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Law is a profession that's seen by many as being dependent on an individual's reputation and accolades. This can sometimes put pressure on aspiring lawyers to believe that if they don’t get a place at Oxford or Cambridge, their chance of success in the industry significantly drops. However, this is simply untrue as although a place at these well-known universities is, of course, impressive, it’s important to remember that a university is about more than a name, it’s about education. 

When searching for a university I put a lot of focus on the individual departments I’d be part of, reading where they were classified in national rankings and the overall percentage satisfaction rate with the education. Not to discredit any big-name universities, but often, the bigger universities don't rank as high in individual categories in terms of student satisfaction as some smaller or lesser-known universities. 

Secondly, it’s important to consider what kind of education suits your style of learning. If you’re someone who benefits from one-to-one conversations with lecturers/teachers and feels that they require a more personalised method of education then sometimes the larger universities can fall behind on that front. However, if you’re someone who's happy to silently blend into the background and complete your work from a distance then the larger universities may be a greater match for you.

In discussions with my friends at larger universities, they’ve stated that they feel that there can be a disconnect between students and lecturers, offset by the potential for less individual pressure as you are being personally examined to a lesser degree. This all comes down to how you personally deal with expectations and standards. If you’re someone who feels they are driven forward by these expectations, then smaller universities may be better for your individual education, while if you feel these can impact the standard of your work, then that may be a point to the larger universities.  

Another important factor is location, as your life outside of your education can have a huge impact on your learning. If you’re someone who prefers to remain closer to home, then there are almost certainly options that provide a good standard of education. This is where a sufficient amount of research is imperative, as some universities closer to home may have courses that are better than that of moving away just for one of the 'bigger names'.  

When I was researching where I’d complete my studies, I knew that I wanted to remain local, so I applied for law courses at Durham, Newcastle and Northumbria. However, while having these big-name universities on the table, it was ultimately the University of Sunderland I landed on. Despite not being a Russell Group or larger name, the course boasted a large satisfaction rate, it had high teaching standards and ultimately fit the method of teaching I knew would suit me best.

Now, after finishing my second year with results that I hope can carry me to a first-class degree in my third year, I know that my decision to go where I knew would be best for me was the correct one.