Good Universities?

Question

Does a good university mean better tution?

I wanted to go to Oxford and Cambridge.

Are they really better than the other universities?

Do they have better tution?

Or are all the universities the same?

does it matter which university you go?

will it be all the same?

Answer 1

The way courses are presented and run at Oxford and Cambridge, and the pattern of study expected, are a lot different from other universities. Certain kinds of students will thrive on it, and certain other kinds would just not be able to cope.

You can only apply to one of these two. Get properly-informed advice from your school before choosing which. If your application gets you an interview, the interviewers will be trying to decide how you are likely to respond to the unique teaching pattern. They are desperately trying to avoid their own previous mistakes in admitting students who didn't cope, because places are so valuable.

Good luck if you apply - but if you are turned down, please believe that it is because you will actually do better under the more typical regime of a different university.

Answer 2

For the top universities in the UK look up the Russell Group. These are older, traditional universities, including Ox and Cam. Note you can only apply to Ox or Cam not both.

Oxford and Cambridge are rather different, in that they are college based and have a lot more one to one tuition. Other good universities are also excellent though.

Every university has a different atmosphere, visit a campus uni and college uni and a city uni to see which you prefer the feel of.

There are definitely different standards of universities, and the uni you go to will affect how future employers see you as well. For this reason, and for the contacts you make, as well as the standard of education, if you can get into one of the top ten-fifteen universities, do. The Times guide to universities should give an indication. However, if you're really arty or you want to study something modern like hospitality, you should try one of the 'new universities'. They used to be polytechnical colleges but were awarded uni status a few years back. They are not very well funded and do not attract the best academics or students, but for vocational courses they can teach quite well I understand. They do not have the same effect on employers though, as one of the well known ones.

Good unis (traditionally)
Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, LSE, Edinburgh, St. Andrews, Durham, Bristol, Aberdeen, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow... and more. I can vouch for excellent tuition at a couple of these.
Most cities will also have a second or even third university, these are usually the 'new universities', with a lesser reputation. So Oxford Brookes, Herriot Watt and Napier, University of the West of England, Glasgow Caledonian.

Answer 3

They're not all the same.

Oxford and Cambridge, as the two oldest universities in England, carry a cachet because of this, and very few employers will overlook this because they are notoriously difficult to get into.

There are hundreds of students with the same top grades and they all compete for a place.

So there are advantages in later life to attending one of these two institutions (such as the 'old boys network' which many do fall back on). However, this doesn't mean you should focus on them to the exclusion of all other universities.

If you have a specific course you want to do, rather than a specific university you want to go to, you would be well advised to do your research as to which universities have a good reputation for that course, because often for a particular career path, it is that which will make the difference, rather than simply having attended Oxbridge.

The academic standard is not the same across the university sector (it can't be, there are simply too many institutions) but making the distinction between whether it is the course/subject that is most important to you or the university you attend should help you make the right decision.

Answer 4

a good university does mean that you'll get a better standard of lecturere as lecturers are selected on the basis of their experience and research work (they also give a paper to existing lecturers at the university which is part of the interivew). a more experience lecturer with more research work (which attracts funding) will be more attracted and attractive to the better universities with a higher rating.

oxford and cambridge have much more one to one time with lecturers.

it does matter which university you go to - they won't all be the same and future employers will look at the university that you went to and inevitably will make judgements on this x

Answer 5

You need to look at the courses not the names of the institutions university rankings can be a bit subjective, for example, university's score higher if their academics produce more published works, but the reality is that an academic working on a book isn't going to be concentrating so much on educating you as one who isn't. It is even worse in the USA where they go in for big "names" on their rolls of lecturers, but mere students are unlikely to ever have real educational contact with one of these names - they are just there to make the university look better.

The bottom line really is that it is down to the student. If you work, you get the results, if you don't the name of the university isn't going to be much help to you.

Answer 6

All universities are good. But you have the space to choose the one you like best,the course you think and like best.

Oxford & Cambridge is this kind of university.There's no worry.Just apply to any university,Oxbridge or harvard,Yale etc.Even a college,or a small friendly university.

just go to the university/college's website and find out more.Plan it properly,get a place and the funding,go for it!!

Good luck~!!

Answer 7

It all depends on what field you want to go into. I believe that each university has their own good points...and i suppose universities such as Oxford, Cambridge or Durham are known to be top of the table....but they may not be if you want to study something creative.

Answer 8

The only difference is the price you pay to study and the people you "meet" or end up sucking up to to get the "good" jobs. Wherever you go don't choose Staffordshire Uni, it's one of the worse ones!

Answer 9

it depends on what you are made of, my friedn in Oxford has v. long holidays but literally have to work daily when in uni. however if you are good enough to go into oxbridge then please get in it, do not waste the opportunity.

Answer 10

It is harder to get into great schools, but your education is similar. You can take the same class at Yale as you can at UConn.