Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

224 replies

CheesyWotsitz · 09/07/2022 08:37

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?

OP posts:
brookstar · 09/07/2022 13:29

RampantIvy · 09/07/2022 13:18

So, it was only DD's school that pushed the idea that RG universities were "better"?

I find that difficult to believe.

Being part of the RG doesn't automatically mean it's a 'better' university.
The RG is a set of research intensive institutions and that doesn't automatically mean they're fantastic for undergraduate teaching.....the TEF results (which measures teaching excellence) demonstrated that!

The RG have pulled off one of the greatest marketing campaigns of all time 😂😂

scissorsandsellotape · 09/07/2022 13:39

Beefcurtains79 · 09/07/2022 08:45

I’d never even heard of a Russell Group university until I went on mumsnet and I attended one! I’ve never heard anyone mention them in real life either.

Me too.

scissorsandsellotape · 09/07/2022 13:40

What does he want to do for a job and what subject is he looking to read? This is more important ime than RG

JaceLancs · 09/07/2022 13:41

I went to university 40 years ago - to one that’s not RG - had to check as it’s not something I’ve come across in real life
At the time it was in the top 3 for the subject I wanted to study and I didn’t get a place as offer was AAA and I got ABB but managed to scrape in on clearing - I also researched other reasons why it was right option for me and it worked well - I’m not a huge earner but am at the highest level in my field
DS went to an ex polytechnic - despite working hard didn’t get the best grade but managed to get on a solid graduate internship and is now doing really well
DD went to RG university but hated it and eventually dropped out - she took a few years out and is now studying at a different non RG university and doing so much better - most important we are all happy with where we are

Featuredcreature · 09/07/2022 13:43

Russell group is like molluscum contagiosum thing, only ever heard of them on here, most people seem to go about their lives without knowing they exist

Crocsandshocks · 09/07/2022 13:47

There is lots of aspirational behaviour on the part of uni applicants this year applying for RG universities this year. Some are going to be disappointed or part of very large cohorts of 400 plus in a year, making it difficult to find accommodation. I would almost actively avoid some Russell groups for that reason!

Crocsandshocks · 09/07/2022 13:48

The government removed caps meaning they can accept much larger numbers than they used to. Very bad news for the regional universities.

DorritLittle · 09/07/2022 13:48

Of course there are millions of people who went to non RG universities who have done really well! It depends what course you pick, either way, so you need to research courses properly not ask on Mumsnet IMO.

TyneTortoise · 09/07/2022 13:54

Elsiebear90 · 09/07/2022 13:29

I went to a non RG uni and got accepted onto three competitive graduate schemes, I placed higher at interview than many people who attended more “prestigious” universities, it’s never held me back what so ever. I’ve generally found people who put emphasis on RG unis seem to expect it will give them a huge advantage career wise and can get very snobbish about it.

The vast majority of employers don’t care whether you went to an RG or not in my experience, it’s more about your degree subject, classification, work experience and personal attributes when applying for grad schemes and jobs.

Forget even degree subject and classification. I've interviewed so many people with prestigious degrees, top marks, but that's about it.
Especially in my field where the myth of the ' amazing rockstar solo software developer' is pushed, many think they can get in with no people skills at all.
When it's actually the opposite, because you'll be working with other people's code, make decisions together. Someone who's always convinced they're right, stubborn and opinionated won't fare well.

I'm probably a bit biased as my 'big break' was a boss hiring me for people skills, and training me up on the technical bit, but being a manager myself now I see why...

TyneTortoise · 09/07/2022 13:54

*giving opinions is fine I mean and expected but it can't by your way or the highway..

Maray1967 · 09/07/2022 14:00

I went to a RG uni on the 1980s - before RG existed. I know young folks now who didn’t but went to unis that are high up in that subject eg several of the top engineering unis are not RG.

neverbeenskiing · 09/07/2022 14:05

What's your definition of "successful" OP? I assume you mean a high paying job. My DH didn't go to university, he didn't even go to college. He left school at 16 having failed all but one of his GCSE's. Meanwhile I went to a RG university and got a first class degree. DH earns more than twice as much as me.

But I have a job that I love and am so passionate about I could talk about it all day. It's never going to make me filthy rich but my work is socially useful and allows me a good work/life balance so I consider myself a "successful" adult.

RampantIvy · 09/07/2022 14:06

The RG is a set of research intensive institutions and that doesn't automatically mean they're fantastic for undergraduate teaching.....the TEF results (which measures teaching excellence) demonstrated that!

I agree @brookstar. DD’s university has a TEF Gold award. As DD achieved a good first I can’t argue with that.

Summersdreaming · 09/07/2022 14:09

I've never heard the term outside of MN.

Fedupmum21 · 09/07/2022 14:10

Never heard of “Russell group universities”, is it like the equivalent of the American Ivy League?

thesandwich · 09/07/2022 14:15

Please research ( and get your Dc to research) courses, rankings, completion rates, student satisfaction, destinations, earnings post graduation.
varies course by course. And look for somewhere they want to be.

IdisagreeMrHochhauser · 09/07/2022 14:19

I went to Cambridge and I don't think I'm successful. Honestly it's important to go somewhere you'll be happy and can make good memories and have good experiences.

keepmoving · 09/07/2022 14:20

YellowHpok · 09/07/2022 08:38

Lolz no. I went to a former polytechnic and am now on one of those mythical MN 6 figure salaries. He'll be fine, chill.

Me too!

Covidagainandagain · 09/07/2022 14:25

I've done a lot of interviewing candidates for jobs including for graduate recruitment programmes. I don't even know off the top of my head which universities are RG and which aren't

Underscore21 · 09/07/2022 14:30

Surely it's the course that matters, and subsequent employability rather than the institution per se.

calmlakes · 09/07/2022 14:34

There are good universities that aren't RG.
There are good courses in otherwise rather mediocre universities.
It is possible to excel post university having attended a mediocre university and having done a mediocre degree course.
It is also possible to excel as an adult without ever having gone to university.

scissorsandsellotape · 09/07/2022 14:50

Featuredcreature · 09/07/2022 13:43

Russell group is like molluscum contagiosum thing, only ever heard of them on here, most people seem to go about their lives without knowing they exist

😂😂😍👏👏

Soontobe60 · 09/07/2022 14:54

two dc here. One went to an RG Uni got a 2:1 other went to big standard Uni and got a 3rd. The latter earns 6 figures in their mid 30s while the other is 5 years post Uni earning almost 40k

savebuckbeak · 09/07/2022 14:55

@YellowHpok Very cool! What do you do?

brookstar · 09/07/2022 15:00

DD’s university has a TEF Gold award. As DD achieved a good first I can’t argue with that.

Exactly. I work at an ex poly and we got TEF gold. We consistently get excellent NSS results and we have pretty decent employability stats.

To dismiss universities like mine just because we belong to a different mission group is very short sighted.