DS just asked me if it matters which university you go to

[Fadedpicture]

And I couldn't really formulate an answer.

I know Oxbridge and RG are more highly thought of, but from an employer's POV, how much difference does it make where you studied?

Is it different according to which subject you're doing or which sector you hope to work in?

Well yes surely you can see that Bella has overcome some quite significant obstacles to gain her degree and that demonstrates quite a lot of really good qualities that an employer would value

Anna sorry.

@userh79 , I think that in that scenario, Bella is being discriminated against.

I wouldn't use having children or being a single parent when graduating as a criterion when recruiting. I do consider where they graduated from, if it is relevant.

I'm with @YoureTheTop on this one. That is pure discrimination. As for 'obstacles', I call it choices. Anna decided to have children, Bella decided not to and focus on her studies.

All the firms I've worked for in tech in a variety of sectors would say they prefer to hire Anna but the majority would actually hire Bella. (I know other jobs were the same is true.)

Both would fit their diversity criteria by being women but due to wanting unpaid overtime and people able to work to tight deadlines they prefer people who didn't have dependants to care for.

Point is Anna would face more discrimination than Bella to get a job, and then once she got a job in being promoted.

We just been to be careful that if Anna and Bella were from similar homes and one worked really hard and the older slept around, was lazy as sin and got pregnant etc we don't reward the idle one as that would be completely unfair.

What happened to just employing the best person for the job?

@YoureTheTop oh good grief no one is saying they will pick Bella for that reason alone, it's just going to be easier for her to demonstrate some very useful, transferable skills/traits that will be harder for Anna to do. Have you hired for a role before?

Personally I think it depends much more on showing skills and characteristics beyond the uni course. I always preferred to employ people with the best attitude rather than the best qualifications and experience. With a good attitude most things can be learned. I found that those from elite universities were too pleased with themselves. Maybe that doesn’t apply to all sectors though.

I agree with others.

Whilst Oxbridge will always have a lot of kudos , other unis have their own merits.

I might be wrong ( please correct me) but Durham has a strong position re Law.
Loughborough has a similar position re Sports Sciences. Bristol is strong on Animal and Environmental Sciences. Etc...

It's all good and well wanting to study History but there's no point going to a high ranking uni if their focus is more on mediaeval and Industrial Revolution history and you are more interested in Ancient History or Modern History.

You really need to look at eg rankings for individual subjects and interests. Look at The Good Student guide. Visit a University Fair... there's usually a day trip for sixth formers to one. The Student Room might help.

As an aside ( and I've had a glass or two) ... Bishop Grossteste ... just why ? Couldn't they just tweak that name? Might make it more appealing?
Sorry to offend.

What has any of this got to do with the OP’s DS who wants to do maths? I’m assuming he doesn’t have Dc and doesn’t want to do medicine or Law. He’s wondering if there’s a pecking order for maths, or not! There clearly is and, as he’s doing an access course, he needs to be clear which universities accept it without an A level in maths (he doesn’t have one). He’s hoping to continue at Bristol but needs a few more options. So what anyone else has done snd whether they employ single females with Dc with a degree from the local university, doesn’t apply.

“Joke universities” very snobby thing to say.

I work at one people would turn their nose up, usually bottom of the league tables (which are a joke themselves if you look into how they’re calculated) - we teach medicine, pharmacy, nursing, social work, paramedics etc. most of those you won’t be able to do at “top” universities but all very good, respectable jobs.

Bishop Grosseteste named presumably after Bishop Robert Grosseteste. Not that hard to fathom one might have hoped. Isn’t it best known for teacher training? And more affectionately known as Bishop Grot.

@KevinsChilliYou can study Medicine, Pharmacy and Nursing at a top university.

@userh79 , it is what pp were saying.

Yes, I hire people. I usually consider the overall qualities of the candidate.
I do take into account which course and at which university.

That someone had put herself through uni despite being a single parent shows self-motivation, but a candidate who had gone straight to uni from school isn't necessarily less self-motivated. A candidate's marital and parental status isn't relevant in an interview.

If I was recruiting OP's DC, where he studied and which modules he studied would be relevant.

I would be interested to know which careers outside of law/banking/other big city firm where it counts where you went to university.

Ramp, any career with masses of applicants with high pay where loads of graduates apply for a few jobs tend to be those where HR has little choice just to bring the numbers down to a number they have time to consider. So that would include as well as those you mention things like management consultancy, accountancy, hedge funds, advertising, many of the big companies who recruit graduate trainees (eg my children's cousin froma state school in Yorkshire got to Durham and got a job with a leading telecoms company. I am sure Durham will have been good on his CV.

As I said above just look at some linkedin profiles for the kind of jobs someone wants for the people newly hired and it tends to give a good indication of whom they hire.

Basically there is not much point in going to a bad university for all kinds of reasons, same with a sink school. If you can get into better places you might as well as that tends to increase your chances of the better jobs.

@KevinsChilli
Which university is near the bottom of league tables with a medicine course? I don’t think any university is that low with medicine available.

Anglia Ruskin

@KevinsChilli , do a search. How they teach varies.

As an aside ( and I've had a glass or two) ... Bishop Grossteste ... just why ? Couldn't they just tweak that name? Might make it more appealing?

i don’t think they struggle with an appeal factor. I might be wrong but I believe it’s a well respected teacher training focused establishment. It certainly used to have a reputation for being one of the top teacher training colleges in the country (before it got university status).

Lincoln?
st George’s?

I cannot see medicine, as in studying to be a doctor, at Anglia Ruskin. Lots of health related courses. Maybe I’m not looking in the right place. I know Lincoln has a relatively new medical school and so does Buckingham. St George’s has been around since 1752 and really specialises in health.

Although as DS in question isn’t doing medicine, it is of little importance.