Essex university

[DinkyDaisy]

Well, we are painfully reaching the end of the UCAS form experience.
4000, character personal statement has been so hard for ds to do as a wordy boy!
Now for last option on choices and we have stumbled upon Essex University.
It looks good for politics/ International Relations.
Anyone have experience of the university? There is a mini open day on Saturday we might attend.
Thanks all.

@Piggywaspushed
I think we, as a nation, pay for university places because we expect grads to get jobs. Good jobs. Of course it matters that you enjoy what you study, but employers want elk educated generalists. Few want feminist specialists. Surely students went jobs. I’ve rarely met one who didn’t. In fact most expect decent jobs. All I’m saying is that it’s vital to maximise chances of success, unless you foot need to work of course! There’s way more to getting a job than university, subject and course details. The best candidates offer more but the best universities have the lowest drop out rates.

As you always say, you maximise chance s by going to the best available university for the course.

To be honest, I thought I paid for university because I want a highly educated and socially mobile population.

Of course we need feminists!

Pretty sure a university professor, for example, is a decent job. Or a writer. Or a teacher.

I think you are seeing things through the lens of science or law degrees where the curriculum varies very little for university to university.

^^

You need some feminist experts, not hundreds of them every year. It’s a balance isn’t it? We have expended the university sector to include all sorts of learning. That doesn’t make it needed by society or worthwhile.

Feminism was one example above of the leanings of some courses.

Correct me if I am wrong and this is not meant to be outing so ignore if you like but hasn't one of your DDs got a creatives arts type degree?

To be honest, I thought I paid for university because I want a highly educated and socially mobile population.

Yep. There's possibly a reason the sector is called 'Higher Education', isn't there?

If an employer regards having studied specific areas within a given degree as essential, or does not intend to consider those who have studied specific modules, whatever others they may have taken, then they can just write their person spec to reflect their prejudices requirements and save a lot of potential applicants from wasting both of their time. If they don't have specific requirements, then what difference does it make that the applicant spent his / her three or four years studying offered modules which most interested them? Can elements of a degree only be acceptable to employers if they weren't of any real interest to the graduate?

If wholly depends on the employer doesn’t it? My DH didn’t look much at engineering modules taken. They had their own tests. Good candidates did well, others with the same degree on paper, sometimes from top universities, didn’t. However the employer employs who they wish, with the qualifications, attributes and interests they are looking for. They are not always going to look at niche modules and think they matter. Employers are not going to change. Employability stats shows who gets jobs and which areas of study are more tricky. However you will not get the desired social mobility (I think some people do not seek this either) if you don’t study what employers want. In fact you might not get employment. Plenty of grads discover this but they enjoyed studying what they wanted.

But the OP's child is not going to be an engineer!! Can't you accept others on this thread no more about social science, humanities and arts degrees than you do?

When I applied to be an English teacher, I was explicitly asked about my modules.

Is till don't understand when OP and her DS are looking at a range of universities with similar entrance requirements and calibre, how you suggest he makes his decision?

My ds is passionate about his subject and that is important to him when making choices on content etc.
Not sure about jobs yet. He may study further, who knows.
He is being led by interests and passion at the moment.

no = know obviously.