Uni of Buckingham?!

[Blinkingbonkers]

Hi! Grateful for any advice. Dc17 is bright (school have suggested an Oxbridge application is worth a punt) but is confident in their career choice (for which they need a degree but no one will likely particularly care where it’s from). Dc wants to get the degree done asap so they can move on to career stage asap so is looking at 2 year degree options. Buckingham seems the best bet but I’m concerned how far down the league tables it is…I’m told this is because it’s so incredibly small. It comes out well in other recent analysis. Can anyone shed light/give some advice?! Thank you.

@Blinkingbonkers Im not sure how the loan works as the fees are much higher. It’s a private uni as far as I’m aware.

Im originally from that area and it still puzzles me why any student would want to be there for 2 months, let alone 2 years. There is very little to do and transport links are dire. No station. There’s no town cinema. No theatre. Few restaurants m. It’s got a Waitrose though! You would hardly know there’s a town centre unless someone told you. To be honest it’s a backwater.

Most Buckingham DC don’t go there - usually 2 the uni pays for. If he's possible Oxbridge then he would be bored stiff. 17 year olds need a bit of tough love sometimes and now is the time. Swerve Buckingham and go somewhere better. It’s not great and it attracts overseas students who don’t want the extras other universities confer. No doubt their employers don’t care about degree either but if the career that doesn’t care doesn’t work out, he’s got the same costs as elsewhere but with no “name” attached to it.

Buckingham has been going for nearly 50 years and it still like a big school spread around the town. It’s smartened up some buildings but overall it’s not like an elite uni elsewhere. He should reconsider this idea in my view .

Does it specialize in theatre/ dance? Have heard of two young people I know going there but one is doing dance/ theatre and one stage management?

Thanks both. It’s a more academic subject they’re looking at. I’m not sure dc would mind that it’s rural etc as they are quite sporty so would find clubs/teams to join outside of uni (& we live rurally now - small town will be no shock!). I’m more interested in how the university and its subjects are regarded - no one wants to pay £££££ for a Mickey Mouse degree!!

@Babyroobs Not that I can see. There’s no theatre in Buckingham. The undergrad degrees are very limited.

What area is it? It may be possible to do an OU degree faster.

@Blinkingbonkers You really cannot mention Oxbridge and Buckingham in the same sentence! Chalk and cheese.

I guess it depends which degree you are talking about and what career. If it’s Law, just don’t do it. If it’s Digital marketing it might not matter. So what does he want to study? What career goals? Law has an entry requirement of BBB- BBC so does this low tariff course lead to many getting well paid law jobs? Your £27,750 is better spent elsewhere if he’s a top attaining pupil. Some employers would wonder why he hadn’t bothered to aim higher! It’s obviously below his capabilities and some of the courses are 2 years and 1 term. So not much shorter and limited time for internships and working to boost cv.

We live rurally but many DC don’t want to stay here for uni. Buckingham is more like a school spread around the town. You need a car to make the most of the location. Just taking a walk around the town centre (5 mins?) would tell you most UK students would not enjoy life here as a student. The uni accommodation has around 450 rooms.

OU is inevitably slower. Buckingham is designed to be 2 years intensive study.OU is designed to be part time. At Buckingham many courses appear to be 2 years and 1 term now with associated accommodation costs.

My DD is at Buckingham and loves it. She will graduate this Christmas, after 2 years 1 term, as they condense a 3 year course into that timeframe.

Buckingham is known for its medicine, law and business schools. It is certainly not a Mickey Mouse degree!

We live locally, so no residential costs for us.

Yes, it’s a small market town, and nightlife is limited, but the student bar is popular, and the accommodation is all close by for students to socialise. Milton Keynes is 20 mins away (to drive) and there’s a bus service. Oxford is 40 mins the other way, also with a bus service.

There are lots of clubs available, sporty and otherwise.

Overall, ignoring accommodation as we don’t have to pay that, it’s been worth it for being a shorter course. Yes, a little more expensive (I think it’s £23k total for the course) but she’ll be done and in work quicker.

I wouldn’t disregard it at all.

Im not sure how the loan works as the fees are much higher. It’s a private uni as far as I’m aware.

This is fully explained on the university's web site: https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/admissions/external/grants/uk.

Tuition-fee loans are only available up to the maximum fee allowed to be charged to publicly funded students, which is £6,165 pa if the university does not have an approved access & particpation plan (APP) to support learners from under-represented backgrounds. (Other universities are only allowed to charge £9,250 because they have APPs: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/promoting-equal-opportunities/access-and-participation-plans/.) Because Buckingham has longer academic years, though, there is some flexibility in the definition of a year.

I've no idea about Buckingham University but on the subject of the OU you can absolutely do a degree in less than a traditional 3 year degree. The OU is designed to be flexible. You can study one module at a time or multiple. There is a standard cap on the number of credits you can simultaneously study but they are open to discussion on this. I studied more credits than was 'allowed' at various points because of modules overlapping (and studying multiple qualifications at the same time). It was fine and the OU were incredibly supportive.

I live fairly locally, it has a tie in with Milton Keynes hospital, I have heard, but have no proof, that the bar is set much lower to study medicine at Buckingham Uni. A friend who worked at the hospital did remark that they were unimpressed by the med students they worked with from that uni compared to others. Buckingham is quite remote and the road to MK not the best.

I would not consider Buckingham for an academically able student, personally, and I don't agree that the courses are generally well regarded.

Thanks to everyone for responding, it’s really helpful to get other viewpoints. I’m just trying to double & triple check that my prejudice isn’t because I’m from a very traditional uni background (siblings & I went to Cambridge, Durham & Exeter)….dc thinks I’m being a snob…which is possible! I’m also aware that many, many companies are moving to ‘institution blind’ CVs ie. it doesn’t matter where you went it’s your experience that counts… From the info Buckingham provide they seem to have good ratings for post Uni employment but I’m always suss as to how much marketing I’m swallowing!!

Why the rush to get into work 2 terms earlier? They'll be working until they're 67.

@Blinkingbonkers Your DC does not seem to understand that Buckingham is a private university! It’s the most snobbish choice if he wants to be that childish!

What does he want to study? This really matters. So many students there are international and go home for jobs. Do you honestly think it competes with Durham and Exeter or Cambridge? The entry requirements are low.It’s not remotely comparable. For law, it’s very low so DC will need to get through all those selection tests! What about networking and internships? Also don’t kid yourself every employer is uni blind. Big ones maybe but not everyone goes to them. Selection tests are geared to selecting the best and the best unis still get most through those!

Yes. There is sport in Buckingham. There’s a sports centre. A rugby club and football but not sure about uni teams which again diminishes the uni experience.

Yes a few locals go. There’s employment in MK and Oxford and a few other places. They offer scholarships to locals but the local grammar school sends next to no one there because most want a broader experience of life. I’d guess few Stowe pupils stay either.

It’s ABB for medicine so again low tariff. MK hospital is nowhere near the uni. There’s a new teaching block by the main entrance. I could not imagine training anywhere worse!

Non snobby unis can be ascertained by looking at those with lowest number of privately educated dc. Sheffield and Liverpool don’t have so many privately educated. Buckingham is similar to Cambridge with around 25%.

It is not well regarded for law. So please don't pretend otherwise.

I’m not pretending otherwise, how rude. I said it has a law school. Although I do know someone who successfully went through the law school about 3 years ago and is now in work in that field.

My DD is in the business school and her experience has been excellent so far.

You literally said this Buckingham is known for its medicine, law and business schools. It is certainly not a Mickey Mouse degree!

It is not rude to point out that people should not pretend it is well regarded. It is not "known" for its law school. It may have one as do many other low ranked unis but to say it is known for its law school is simply not true.

Hmmmm - it may be private but fees wise it’s similar to a standard Uni. To be fair to DC they’re right that I’m being snobby as deep down I’m thinking “it’s not Russell group” therefore it’s not respected….and then I have to remind myself that the Russell group is just an association of Unis they made up in 1994 serving their own interests. I get that uni is an opportunity to become more well rounded and have a good experience but with the associated costs I can absolutely see why some think there’s very little justification for the slow pace at which they are attained (I know I can’t speak for everyone but I certainly could have done my degree in 2 years with a little less time in the pub🙈)….. Again, thanks for the opinions, they’re helpful!

What I meant was that’s the schools they have - business, law and medicine. At no point did I say it was well regarded.

OP - what I can say is DD is happy there and doing well. She would be the first to admit to not being academic in the traditional sense hence business suits her well. She went to the local secondary school, didn’t do well in GCSEs (covid year) but did beyond expectation in A levels. She also got offered places at other ‘’normal’ unis (and got the grades to accept them) but this course suited her and due to reasons that are irrelevant to this thread she decided she wanted to stay at home.

She gets a normal student loan and the minimum maintenance loan based on my income (single parent) and then there’s a bit extra to pay.

I know a couple of fairly recent students.

Buckingham suits some. Whilst others may see being small as a disadvantage it works for others. One, who had a serious, life long illness that impacted heavily on his schooling, and then caused him to have a breakdown, getting involved in a druggie scene and then drop out of University, started again at Buckingham. Apart from one episode, where the University were very impressive and worked closely with the parents, he remained on track, took his degree stayed for a Masters and is now getting on with his life.

Ditto a quiet but sociable girl from SE Asia who took her first degree there, enjoying the more sheltered environment, got a first and is now taking her Masters elsewhere. She would be upset at the idea that the degree she worked hard for was considered Mickey Mouse.

MN approves of some Universities, and not others. They all have their place. Buckingham will be the right University for some students. Not least 4.5 years for medicine, starting in January, rather than the standard five means that if you are able to pay the money upfront, over a life of earning you will probably recoup the fees.

I know that Keele offer an accelerated law degree in two years, if you're looking for a more conventional alternative to Buckingham.

But really I don't understand the rush. For the sake of a year, your DC is really restricting the opportunities available to them. Careerwise, what you think will be your path when you start university can completely change by the end of it.

Summer holidays will give them the opportunity to get internships/work experience in different environments, and possibly other countries. A less condensed course will give them chances to participate in clubs and societies, building teamwork and a network of friends for life.

If they're really keen on working ASAP, they could look into degree apprenticeships.

It does not really feature as one from which law firms recruit - https://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/where-to-start/newsletter/law-firms-preferred-universities-2019 although small numbers can have an impact eg fewer would come from St Andrews than Nottingham simply because of numbers differences. It can be a bit of a myth that lots of graduate employers are going institution blind.
If law were being considered and Oxbridge were possible someone would be a complete fool in my view to pick Buckingham.
It might well have its uses for special situations.

Perhaps look on linkedin at recently hired graduates in jobs the son wants to get and see which are the university where most people studied (of the new young people, not older ones).

@Skule Most of the degrees are more than 2 years at Buckingham. Just not 3. Loads of subjects are not available. It’s a uni that doesn’t spend money on sciences or offer MFLs for example. So the student body is very narrow.

@Blinkingbonkers It’s a low tariff uni and it’s not highly regarded by anyone. The tariffs are way below the unis you mention. It would very much matter what degree you were taking as to how quickly you could do it. People doing hard engineering would not do it in 2 years. Maybe it’s you who just didn’t work hard. Could you do a Cambridge degree in 2 years? I doubt the rigour could be achieved in that time. What about degrees from Imperial or LSE?

Maybe in your day internships didn’t matter or work experience. Now they can. It’s almost impossible to find any discipline where Buckingham has any academic clout. They like their “name” VCs but overall it has severe limitations.

RG is shorthand for a group of unis but apart from Bath, St Andrews and a few others, many RG unis are the better ones. You might also complain about the Post 92 Unis or red bricks or ancients as being groups.

If dc is picked out as a possible for Oxbridge there’s little point to Buckingham. Why doesn’t he want to push for a better university? Of course some will do well but enjoying a degree when living at home isn’t the same as going to an elite university where you are challenged. BBC entry will dictate teaching style and level. It’s inevitable. I doubt Economics or Law is going to set the degree holder up for a stellar career in most cases. A poster above usually bats for LSE. Suddenly Buckingham is ok but not for her DS!

Not sure what locals do after their degrees either. Buckingham is hardly the cutting edge of anything!