To ask for your success stories of DC who didn't go to Russell Group?

[CheesyWotsitz]

God I know I sound like a right twat but the heat is getting to me ...

DS has his heart set on Manchester Uni but despite working his socks off, I don't think he's capable of getting the ABB they're asking for.

I'd never heard of Russell Group before MN but it appears to be the be and and end all.

Is it?

They are really few and far between. And most examples will be from people who were uni age at least 20 years ago - different world now. I could make one up for you if you’d like?

And some of the best lawyers in the team that I lead didn't even go to university

Give your pretentious head a wobble OP.

Obviously, no one know what a polytechnic is

I didn't go to RG. Graduated in 2014. Aged 30 now and earn over 60k. Could earn more but have a one year old and not wanting more pressure at this point in my life.

Same here!

Thanks for starting this thread OP, really interesting. I've sent it to DD whose just finished A Levels and is stressing about getting into her first choice Russell group Uni. She has a safe choice of a non Russell group uni that I think she'd love but has been put off by her peers and school being slightly sneery about it. Keep trying to tell her it doesn't really matter.

I don't think that all universities are equally good, and I do want dd to end up in the best possible place for her, because she will be getting into a huge amount of debt for her degree and it needs to be worth the investment, but I don't care if her chosen uni is Russell Group or not.

I agree. There is also a lot of inverse snobbery about universities and you have to ask why some universities are languishing at the bottom of the league tables. I would use them as a guide only.

You are spot on with "the best possible place for her".

Those of you who haven't heard of RG universities mustn't have DC in post 16 education because schools and 6th form colleges do tend to see students achieving places at Oxbridge and other RG universities as a bit of a holy grail.

Quite frankly, most students don't care if a university is research intensive or not, and for many vocational degrees the ex polys are a far better proposition.

I guess the main reason why so many people think that RG universities are "better" is that generally their entry requirements are higher, but as more employers are selecting university blind they are only interested in the degree classification. That said, for some careers, eg law, where you went to university does matter.

My brother went to non-Russell Group and earns 6 figures, the same with all of the friends he lived with. Jobs range from mechanical engineering, civil engineering, IT and sales.

My best friend went to a former Poly and now works for an international law firm - probably not on six figures yet but will be in the future, and is progressing really well.

I went to a Russell Group Uni but my career has been no better or worse than my friend who went to the former Poly.

@CheesyWotsitz One of my best mates got a 2.2 in illustration. She's on six figures.
I went to a top 50 , I did get a first but the uni wasn't great. I make 700 per day as a contractor.
My friend who failed her a levels and didn't go to uni earns 60k a year in advertising.
In short, Russell groups , or even uni in general , don't guarantee money or happiness. But if you work your ass off you will be happy and hopefully do well.
The highest earning person I know did the super clever thing and got an apprenticeship 😱 full degree, no debt !!!!

Oxford Brookes was a fab experience for both my girls, one is now a CBT with her own practice WFH and the other is an OT climbing the ranks. They loved their time there and both met their hubby's there one is a high up engineer and the other a chartered accountant

I work in law for a very large firm and we don’t even ask for the name of the Uni on the application form.

Literally nobody outside of MN even knows what the Russell Group is.

Ask yourself how many times in your life people have asked where you went to uni other than in casual conversation. I don’t think I’ve ever been asked in a professional arena, even in job interviews.

I went to an ex-poly and it has literally never mattered because most people genuinely couldn’t give a shit. Once you’ve got your first job people judge you only on performance at work. That’s what promotion and job progression is based on.

@RampantIvy is this a new thing - this push for RG in sixth form?

This thread has introduced be to RG. Never heard of it before.

I'm a lawyer and studied my LLB at Birmingham which seems to be RG having googled.

I just find it weird based on the comments on this thread that I've never heard of it, given that I attended one and I spend a great deal of my time surrounded by university educated professionals.

Depends how you measure success. If all you want is for him to be happy in his career. Then it doesn't matter where he goes.

I know several very happy and successful people who didn’t go to uni at all

I went to an ex poly and was promoted to band 7 at 26 (45k). I mean it's not amazing but I definitely am successfully.

My Dh didn't go to uni and earns 6 figures at 30 - he works for one of the big 4.

My DS got good grades but did not want to go to Uni. I was very worried about him. He is now a class 1 lorry driver earning more than his older sister who has Undergraduate degree and her Masters. No student loan to pay back either.

I really don't understand the snobbery about where you do to uni. It's just another branch of random MN snobbery along with open plan living rooms, toilet brushes and shopping in Waitrose. If it makes people who have nothing else going fot them feel better about themselves, let them crack on. But you don't need to rise to it.

Just be glad that you are in the privileged position of your child being capable of going to uni and you being able to afford it.

I went to a RG University graduated with a 2:1 and the following year an MPhil.

I had a very unspectacular career which led nicely into becoming a ft carer for my disabled son.

If I had my time again I'd get a trade apprenticeship and bypass all those weird years spend in an office with people chatting shit

Ds went to Sheffield Hallam, did an MA in journalism at Sheffield uni and is now a journalist with ITN

Dss also went to Sheffield Hallam. Did a PhD at a red brick and got headhunted by Cambridge. He worked with them for a bit then turned them down. He said it was full of entitled people who expected you to work endless hours and not be paid for them. He’s a university lecturer now.

DS2 got a third from a non RG. He’s quite high up in the civil service now.

l went to Manchester Poly as was. I was earning more than the the current minimum wage 34 years ago, and l had a company car.

This.

And I went to an RG…

My dh went to one with 3 As for 7 years and he is late 40s

no chance of earning over 6 figures

Well Russel group wasn't a thing when I went (it was formed when I was in my second year). My old university is not in it but is higher up the rankings than about half which are from what I can see and is world renowned in a few areas. A quick google of its recent stats show me that it's (still) firmly within the top 20 in the country and seems to be top 5 for student experience. 60s plate glass uni.

I work in a Big 4 accounting firm and if I look at my mates, we have one or two oxbridge, one or two russel group, one or two non russel group but 'good' uni's. Some ex polys and some no degree at all. The 2 partners I work for didn't go to uni and have been partners since they were about 40 and the mythic 6 figure salary starts about 2 steps below them if you are driven. I have interviewed non grad scheme direct entry for years and where they went isn't even a consideration. Our strongest junior (national prize winning standard) joined our apprentice scheme at 18.

Same.