To ask you if you think some degrees (from certain Universities) aren't worth the paper they're written on?

[CarbonEmittingPenguin]

I had a thread in Chat earlier on to talk about the current fear I have over not meeting my looming deadlines for the current Master's degrees I'm studying.

I'm a mature student and the degree I'm studying is directly linked to the industry I work in. Though turns out my experience has only minimally helped and I find academia (or rather dissertation writing) a whole different thing altogether.

But anyway, my AIBU: My undergraduate degree was from a well-established Redbrick university some years ago but the current provider of my Master's degree is languishing somewhere in the top 50-100 Universities.

Did you select your Uni choices based on rank? Would you rule out a potential employee based on their University ranking? Has your degree helped, regardless of where it was from or has it worked against you?

Just curiosity really and more time wasting from me

Regarding a Masters, surely it makes sense to go for the one that will make you most employable in your field? It may not matter too much about the first degree except in notable areas of work. It is well known that law has a very narrow list of universities the top sets and magic circle recruit from. If not doing a law degree from a top university, then a strong academic degree is just as good. Not sociology, criminology, journalism etc. It is perfectly possible to be a barrister with a 2:1 non law degree from a non Oxbridge University, but, you must have a brilliant CV and not apply to the sets that favour Oxbridge graduates, but state they don't!!! Also getting scholarships to cover the GDL and BPTC fees is a must!

In many fields of work, the degree will help, or even be essential, but work experience is just as important. Desire to succeed is also vital as are good communication skills.

ohdearlord Neighbouring country here.

I struggle to judge the workload, I certainly feel it's required some effort to get on top of in time for exams rolling around so far, but it's difficult to say why that is - I'm obviously not a native speaker and my language skills have improved dramatically since starting but it still gets in the way sometimes, it's a (long) degree with a notoriously heavy workload, and I was slightly more of a specialist (read: able to coast and/or study the content without feeling it was hard work, due to intrinsic interest) in my previous subject when compared to this one, and I had a handful of years out which meant it's been an uphill battle to acquire some form of work ethic (+ actually go to teaching on a regular basis due to social issues involved with language and age gap). But now I'm older and more experienced in terms of approach to studying, so it should seem easier in some ways.

Overall I kind of feel that, having taken the above into consideration, I'm still able to coast a little too much here so far. I think if I actually went to teaching on a regular basis it could be an absolute pisstake. But then again, the standard course here (and elsewhere in the EU) is a year longer than the one in the UK, so maybe that explains the lower workload. It doesn't explain why everyone around me still buys into us being hard done by, though. Everyone has jobs and hobbies and all sorts of magical stuff going on at least half the week despite us apparently being on such a demanding degree...

I went with a decent degree from a RG uni to do a course that needed 5 o levels!

I didn't know about uni rankingsat the time, I picked mine based on how far away from home it was (second furthest away that accepted me), the nightlife (city not campus), and proximity to friends' chosen unis.

Not sure if it's opened doors for me or not. By the time I graduated most entry level jobs required a degree just to get an interview.

OU has a great level but I wouldn't think of it as a low level university, their standards are quite high, and there are very good things to be said of those who have the motivation and discipline to study on their own. OU is the world leader in distance education and have a fantastic level when it cones to research.

So it is unfair to see it as if their courses were the bog standard study by post programmes.

I have worked at (and attended) RG universities and a couple of those in Grade 3 Rankings. The difference is abysmal when it comes to quality of education and learning opportunities.

Having said that, if you love what you do and you are good at it, you will succeed regardless of what university you attended. prospective employers may not pay too much attention to your university's name if they like you at interview and they are not terribly snobby.

I left top-10-in-world Uni to go instead to middle-ranking Uni (nobody heard of) & did a completely different course than what I ever could have done at top10 (foreign). Totally opened a million doors for me. I never expected that. Many Million No Regrets. But my parents were initially horrified.

Would you rule out a potential employee based on their University ranking?

No, just look up what programme teaches if uncertain I suppose

BackforGood I was at school with someone (now a well known comedian / actor) who was given a 2E offer from Cambridge. Needless to say he got straight As.

Did a joint honours degree over 30 years ago in 2 (not obviously applicable) subjects, neither of which I had ever studied before, at my local poly. It definitely opened doors (most people I grew up with ended up in dead end jobs)and I work in a highly competitive industry) but I don't know whether it would today, when so many more people go to uni.

There is a very big difference between a straight-A student getting a 2E offer from Oxbridge, and a university that only requires an attainment of 2Es at A-level which fills all the spaces with people who actually get or are only capable 2Es!

There is a very poorly ranked university near me than gives unconditional offers, and not in the good way...