AIBU to think going to an RG university means absolutely nothing

[Butchyrestingface]

Never one to shy away from a challenge (even if it's a challenge to someone else).

So I went to a RG uni. I didn't even KNOW I'd been to a RG uni until about 15 years after the fact when I joined MN.

Thereafter I referred to it as having gone to a 'Russell Grant' university (bit confused).

AIBU in thinking RG unis are not the be all and end all?

It's relevant and a wheat from a chaff selection criteria for some employers but I think it wholly depends on the job you are recruiting for. For example, my DH is an Architect at Director level and is not looking for RG university credentials.

I work in info security and data protection, again it is not always relevant it depends how much experience and expertise you have.

Exactly this. You put it so much better than I tried to last night.
It only matters to people going into a small and select group of traditional occupations and competitive parents who have to have something to make themselves feel they are somehow winning at life because their children are going to an RG uni, doncha knows. It's all very suburban middle class and unimaginative.

I don't think it's most important factor in choosing a university but I don't think you can write it off as a complete waste of time either.
The RG is a research group so it has more impact at post grad level for students but despite this plenty of other unis have strong research setups too.
It can reflect on course content and it can be really interesting to study with someone who is a leading researcher in their field. Is it necessary to get a good degree/job, no, but it can have value. Like it or not, some companies and specialties place value on RG and Oxbridge degrees. Others not so much.

She’s applying to top uni’s for subject, which are all RG.

I think it makes a big difference to STEM subjects .Other degrees less so ,say Media of Geography .My own DS attended a secondary modern boys school. He got in at a top RG uni, even though he had slightly lower grades .They put him at his ease at his interview and he thrived there .Now with an MSC and a well paid job in Industry.

Ok others do similar and they aren’t all Russel Group so it’s meaningless particular when you look at the origins of “Russell Group” and what it is.

I think people can think and do what they think is best. My view is that you decide the course you want, look at the rankings, look at the course content and how it’s delivered and apply for the best you can. For something like economics it’s simple, Russell Groups at the top along with other highly regarded and established universities eg Bath. For something more obscure/specialised it may be an unknown university near the top. But let’s not pretend that economics at LSE is the same as economics from UWE.

Neither do I think a first from Oxbridge or Bath is the same as a first from a lower ranking uni. If my DC can’t get the grades for a respected course at a respected uni then it’s not worth going and getting the debt imo.

With 5 non Russell groups unis above it…

I’ve just checked and I’ve been to two of them as
well. I didn’t know either was a RG. I don’t know how much that has influenced the views of others about my achievements, but it certainly wasn’t a deciding factor in choosing the courses.

Where do the top companies advertise for university graduates? There doesn't seem to be a main hiring website anymore for grad jobs.

We advertise on our own website - Big 4 accountancy - blind recruitment process.

Milk round and grad cracker for a start. Any uni careers office will be able to advise plus the company’s own website if you’re targeting a specific company.

I went to a RG university, I don't think it's made any difference to my life 🤷‍♀️

I once had a boss who actively tried to avoid Oxbridge graduates because he felt they got too much help through university and that led to them wanting more handholding in the workplace. I thought he was being ridiculous (and was a bit jealous because his university was less prestigious), but my cousin has just graduated from Oxford and I was really surprised at how much support she got during her studies (obviously this might not be true of every subject).

It wasn't a thing when I went to uni (graduated 2003). We were encouraged to go to 'red brick' unis and not ex-poly if we were academic, and I did, but it's not RG.

There are organisations that work with employers and universities and most advertise on their own websites.
The vast majority of universities have employer engagement teams who act as that link between an employer and their students.

I don't think it matters whether a uni is RG or not but for some careers it does make a difference if the uni is a highly regarded one (or highly regarded for that particular course/career).

No because everyone knows Bath is a decent uni. And really should be in the RG.

You really have a bee in your bonnet about RG. Facts are despite the league tables (which do shift a bit) RG will always be viewed as superior. It's seen as a benchmark. Look at any decent grammar/private school -they will publish where their teachers trained. You bet your life they are all RG.
Just facts however unfair or unjustified you think they are. The fact Oxbridge are members bears out that it's not just a meaningless made up group.

May I point out that even law firms including Magic Circle ones have these rounds of tests these days too ?

Also may I also point out that some companies are moving away from these types of tests because invariably they were getting more Oxbridge etc candidates through to latter stages because they were precisely the type of candidates that perform well in such tests.

Ok so my DC is going to Lancaster to do maths, current rankings 12th for the subject on CUG and 7th in Times Higher. 1st in the UK for research impact according to the REF.

Are you really saying that people would pick a candidate from, say, Liverpool which on CUG is 28th over my DC at Lancaster, purely because Liverpool is RG?

Not talking about their financial situation- JUST the funding they receive. It's not hard to assume that the best unis attract the most funding.

I mean there's a lot of variety within the RG itself. LSE, Imperial, Oxbridge are miles ahead from universities like Leeds, Nottingham, Birmingham etc.

They don’t get 75% of funding so not sure where that came from.

Anyone who knows anything about Unis also knows that places such as Bath/St Andrews and a few others sit within that RG standard.