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Have I made the wrong choice for firm/insurance?

Hi, just wanted some opinions on whether I might have made the wrong choice for firm and insurance options. I put UCL for natsci (most likely going to do organic chemistry + some sort of life science) as my firm choice and Bath for natsci too (chemistry + some sort of life science too) as my insurance but after looking at other rankings for chemistry in the UK more closely, UCL doesn't seem all that great suddenly, even compared to Bath - is it really that big of an issue in your opinion? Obviously there's also the extreme cost of living in London too so wondering if that's really worth it.
(edited 8 months ago)
It’s super hard for young adults to know what’s best for them but I am so annoyed at the uk for pushing league tables down our throats. The reality is UCL is a very good university and a league table could be based on so many things that have nothing to do with the actual course. If you cannot afford London I honestly wouldn’t put yourself through the stress. A degree is a degree in the end. But please do not look at a league table. I mean you can. Obviously if a uni 100 on a league maybe stay away but the small differences don’t matter. Go with where you feel most comfortable. That is my advice. Good luck.
Original post by mimi.yasmin
It’s super hard for young adults to know what’s best for them but I am so annoyed at the uk for pushing league tables down our throats. The reality is UCL is a very good university and a league table could be based on so many things that have nothing to do with the actual course. If you cannot afford London I honestly wouldn’t put yourself through the stress. A degree is a degree in the end. But please do not look at a league table. I mean you can. Obviously if a uni 100 on a league maybe stay away but the small differences don’t matter. Go with where you feel most comfortable. That is my advice. Good luck.

Thanks for the advice, that seems pretty reasonable - I keep hearing about league tables everywhere so it's difficult to not pay attention to them 😅. Would you say the prestige of a university matters (even a bit) in terms of employment though since I've heard that come up a bit or is it not really that important either I assume?


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Prestige can matter in terms of Oxford/ Cambridge. However I would say the most important thing you can do at university to further your future career is to NETWORK and to get as much experience in your chosen field as possible. Employers go crazy for that
Thank you very much for your advice, I will keep it in mind for the future. Just as an aside, what exactly does networking actually involve? Is it simply just making contact with people in your field that may be useful?
And do you have any opinions or impressions about UCL/Bath in particular btw? Absolutely fine if not, just want to make an informed decision as possible about studying in London.
Networking is actually done by most people every day in social media without realising. It’s simply putting your name out there enough for you to get noticed, going the extra mile, making useful contacts in societies and from lecturers, and making local contact on your field from employment events. It’s about going that extra mile for long term gain. The reality is, a degree simply isn’t enough to get employed decently anymore. In terms of opinions on UCL and bath specifically. UCL is very highly regarded. Being in the centre of London will certainly give you the upper hand with networking and graduate opportunities, however if you play your cards right at bath you could get lucky as well. I hope this helps.
Reply 6
UCL is a world class university. Worry ye not. 👍
Original post by AnonOxE
UCL is a world class university. Worry ye not. 👍

That's true, but it can still vary from course to course. I'll probably stick with UCL tho, provided I get the grades 🤞

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