of my colleagues spent a couple of years doing hedge funds before starting their PhD so they have a nice sum in the bank - why didn't I do that.

Oh and for those prestige freaks out there his undergraduate degree was from Aberystwyth.

Exception or the rule? Hmm...

OP -> Go where ever you feel comfortable, just don't mention that Imperial is better, otherwise these guys will jump on your back for it.

Reply 9

MonteCristo

Exception or the rule? Hmm...

Well he isn't the only aber physics grad to have done it, I know of someone else too.

Reply 10

ChemistBoy

Well he isn't the only aber physics grad to have done it, I know of someone else too.

Well done to them, but the majority of people come from the top universities. Against the thousands of Oxbridge, Imperial, UCL, Warwick and LSE grads, Abersytweth grads are a drop in the ocean, even if you know two. The fact of the matter is that the number of people going into hedge funds straight out of university is very low - the vast proportion of hedgies come from the sell side, i.e. banks, and since banks recruit 95% of their analysts from the top 5 universities, the cross section is clear.

Even then, "a friend has worked in hedge funds" is quite generic and thrown about quite often, what exactly did he do? Was he front office, trading on the prop desk or was he back office risk management or clearing? He could also have been doing research, writing code or maintaining/upgrading tech systems. The majority of top paying traders would most likely have gone to the "prestige" universities, as you put it, and I'd bet my house on it.

City recruiters don't care if Abersytweth's physics course is just as good as Imperial or Cambridge or some other such nonsense, even if it was, they'd still hire at the prestige universities because they undoubtably churn out the most rounded and capable graduates.

Reply 11

Stubo

nice reply.

Reply 12

spunkym0nkey

I visited Bristol and my general feeling was it had relied on the fact it is a good uni for far too long, hadn't invested and is now a bad uni. Maths department was terrible and physics department was horrible (ok IC department isn't great but its alright). There stopping tutorials for the fist time next year (that for maths and phys). The student union was pritty poor (a building attached to a public swimming pool) and when we went to a meeting there we were told there are better rooms for meeting (as this one was terribly cramped hot and old) though I never saw one. Although this is all true town centre is nice genrally I got the feeling it was relying on the fact it is good for offers rather than trying to impress u to go there. Everyone who I went with hated it (none of the 10 of us applied) however I have spoken to other people who did like it. Been to Bristol, Liester, Imperial, Ox&Cam, Nottingham, Southampton, Sheffield, Warwick and Bath and Bristol was in bottom two wheras imperial was 3rd.

Imperial on the other hand (went on friday for interview) is great. I can understand if you feel its too expencive but this is the only opportunity u'll ever have to live in South Kensington or Chelsea (unless u won Euromillions last friday). Its course is considerd to be better and the uni overall and in league table is much higher than Bristol. Also u can cut back and live out of tescos (though that might not help accomodation).

Sorry rant over Bristol but if you are going to pick it go there again (if you havent already).

Reply 13

DumberChild

A completely personal anecdote here, but...

I'm a chem person myself, but I went to Bristol Physics Department's open day last year and, well I don't know, I there was something about it that I really like. The setting and atmosphere was nice, the people were great, and I thought to myself "If I was ever going to study Physics, this is where I would study it."

Then I wondered along to the chem department which had even more amazing people lol.

I liked Bristol alot - the city is really nice, and the uni's reputation definately holds its own against Imperial, UCL and all the rest. Its my insurance choice at the mo, and somewhere I can see myself spending a very happy four years :biggrin:

Reply 14

Ourkid

12

Dumberchild, how did you find the IC chem or physics depts?

Reply 15

MonteCristo

Well done to them, but the majority of people come from the top universities. Against the thousands of Oxbridge, Imperial, UCL, Warwick and LSE grads, Abersytweth grads are a drop in the ocean, even if you know two. The fact of the matter is that the number of people going into hedge funds straight out of university is very low - the vast proportion of hedgies come from the sell side, i.e. banks, and since banks recruit 95% of their analysts from the top 5 universities, the cross section is clear.

Even then, "a friend has worked in hedge funds" is quite generic and thrown about quite often, what exactly did he do? Was he front office, trading on the prop desk or was he back office risk management or clearing? He could also have been doing research, writing code or maintaining/upgrading tech systems. The majority of top paying traders would most likely have gone to the "prestige" universities, as you put it, and I'd bet my house on it.

I have absolutely no idea what he did. Having no interest in finance I don't even ask beyond 'hedge funds'.

City recruiters don't care if Abersytweth's physics course is just as good as Imperial or Cambridge or some other such nonsense, even if it was, they'd still hire at the prestige universities because they undoubtably churn out the most rounded and capable graduates.

Are you qualified to make judgements about the relative academic worth of aber's physics course?

There is massive doubt about turning out the most 'well-rounded and capable' graduates. There is no doubt that they produce more high academic achievers (the proportion of firsts tells us that), but as to unquantifiable aspects such as 'well-rounded and capable' how can you measure that? It seems to me that quite often in the city bias lies either with prejudice or with the sheer disparity in the number of people applying from different institutions. Far, far more people apply for city finance jobs from 'higher' level institutions, thus I would argue that personally knowing two aber grads who have spent time in the city is actually more signficant than you realise.

However, that is massively off topic.

Reply 16

ChemistBoy

Are you qualified to make judgements about the relative academic worth of aber's physics course?

No, I'm not qualified, but the market believes this. What the market believes is the truth, whether it really is or not.

There is massive doubt about turning out the most 'well-rounded and capable' graduates. There is no doubt that they produce more high academic achievers (the proportion of firsts tells us that), but as to unquantifiable aspects such as 'well-rounded and capable' how can you measure that? It seems to me that quite often in the city bias lies either with prejudice or with the sheer disparity in the number of people applying from different institutions. Far, far more people apply for city finance jobs from 'higher' level institutions, thus I would argue that personally knowing two aber grads who have spent time in the city is actually more signficant than you realise.

However, that is massively off topic.

City recuitment is no longer the "old boys club" that it once was. Now, it is one of the most meritocratic place to find a job in. They believe that the most "rounded and capable" students come from the top universities, namely the top 4/5. Unless you want to devote your life to research, what the employers believe is the only thing that matters. And why would they care, they would hire Aberystweth grads in a jiffy if they believed that Aberys grads were the most capable.

With regards to numbers - yes far more apply to City institutions from the top universities, but why is that? Because the City firms recruit heavily at those universities. But why do they do that? Because they believe those universities have the most capable, rounded and academically excellent students, if they didn't, the recruiters wouldn't bother going there. And with regards to the significance of 2 Abersytweth grads in the City; there are almost 350,000 working in the City, your friends are a drop in the ocean and considering the figures, completely irrelevant in suggesting that Abersytweth has anything on the top universities.

And the proportion of firsts tell us little unless you consider the standard required to get a first, which is undoubtedly higher at the top universities than the rest. Which should be even more convincing regarding the academic quality of students at top univerities - more of them get 1sts despite the standard of acheiving a first is higher. I rest my case.

Reply 17

MonteCristo

No, I'm not qualified, but the market believes this. What the market believes is the truth, whether it really is or not.

City recuitment is no longer the "old boys club" that it once was. Now, it is one of the most meritocratic place to find a job in. They believe that the most "rounded and capable" students come from the top universities, namely the top 4/5. Unless you want to devote your life to research, what the employers believe is the only thing that matters. And why would they care, they would hire Aberystweth grads in a jiffy if they believed that Aberys grads were the most capable.

With regards to numbers - yes far more apply to City institutions from the top universities, but why is that? Because the City firms recruit heavily at those universities. But why do they do that? Because they believe those universities have the most capable, rounded and academically excellent students, if they didn't, the recruiters wouldn't bother going there. And with regards to the significance of 2 Abersytweth grads in the City; there are almost 350,000 working in the City, your friends are a drop in the ocean and considering the figures, completely irrelevant in suggesting that Abersytweth has anything on the top universities.

And the proportion of firsts tell us little unless you consider the standard required to get a first, which is undoubtedly higher at the top universities than the rest. Which should be even more convincing regarding the academic quality of students at top univerities - more of them get 1sts despite the standard of acheiving a first is higher. I rest my case.

Look I'm not going to get into these same old, tired arguments again. I think you should know my position on all this anyway.

Reply 18

ChemistBoy

Look I'm not going to get into these same old, tired arguments again. I think you should know my position on all this anyway.

I know your position, I'm just disagreeing with it and providing evidence to counter it, maybe not from the academic world, but from the employer's perspective. And since less than a fifth of all graduates stay on in academia, I think the employers perspective is more important, don't you think?

Reply 19