As a Mature Student - Is it still important for you to get into a Russell Group Uni?
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Original post by JamesN88
This, lol. I found out by chance after firming Leicester that they'd previously refused an invitation to join.
People say this often, but have you got a link to the story?
Not necessarily RG, but I'm aiming as high as I possibly can when I apply for university.
Plenty of mature students don't put that much emphasis on it as they are tied down with a partner or house or looking to do vocational degrees (nursing, midwifery and counselling for example).
Russell group and league tables aren't the be all and end all!
On your cv you'll put your degree and maybe grade if required
Many employers don't really care
On your cv you'll put your degree and maybe grade if required
Many employers don't really care
Original post by Notorious_B.I.G.
People say this often, but have you got a link to the story?
http://galaxymedia.org.uk/2013/11/08/higher-education-left-in-shock-after-1994-group-disbands/
I've heard it from the Official Rep on here as well.
Manchester has always been my first choice university, ever since the first time I considered university, way back in 2010.
It wasn't too important when I considered studying Forensic Psychology at MMU, but as a 'mature' (I'm only 25 and not that mature) student who had MMU basically pushed down my throat during my Access course, I had a slight feeling of "wanting to prove them wrong". Most people from my college, at least this year, were progressing to post-92 institutions, or other non-RG universities. I think my tutors were keen on "promoting" MMU because they had all been there (with one achieving a First; except he's now teaching at an OFSTED 'inadequate' college~). Maybe, the only one who was objective about it was my criminology teacher, who went to MMU to do his PGCE (as Manchester didn't offer the route he was looking to go down).
But, y'know, I got 12/15 distinctions, well surpassing my MMU offer, and Manchester is my dream, so when they offered me a place to study a subject I love (criminology) I never once hesitated to accept the offer.
I didn't even know what 'Russell Group' was when I first considered university, and only really got to know what it was earlier this year. If Manchester hadn't given me an adjusted offer based on missing my first choice by a few grades, I'd happily heading off to MMU.
It wasn't too important when I considered studying Forensic Psychology at MMU, but as a 'mature' (I'm only 25 and not that mature) student who had MMU basically pushed down my throat during my Access course, I had a slight feeling of "wanting to prove them wrong". Most people from my college, at least this year, were progressing to post-92 institutions, or other non-RG universities. I think my tutors were keen on "promoting" MMU because they had all been there (with one achieving a First; except he's now teaching at an OFSTED 'inadequate' college~). Maybe, the only one who was objective about it was my criminology teacher, who went to MMU to do his PGCE (as Manchester didn't offer the route he was looking to go down).
But, y'know, I got 12/15 distinctions, well surpassing my MMU offer, and Manchester is my dream, so when they offered me a place to study a subject I love (criminology) I never once hesitated to accept the offer.
I didn't even know what 'Russell Group' was when I first considered university, and only really got to know what it was earlier this year. If Manchester hadn't given me an adjusted offer based on missing my first choice by a few grades, I'd happily heading off to MMU.
Russell group wasn't a factor in my decision for university. I had to google what on earth it was after reading it on here 😄 The highest priority for me is location, the second was course content. I have put down university of Leeds as one of my choices and if I get in great, if not then I won't loose sleep over it. Im a tad baffled by all the angst over it in here, but maybe it's because I'm old 😂
To be honest, getting into a top university was important to me. I've gotten into the University of Bath which is not a RG but still highly ranked. My reasoning is that a highly ranked university in my opinion has a higher likelihood of the chance of getting excellent teaching and resources.
Original post by a.little.bird
Manchester has always been my first choice university, ever since the first time I considered university, way back in 2010.
It wasn't too important when I considered studying Forensic Psychology at MMU, but as a 'mature' (I'm only 25 and not that mature) student who had MMU basically pushed down my throat during my Access course, I had a slight feeling of "wanting to prove them wrong". Most people from my college, at least this year, were progressing to post-92 institutions, or other non-RG universities. I think my tutors were keen on "promoting" MMU because they had all been there (with one achieving a First; except he's now teaching at an OFSTED 'inadequate' college~). Maybe, the only one who was objective about it was my criminology teacher, who went to MMU to do his PGCE (as Manchester didn't offer the route he was looking to go down).
But, y'know, I got 12/15 distinctions, well surpassing my MMU offer, and Manchester is my dream, so when they offered me a place to study a subject I love (criminology) I never once hesitated to accept the offer.
I didn't even know what 'Russell Group' was when I first considered university, and only really got to know what it was earlier this year. If Manchester hadn't given me an adjusted offer based on missing my first choice by a few grades, I'd happily heading off to MMU.
It wasn't too important when I considered studying Forensic Psychology at MMU, but as a 'mature' (I'm only 25 and not that mature) student who had MMU basically pushed down my throat during my Access course, I had a slight feeling of "wanting to prove them wrong". Most people from my college, at least this year, were progressing to post-92 institutions, or other non-RG universities. I think my tutors were keen on "promoting" MMU because they had all been there (with one achieving a First; except he's now teaching at an OFSTED 'inadequate' college~). Maybe, the only one who was objective about it was my criminology teacher, who went to MMU to do his PGCE (as Manchester didn't offer the route he was looking to go down).
But, y'know, I got 12/15 distinctions, well surpassing my MMU offer, and Manchester is my dream, so when they offered me a place to study a subject I love (criminology) I never once hesitated to accept the offer.
I didn't even know what 'Russell Group' was when I first considered university, and only really got to know what it was earlier this year. If Manchester hadn't given me an adjusted offer based on missing my first choice by a few grades, I'd happily heading off to MMU.
Wow, this resonates with me so much it's actually unbelievable. I believe we're the same age / year and everything you mentioned has happened to me but the doubt got the best of me.
Back in 2011, I was fortunate enough to get onto a Access Course but as you mentioned, I was 19 at the time and very optimistic and happy go lucky to have opportunity to go to University within the year, but when I got onto the course, I quickly realised how much more mature people around me actually was that me being one of the youngest in the class felt out of place because everyone was aiming for Universities that were extremely local and lower ranking universities. Not one person wanted to go to a university that was high ranking and it was a similar situation with your tutors, none of them went to high tier universities. They really encouraged going to pretty low ranking universities that got to a point where I lacked any hope of applying for the Universities that were higher and my confidence was knocked after leaving secondary school with pretty bad GCSE grades in the first place and I ended up dropping out of the Access Course after half a year of being in the programme due to being told not to try for higher universities as they are " hard " to get into. I never really recovered from that experience to be honest but now I have finally returned to where I was mentally before that incident occured and realised it's time to finally get back and finish I was I always wanted to do and go to a good university and graduate with my family cheering me on from the sidelines
But thanks for sharing that experience because I felt exactly the same, I am glad that I am not the only one.
I'm 24, and I'm applying to 3 RG universities and 2 non-RG universities. I want to go to a good London university, so my choices are based on location and degree content. I would be happy going to a non-RG if the degree content interested me.
RG/league tables matter little to me. I'm now about to turn 30 and on an access to science course after many failed attempts to return to education and satisfy my craving for knowledge/learning since dropping out of school at the age of 15. Until half way through a college pathways course last academic year, I had never in my life even remotely considered university, but supportive lecturers and the realisation/proof that I'm not as academically useless as I once imagined changed my perspective considerably.
To me, what matters most is having degree content which actually interests me and therefore helps motivate me to learn further, a campus on which I feel safe and comfortable rather than feeling like an "odd one out", staff who are engaging, knowledgeable and passionate about the subjects they teach, a diverse student body, and an overall gut feeling that this university is somewhere that I actually want to be. Really, I just want to learn about things that interest me, and I want to do so in an environment where I feel comfortable. I've spent more than enough years working in places I disliked and in jobs I hated, so now I want to spend a few years doing something that I actually enjoy.
Having thoroughly researched and visited all viable universities which offer courses I'm interested in, I concluded that while RG/top ranked universities do have their potential benefits, only one (Glasgow) has held any real appeal to me, and even then, it isn't my first choice. I will still be aiming for top grades in everything I do, but a lower ranked institution where I may happily thrive for a few years is worth far more to me than any prestige or supposed "advantage" earned by studying somewhere I don't particularly like. That said, I am open to the possibility that my perspective on that may change in the coming years when focusing on life/further study after Bachelors.
To me, what matters most is having degree content which actually interests me and therefore helps motivate me to learn further, a campus on which I feel safe and comfortable rather than feeling like an "odd one out", staff who are engaging, knowledgeable and passionate about the subjects they teach, a diverse student body, and an overall gut feeling that this university is somewhere that I actually want to be. Really, I just want to learn about things that interest me, and I want to do so in an environment where I feel comfortable. I've spent more than enough years working in places I disliked and in jobs I hated, so now I want to spend a few years doing something that I actually enjoy.
Having thoroughly researched and visited all viable universities which offer courses I'm interested in, I concluded that while RG/top ranked universities do have their potential benefits, only one (Glasgow) has held any real appeal to me, and even then, it isn't my first choice. I will still be aiming for top grades in everything I do, but a lower ranked institution where I may happily thrive for a few years is worth far more to me than any prestige or supposed "advantage" earned by studying somewhere I don't particularly like. That said, I am open to the possibility that my perspective on that may change in the coming years when focusing on life/further study after Bachelors.
It makes no difference to me whatseover. My uni is non RG, but is higher than a handful of RGs.
I am more than confident my university will provide me with exactly what I signed up for.
However, if I was doing another course, the prestige of the establishment may be more of a consideration.
I am more than confident my university will provide me with exactly what I signed up for.
However, if I was doing another course, the prestige of the establishment may be more of a consideration.
I'm 24 and I went to Huddersfield for my BSc (very low entry requirements, left with 1.5% off a first - annoying!) and I'm now doing my MSc at Sheffield (RG) after a few years working in the industry that I'm studying about - (I need an accreditation to get ahead 
)
During the application process, I was obsessed with the idea of going to a RG university. I thought it would be an opportunity to prove myself, as I really struggled during my A Levels (as to why I ended up at Huddersfield in the first place). It was only during my UG that I realised I had some academic potential and discovered a subject/career path I was really passionate about. I thought that having an MSc from a RG would be the icing on the cake, but in hindsight, I wish I'd have gone to an ex-poly again as the step up to RG standard is huge and I've experienced some real snobbery from colleagues AND staff. An example of this is when I had to leave a tutorial 5 minutes early to get to work on time, my lecturer's response was "your parents aren't funding you through this year?!" with a look of horror on his face, lol.
I suppose it all depends on what you value. Don't get me wrong, if I make it through this year I will be so proud to say I hold an MSc degree from a RG university, but I think that stems from a typical working-class upbringing with family/friends that don't expect much if you are already working in the field and just need an extra qualification to get ahead, I would seriously consider the practicalities of attending a RG university and ask yourself if it's worth making life more difficult!
) During the application process, I was obsessed with the idea of going to a RG university. I thought it would be an opportunity to prove myself, as I really struggled during my A Levels (as to why I ended up at Huddersfield in the first place). It was only during my UG that I realised I had some academic potential and discovered a subject/career path I was really passionate about. I thought that having an MSc from a RG would be the icing on the cake, but in hindsight, I wish I'd have gone to an ex-poly again as the step up to RG standard is huge and I've experienced some real snobbery from colleagues AND staff. An example of this is when I had to leave a tutorial 5 minutes early to get to work on time, my lecturer's response was "your parents aren't funding you through this year?!" with a look of horror on his face, lol.
I suppose it all depends on what you value. Don't get me wrong, if I make it through this year I will be so proud to say I hold an MSc degree from a RG university, but I think that stems from a typical working-class upbringing with family/friends that don't expect much
if you are already working in the field and just need an extra qualification to get ahead, I would seriously consider the practicalities of attending a RG university and ask yourself if it's worth making life more difficult!
Original post by leahjade1824
I'm 24 and I went to Huddersfield for my BSc (very low entry requirements, left with 1.5% off a first - annoying!) and I'm now doing my MSc at Sheffield (RG) after a few years working in the industry that I'm studying about - (I need an accreditation to get ahead )
During the application process, I was obsessed with the idea of going to a RG university. I thought it would be an opportunity to prove myself, as I really struggled during my A Levels (as to why I ended up at Huddersfield in the first place). It was only during my UG that I realised I had some academic potential and discovered a subject/career path I was really passionate about. I thought that having an MSc from a RG would be the icing on the cake, but in hindsight, I wish I'd have gone to an ex-poly again as the step up to RG standard is huge and I've experienced some real snobbery from colleagues AND staff. An example of this is when I had to leave a tutorial 5 minutes early to get to work on time, my lecturer's response was "your parents aren't funding you through this year?!" with a look of horror on his face, lol.
I suppose it all depends on what you value. Don't get me wrong, if I make it through this year I will be so proud to say I hold an MSc degree from a RG university, but I think that stems from a typical working-class upbringing with family/friends that don't expect much if you are already working in the field and just need an extra qualification to get ahead, I would seriously consider the practicalities of attending a RG university and ask yourself if it's worth making life more difficult!
) During the application process, I was obsessed with the idea of going to a RG university. I thought it would be an opportunity to prove myself, as I really struggled during my A Levels (as to why I ended up at Huddersfield in the first place). It was only during my UG that I realised I had some academic potential and discovered a subject/career path I was really passionate about. I thought that having an MSc from a RG would be the icing on the cake, but in hindsight, I wish I'd have gone to an ex-poly again as the step up to RG standard is huge and I've experienced some real snobbery from colleagues AND staff. An example of this is when I had to leave a tutorial 5 minutes early to get to work on time, my lecturer's response was "your parents aren't funding you through this year?!" with a look of horror on his face, lol.
I suppose it all depends on what you value. Don't get me wrong, if I make it through this year I will be so proud to say I hold an MSc degree from a RG university, but I think that stems from a typical working-class upbringing with family/friends that don't expect much
if you are already working in the field and just need an extra qualification to get ahead, I would seriously consider the practicalities of attending a RG university and ask yourself if it's worth making life more difficult!Dont be scared, your letting the fact you arent made of money determine your academic success! My history lecturer said he voted to leave the end of our first lecture, hes a smart man no doubt but people say stupid things dont let that influence you. Russell groups are good unis though and in todays overdegree world they hold alot of the connections with businesses and accredations needed in the workplace. In europe for example, you couldnt even do a masters at a research university, if you attended a polytechnic! So count your lucky stars and dont let anything hinder you! Best of luck you can do it. P.S. i also a tend a middle elite Russell group, Nottingham. And honestly i wouldnt want to be at any other Uni.
Original post by Reality Check
Halle-bloody-lujah! Someone who's actually not obsessed with 'league tables' to the exclusion of everyone else.
Bonne chance! That sounds like a very good combination of subjects - French and TESOL.
Bonne chance! That sounds like a very good combination of subjects - French and TESOL.
Did you go to a RG uni?
I wet back at 24 to a RG university. I chose it mainly for the course specifics over anything else (basically they did a lot of Indian philosophy stuff in 3rd year - it's relatively hard to come by). I was more interested in who I'd be getting taught by than whether or not it was RG, that was sort of incidental to me.
As a mature student, I turned down a Russell Group university in favour of a 'poly'.
The city I'm studying in has two universities, a red brick, and a smaller CG (Cathedrals Group) university. The Russell Group uni was several miles out of town, so was isolated, sprawling and absolutely impersonal. My first thought was that it was like a Tesco. I don't particularly like the ideas of lectures with or seminars with hundreds of people, and presumably a struggle to book a meeting with a lecturer or tutor.
The inner-city uni which I chose over it, is by comparison much smaller, with lovely Victorian buildings, small classes, and the department staff, despite being extremely academic, published authors and respected academics, are extremely approachable and helpful. My only criticism is that a smaller uni has a more limited scope for modules.
I don't think Russell Group uni's are particularly important to a degree, and, as an earlier post says, are largely a lobbying group. I also don't think that so many employers are bothered nowadays, as unless you go on to do a Masters or PHD, a degree on it's own is largely worthless, in matter where it comes from.
The city I'm studying in has two universities, a red brick, and a smaller CG (Cathedrals Group) university. The Russell Group uni was several miles out of town, so was isolated, sprawling and absolutely impersonal. My first thought was that it was like a Tesco. I don't particularly like the ideas of lectures with or seminars with hundreds of people, and presumably a struggle to book a meeting with a lecturer or tutor.
The inner-city uni which I chose over it, is by comparison much smaller, with lovely Victorian buildings, small classes, and the department staff, despite being extremely academic, published authors and respected academics, are extremely approachable and helpful. My only criticism is that a smaller uni has a more limited scope for modules.
I don't think Russell Group uni's are particularly important to a degree, and, as an earlier post says, are largely a lobbying group. I also don't think that so many employers are bothered nowadays, as unless you go on to do a Masters or PHD, a degree on it's own is largely worthless, in matter where it comes from.
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