Leeds vs UCL??

I'd go for Leeds, that's what I'm doing (although I'm turning down Warwick, not UCL, but I'm always told they are of a similar level). The way I see it, employment after uni is part of the reason for going, and a pretty big one, but it's not the main purpose, so it shouldn't be the focus. From personal experience, the only benefit of these top unis people over somewhere like Leeds seems to be the employment issues so it seems worth giving Leeds a go for all the positives.

Hey.

I've just finished four years (BA, MA) in English at UCL. Thought I'd give you a warning - a lot of us there, postgrads and undergrads, had negative experiences.

Yes, it's a very prestigious university. Don't know where it is in the league tables (they are seriously flawed, anyway), but in reality it's certainly equal to Oxbridge, if not stronger in many depts. It has an immense reputation, and if you get through a degree there you'll find a lot of career prospects opening up for you. The vast majority of their English graduates go into high-salaried jobs in law, journalism, and the like.

However, if you go to a university like that, part of the deal is that you won't find a particularly humane or supportive environment. If you're coming from a public school, and / or a very wealthy family, you'll fit right in at UCL. If not, you'd better be prepared to deal with some very arrogant, very overprivileged people. UCL is notorious for this - it is extremely selective and elitist. Similarly, although the English faculty includes some of the most famous people in the profession today, don't expect them to treat you with a great deal of respect. In fact, many of them will treat you with complete disdain. They're far too wrapped up in their own careers to care about their students.

You've been warned!!! I guess it all depends on what you want to do, anyway. If you're ruthlessly ambitious, and are looking to get into a high-powered profession after your degree, UCL wins hands down. If you're actually more interested in your subject, there are lots of options open to you. All of the different unis have different strengths and weaknesses. If you happen to be into medieval literature, definitely go to Leeds - their dept. is world-famous for that. Sussex is the best if you want to combine English with other disciplines - I'm going there for a PhD in the autumn. Warwick is a very strong all-rounder. On the other hand, UCL will give you the best educational experience you'll find outside of Oxford / Cambridge. The problem is, you'll have to be prepared to deal with a lot of wealth, privilege, and snobbery.

Hope this helps - bear it in mind, anyway!

I'd go for Leeds, that's what I'm doing (although I'm turning down Warwick, not UCL, but I'm always told they are of a similar level).

I really hope it's not just me who hasn't heard of any of those people...

I'm new to the message board, and have been quite surprised at many of the comments. I'm currently a Level 1 English student at Leeds, but turned down offers from Oxford and Durham to study here. Issues of location obviously influenced me slightly -- my home town is Newcastle, so Oxford seemed quite a distance to travel away from home, and Durham was too close to gain many of the benefits I currently hold in living away from my parents. But this wasn't the primary reason for my decision. The reason, which appears to have escaped the minds of many of the posters on here, was for the simple fact that the course catered for the areas of English which I am most passionate about (as xTheWhiteDevilx correctly stated, Leeds is particularly strong in Medieval studies, which is one of my specific areas of interest). It would appear, from where i'm sitting, that many people do not actually take this into consideration, but rather value "reputation", or rankings in bull**** newspaper league tables. Those things might mean something to you now, and they might mean something to you when it comes to employment, but for the next three years that you are at university, they are basically irrelevant. If you are a passionate, able English student, then you will be able to demonstrate your talents within any English course that you choose. Please, make your choices for the right reason; not because it "looks good to others", but, more importantly, because the university, and the course, are right for you.