Why do Napierites stand small?

A University of Edinburgh hoodie is the most popular item sold in the university gift shop and will set you back £26. It’s not just an item of clothing - it’s a status symbol and tells people something about you. Going to Edinburgh is, for some, as much about the badge of honour on your chest as it is about the first class education. Whether that’s a hoodie or participation in some society or another, it’s about feeling part of something significant.

I studied at Edinburgh Napier University, and I wouldn’t be seen dead wearing a hoodie with that name emblazoned across my chest. I could get one in blue or pink; a T-shirt or a sweatshirt; a massive logo in the centre or a discreet red triangle in the corner. They’re nice enough, and 100 per cent cotton - so why not?

Despite Napier being one of the largest universities in Scotland, with nearly 18,000 students and some of the best courses in the country, many of its students - including myself - still feel stigma for attending a former polytechnic.

In the four years I spent at Napier, I frequently found myself defending the decision to study there, even to my own parents. For me, how old or prestigious the university I chose was didn't matter - it was about the course, and the journalism degree I wanted to do wasn't offered at Edinburgh, Glasgow or St Andrews.

And it’s not just Napier. Students from the ‘other’ universities in the capital often feel the same, and with little good reason. Napier gained full university status almost 20 years ago and has become Scotland's top-rated university for graduate employability. Almost 94 per cent of graduates are in work or further study within six months. So what is there to be embarrassed about? What do I care if people scoff when I tell them where I studied, and why should I have to justify myself?

The University of Edinburgh has had 427 years to establish its reputation as one of the best in the world. That’s 407 more than Napier. It’s only natural that there's going to be a little catching-up to do. But the university has to work with the relevant student bodies to make sure that the Napier expeirence is about more than just the course: that students are there to feel part of something; not just to further their own development, but that of the university too.