Queen Mary or Royal Holloway

Well, Royal Holloway is generally much better academically than Queen Mary, so if it's academic quality that matters most to you, then go for Royal Holloway.

One thing to consider, though - RHUL isn't actually in London - it's in Egham, in Surrey. Having said that, though the area is a bit on the quiet side, it's only 30-40 minutes away from London by train.

Reply 2

kew96158

Well, Royal Holloway is generally much better academically than Queen Mary, so if it's academic quality that matters most to you, then go for Royal Holloway.

According to who??!!

To the poster - what are your offers for? Only a fool choses university over course!

If your friend will be at UEL, and being close is important to you, then QM is gonna be a good bet - you can jump on the 25 bus straight up to Stratford! Catch it in the oposite direction and it takes you to Oxford Street. Friends and shopping, what more could a bod want?!!! :smile:

Reply 3

*starbuck*

OP

1

Fluffy

Friends and shopping, what more could a bod want?!!! :smile:

Indeed!

I'm actually in a really awkward situation in that I've rejected/withdrawn my original applications as I decided I didn't want to do Physio and have now decided to do Physics. I emailed admissions at both QM and RH, explaining my situation and qualifications and both have said they would make me an offer should I apply through Extra. I just have to decide which one I want to go to.

Academic quality is important, but if I end up being miserable in a quieter town out of London then it's not going to be as important if I'm unhappy. On the other hand, if I end up being miserable (worst case scenario :rolleyes:

) at QM, then at least I have friends (and shops!) close by. Having said that, the academic side is still niggling me - they're both University of London, so will the potential employability differences be negligible?

Reply 4

chandni

11

I'd go for Queen Mary's over Royal Holloway but I can't give any solid reasons why

Reply 5

If your going for physics, go for QM without a doubt.

I'm kinda at QM (Barts and The London - we 'hate' our parent institution), but I do have a friend from my Oxford days (did his D.Phil at the same College as me) who's doing a physics post-doc at QM. If it's good enough for him (and he is very good), it must be OK!

Reply 6

Fluffy

According to who??!!

According to the league tables...

Only a fool choses university over course!

Well, RHUL is better both for Physics and for overall reputation as a higher education institution (GENERALLY). I admit both RHUL and QM have equal research ratings for Physics, but RHUL has a higher teaching score for that subject. Research and teaching being the most important academic aspects of a university...

Reply 7

Fluffy

If your going for physics, go for QM without a doubt.

Why?

Reply 8

kew96158

According to the league tables...

Well, RHUL is better both for Physics and for overall reputation as a hgher education institution (GENERALLY), I admit both RHUL and QM have equal research ratings for Physics, but RHUL has a higher teaching score for that subject. Research and teaching being the most important academic aspects of a university...

League tables!! Heheheheeee! Bless! Some one that believes a subjective newspaper league table, which are usually based on information 4 years out of date!

Teaching scores have no impact on the money a department receives - all the money is in research scores.

Also did you know that for the next academic year that QMUL are getting the largest increase in HEFCE money of any UK university...

http://qmulweb.my-ehost.com/qmul/news/newsrelease.php?news_id=122

Queen Mary’s allocation represents the largest percentage increase of any university in the country – a 12.2 per cent increase in total resources. The College’s funding allocation includes £18 million for research – a 26.9 per cent increase on last year’s allocation – and just over £47 million for teaching, an increase of 5.6 per cent.

Reply 9

kew96158

Why?

Research reputation.

My doctorate (from Oxford) is in radiobiology - I've never heard of RH for physics (as a leading scientific research institute), but have heard of QM for physics (obviously before coming here!).

Reply 10

Fluffy

Research reputation.

My doctorate (from Oxford) is in radiobiology - I've never heard of RH for physics (as a leading scientific research institute), but have heard of QM for physics (obviously before coming here!).

Well, they are both rated 5 for research, so you can't say that QM has a better research reputation. The RHUL Physics Department is highly respected in its field - I mean, I'd heard of its reputation before I came to RHUL, and I'm not even doing a Science subject!

Reply 11

Before this errupts into all out warfare, my arguement is science specific. I ahve friends who went to RH for arts subjects, and with the exception of English (which is QM's jewel in the crown), I'll be the first to admit that on the BA front RH wins.

Not on science though - not a chance! Not with QM's physics, and engineering depts - and that's without mentioning the departments associated with BL such as cancer research, neuroscience etc...

Reply 12

Fluffy

League tables!! Heheheheeee! Bless! Some one that believes a subjective newspaper league table, which are usually based on information 4 years out of date!

So the fact that RHUL is rated higher than QM in practically every league table (give or take a few subject ones) makes absolutely no difference? It's not as if I'm saying that RHUL is rated higher in just one league table, by a mere couple of places!

Reply 13

kew96158

Well, they are both rated 5 for research, so you can't say that QM has a better research reputation. The RHUL Physics Department is highly respected in its field - I mean, I'd heard of its reputation before I came to RHUL, and I'm not even doing a Science subject!

Opps! You tried warfare before I finished my post!

Basically don't flatter yourself (or rather your Uni!). I'm a former research scientist with 10 years of experience, including academic (Swansea, Oxford), industrial (GlaxoWellcome) and time spent with a scientific agency in the civil service (FSA) . RH for science - hmmmmm.....

Reply 14

[QUOTE="kew96158"]

Fluffy

League tables!! Heheheheeee! Bless! Some one that believes a subjective newspaper league table, which are usually based on information 4 years out of date![QUOTE/]
:rolleyes:

So the fact that RHUL is rated higher than QM in practically every league table (give or take a few subject ones) makes absolutely no difference? It's not as if I'm saying that RHUL is rated higher in just one league table, by a mere couple of places!

The only way a newspaper league table is worth anything is if they happen to be grading exactly the same criteria you are looking for, else they are worthless...

Reply 15

Fluffy

Opps! You tried warfare before I finished my post!

Ooops, sorry! I didn't see your post till I'd finished mine... :redface:

RH for science - hmmmmm.....

Well, at the end of the day, the RHUL Science faculty can proudly boast that every one of its departments are rated either 5 or 5*.

Reply 16

kew96158

Well, at the end of the day, the RHUL Science faculty can proudly boast that every one of its departments are rated either 5 or 5*.

Really...

No 6 star departments then :wink:

Sorry - I promise I'll behave from now on! :smile:

Truce?!

Reply 17

Fluffy

Really...

No 6 star departments then :wink:

Sorry - I promise I'll behave from now on! :smile:

Truce?!

Yeah, ok then... *offers hand*

Though the Department for one of my subjects, Music, is 6*, as a matter of fact - though in this debate that's irrelevant...

Reply 18