DDs preferred choice not a Russell Group Uni

[RedRoses1111]

Hello

Dd is my one and only so this is all new to me. She is 17 and about to sit AS levels next month.

She wants to study English and Film and went to a University Fair today. She has returned laden with prospectuses but her favourite so far is the University of East Anglia which is not a Russell Group Uni. Other choices which do an English and Film course are Southampton, Kings, Exeter and Royal Holloway.

I read so much about the choice of Uni is just as important as the course and that employers won't even look at job applications unless they are from someone who went to a Russell Group Uni.

So, those of you who are more experienced or knowledgable about this, should she be discouraged from looking at non RG unis at this stage?

Many thanks for any insight/knowledge/advice you can offer.

[TheWordFactory]

It's completely incorrect to say that the publishing and media industries don't care where people are educated. Utter rot! Both are utterly bound up in reputation and hierarchy .

However, UEA is well regarded for English and Creative Writing, so your DD should certainly go there to study.

[HercShipwright]

To be honest, if I wanted a top English graduate for something I'd look at Cambridge first and UEA second. Everywhere else would be far behind. It's that well reputed.

[Mintyy]

Weren't any of this Russell Group nonsense in my young days

[TheWordFactory]

Herc what about York?

[stleger]

I am not in the UK... but if one of my kids had wanted to study English, I'd have been thrilled if they had chosen UEA! Wasn't Malcolm Bradbury there?
I only ever hear about Russell Group on here, and from a friend of my dh's on Facebook who teaches in one and mentions it all the time.

[webwiz]

I agree with the poster who said that the RG have done an excellent PR job for themselves.

DD1 graduated from UEA last summer and has a job she loves (part of her job is writing for and editing a rival parenting website ). DD2 is studying Maths at Bath which is also non RG but highly rated for her subject. We were RG free in this house until Durham let the side down and joined in (me and DH went there).

[HercShipwright]

Word - not for English. At least - not as high as Cambridge or UEA. My DD1 has York as her top university choice (if she doesn't get into a conservatoire) but that's for a different subject (obviously).

Two of the most intelligent people I know went to York, incidentally - it's a wonderful university and incredibly well reputed, but for English UEA is in a class consisting of itself and Cambridge, I'd say. Obviously it's only my opinion.

[TheWordFactory]

webwiz they certainly have .

That said, for many courses, the top end of the RG would still be where I would recommend to any applicant.

Firstly, because the most selectives courses at the most selective universiteis should ensure a sparky peer group which really helps.

Second, the perception of quality may be over played, but the perception is there, so given how much a degree costs, go for the most bang for the buck.

[HercShipwright]

I have a useful rule of thumb - if a person says 'I went to an RG university' unless they are purposely being modest about Oxbridge you can bet they didn't go to Oxbridge, Kings, Imperial, LSE...People who went to those places name them, they don't have to hide behind a marketing gimmick. It's a big con trick designed to make people feel, and let them pretend they are, 'superior'.

[TheWordFactory]

In real life people don't say it, do they?

But here on MN people declare it like they're proving intellectual credentials the like of which hasn't been seen since Einstein, when what they actually mean is I got BBC at A level and studied geography at Leeds .

[RedRoses1111]

ommmward- thanks for the tip about Bristol, I will show Dd

webwiz - can I be nosy and ask which course your daughter studied? Don't worry if you would rather not say.

Can I just ask whether there is any difference in whether the English or Film comes first, ie, the Kings course is BA in English with Film Studies whereas UEA is BA Film and English Studies.

Sorry for all the questions but all of your replies have been really helpful

[HercShipwright]

word Oh very yes. It's as if they don't realise we have cracked the code.

[HercShipwright]

I'd certainly choose UEA over Bristol.

[TheWordFactory]

Though UEA is very sleepy IYSWIM.

Bristol is a fairly vibrant city...

[webwiz]

OP DD1 did Biological sciences but she did a course in science writing as part of her degree and wrote for the uni newspaper.

[peteneras]

My good friend’s DD went to the same grammar school as my DD. Well, that’s how we met in the first place because they both entered this supposedly top Catholic (grammar) school in the nation at the same time. After this, my DD went to a well known RG university and graduated as a scientist. My friend’s DD who had always been very interested in videos/films etc. since a very young age (so I’m told) went to Royal Holloway for film studies or something. She would have gone to almost any RG university if she so wished, coming from the said grammar school, but Royal Holloway it was for her.

The last time we spoke (last month) my friend was saying how her DD loved her job now in the film industry, regularly rubbing shoulders with top American and British actors and actresses, going to places she never dreamed of, etc. Don’t know about my DD, but I wouldn’t mind swapping places with her now.

[HercShipwright]

Leeds?

[Cereal0ffender]

I went to a rg uni but had never even heard the phrase rg until I joined mumsnet. It is a bit cringeworthy

[BeckAndCall]

Likewise agree that UEA is great for English.

But herc I think you'll find that York is rated first in the RAE for English - above Cambridge even......... So if the RAE is the criteria for ranking courses, then York is top, word is right.

[ElizabethJennings]

UEA is definitely not sleepy! There's loads going on if that's what you want.

[BikeRunSki]

OP, when a degrees course is made up of two subjects eg: English with Film, the one given first makes up the bigger share of the curriculum if it is a "with" course. If it is English and Film, it'll be about 50/50 in each subject. Although, with an and you study 2/3 of 2 degrees.

At least that's how it was 100 years ago when I did my degree (joint honours Geology and Physics).

[HolidayCriminal]

I research at UEA. I feel like throttling ppl who obsess over the RG thing.
It's a mini city of its own; it's a gorgeous campus; it's a safe city; historically Norwich had more pubs than anywhere, sleepy not! Prince of Wales Rd gets in the national news for all the wrong reasons, even. There's a very high retention rate of ex-UEA students staying in the region (compared to other locations, that's how much students like it here). The research park is world famous. I could forward you the many blurbs I'm supposed to attach to my email sigs about "rated number 1 for student satisfaction" etc.

You really have to look at the individual programme on offer & how's structured, if that's appealing, also how pastoral support is offered. RG group get the most research funding; that funding is totally separate from quality of teaching.

[MrsBungle]

I'm another one who had never heard of this rg obsession before mumsnet even though it seems I went to one.

[BeckAndCall]

By people, holiday do you mean major employers? Law firms and city accountancy companies and blue chip companies who have recruitment policies that look first at their top four or six, then at other RG then at everyone else?

It's a fact of certain parts of the employment market, unfortunately, that your best shot at one of their jobs is a RG university degree. Wrong maybe, but a practice nevertheless.

I don't think that generalisation would apply to film studies though so the OP's DD should definitely follow your advice - course structure and content being key. But also the assessment method - does it suit her, and for the film component, placement and industry expereince opportunities.

[HolidayCriminal]

Yes I would think very extremely of employers who only look at the Uni rep & not the reputation of the individual department, BeckAndCall, as well as other attributes of the individual applicant. If they employer is THAT small minded then they probably don't have room for innovative practices in their corporate structure. I wouldn't want to be part of such a small-minded organisation myself. Blue chip status rubbish or not.