UEA and social class

[Changinforaday]

So I know that some universities have a reputation for having a big "posh" and wealthy element - Durham, Exeter, Bristol in particular.

What is UEA like socially?

I had friends years ago who went there and they were all really quirky, interesting and clever people, but never part of that "posh set".

I am wondering if this is still the case or if it's changed substantially.

Thanks

I live locally and have dc of University age. I work with lots of people who came to Norwich as a student at the UEA and stayed. Lots of dc's friends have gone to UEA as it encourages local kids with unconditional offers.

It's not posh. The alumni I've met have been generally lovely people.

It is a lovely university and Norwich as a city is beautiful and has lots going on. I'm certain their employment links are foos. There is a science park in Norwich, and there are tech companies and Cambridge just along the A11. It's not rural like Exeter is.

I'm sure local DC aren't choosing it because they are too scared to go anywhere else in case of wealthy people! If they're first time uni goers, they possibly haven't funds to visit universities in the north or south west.

We only knew a couple who went to UEA from the academic London private school bubble, both very bright but wanting to create some distance from their peers. One had hung out with a particularly druggy set until half way through year 12, when he got a nasty shock and wound up in hospital. To his credit he then got his head down and his academics back on track, but selected UEA over an offer from Bristol because it did his subject well and he felt there would be fewer affluent parties and less temptation. Ie because it did not have a "posh" reputation.

Others with a similar grade profile would more normally head for Sussex which seems to attract more London private school kids.

Many parents didn’t go to uni but are pretty wealthy! I think the enticement of unconditional offers is probably key and dc not wanting to move away because their mates don’t.

Druggies are posh are they? Flawed logic from the privileged of Westminster School! Many people are very poor because they do drugs and a few years ago more people had died from drugs in Norwich than any London Borough.

Don't be so patronising. There are druggie sets amongst all social groups.

“At UEA there would be fewer affluent parties and less temptation”.. That clearly reads as poorer students at UEA so fewer drugs: if your story is to be believed. Thats what you said about UAE @Needmoresleep. i now see I’m being patronising! I’m well aware there are people who take drugs everywhere and have said it time and time again on MN. There are drugs in all sections of society and sadly it appears quite a lot in Norfolk who could well be poor and die from drugs.

I went to UEA in the late 80’s early 90’s. It was quite posh then - the Rah’s (as they were known) occupied the History of Art Course (v well regarded), creative writing (natch) and drama. A few were also to be found in the law school.

Alumnae from my time included Jack Davenport, Gonch from Grange Hill, Geriant Vincent (the newsreader) one of the 3am girls from the Daily Mirror, an Ipswich footballer and many who claimed to be Nigerian royalty. A mixed bag I think you could say 😂

I loved the diversity of the students which was quite the reverse of the local population at the time…!

The drug scene was quite big though - not confined to any one social class.

There is a huge problem with drugs amongst young people all across east Anglia. It’s not confined to a particular social group. Anyone who lives here will be aware of that.

UEA is not posh, it doesn't have that kind of vibe at all. My son went to a 'posh' uni and UEA is not at all like it, I am very familiar with UEA and the area.

From the data published annually by HESA www.hesa.ac.uk we can see for any UK uni how local or regional its UK undergrad contingent is.

This is the most recent for UEA. Showing perhaps unsurprisingly that Norfolk, at just over 20%, provides the largest single proportion. 17% then come from London, another 19% from Suffolk, and 9% from Essex.

The table lists those areas that make up a cumulative 85% - all from East of England, London, East Mids or South East. Again no great surprise.

The taking the county of Norfolk, the second table shows the 25 unis with the most undergrads from Norfolk . With those 25 taking around 68% of all undergrads from that county.

As a comparison with other county areas in the East of England. Top 25 uni destinations for Suffolk and Cambridgeshire; both having a very similar number of undergrads to Norfolk. Top 25% account for 68% and 65% of undergrads from those two areas.

Both Hertfordshire and Essex have significantly higher numbers of undergrads. And in the case of Herts much better transport links - MI and East Coast Mainline.

Then comparative figures for the bigger South-East region county areas - Hampshire; Surrey and Kent

and as it would be remiss not to include, plus it has a fairly similar number of undergrads to Norfolk, Buckinghamshire. Those top 25 account for 58% of Bucks undergrads so a quite marked difference; but again much to do with reasonable access to at least three motorways M1, M4 and M40

My DD is currently at UEA and loves it.
She went to a private secondary from a state primary in South London.
She has made lots of friends, from a mix of backgrounds, and not all from the south east. @Changinforaday DD is quirky, intelligent (3A*s at A level) and for the first time in her life has made friends who are similar and have accepted her. I think there is a definite quirky vibe going on at the uni. The open days and events were welcoming, friendly and genuine compared to others we'd done, including those at RG unis.
It's currently ranked as a top 25 uni (I've seen 2 different league tables showing ranks of 23 and 21).

@boys. I think I mentioned earlier: my friends with their “East Anglian Boy”. If you add Suffolk and Norfolk together you get nearly 40% at UEA. That’s msssive. More than private school educated pupils more or less anywhere. Add in Essex and it definitely is. So yes UEA is supporting its local community.

I don’t think transport is the only consideration in Bucks. Bucks has a very high HE participation rate. Norfolk is one of the lowest. Maybe that means DC in Bucks do not look local (not a great uni either) as many more are qualified to go to first tier unis. In my village (we are tiny) apart from 2 to London and 1 to Oxford, dc have travelled some distances - that I know of. The M1 isn’t that handy! Maybe parents are ok with a 4 hour drive!

All the 'posh' people I know are quite quirky, interesting and clever.
Anyway, people will find their people if they look for them. And might even find a few they like from different backgrounds!
My privately educated white-British daughter has found her people who are from three different countries and all state school educated. Their common ground is they are all doing art. It's their shared passion and current situation that binds them.

@mondaytosunday Exactly! The seeds of division are sown very young in the uk. We need to do the opposite.

When we visited UEA the head of department told us that nearly all students in the department were from the south or East of England - “Herts, Suffolk, Norfolk, London, Kent, Essex, Berks - that sort of area” - no international students at UG level and “I think there is one person from up North.”

So no comment on class but certainly for the department we looked at, at UG level, there seemed little geographical diversity.

Compared with the other 10 or so unis we have visited it stood out for this. Not in a good way, for us.

Universities are much much bigger now than in the mid nineties and educate many more students. It's harder for a university to have a particular profile. They are all more mixed.

@ReplenishMyCoffee I don't know which department that was but it's not all true for the uni as a whole. Certainly the majority are from the SE/South, my DD has made friends with students from all over the country. There is also a lot of overseas students - she had a couple in her flat, and in her course. The mix isn't as strong as some unis, but it is there.

I went there albeit twenty odd years ago! There were some posho types but they were definitely in the minority. My group of friends was pretty varied socially. I'd say there was a good mix of different backgrounds.

I remember loads of people from Essex when I went there.