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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Heriot-Watt

43 replies

NoScooby · 13/01/2024 13:22

My daughter visited Heriot-Watt on an open day last year and really loves the campus, the course (business & economics) and the presentations from staff.

She's also applied to RG universities and has an offer from one already, but at the moment Heriot-Watt is her first choice and she has just received an offer from them.

I know almost nothing about Heriot-Watt, it seems to be quite hidden/ overlooked compared to other Scottish universities. Do any of you have any experience/ opinions (positive or negative) particularly when it comes to how degrees from there are viewed by employers?

I'm pleased she's so happy about her offer, but want to make sure that she wouldn't be narrowing her options by not choosing a RG university when she has that chance.

Thanks!

OP posts:
ThirdTimeBuyer · 13/01/2024 13:38

Hello, my eldest is just about to graduate from HW and has had a ball. They actually transferred from RG after 1st year.
I have to say we have been impressed with the support from their DoS and tutors at HW and they have always found staff and fellow student supportive. HW also have an agreement with Edi uni that students can use their libraries, which our DC found useful this year as it avoided bus trips out to the HW campus.
Eldest is doing a Science degree and HW is well respected from a R &D perspective, so afraid I cannot offer any insight into business degrees.

Urguth · 13/01/2024 13:39

Speaking as a postgraduate HW alumni where my first degree was with a highly rated RG university…

HW probably has a better reputation than a lot of RG unis for teaching practical stuff that is useful in the world of work.. certainly in the engineering/ technical subjects. And the actual course content has been incredibly useful in my job.

ediited to add, im in my 50s and did the HW course as a mature student. I’m now in the position of also being a hiring manager and do a lot of professional development work with junior colleagues. A HW qualification on an applicants cv would cheer me up no end.

Hapagirl48 · 13/01/2024 13:46

Following! My DD has an offer from an RG and is still waiting from one from HW. HW is her first choice as she likes the course content and is commuting distance from home (she has ASD so nervous about big changes). I’m worried though because her dad is very into reputations and I know if she has offers from both he’ll push for accepting RG so I’m going to arm myself with this thread if that happens! Well done for your DD OP.

lastdayatschool · 13/01/2024 14:00

DS has a lot of school friends who attend HW - it's a very popular destination from Northern Ireland.

They all speak very highly of it - have found the teaching to be very hands on with lots of contact hours (far more than my DS at Exeter), accommodation in halls to be excellent, great sports facilities and Edinburgh on their doorstep for their social lifes

They also benefit from - as do those from England and Wales - the £1500 Travel Home bursary that HW award to all students

Original poster
NoScooby · 13/01/2024 14:44

ThirdTimeBuyer · 13/01/2024 13:38

Hello, my eldest is just about to graduate from HW and has had a ball. They actually transferred from RG after 1st year.
I have to say we have been impressed with the support from their DoS and tutors at HW and they have always found staff and fellow student supportive. HW also have an agreement with Edi uni that students can use their libraries, which our DC found useful this year as it avoided bus trips out to the HW campus.
Eldest is doing a Science degree and HW is well respected from a R &D perspective, so afraid I cannot offer any insight into business degrees.

Edited

That's really useful to know about the library access, thank you. One of my concerns is the distance from Edinburgh for 2nd year onwards and whether that would start to get her down in the winter months, so it might be very useful to have that option

OP posts:
Original poster
NoScooby · 13/01/2024 14:46

Urguth · 13/01/2024 13:39

Speaking as a postgraduate HW alumni where my first degree was with a highly rated RG university…

HW probably has a better reputation than a lot of RG unis for teaching practical stuff that is useful in the world of work.. certainly in the engineering/ technical subjects. And the actual course content has been incredibly useful in my job.

ediited to add, im in my 50s and did the HW course as a mature student. I’m now in the position of also being a hiring manager and do a lot of professional development work with junior colleagues. A HW qualification on an applicants cv would cheer me up no end.

Edited

That's really reassuring, thank you! The impression we got from the open day was that the course is very focused on practical applications, and they seem to have great links with industry - it's good to hear that this is not just open day gloss!

OP posts:
Original poster
NoScooby · 13/01/2024 14:49

Hapagirl48 · 13/01/2024 13:46

Following! My DD has an offer from an RG and is still waiting from one from HW. HW is her first choice as she likes the course content and is commuting distance from home (she has ASD so nervous about big changes). I’m worried though because her dad is very into reputations and I know if she has offers from both he’ll push for accepting RG so I’m going to arm myself with this thread if that happens! Well done for your DD OP.

Snap! My husband is also focused on reputation of the uni, and would be keen for her to go to Glasgow or Edinburgh instead, but it's a very long time since he was at uni and was directed by his parents to go for the university with the highest reputation he could get into rather than the course he liked best!

OP posts:
Original poster
NoScooby · 13/01/2024 14:52

lastdayatschool · 13/01/2024 14:00

DS has a lot of school friends who attend HW - it's a very popular destination from Northern Ireland.

They all speak very highly of it - have found the teaching to be very hands on with lots of contact hours (far more than my DS at Exeter), accommodation in halls to be excellent, great sports facilities and Edinburgh on their doorstep for their social lifes

They also benefit from - as do those from England and Wales - the £1500 Travel Home bursary that HW award to all students

I didn't know HW was popular with NI students - that's great to know as Queens is another of her options, based largely on how friendly she found the university and students!

Lots of contact hours would also suit her, this is all great stuff, thank you everyone

OP posts:
Yolo12345 · 13/01/2024 16:36

HW has an excellent reputation.

Tbh RG isn't really a known thing in Scotland, I only heard of this grouping recently...bizarre!

Original poster
NoScooby · 13/01/2024 16:44

Actually me too, I only come across RG as a term on mumsnet.

I would be interested to hear whether Heriot-Watt has any kind of reputation outwith Scotland

OP posts:
HundredMilesAnHour · 13/01/2024 16:57

I have a lot of friends who attended HW and did IBL (International Business & Languages) and a few who did engineering. The IBL course sounded excellent to me and they were all very happy and everyone has gone on to have extremely successful, well paid and high flying careers. Based on their experience I would definitely rate it. I had never heard of it until I met them! (met on a 3rd year abroad at one of France's top business schools).

Original poster
NoScooby · 13/01/2024 17:46

That's really reassuring, thank you!

OP posts:
idontlikealdi · 13/01/2024 17:53

I went to HW a long time ago. Loved it. The campus is fab, (apart from the swans) I was in sc halls in first year on site.

Lived in Fountainbridge from second year, bussed in no problem at all. Better than schlepping all the way back from town after a night out.

idontlikealdi · 13/01/2024 17:55

Oh and HW has a great reputation, I don't know why it flies under the radar the way it does. It was one of only six know in the country that offered my course, and is very highly regarded in it, also brewing, business, engineering amongst others.

Original poster
NoScooby · 13/01/2024 21:07

Yes it does seem strange that it's so low key - everything I've heard here today is so positive which is not always the case on mumsnet!

OP posts:
Urguth · 14/01/2024 11:57

@idontlikealdi snap! Though at the time I applied it was the only one offered anywhere in the UK.

and it’s was so useful that as a direct result of that qualification I was able to job hop within my organisation from ‘Assistant Widget Sorter‘ to ‘Senior Chartered Widget Manager‘ within a few years.

JocelynBurnell · 14/01/2024 12:27

Firstly, I would be careful about basing views on university reputation solely on what you read on Mumsnet. There can be an odd obsession here with Russel Group universities, driven largely by some very prolific posters who have little or no experience, never mind expertise, in either academia or graduate recruitment.

Heriot-Watt is a well-regarded university with a strong reputation in business and economics and it has been one of the top centres in the UK for actuarial studies for decades. Edinburgh is a great city.

ExtremelyJoyous · 14/01/2024 12:32

RG unis aren’t a ‘thing’ in Scotland.

HW is a great uni and isn’t overlooked at all!

If she wants to do business, I would also suggest Strathclyde.

LaviniasBigBloomers · 14/01/2024 13:14

Ah, happy memories - I went to QMUC (as it was then) aka 'the pill on the hill', 90% female. Hairy Twat was 90% male so bus-loads of them them used to come down to our Wednesday night union nights... but I digress. It's got a really good rep for business courses as far as I know and to me, it means you get to study and live in the best city in the world without having to manage the very specific demographic that comes with Edinburgh Uni. Win-win.

JesusWeptLady · 15/01/2024 05:31

I think you should look at the rankings. Its nearly the bottom of the heap in terms of Scottish universities. Unless your kid is studying Engineering or similar it's a waste of time.

I shared a room with a girl at boarding school and she only got into Heriot Watt. She was considered the biggest failure of all the girls at our school at that time.

Its' not excellent its considered mediocre.

Heatherbell1978 · 15/01/2024 06:54

Scottish person here. RG universities are not a thing here, I had no idea what this was until reading about it on MN. I'm Edinburgh through and through and HW has an excellent reputation up here. I didn't go personally but DB did and many friends. It along with Strathclyde is seen as too for business studies, or at least it was when I was at uni. Don't think that's changed too much.

Heatherbell1978 · 15/01/2024 06:57

JesusWeptLady · 15/01/2024 05:31

I think you should look at the rankings. Its nearly the bottom of the heap in terms of Scottish universities. Unless your kid is studying Engineering or similar it's a waste of time.

I shared a room with a girl at boarding school and she only got into Heriot Watt. She was considered the biggest failure of all the girls at our school at that time.

Its' not excellent its considered mediocre.

Are you in Scotland? Thats rubbish. It sits in the rankings just after the 'big hitters' of St Andrews, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 15/01/2024 07:04

JesusWeptLady · 15/01/2024 05:31

I think you should look at the rankings. Its nearly the bottom of the heap in terms of Scottish universities. Unless your kid is studying Engineering or similar it's a waste of time.

I shared a room with a girl at boarding school and she only got into Heriot Watt. She was considered the biggest failure of all the girls at our school at that time.

Its' not excellent its considered mediocre.

Poor girl. I hope she had a ball at HW, liberated from having to live with ill-informed snobs like you.

confusedbythesystem · 15/01/2024 07:06

👏👏👏

Ipadannie · 15/01/2024 07:07

LaviniasBigBloomers · 14/01/2024 13:14

Ah, happy memories - I went to QMUC (as it was then) aka 'the pill on the hill', 90% female. Hairy Twat was 90% male so bus-loads of them them used to come down to our Wednesday night union nights... but I digress. It's got a really good rep for business courses as far as I know and to me, it means you get to study and live in the best city in the world without having to manage the very specific demographic that comes with Edinburgh Uni. Win-win.

Ah Wednesday nights were the best ;-)