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How reputable is loughborough?

I am thinking of applying to loughborough university but my parents don't think it's a "proper" university. From what I've heard it's a nice place to live, very good facilities for sports, rated excellent for mathematics (my course) in the sunday times guide and also came 13th, and it would be a kind of back up uni as all the others i'm applying to have offers of AAA/AAB. Is it viewed favourably by future employers or would i be better off applying to nottingham instead. If anyone can help i'd appreciate it. xx

Reply 1

an Siarach

15

Its fantastic for Sports, best in Britain by far but academically and in terms of reputation i wouldnt bother - it takes more than a falsh in the pan position in the top 10 in the Times Rankings to ensure a good name for an institution - Universities significantly further down the table such as Glasgow,Manchester, Kings and others will give a 'name' degree which will be of greater help when job seeking.

Reply 2

Praddles

1

I still can't get around why league tables influence decisions so much. If you like it there and think you'll be happy there for the next 3/4 years, then aim to go there. Reputation and the rest aren't as important if you end up hating the university you're at or spend your time there wishing you'd have gone somewhere else.

Reply 3

hornblower

6

undercover-ange

I am thinking of applying to loughborough university but my parents don't think it's a "proper" university. From what I've heard it's a nice place to live, very good facilities for sports, rated excellent for mathematics (my course) in the sunday times guide and also came 13th, and it would be a kind of back up uni as all the others i'm applying to have offers of AAA/AAB. Is it viewed favourably by future employers or would i be better off applying to nottingham instead. If anyone can help i'd appreciate it. xx

I agree with your parents. It is good for sport however. League tables and such like should not be taken too seriously; take them with a generous pinch of salt. Nottingham is definitely better than Loughborough. If it's your back-up choice then fair enough, but Nottingham is a proper university.

Reply 4

DenverDiva

1

undercover-ange

I am thinking of applying to loughborough university but my parents don't think it's a "proper" university. From what I've heard it's a nice place to live, very good facilities for sports, rated excellent for mathematics (my course) in the sunday times guide and also came 13th, and it would be a kind of back up uni as all the others i'm applying to have offers of AAA/AAB. Is it viewed favourably by future employers or would i be better off applying to nottingham instead. If anyone can help i'd appreciate it. xx

Don't be a slave to the league tables, they are all flawed, some massively. The recent QAA report (March 2004) gave Loughborough a very favourable report.

http://www.qaa.ac.uk/revreps/instrev/loughborough2004/summary.htm

Don't be put off by the apparently long list of recommendations - as an ex-auditor I know that one of the key parts of audit report writing is "justifying the fee"!

Reply 5

~Sam~

15

I'm really suprised by some of the views in this post. Loughbourgh is a really good university, and it is always a good idea to have a backup in case everything else goes wrong.

Reply 6

female_engineer

1

Just because Loughborough isn't as popular as say nottingham, bristol, manchester blah blah blah doesn't mean it's not a 'proper' university. I'm pleased to be going there tomorrow..it's in sixth position for my course, below obvious uni's like cambridge and bristol, and it is one of the three preferred aeronautical engineering courses by BAE systems, a major aerospace company! Besides which you can have a great time outside the course with masses of sport and it's nearby to nottingham for a great shopping trip. I'm not complaining.

Reply 7

undercover-ange

OP

female_engineer

Just because Loughborough isn't as popular as say nottingham, bristol, manchester blah blah blah doesn't mean it's not a 'proper' university. I'm pleased to be going there tomorrow..it's in sixth position for my course and it is one of the three preferred aeronautical engineering courses by BAE systems, a major aerospace company! Besides which you can have a great time outsied the course with masses of sport and it's nearby to nottingham for a great shopping trip. I'm not complaining.

I really apologise if you took offence to the bit about it not being "proper", it's more that it is less traditional than a lot of universities and it specialises in engineering courses and practicalish stuff (loads of sandwich placements in business) whereas I think I want somewhere where I take notes and have exams and don't have to "do" things. Good Luck with your degree!!! xxx

Reply 8

female_engineer

1

undercover-ange

I really apologise if you took offence to the bit about it not being "proper", it's more that it is less traditional than a lot of universities and it specialises in engineering courses and practicalish stuff (loads of sandwich placements in business) whereas I think I want somewhere where I take notes and have exams and don't have to "do" things. Good Luck with your degree!!! xxx

No offence taken! It is a proper uni - the sandwich options are frequently available but it doesn't mean you have to do them...it just provides more opportunity if that's what you're looking for! You will only have to 'do' things if that's what your course entails...it will be the same everywhere. What do you wish to study? If you want to do a subject that doesn't involve much hands on activity, it doesn't mean that just because you are going to Loughborough that you suddenly have to!

Reply 9

Flicker

13

i'm also surprised at the response to this - i have always thought of loughborough as a "proper" uni, and one that excels at sports. It has lots and lots of money so great facilities (including its own dry ski slope!) and year round radio station, as well as being academic and a great place to be - i have a lot of friends who are really happy there.

Reply 10

dhutch

17

Im hoping to go to lufbra

- it has one of the best engeering Dept ive seen.

- Cant wait

Daniel

Reply 11

Jump

18

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/graphics/2003/06/27/unibigpic.jpg

I applied to Loughborough and it looked pretty decent especially for Engineering and Sport, the industrial placements were really good aswell.

However for a proper night out you'd need to head to Nottingham.

Reply 12

dhutch

17

jumpunderaboat

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/graphics/2003/06/27/unibigpic.jpg

I applied to Loughborough and it looked pretty decent especially for Engineering and Sport, the industrial placements were really good aswell.

However for a proper night out you'd need to head to Nottingham.

Yeah, i recon its good!

- Only 20mins on the train to nottingham for a good night out

- Anyway, its gots be better fro a night out than here anyway!

Reply 13

Chicken

12

Lboro was my insurance choice - its a fantastic uni, probably the most reputable of the "60 universities". It has built up a hugely brilliant reputation with employers (especially due to sandwich years on some courses), it's very highly placed in league tables (though this doesn't count for much), the campus is lush, loads of sports facilities and a strong union. Only thing that let Lufbra down in my opinion was the town itself, was too small for my liking, but then its slap bang between Nottingham and Leicester pretty much, so shopping and going out trips could easily be done there.

Reply 14

Hutz

Some friends of mine visited and had nothing but nice things to say about the place. My advice would be to ignore the tables, visit places you think you might be interested in and make your choice from that.

Reply 15

swallows

7

its a fantastic uni, probably the most reputable of the "60 universities"

I agree that lufbra is a good uni, and i think it's a shame that lots of people just assume it's a sports uni and nothing more when it is proving very popular with league tables and employers at the mo. However, i wouldnt say it was the most reputable of the 60s unis. Certainly Warwick and York are more so, and places like Sussex and lancaster equally so.

Reply 16

kelamia

goin lufbra in oct. I had the choice to go for one of the 'best' places to study my course and i turned it down to go for lufbra. As soon as i went to the campus i felt like it would bring me the most happiness. I'm not even hugely into sports, its just that it seemed super friendly and vibrant. Student union is one of the best i've seen (6 bars!!) and nottingham isnt far away. However, i did get rejected from notts and i would've loved to have gone there. But with what i got offers for, lufbra seems to b the best :smile:

Hope you make a good decision based on what you think is important for a uni, the 'rep' or if your comfortable in where ever you apply. Visit them!!!

Reply 17

Sarky

18

hornblower

I agree with your parents. It is good for sport however. League tables and such like should not be taken too seriously; take them with a generous pinch of salt. Nottingham is definitely better than Loughborough. If it's your back-up choice then fair enough, but Nottingham is a proper university.

Please define "proper" for the benefit of the uneducated such as myself :rolleyes:

Reply 18

Jump

18

Hutz

Some friends of mine visited and had nothing but nice things to say about the place. My advice would be to ignore the tables, visit places you think you might be interested in and make your choice from that.

It comes around 10th in most tables which I would say is pretty good.

Reply 19

RachelBabyfrog

14

It's my insurance choice for English... I like it there :smile:

The admissions tutor did say to us on the open day that if we went there, people would presume we were doing sport, and we would have to get used to it :wink:

How reputable is loughborough?

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