Confused about university
Discussion
Here's the situation. I was planing on going to Newcastle Uni to study mechanical engineering, however on an open day there I decided I didn't like the university. I thought the facilities were poor, and the lecturer I met seemed uninterested. So I declined my offer from them, and I am now left with my insurance choice (now my firm choice) Sunderland Uni. I enjoyed what I saw at Sunderland it seemed to have good facilities for engineering; wind tunnel, 5-axis CNC, laser scanning, and rapid prototyping etc, and lecturers that actually seemed bothered. I would also recieve £2000 in the first year just for going to that university.
Now for my problem, I could through UCAS adjustment, go to a different university, a much more 'reputable' uiniversity. I could go to Warwick, Durham or Loughborough with the grades I'm expecting to get. Would it be foolish not to go to a more reputable university given the chance?
P.S. Sunderland has a pretty good Formula Student team or at least they will do this summer. And I live about 20 mile from the Uni as well, so it is much more cost effective, although I would be living there still, I can choose to come home in the second year if I wish.
Now for my problem, I could through UCAS adjustment, go to a different university, a much more 'reputable' uiniversity. I could go to Warwick, Durham or Loughborough with the grades I'm expecting to get. Would it be foolish not to go to a more reputable university given the chance?
P.S. Sunderland has a pretty good Formula Student team or at least they will do this summer. And I live about 20 mile from the Uni as well, so it is much more cost effective, although I would be living there still, I can choose to come home in the second year if I wish.
depends what they are reputable in, finding a uni thexcelat is reputable as a whole can be good but it's important to find out if they excell in your area or not, find out what the average grades are for graduates in the area you are going to study in, go and visit Warwick and L'boro, I have had friends do engineering in both Warwick and L'boro and know they are fairly good but not S'land so can't compare.
I was lucky because the nearest uni to me is one of the best in the country for my area of study and has amazing facilities, however I have been told other subjects are not so excellent. That's the most important thing to look at. Oh and also how good the union is
I was lucky because the nearest uni to me is one of the best in the country for my area of study and has amazing facilities, however I have been told other subjects are not so excellent. That's the most important thing to look at. Oh and also how good the union is
Go to the best Uni you can with your budget and grades. However the more established Unis will have better contacts and relationships for the all important work placements and post grad jobs.
Either way, good luck and don’t buy the '2 pint' pitchers on fresher nights, the bad beer just tastes worse
Oh and another thing, make sure you live in halls, do not commute from home!
Either way, good luck and don’t buy the '2 pint' pitchers on fresher nights, the bad beer just tastes worse
Oh and another thing, make sure you live in halls, do not commute from home!
Edited by SoapyShowerBoy on Tuesday 14th July 16:35
If you like the uni go there. Simples.
It is true to say Loughbrough has quite a big alumni in automotive engineering - I used to work in R&D at Ford and everyone my age (apart from me) seemed to have come from that one university. However, coming from a less prestigious uni never did me any harm and it meant I perhaps got a slightly more 'hands on' education (Locost racing, Formula Student etc) than I would have elsewhere.
Three years is a long time though and long after you've got your first job and employers have forgotten about where you were educated you'll probably still be in touch with the people you met, so find one you like and enjoy it. Unless you can endure three or fours years at Oxbridge I wouldn't worry too much about the snob value of the name.
It is true to say Loughbrough has quite a big alumni in automotive engineering - I used to work in R&D at Ford and everyone my age (apart from me) seemed to have come from that one university. However, coming from a less prestigious uni never did me any harm and it meant I perhaps got a slightly more 'hands on' education (Locost racing, Formula Student etc) than I would have elsewhere.
Three years is a long time though and long after you've got your first job and employers have forgotten about where you were educated you'll probably still be in touch with the people you met, so find one you like and enjoy it. Unless you can endure three or fours years at Oxbridge I wouldn't worry too much about the snob value of the name.
I doubt you want to hear this, but you've probably made a mistake in turning down Newcastle. I started a three year mechanical engineering course at Newcastle, and ended up staying for a four year masters degree. Great university, great city to be a student in, and in general very good lecturers. The mech eng department has got a lot of links with big engineering companies meaning that you've got a good chance of getting a 'real world' project for your dissertation (I worked with the the local Railway company on some train engineering reliability issues). After a few years working in the real world since graduation I can testify that engineering graduates from Newcastle are respected and in demand. This is also evident at the annual 'milk rounds' when a lot of good engineering companies come to Newcastle Uni looking to recruit engineering graduates.
Not a lot of help in answering your questions, but I thought that some comments from someone who has been there might throw some more light on things, and also add a note of caution about judging a place based on a quick open day visit and the few people you happen to meet during it.
Not a lot of help in answering your questions, but I thought that some comments from someone who has been there might throw some more light on things, and also add a note of caution about judging a place based on a quick open day visit and the few people you happen to meet during it.
Have you got any idea what field you would like to be in? Ring and ask employers what they think - do they favour candidates from certain uni's? Is there a professional body - ring and ask to speak to the education department for feedback.
It certainly happens in my industry.
It certainly happens in my industry.
Edited by davidjpowell on Tuesday 14th July 16:41
I would say the uni that is ranked the best in the specific [i]subject[/] you are doing, rather than just the best overall. Afterall, a first at an 'average' uni is better than a 2:1 at Oxbridge because you went there for the kudos of going to a first rate uni, but the facilities and teaching meant you could only get a 2:1.
Having said that, the only way to really judge how good a uni is is by visiting them (as you seem to have found). Judging by league tables alone is impossible, they vary so much. For example my uni is ranked 3rd in the UK for my subject in one table, and then 10th in another table (Guardian and The Times). Are there any open days on at Warwick and the other unis that you can visit before you have to make a decision?
Having said that, the only way to really judge how good a uni is is by visiting them (as you seem to have found). Judging by league tables alone is impossible, they vary so much. For example my uni is ranked 3rd in the UK for my subject in one table, and then 10th in another table (Guardian and The Times). Are there any open days on at Warwick and the other unis that you can visit before you have to make a decision?
pokethepope]I would say the uni that is ranked the best in the specific [i]subject[/ said:
you are doing, rather than just the best overall. Afterall, a first at an 'average' uni is better than a 2:1 at Oxbridge because you went there for the kudos of going to a first rate uni, but the facilities and teaching meant you could only get a 2:1.
Depending on what career you are actually after once you have a degree, a 2:1 at oxbridge will open a lot more doors than a first from newcastle/sunderland IMHOEither way you will get a degree. And if you come across well in interviews and applications where you got it from shouldn't make that much difference. Sunderland is by no means a bad university, it just isn't quite as prestigous as the others you mentioned. If you liked it go there, enjoy your grant, and your time there and come out of it with a degree and having not had to spend X amount of years rubbing shoulders with some pretentious snobs.
You go to the Unis with the reps and the Depts with the reps. Then you pick the ones you get good vibes from.
Durham and Warwick are both excellent Unis with good reps and good engineering reps. Durham is a superb student town, whilst Warwick Uni is actually spread out over a very large area and it depends which campus you are on. As far as I can tell most of Warwick Uni is actually in Coventry! Lough again has an excellent rep and I keep being told its a good student town (my sis and bro in law went there) but from my experience I think the place is dull as f
k.
Of all the places you mentioned the only one I absolutely wouldnt go for is Sunderland!
Oh and a piece of non industry/work related advice, but more general Uni advice, *never* go to a Uni near home. Go at least 100+miles away.
If you do pick Mech Eng. at Warwick Uni, keep in touch and Ill see if we can get you a work placement/experience with my lot.
Durham and Warwick are both excellent Unis with good reps and good engineering reps. Durham is a superb student town, whilst Warwick Uni is actually spread out over a very large area and it depends which campus you are on. As far as I can tell most of Warwick Uni is actually in Coventry! Lough again has an excellent rep and I keep being told its a good student town (my sis and bro in law went there) but from my experience I think the place is dull as f
k.Of all the places you mentioned the only one I absolutely wouldnt go for is Sunderland!
Oh and a piece of non industry/work related advice, but more general Uni advice, *never* go to a Uni near home. Go at least 100+miles away.
If you do pick Mech Eng. at Warwick Uni, keep in touch and Ill see if we can get you a work placement/experience with my lot.
Adam B said:
pokethepope]I would say the uni that is ranked the best in the specific [i]subject[/ said:
you are doing, rather than just the best overall. Afterall, a first at an 'average' uni is better than a 2:1 at Oxbridge because you went there for the kudos of going to a first rate uni, but the facilities and teaching meant you could only get a 2:1.
Depending on what career you are actually after once you have a degree, a 2:1 at oxbridge will open a lot more doors than a first from newcastle/sunderland IMHOI did Mech Eng at uni and graduated last year, my experience is that your degree is just a foot in the door, so to speak.
I graduated from Manchester (although it was UMIST when I started and I got a UMIST degree) but in fairness I don't think it matters.
I am on a grad scheme of an intake of 140 of us and there are people from all different uni's, I think the only thing in common is that none of us got a 3rd.
As for links with industry and alumni I think its balls, Manchester never used any of its alleged links to industry and there Mech Eng was woefully ran, with a head of year who didn’t know his arse from his elbow, and the course was at least 20 years out of date with very little CAD and industry relevant topics.
You can get involved in industry by applying for internships and placements in your summers at uni, it teaches you about apply for the job process and interviewing and IMO shows you will get off your arse and want to get ahead.
I think most Mech Eng degrees are similar, the only one i've heard that was different was a colleague telling me about Oxford Brookes and how it was much more hands on and their head of year is Geoff Goddard which is pretty impressive, but he does a similar job to me and is paid the same money (my colleague, not GG).
Good luck with your choice, if it was me choosing again i'd go where I felt most comfortable and balls to the kudos factor, if you’re a competent engineer it won't matter.
I graduated from Manchester (although it was UMIST when I started and I got a UMIST degree) but in fairness I don't think it matters.
I am on a grad scheme of an intake of 140 of us and there are people from all different uni's, I think the only thing in common is that none of us got a 3rd.
As for links with industry and alumni I think its balls, Manchester never used any of its alleged links to industry and there Mech Eng was woefully ran, with a head of year who didn’t know his arse from his elbow, and the course was at least 20 years out of date with very little CAD and industry relevant topics.
You can get involved in industry by applying for internships and placements in your summers at uni, it teaches you about apply for the job process and interviewing and IMO shows you will get off your arse and want to get ahead.
I think most Mech Eng degrees are similar, the only one i've heard that was different was a colleague telling me about Oxford Brookes and how it was much more hands on and their head of year is Geoff Goddard which is pretty impressive, but he does a similar job to me and is paid the same money (my colleague, not GG).
Good luck with your choice, if it was me choosing again i'd go where I felt most comfortable and balls to the kudos factor, if you’re a competent engineer it won't matter.
When I did the rounds of visiting universities/polytechnics (as they were in those days) I had decided beforehand that I really wanted to go to Newcastle. I visited both the uni and poly for an electrical engineering course and was accepted on both.
Even though I preferred the people, course content and 'feel' of the poly I actually went to Newcastle uni instead, mainly because of the 'prestige' of going to a uni rather than poly, and I suppose a lot of my friends were going there too and I would have been the odd-one-out by going to the poly.
Various things went wrong with the course, including the fact that I actually wanted to do Maths, and to cut a long story short I quit at Christmas after one term.
The following year I went back to Newcastle to do my maths degree but at the poly, by then Northumbria uni. From my own experience go to the place that you feel most comfortable in and that you think you'll achieve your potential at.
I went back to Newcastle uni to do my masters and really the place is just too academic for me and I preferred the more easy going feel of the poly and the way they gear you up for real work.
So shop around and visit other institutions but don't let the fact that it's 'only Sunderland uni' put you off.
Even though I preferred the people, course content and 'feel' of the poly I actually went to Newcastle uni instead, mainly because of the 'prestige' of going to a uni rather than poly, and I suppose a lot of my friends were going there too and I would have been the odd-one-out by going to the poly.
Various things went wrong with the course, including the fact that I actually wanted to do Maths, and to cut a long story short I quit at Christmas after one term.
The following year I went back to Newcastle to do my maths degree but at the poly, by then Northumbria uni. From my own experience go to the place that you feel most comfortable in and that you think you'll achieve your potential at.
I went back to Newcastle uni to do my masters and really the place is just too academic for me and I preferred the more easy going feel of the poly and the way they gear you up for real work.
So shop around and visit other institutions but don't let the fact that it's 'only Sunderland uni' put you off.
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