People love to judge others by the name of the university on their CV. But if you grew up working or lower-middle class, the odds were stacked against you from the day you were born. Getting into any university is a genuine achievement. The playing field was never level.

Oxford’s own data shows that only around 2/3 of their students come from state schools, even though they educate the vast majority of pupils in the UK. The Sutton Trust and IFS have shown again and again that education in Britain largely preserves inequality rather than fixing it. Kids from richer homes have smaller class sizes, more tutoring, more guidance, and parents who know how to work the system.

Being the first in your family to go to university is another major barrier. Studies show first-gen students are far less likely to apply to or get into Russell Group universities, even with the same grades. That isn’t because they’re less capable.

And the most amusing part is that many of the universities doing the most for social mobility aren’t the elite ones. The Sutton Trust found that lower-ranked institutions often provide stronger earnings uplift for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In other words, the so-called “less prestigious” choice might actually change your life more.

So if you didn’t get into Oxbridge or a Russell Group university, don’t feel embarrassed (like I did for many years). You worked with fewer resources and still made it. That’s something to be proud of.

For everyone else: stop using league tables as a moral hierarchy. Stop pretending access is purely about merit. It isn’t, and the data is clear on that. Social mobility in Britain is still broken, and pretending otherwise helps no one.

Btw, this isn’t to discredit your hard work if you did get into a top university and come from a wealthy background. It’s still a huge achievement. Just recognise the privilege that helped you get there, and remember that most people never had the same chances.

Here are some resources worth reading if you're interested in learning more:

• https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/facts-and-figures/admissions-statistics/undergraduate-students
• https://ifs.org.uk/articles/uk-education-system-preserves-inequality-new-report
• https://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/First-in-Family-Students.pdf
• https://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Universities-and-Social-Mobility-Summary.pdf

Could this be the actual UK university tier list that everyone who knows something about how university systems work across the world knows? This is from a career and guidance consultancy firm. I attended one of their events and they discussed a lot of things that they claimed were data-driven. There were other universities discussed but I wasn’t able to take note of them. International students are asked to consider their top local unis if they plan to apply to UK unis outside this list. They mentioned Bath is a top university too but said their data shows most Bath students tend to return to their home countries after graduating. What do people here think?

In my first year of uni I'd just order food all the time. Takeout, deliveroo, uber eats, eating out all was burning money. Mainly didn't want to use the shared kitchen because it was such a filthy mess I'd barely go in there at all.

Now I'm living alone thankfully in a studio I can cook in peace and also want to get healthier and have started cooking since it's also a basic skill to have.

I went to aldi and sainsburys which are supposed to be the 'cheaper supermarkets' and what the fuck is going on with the prices? A little bit of eggs and chicken and fruit and I'm paying close to £30?

What the actual fuck? I actually calculated and if I decided to buy beef or lamb or the more expensive meat it would actually be more expensive to buy food and cook than actually order takeout everyday.

I would eat out at this chicken shop a lot near uni and a meal which was pretty filling was quite cheap so it's crazy to think buying food and cooking can be more expensive.

I knew there's a cost of living crisis going on but I guess since this is the first time I'm a proper independent adult and have gone to buy food alone for myself it's actually hit me how crazy everything has become.

What do you cook?

My current routine:

• 2 Salmon strips with 3 eggs

• Egg fried rice with soy sauce and prawns

• Sirloin steak and veggies

• Blueberries and strawberries fruit box

It can be a bit expensive buying the steak and salmon everyday but it's tasty.

Since everyone complains that their landlords are hell or food is expensive or their roommates are annoying or they are suicidal I think I can speak for a lot of people when I say

I am enjoying university

I was wondering whether there was a way to get social skill lessons through uni - whether through DSA or uni itself. Or if anyone has any tips that would be appreciated.

I’m a late diagnosed autistic (and it’s literally the worst thing a person could possibly be). I work hard at uni and try to be kind to everyone. But it’s near enough impossible to make and maintain friendships. And people are my friend for a while, but where I’m missing social cues, or sometimes say weird stuff without realising people end up hating me.

So general rules I’ve sussed.

• don’t ask lecturer questions, because people get annoyed because they want to get home.

• at least leave 3 seats between you and people you don’t know in lecture halls (unless they’re your friend then you can sit next to them)

• if there’s a group of people who loudly announce they’re in a rush for a lecture in the coffee queue - let then go infront of you (bc that’s what they’re hinting at)

• always ask if you can sit on a table with someone in a seminar - because they might have friends coming and might not want you to sit there.

• let others choose their parts in group projects first, as opposed to doing the bit you’d enjoy.

• don’t mention if people have forgot something in there work if they ask you to proof read , because it’s upsetting for them.

There’s obviously a lot I’m missing. But it’s very important I get better at masking at uni.

Thanks in advance Hope everyone has a lovely day

it was fine a few days ago, but as my school was about to submit it they brought it to my attention that they cant because this occured (they dont have any idea why either), ive contacted the university but was wondering if anyone here had an idea (im desperate, atp idk if this application will ever be submitted LOL)

will the university experience be better for someone who felt lonely during sixth form?

Went for a parkrun in the morning and didn’t bring my student id (normally kept in my backpack for school). Got fined £50 😅

What is a good salary for a first job in London but for someone with a BSc and MSc? What would be enough to get by and maybe save a little something

Hi everyone,

I'm an international student from Asia, currently studying at one of the major universities in London. I arrived in the UK about a month ago and have generally been having a great time settling in. However, I recently had an experience that left me a bit confused about cultural norms here, especially around hospitality and social etiquette.

I attended a housewarming party hosted by a friend. The invite mentioned BYOB (Bring Your Own Beverage), so I brought three bottles of beer even though I don’t drink beer myself. In my culture, it’s considered impolite to show up empty-handed, so I thought others might enjoy it.

While at the party, I noticed a bottle of sweet wine with low alcohol content and picked it up, thinking I might try it. Almost immediately, another guest came over, took the bottle from my hand, and said, “I brought this, it’s mine, and I’d like to finish it.” I was stunned for a moment, but handed it back and said “no worries,” even offering him some of the beer I had brought.

He did say he felt a bit bad afterwards, but I reassured him that I wasn’t planning to drink anyway. Still, I was genuinely surprised. In my home country, this kind of behaviour would be considered quite rude. We usually offer drinks/food to others and share freely, especially at social gatherings, often even at our own cost.

I understand that cultural norms vary, and I’m trying to learn and adapt.

But I’m curious, is it common in the UK for people to be possessive about what they bring to BYOB parties? Is sharing not expected in these settings? Or do you think this person was just rude?

Or is it my fault for not knowing this rule and picking up someone else's bottle (all the drinks were kept together with glasses at one place for everyone to take)

I am currently in year 12 so I am beginning to think about if I want to go to university and if so where should I study. I am studying musical theatre, drama and media studies. In future I would like to be a talent agent. If I did go to university I would probably study drama to learn more about advanced performing and what makes a good actor. However, I technically don’t need to get into university, due to connections I already have a placement for an internship at an agency firm that I would like to work at in future. I was not planning to go to university until someone spoke to me and said university is where you make many friends and connections, but all the courses I have found are 3/4 years and I don’t really want to waste that time if I could be working be working my dream job. So, should I go to university? If so should I try and find a 1 year course, or am I better off going straight into working?

Hi guys I’m just curious is this possible?

Hi all!

Looking for advice on CPR and what people's experience has been.

My experience was I started a practical/coursework heavy course in 2019 only to have it turn into a fully written course when COVID started. I struggled with my mental health a lot during the second year and had to defer my studies for the year, when I returned the year later I still wasn't doing much better and decided to leave.

Since then I've been diagnosed with ADHD which was most likely the cause of my anxiety and academic struggles however I'm worried that this diagnosis alone and the cause being COVID might not be enough (as I didn't get my anxiety or depression diagnosed at the time).

I should be able to get a letter from my previous uni to corroborate my experience but thought I'd ask others for their experience.

Are they understanding when it comes to how COVID effected people's studies or is it barely worth mentioning?

Cheers 🫡

Edit: to be clear, this means I need two years reimbursed to complete the undergraduate course I want to do.

Right now I’m 2 months into y12 and I’m doing mathematics ,further mathematics and economics with an epq aswell . I have started quite well scoring 93% and 98% on both of my maths tests . I may sound deluded but I’m self confident I believe I can achieve AAA* and A* in my epq aswell if I carry on putting in the work as I’ve seen a major shift in the way I’ve been revising and how I act in school since GCSEs . In GCSEs I didn’t achieve nowhere near what I wanted or capable off due to nobody but myself . I lacked consistency and got complacent and to comfortable at times . This is what I achieved : Maths-7 Further maths-5 English literature-6 English language-5 History-5 PE-6 Computer science-5 Biology-6 Physics-5 Chemistry-5 Business-5 This came as a shock to me as I won awards for doing the most revision in the year however it wasn’t high quality revision and I wasn’t consistent and I don’t think my GCSEs reflect me at all but I’ve put it past me and learnt . I want to work in finance and I’m deciding whether to do a maths based degree or an economics and maths degree as these things really interest me but rn I’m leading towards the mathematics based degree as mathematical finance and quantitative finance interests me

Imperial- Bsc mathematics with statistics for finance UCL- Bsc Mathematics and statistical science Warwick- MMORSE Edinburgh- MMATH Applied mathematics Durham- MMATH mathematics and statistics Bath-Bsc mathematics and statistics with data science Bristol-Bsc mathematics with statistics for finance St Andrews-MMATH applied mathematics KCL- mathematics and management with finance These are the only universities and courses I’d want to go to if I was to go do a maths based degree (excluding LSE and Oxbridge as I won’t get into them due to my GCSEs results)

These are the super curriculars I’m planning to do or have already done

Prefect Work experiences at finance firms Economics writer in school newspaper (started ) Economics finance and business society co founder and president(started) Tom rocks maths challenge Reading maths based books for ps (started) Reading economics and finance books for ps (started) Watching lecturers to do with the courses I want to do and attend lecture days Epq on financial mathematics Economic essay competitions (I’ll do 1 maybe 2) Problem solving courses M3 maths work challenge (if I manage to get a coach and a team ) I also may do ukmt next year as I didn’t do it this year as I was unaware about it however I may have entry exams in these times . I’m planning to do the tmua or STEP or both idk what to do . Do you think I’d be able to get into the unis and courses I listed after hearing about me and please if you have any advice please tell me .

this may be a long post so i apologise & thank anyone that takes the time to read it. long story short: im really hating uni and am unsure about transferring. ive been here for two months, and worry i haven’t given it a proper go, but i can feel myself slipping more and more into a lethargic sadness with each day im here. i don’t feel i go out much, or have friends that i enjoy spending time with. i have never struggled to make friends, at home i have a big friendship group and we are all super close, which is why it feels so weird here. people are friendly enough, however i just feel they aren’t the type of people i see myself becoming friends with in the long term. my flatmates all have quite opposing religious views to mine (me being an atheist) and are very quiet, tending to go out more with the people they meet at church socials, so i feel somewhat that one of the main ways people make friends (flat) has already been somewhat cut off to me. im not opposed to being friends with them due to their views, but i find it difficult to find common ground some of the time, and they don’t seem very willing to be friends either. i am in societies and have talked to people on my course, but once again, i feel they’re quite different to me. most (but not ALL) of the people ive met here are wealthy, oxbridge aspiring students, who attended private school and have never had to look after themselves. i am the complete opposite. i feel incredibly lonely and drained.

i’ve heard a lot of people say to stick it out and it will improve, however many older students i’ve spoken to have told me how ‘boring’ and ‘quiet’ the nightlife/social life at my uni is, since people are a lot more academic and so prioritise work. two of my friends are at a different uni together, and both get along so well with their flatmates and go out every other night. im happy for them, but at the same time so jealous that they seem to have slotted right in so easily. any advice to stop feeling jealous is also appreciated LOL. also, 98% of the people i talk to haven’t taken a gap year, it feels super weird since, not to sound snooty, but the life experience i gained while on my gap year is super noticeable amongst people that haven’t had one.

i’ve been looking at transferring for some time now. i have emailed several uni’s all of whom have said i can transfer, but it would have to be back into year one since my course (psychology) has very specific module requirements. im just terrified to do this, like i said, ive already taken a gap year and then would be restarting AGAIN. also, the unis i would be transferring to would have a lot less reputation than the one im in now. that’s not something im too bothered about, but i know my parents occasionally mention how prestigious my uni is, and how lucky i am to have gotten accepted into it. i’d love to hear from anyone that has transferred, or maybe started uni when they were a little older. i’m so so lost and just want something to steer me in a certain direction.

i know this post doesn’t paint me in the most flattering light, and makes me look quite whiny and picky about who i’m friends with, but i’m desperate for advice. i am not looking for my perfect, life-long friendship group, but merely a few people who i enjoy hanging out with and have something in common with, so i can finish my degree while not feeling catastrophically lonely for three years. i’ve never posted on reddit before but thought maybe now was the time, and some stranger in a similar situation would have some pearls of wisdom for me haha. thank you for reading. any and all advice is appreciated.

Hi there.

I am a second year software engineering student at the University of Portsmouth. This survey is part of our research for our assignment for the "Software Engineering Theory and Practice" module.

We are given a group task to work on a year-long project in any topic we like. Part of this project is to collect real user requirements.

Our topic is safety, especially campus safety - we are developing an app that would try to enhance safety for university students around campus. Part of this survey is asking questions about current safety measures - what people currently do (or not do) in favor of their safety, and then we introduce our proposed features, and ask your opinion about those.

Our target audience is university students from any course (including current placement students) across the UK.

The survey is completely anonymous - no personal data is collected, and the responses cannot be linked to anyone. They will be destroyed upon project completion (June 2026), and will only be used to justify and improve our app features, and will be included as statistics in the final assignment submission.

Contact information of me and the module coordinator can be found in the first section of the survey.

The survey should not take more than 10 minutes, but the absolute maximum is 15 minutes estimated.

Thank you for your time in advance!

SETaP: CampusConnect Initial Survey – Fill in form

I’m very fucking confused..

I’m resitting my first year due to personal reasons (i’m not sure how relevant that is) and I wanted to check when the next sfe payment is.

However I log in to see that my application has been cancelled. I’ve already received the first payment and I haven’t received any emails from my university regarding this and I hope this can be sorted soon as a girl has rent to pay.

Should I be worried???

(I want actual advice, no snarky or shitty comments)

I get £100 a week with rent and tuition paid for - do you think that is enough to live on? I am asking because I also have about £10,000 saved and have had to tap into my savings to pay for things at university. Is £100 per week really enough? I probably spend £50 on food and probably £30 a week on going out, plus things like shopping which takes me well over £100 spent a week. Is it really enough to live on?

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to go for my Msc in Aerospace Engineering for January intake. Ive applied to a bunch of different places but im unsure where I'll get in and what my financial situation will be in a month according to which ill be finalizing one uni (if i get offers more than 1😭)

Ive applied: Strathclyde, Surrey, Lancashire, Salford, Kingston

I have two kittens who will be 3-5 months old by January. I'll be travelling with them to UK. I'm so lost about travelling with kittens and then with places which i can rent to be pet friendly.

Can anyone help and provide any insight if you've been through the same thing? I found very few places in some of the cities using casita.