UCL- is it really that bad?

[cornwall1900]

Hello.

Dd is considering UCL, the course suits her perfectly and excites her, so there's that aspect sorted.

All I've heard are negative things about UCL; "my ds dropped out", "anti social","hard to make friend as the student body is so dispersed", "internationals keep to themselves". Of course I fully accept that these are merely anecdotal and variying.

The cost really worries us, she'd likely have to work. I'd like her to enjoy her college experience like I did and not become in essence a working adult just yet. It just doesn't seem to be a lot of fun to me, compared to cheaper northern cities.

I'm also worried how a country girl like her will deal with city living in what to me as a rural girl seems a cold place to live.

How have your dc found UCL?

I do hope I'm worrying over nothing.

DS1 was at UCL and loved it.

I am bewildered by the OP's question.

My cousin is at UCL at the moment (second year) and absolutely loves it. She is considering doing her Masters when she finishes.

Borojo, there are increasing numbers of young people who don't fit into neat cultural/nationality boxes: expatriate parents, international school education, bi-cultural etc. London Universities with an international reach and attitude often suit. You also appear to get a disproportionate number of British ethnic minorities and those with bi-cultural backgrounds. Plus obviously students from overseas who wants a world recognised course in an international environment.

Outward looking British students who are prepared to work hard and who keep up with their peers, do just fine. But as you suggest this in not what all young people want.

One observation is that though top London Universities have quite a high percentage of privately educated kids (partly financial), school background does not seem to make much difference socially in a place with so much diversity. In contrast to places like Exeter or Bristol where private school cliques can be quite noticeable.

I am bewildered by the OP's question.
BizzyFizzy just because her concerns have not been yours they are not unusual. The questions are basically can London for a non Londoner be too anonymous, cliquey, expensive and overwhelming for a teenager leaving home for the first time. It seems to be all the usual concerns for the life transition of university magnified because it is London.

I agree with PP that it can be a marmite experience but also have huge potential for somebody keen to make the most of it. UCL seems rather lively and sociable though from what I have heard.

It is an unfortunate fact that 52% voted for Brexit. I hate separatism but the truth is we have quite a few people in this country who really do not embrace other cultures. Or indeed privately educated young people so they keep to their clique. It might be the ones who are "geeky", went to Eton or come from China. If they are not your "tribe" you may feel unsettled. Some people feel like that and not much point explaining the differences!

Oh dear, I had hoped this thread would not degenerate into the worst of all our prejudices...

Seeing that the OP (who prefers St Andrews anyway over UCL) has scuttled off, one wonders if that was their intention all along.

Every single aspect of life is invariably "marmite" because we are intelligent and discern. That said, being a geek, from Eton and China (or an alternative equivalent of each of them) does not prevent some from being welcome and comfortable across the world, including Brixton (incidentally only 18 minutes by tube to UCL, acceptable travel to all reasonable beings) or Mayfair etc etc. I find that many cultures, even say where women are low status, education high/ low status, reverse snobbery etc etc is rife, will have no trouble accepting you as an individual if you actually see things from their world without renouncing your "tribe", and are clearly focussed on solutions and the possibilities of mutual betterment. The 'trouble' with tribe stability is that people fall for other members of the species, and anyway the best tribes adapt.

Often we choose to reject "marmite" when actually nobody is asking you to eat it, only to acknowledge others do and you're not there about "marmite" but a mutually beneficial "good". "Marmite" was never a problem when we had colonies supporting us, or when growth brought much easier living. A keen measure of how resilient and civilised one is is when things get tough. Few pass, so 48% may not be that bad.

Of course the less mature, regardless of age, and some with unstoppable egos, tend to default to the marmite judgement, perhaps even unconsciously. The loss is completely theirs. Turning away from places such as UCL is right for them, and much more importantly, a bonus for UCL and its students.

If you really cannot find a match for yourself socially and intellectually in London over 3 years, the problem is yours. Doesn't mean your time will be roses, however do you really expect much difference elsewhere? We all strive and learn, London is not the only place to do it, it may not be the right time when you're 18, but it works for a hell of a lot of people.

maryso the worst of all our prejudices
I can't see anything on this thread that comes anywhere close to that rather extreme claim of yours.
I also don't really follow what your are trying to say in your other two paragraphs.
Marmite is something that really is n't to somebody's taste but loved by others, nothing to do with predujice.
St Andrew's would be another marmite place from what I have heard. Other universities fall between the two extremes of London and St Andrews but all offer different things.
I personally think that university is at least in part about widening experience. That may be Londoners leaving London or the converse.

I don't understand why poor Singapore is coming in for such a pasting.

My DSS2 is at UCL. He is an excellent student and perfectly happy.

My DSS1 went to Bristol. He was an excellent student and had a wonderful time.

Based on their two experiences and everything they tell me, my DD will go to UCL over my dead body!

Care to elaborate BoboChic?

'My DD will go to UCL over my dead body' why?

It costs a fortune! DSS2 has made much less interesting friends than DSS1 (and DSS2 is far more sociable than DSS1!). He has to take the tube. London on a budget (and we are not ungenerous) is gruesome.

DSS1 did brilliantly at Bristol, was overwhelmed with job/internship/masters offers and is far more developed at the same stage. And it was much cheaper!

Bobo, did your sons do degrees in the same subject? I find that subject choice has a lot to do with the quality of friendships.

I have 2 degrees from UCL - a Master's and a PhD (and plenty of interesting friends made - especially on the MA which was more sociable than the PhD). The UCL 'brand' has opened doors for me in my field which I think would have been closed otherwise.

I'm a privately educated country girl who went to UCL because it was the best course for my degree.

Admittedly it was the best part of 20 years ago now but it was the
Best thing I ever did - totally widened my horizons and I had such a good time. Many many people will remember my 21st - a mash up of the UCL LGBT and Young farmers as a party that went down in history.

It is expensive, I did feel I was sinking at times but I had literally world class teaching in my subject and now am so so grateful that I get to live in the country but can say I was cool enough at one stage in my life to be a Londoner!

Yes, both did BSc Economics

Niece is at UCL - has been for seven years. She knew a few people going to london when she started but she's very sporty so made lots of friends through that. She's also med school and because it's such a long course they all tend to stick together, don't think that's so much of an issue for three/four year course people.

She's also funding it by tutoring.

BoboChic what do you mean by less interesting friends? Do you mean that DS2's friends are less diverse ?
Is it a negative that 'he has to take the tube? Are you commenting on the distance he lives from UCL. What does he think of the actual course compared to what his brother did?
Sorry, lots of questions.

sendsummer you appear to have taken my Marmite reference personally, when I did not have you in mind at all. Nevertheless thank you for explaining what Marmite is. One can never get too much information, even if one is a Unilever shareholder.

From your posts, I however do get why you can't see what I mean about prejudice on the thread, that you don't know what I'm saying, and to you, taste has nothing to do with personal prejudice. You enquired of Bobochic's DSC who read Economics. In London people often go to a little place on the Strand for this, but perhaps they'd not discovered Bristol...

I can tell we're from different tribes.

Horses for (university) courses. If you don't like the tube, avoid UCL.

sendsummer - the course at UCL is probably quite a lot more interesting and demanding (from what I can judge) but you need to be very autonomous to make the most of it. This is fine for DSS2 but would not have suited DSS1 very well.

DSS2's friends are much less diverse than DSS1's. I get the feeling that UCL recruits very large numbers of overseas students but that these mostly all hail from the tennis-playing/ski-loving/international school attending bourgeoisie who congregate on certain courses. They then all tend to regroup. DSS2 is frustrated not to interact with a wider group. Incidentally my nephew at King's (Law) shares some similar frustrations. And both DSS2 and DN think that needing to travel to university is a bit of a killer for social life.

Being serious, is that because one distinct London tribe is made up of affluent French/Europeans, who have a particular reputation for hanging out together. (Actually more so than the dispora Chinese.) I know of London raised French who avoided places like UCL to avoid being sucked in, and to have a broader social life.

Thanks BoboChic

Maryso no I was n't taking anything personally. I was just unable to disentangle what you were trying to say in that post.
I am glad that you make money from Marmite.

I did my post grad at imperial and lived with final year and taught post grads from mostly ucl over in that part of town.
I would not recommend imperial as an undergrad (great at postgrad) but I the ucl students seemed happy and bonded. Lots of clubs. Union etc.