Finding the best

Red Brick or Red Brick Pretender? We explain which universities belong to what groups and how prestigious that can be...or not!

There is much written in the media about the shortage of places at good universities - so is it just prestige and reputation that constitutes a good university or something else?

With the advent of league tables, departmental inspections and rankings of all shape and sizes it is debatable which universities are ahead of their game. Few however, would argue the prowess on the world stage of Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Yale in arguable order.

Ask both 'what makes a good university' and 'what makes a good university for me.'

Starting points:

The courses offered: Are they really for you? Make sure you look for courses that interest and excite you. Three plus years studying the wrong thing will either equal an eternity or equate to an early exit. 

Reputation and prestige. You may not care about league tables and the perceptions of others but it can make a big difference to career prospects. If you're interested in working for a particular organisation or within a certain field check out which universities they prefer and from where they recruit. 

The quality and type of teaching and instruction. Do you like to be taght and told or does the idea of a few hours of lecture and a lot of independent study research and seminars appeal? Does the idea of a vocational course possibly with a sandwich element appeal or are you very much in the ivory towers league?

Exams: When it comes to exams do you prefer a little or a lot? What suits you? A research-based degree, one that has a considerable element of continual assessment or one that relies on final exams and dissertation?

Location and environment: Don't be stuck in the middle of no-where if your a city boy or girl at heart? Do you want the intimacy of a campus or the freedom of a city? Do you see yourself living and working here for at least 3 years? Does the local student accommodation and social scene match your expectations – if not, does it matter? Is the local cost of living manageable for you?

Activities and amenities:  Do these meet your needs and aspirations?

What motivates you? Money or musings? If the former investigate career prospects carefully, if the latter what are the prospects for graduate study .

Finally: Look at the end product – at final year students and recent graduates – is this you?

Ultimately, what's good, is what is best for you.

Conventional thinking? 

Oxford is the oldest university in Britain, with rival and competitor, Cambridge founded several decades hence. It was a couple of centuries later that Scotland got its first university – in the shape of St Andrews - with the universities of Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh founded before any new universities ap...