The Student Room Group

Redbrick vs Polytechnic

Just wondering whats the differences? and what the advantages and disadvantages are of each?

I have a place in both, the Redbrick I think has the reputation, although the course content doesnt seem that great for relating it to work.

The polytechnic could have snobbery against it when being employed, yet the course i'm looking at offers modules that will help me get a job more.

I'm presuming facilities and partying will be the same in both.

Also, i think i remember seeing once a guide on how to have a sandwhich year even if your course doesnt offer one. Does anyone have a URL to this?
Reply 1
I'm at an ex-poly, and I love it.
As you said that the ex-poly has the more suitable course, I'd suggest going there, because in my opinion it's not the reputation of the university you go to, but what you actually learn, what other experiences you get, and in what environment you learn it, that counts.
However, there are others on here who'll argue that reputation is the most important thing. I think it depends on your own opinion so that's a judgement you'll have to make yourself.
:smile:
Reply 2
argh!! Thanks lol , although i'm hating this decision, i'm half and half!

I've heard tho ex polys usually get employed quicker than uni students because they have the work skills.

Although if at Uni it looks better on CV apparently. I got ABC and am in to Sheffield Uni, and Sheffield Hallam...arghhhhhh

The thing is a sheff hal girl i know said go to shef uni, and the shef uni girl i know said go shef uni...

but the main thing that is making the decision so hard is the fact that, as i say, one has modules I am more interested than the other.

http://www.shef.ac.uk/prospectus/courseDetails.do?id=3220142007

vs

http://www2.shu.ac.uk/prospectus/op_uglookup1.cfm?id_num=SCI012&stats=TN
Reply 3
Also to consider with those two is that you get an Honours degree from Sheffield Hallam, but not from Sheffield Uni.
I'd go with that, since not only do you get the Honours degree, as you said yourself you'll be better set up for a career in the long run, and it sounds like you'll be happier there for the duration of your studies.
Maybe someone experienced in red-brick unis will come in and help you with the other side of your argument though.
:smile:
Reply 4
Yeh, well I'm annoying myself now! I keep swaying with my decision going from Hallam then back to Uni.

Hallam I may have a bias for because Ive had that place for months and months because I only applied there cos i thought id get CCC (was told that), so i know more about that.

The course looks really good there, but I mean a poly tech vs going to a red brick may have much better employment possibilities.

Although ABC at a level plus degree at hallam cant be too bad? But then Shef Uni would look better with degree there, but the course looks like too much maths and stuff which i dont really enjoy..

Aaaaa lol
Reply 5
You've gotta remember that if you aren't going to enjoy the degree, you're not going to do as well. A 2:1 from Sheffield Hallam after a course you enjoy, and with modules that're going to make you more confident about starting work, will be better than a 2:2 from Sheffield that you got because you didn't enjoy the modules enough to succeed in them as well.
Reply 6
Thanks for your help. I've made my final decision and I hope it doesn't hinder me too much in the long term. I've went for Hallam, and I'll explain why.

I know more about Hallam, as i've been the open days, spoken to people, tutors etc.

I enjoy the modules my course offers, looking forward to them and they are to do with what I want to do as an employee in the future.

I have my accommodation sorted and Shef Uni said halls are likely to be full and I would be fine to go private.

I was so tempted to go to Sheffield University because after all, it has the better reputation, the degrees looks better on paper etc. But the only course that did what I wanted to do had modules that I didn't enjoy and wasn't good at. And I thought for all the prestige reputation etc. it's not really worth 3 years of doing something I won't enjoy as much. Also if i don't enjoy it, I'm unlikely to work as hard and may get a 2:2, when at Hallam I could get a 2:1 which would look better on CV despite the Uni I went too.

In retrospect, perhaps I should have looked elsewhere, past Sheffield when choosing my universities. But my school expected me to get CCC max, and so I obviously applied for a course with CCC as its what I felt I would achieve.

But despite all the banter I'm not going to get from Shef Uni peers, at least i'll be alot happier with the course I'm taking. And I suppose at least I can say I rejected Shef Uni rather than them rejecting me :rolleyes:

Thanks ever so much for your help people,
I've been a right indecisive person ha, the business decision making world won't like that in my degree, oh well!

-Matt
Reply 7
If they did my degree at a 'redbrick' then I would have gone to one of them, but the ex-poly is great for vocational courses.
Reply 8
Funnily enough, in France the Polytechnics are the elite schools, and top jobs are ring fenced for their graduates.
Polytechnics traditionally offer more vocational courses than 'Red-Brick' Universities. They have more courses to do with the Arts than Red-Brick Universities, although this is sometimes not the case. I wouldn't judge the university you've applied to on whether its 'Red-Brick' or a 'Polytechnic', instead on the content of the course.
Original post by Mattw89
Just wondering whats the differences? and what the advantages and disadvantages are of each?

I have a place in both, the Redbrick I think has the reputation, although the course content doesnt seem that great for relating it to work.

The polytechnic could have snobbery against it when being employed, yet the course i'm looking at offers modules that will help me get a job more.

I'm presuming facilities and partying will be the same in both.

Also, i think i remember seeing once a guide on how to have a sandwhich year even if your course doesnt offer one. Does anyone have a URL to this?


Polys are full of retards, this is an empirical fact, read the literature. :turban:
poly = mickey mouse
redbrick = proper university
Original post by DinduCoffin
Polys are full of ******s, this is an empirical fact, read the literature. :turban:




The thread is 9 years old please.

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