York, Durham, Exeter

[GodessOfThunder]

These universities seem feature in a disproportionate amount of discussion on Mumsnet as institutions commenters see as desirable for their DC to attend. Obviously they are well regarded universities, but why do they attract more discussion here than other Russell group universities, especially those in northern and midlands post-industrial cities such as Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham and Birmingham?

A few possible reasons were suggested by DH:

• They enjoy an undue level of perceived prestige due to being in smaller old cities/towns like Oxbridge
• The Mumsnet user base is skewed towards the SE and biased against post-industrial cities. Mumsnetters are less likely to be familiar with them and hold “grim up north” perceptions.
• There is a “showing off” factor in starting threads and commenting that DC has applied for, or attends, these institutions - the same goes for the “Oxbridge support” threads, the like of which you never see for red bricks.

Does anyone agree, or are there other explanatory factors?

So do you think that everyone lives as you did in your school days forty plus years ago? If not, to what purpose is your comment and it’s multitudinous exclamation marks?

There can often be be an overlap with hegemonic masculinity and team sports.

Can say the rugby team were well liked at my uni. In fact several were done for rape and sexual assault.

The exclamation marks reflected the rather gushing cadence of the text.

I can also reassure you it’s rather far away from the school days experienced by anyone’s DC I know.

Yes well we have established you have a rather narrow experience.

Have we? When was that?

“Can’t” that should be

@GodessOfThunder

It’s also far removed from my experience too! I went to a northern comprehensive school, hated sport and was just grateful that any university accepted me! In my day, there were no adjusted offers for first in family at uni or attending schools in socially deprived areas - which is a shame as I would have ticked every box.

A flat system can never be a fair system @Rachealfar The idea of scrapping a system designed to benefit very bright children who come from deprived backgrounds because a few very rich people try to cheat the system is disgusting. You should be in the Tory cabinet with that kind of thinking.

DH and I often say that ‘@Dancingdreamer We’d have both been in a great position had we applied today. We had a look at the postcode criteria and we laughed our heads off.

Of course some people choose uni for sport (noticing football didn't get a mention...). There are frequent MN posts about sporting unis and sports facilities. It's as valid as any other criteria. Others look for drama. My DS considered participation in Unibrass and proximity of a football or and/or cricket ground to watch sports. Nothing wrong with that.

Yes, why doesn't football ever get a mention?

If one were cynical one might observe that it not really a (traditional) middle class sport.

To be fair I was kind of thinking it isn't considered an "aspirational sport" myself, but thought I might be shot down in flames for that

It’s not

where has that edit function gone🙁

Rhetorical question. Second coffee urgently needed.

I’m sure some do choose universities for football, I just know rowers, rugby and hockey players and cricketers.

They do indeed!

Different set of universities again, I'd assume. Someone will know! DH was England Unis football captain many moons ago (Leeds but clearing, actual choices were Oxford and somewhere else) and even then York was sneered at for sport ineptitude. Which is probably why I was there!

Just found football table (doesn't say but this'll be the men) and , yup, Loughborough, as ever and most of the other usual suspects.

No Oxford Brookes, which is not surprising.

NTU is in there.

By the way rowing - Nottingham has the Trent. Wide and starlight, hence its rowing prowess. Lots of watersports at Holme Pierrepoint. Also a big tennis centre.

It's the same here in Bath- a lot of parents would rather the children were in smaller cities and in a campus setting . And their opinion will hold some clout if they are subsidising

Out of curiosity why would a lot of parents prefer a smaller city and a campus setting?

Why?
Isn't it up to the student to choose?

Bath parent here DD(16) currently planning to tour Unis. We've done Bristol (close, could commute if accom offer is horrid) and have Sheffield and Loughborough pencilled in for half term. Exeter, Durham, Cardiff and Bath down at Plymouth for pharmacy may also get a visit). She came up with these through a combination of seeing round some on virtual work experience and me pointing out how easy a train ride others could be. She didn't want London (though we have stayed in some of the LSE halls for a cheap break in the past).

I think if you have a child who lives in a small town or village, never travels independently, with limited experience of living away from home you are likely to assume that they would be like 'lambs to the slaughter' in a big city. Rightly or wrongly you might imagine that not too much can go wrong on a pretty campus where they can walk everywhere or take the dedicated shuttle bus.

I had the joys of being woken up by some drunken students singing away at 3:30am this morning BTW. Freshers' week is usually very messy.

@RampantIvy I agree, but it doesn't always seem to work quite like that. Read some of the threads on mumsnet- I sense subtle pressure in many cases

@GodessOfThunder I think parents themselves enjoy going to those places and think their children will be safer- I'm not saying that's right by the way and it shouldn't be 'their' choice - but I do think it comes into the mix.

We live in a village with not great public transport, so DD definitely did not want a campus as she said they felt too isolated. She had her sights on being in the middle of a city.