Ridiculous to try and sue a university over a "mickey mouse" degree?

[Creambun2]

thetab.com/uk/2018/03/10/a-graduate-is-suing-her-university-for-60000-for-giving-her-a-mickey-mouse-degree-62377

Surely, it is down to individuals to research their university and course appropriately and understand that whatever degree or university you go to, getting the job you want will be mostly about you and your skills?

I agree universities pump out lots of propaganda about "employment prospects" but saying, for example, 90% of graduates employed within 6 months means nothing is 89% of those are not in graduate level jobs.

blastomama

My cat could get a first from Anglia Ruskin.

Most cats could get a First from most universities these days. It is a joke as is their idea of the curve of natural distribution.

Curious - I don't know much about the UCAS process these days. I did it more than 20 years ago and there was no Internet then. There were books that you could consult, but you had to know that you SHOULD consult those books. It didn't occur to me at all, but luckily a more clued-up friend did tell me which ones were good, average and to have as insurance choice only. We also had the help of knowing which ones had recently changed their names from being polys. That's not something today's youngsters will know.

I think there are things that won't be said online in any way that some well-connected people tend to know and I think that has to be taken into account.

You say it's always down to the individual - well I don't think that's true at all. This thread has shown that many of these MN will be giving their children advice that less privileged or foreign students won't be getting as easily.

Puzzled

To be honest I didn't know I retained any passion for any part of my old job. Seems I do... maybe I need to volunteer for the local Youth Zone as a careers advisor

*@reallyanotherone
I have a BA in psychology, because my A levels were arts subjects. The course and teaching were identical to those doing the BSc psychology. We were in the same lectures, same task requirements, same exams. The only difference was that, at my university, if you failed a year on the BA side you got one chance at retake whereas if you failed the BSc (identical exam paper) you got 2 chances to retake.

I also have an MSc in psychology.

Where is there a difference in the courses?*

Kind of demonstrates the point of the thread. At my uni the two courses were very different. One was very well regarded with a high employment rate, the other was seen as a bit of a joke for the students who couldn’t get on the better course.

How is an 18 year old supposed to figure out that two courses at one uni are equal, while at another one is very much superior.

Same with sport science. At my uni it was a very academic subject held in high regard. At my brothers uni- a well thought of uni generally, it was a mickey mouse degree where all the rugby players with more brawn that brains went.

The snobbery about university on mumsnet is unbelievable.

I agree there is a bit of snobbery on MN about most things. But in terms of University education I think it's just being realistic and even more serious, now we're talking about grads ending up a near £30k debt. I don't think all people with joke degrees will end up making nothing of their lives but I would rather someone studied Philosophy at Oxford University, than say London South Bank University.

I would rather someone studied Philosophy at Oxford University, than say London South Bank University.

Of course (although my friends dd hates Oxford and is very unhappy there)

Some people don't get the grades for Oxford, but shock horror still want to go to university

You say it's always down to the individual - well I don't think that's true at all. This thread has shown that many of these MN will be giving their children advice I would think so too! But it should always be down to the individual... it is the individual that needs to want a degree enough to complete it

advice that less privileged or foreign students won't be getting as easily. But will still be able to access.

What would you want to happen? Universities can't open their doors to all, no matter what some politicians would have us believe is a good idea.

Information is available. Support is available. Life is not fair. Organisations like UCAS do a bloody good job at making applying for University 'doable', but it isn't easy, nor should it be, for so very many reasons.

It's not in the slightest bit realistic!

I know lots and lots of teens who have gone all over the place to do all kinds of degrees. The majority of them are loving it. One dropped out (from south bank funnily enough) and the two that hate it and find the pressure overwhelming are at Oxford.

I think there is definitely a lot more information available to students today than there was 'in my day' and that can only be a good thing.

"UCAS (sorry, but it really is the be all and end all of information for students) has all sorts of links for careers advice. They start with 'what do you want to be when you grow up' style questions. "

I wonder if it's anything like the pamphlets we were given. They were just plain wrong (or outdated for my time).
People make fun of those of us who did 'useless' degrees, but I had a pamphlet in black and white that said that most graduate jobs when to people with a degree in any subject. This was in 1995 and it was already very wrong.

Some people don't get the grades for Oxford, but shock horror still want to go to university And that used to be fully understood, didn't it?

Oxbridge was very selective, it was the absolute bees knees for its traditional subjects. Other Unis were good at other subjects. Some have lower entry requirements - ALWAYS A CLUE that is wasn't the most well thought of but that it probably had REALLY GOOD teaching support, how else do you get less able students to pass at degree level?

I had one student who left us with D U U in PE biology and Geography, he now designs formula 1,2,3 car 'bits'. Something many students would love to do... but he did his research and off he went.

There are almost always courses for horses, if you see what I mean. But these days the horses, and their trainers, have different criteria for their choices... criteria that may not be appropriate but will probably continue to change our HE sector - for the worse!

"What would you want to happen? Universities can't open their doors to all,"

I never said they should, although the Open University does so very successfully.

I wonder if it's anything like the pamphlets we were given. Oh do stop it! Go and have a look for yourself.

At the moment you are moaning and criticising based on 20 year old information! Don't be so ridiculous. Criticise what is now !

Tralalee We are talking in terms of the thread subject matter. A young woman is suing and possibly bewildered that her Business degree from Anglia Ruskin hasn't propelled her into the big leagues. I am not shocked it hasn't. That is being realistic.

I'm all for young people enjoying their degrees and university life. But at the end of it, if you study Business strategy at Anglia Ruskin, don't be shocked if McKinsey & Company don't come banging at your door once you've graduated.

"Criticise what is now !"

What I can see now is STILL that some parents have knowledge that others don't and are able to help their children. Why can't you admit that some people are privileged and stop blaming the individual 18 year old.

As I've said before, the fact that the info is available doesn't explain to a youngster that they need to research it. They may have been brought up to think that all education is good.

Well no actually. People have done this before on groups of misrepresentation. There are some who would argue that misrepresentation itself is ridiculous in itself as a doctrine and has no place in modern law undermining freedom of contract and providing a contractual out for people who are too stupid/lazy to do reasonable research before undertaking a contract. But using your legal rights isn’t ridiculous at all.

@Gwen only someone who is very, very ignorant would think that all education is good. The reasonable (average) eighteen year old would appreciate that many degrees are worthless.

"only someone who is very, very ignorant would think that all education is good"

Well, thanks for that. That's how I was brought up by my parents. It's the same for those parents who were proud that their children were in Oxford and Bristol with the Mumsnetter cringing at them for not being at 'the' Oxford and Bristol.

My grandfather even told me that nobody could take my education away from me. Degree inflation did that so he was wrong too, but the intention was good.

It's the same for those parents who were proud that their children were in Oxford and Bristol with the Mumsnetter cringing at them for not being at 'the' Oxford and Bristol.

It's fine to be proud that they are in Oxford or Bristol but the people saying it were posting messages/sending emails telling people that their children had got into Oxford or got into Bristol knowing that they'd think it was Oxford/Bristol Uni rather than Oxford Brookes or UWE. Brookes/UWE are fine but making out your children are at a university that they aren't just suggests that you aren't proud of the one that they have gone to.

Why can't you admit that some people are privileged and stop blaming the individual 18 year old. Woah! I have said nothing of the sort, anywhere. I think you may be interpreting my posts through your own perspective, which is fine, but try not to twist so hard!

Loads of people are strong believers in the idea that all education is good and that university should be about learning, not career. It's certainly a very common view amongst the people I know who are teachers.

I'm not one of those people and never have been. I deeply regret going to university because it was three years of poverty and I didn't learn much that I couldn't have learnt in some other way. I hope my children choose something more practical.

People are missing the fact that some first generation students don't know what they don't know. Of course most people know about Oxbridge etc. but having just come through a secondary school/ UCAS system where an A Level is an A Level wherever it came from, it's not beyond feasible that they might not realised how specific recruiters are. I disagree that it's always about being too lazy or stupid to use Google.

Sixth Form and college staff should ideally be well informed and sharing this knowledge. They should also be steering bright students away from underselling themselves by not choosing their university well, but I doubt this happens everywhere.

In case I have not been clear

What I can see now is STILL that some parents have knowledge that others don't and are able to help their children. Yes... just as some people know how to make ice cream, others just a milk puddle. I've worked with the children of both! And STILL I say that it isn't the parents who need to know anything, it is for the student to know.

Why can't you admit that some people are privileged and stop blaming the individual 18 year old. Partly because I haven't denied there is privilege and partly because I haven't blamed any 18 year old - I have said that, in my experience, it is the under privileged 8 year old that does the most thorough research when choosing whether or not to apply for any degree

As I've said before, the fact that the info is available doesn't explain to a youngster that they need to research it. And as I have said, that is because the funding was pulled from schools a long time ago, justified in part by the apparently immutable fact that people these days prefer their info to be online. Add to that the actual fact that anyone applying for a UK degree must do so via UCAS, wherein the need to do a lot of research is so available it is close to belaboured into every applicant.

They may have been brought up to think that all education is good. Ah yes, but a little education is dangerous

8 year old Crikey, that would be precocious

Curious don't worry, I'd bet there is a mumsnetter somewhere who is, as I type, discussing university options with their 8 year old