The Student Room Group

Are "stupid" students bullied at Cambridge?

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Original post by Platopus
You really are so kind, and this is going to sound horrible but (whispers)... I just don't believe you. I promise it's not personal! Sorry, I'm a very annoying person.


Thank you, I hope so!


Don't worry! You will be fine!
Reply 21
Original post by Wired_1800
You will be fine. Just continue to work as hard as you have already done. Be open and friendly with your peers and supervisors. Give it your best and watch yourself blossom. Cambridge did not admit you because of a statistic, they chose you because they saw something good in you.

All the best. Go rock it.

I like that sentiment, thank you! Hopefully they can appreciate my love of and enthusiasm for the subject even if I do make silly mistakes.
Reply 22
Original post by Platopus
You really are so kind, and this is going to sound horrible but (whispers)... I just don't believe you. I promise it's not personal! Sorry, I'm a very annoying person.


You don't need to believe me... believe in yourself. Cambridge does. :smile:

(Whispers; it's a very normal and understandable feeling.)
Reply 23
Original post by jneill
believe in yourself. Cambridge does. :smile:

PRSOM That actually made me feel teary - stupid I know. I want to make it my motto for the next two months!
Original post by Platopus
A third is useless? I would be happy with a third from any uni. I thought anything over a pass was good!

Laughed at for getting an A - that's extreme. And unkind. I'm not sure I'd like to be laughed at even if it was playful/competitive.


A third from any Uni will pretty much destroy any chance you have at getting a half-decent job as a Grad. For the significant majority of companies at least.
Original post by the bear
a third class degree from Cambridge still trumps up to 2:1 from other yoonys


This is just unbelievably false! Someone attending Warwick/LSE/UCL etc getting a 2:1 in say Economics, IS going to trump someone with a 3rd from Cambridge. The academic rigour at these other top-class institutions is very close to that of Oxbridge if not similar (for Economics specifically, Warwick is on par with Oxbridge) so please don't say that.
Original post by Fas
This is just unbelievably false! Someone attending Warwick/LSE/UCL etc getting a 2:1 in say Economics, IS going to trump someone with a 3rd from Cambridge. The academic rigour at these other top-class institutions is very close to that of Oxbridge if not similar (for Economics specifically, Warwick is on par with Oxbridge) so please don't say that.


it is true tho'
I'm with the notion that most people there simply don't have the time to think about your grades and bully you :yes:

I'm sure you'll be great anyway, just be yourself and work hard!!
I have a sister whose in her final year at Oxford and she was telling me how there's honestly no such thing as stupid in her college apart from when someone's being immature. Everyone managed to get into Oxford through something that the interviewers and admissions tutor liked.

If you can beat thousands of other Cambridge rejects and get a place, then you're most defo not stupid.
Reply 29
You've been given an offer for a reason! :smile: From my experience of Cambridge, most people are incredibly self-depricating (though there are a fair few egos...), and so will probably be thinking the exact same things as you. Don't doubt yourself - Cambridge is there is to give you an experience as well as an education, and besides your degree, you may well excel at things you never even knew of.
Original post by the bear
a third class degree from Cambridge still trumps up to 2:1 from other yoonys


lol

depends.
Original post by the bear
it is true tho'


Except its not :wink:
Original post by the bear
it is true tho'


That isn't a great incentive to work hard :frown:
I can sympathise with the feeling of not being good enough or being at the bottom of the pile. You've been given excellent advice above and I echo this.

In answer to the titular question, it's a resounding "no".
Original post by Fas
Except its not :wink:


causa latet, vis est notissima


translation compliance:

Spoiler

I'm sure there are not any "dumb" people at Cambridge lol - after all we're talking about the best students in the country both on paper and, where their on-paper record has failed to take account of their true ability, the interview has been there to ensure that the most academically rounded people (within their chosen subject of course) have been picked, so there's hardly going to be anyone who might have gotten in because of a flukey exam record and nothing else. In fact I've heard that students aremore like to form a "camaraderie", since evryone acknowledges how difficult the work is :smile:
Reply 36
Original post by Fas
Except its not :wink:


Meanwhile in the real world you'll find a Gentleman's (or Lady's) degree won't much hinder you.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Try not to worry about how you compare to others - however I appreciate that it's much easier said than done. In my experience, if you let 'imposter syndrome' get to you, it'll sap at your enthusiasm and thus it's very difficult to motivate yourself to work. And a surefire way to end up at the bottom is to not try in the first place.
Reply 38
Original post by Fas
A third from any Uni will pretty much destroy any chance you have at getting a half-decent job as a Grad. For the significant majority of companies at least.


Oh dear, that's unsettling! I just will have to work hard and hope for my best I guess.

Original post by Serine Soul
I'm with the notion that most people there simply don't have the time to think about your grades and bully you :yes:

I'm sure you'll be great anyway, just be yourself and work hard!!


Original post by MrsSheldonCooper
I have a sister whose in her final year at Oxford and she was telling me how there's honestly no such thing as stupid in her college apart from when someone's being immature. Everyone managed to get into Oxford through something that the interviewers and admissions tutor liked.

If you can beat thousands of other Cambridge rejects and get a place, then you're most defo not stupid.


Original post by BWCW
You've been given an offer for a reason! :smile: From my experience of Cambridge, most people are incredibly self-depricating (though there are a fair few egos...), and so will probably be thinking the exact same things as you. Don't doubt yourself - Cambridge is there is to give you an experience as well as an education, and besides your degree, you may well excel at things you never even knew of.


Original post by Kvothe the arcane
I can sympathise with the feeling of not being good enough or being at the bottom of the pile. You've been given excellent advice above and I echo this.

In answer to the titular question, it's a resounding "no".


Original post by highestmountain
I'm sure there are not any "dumb" people at Cambridge lol - after all we're talking about the best students in the country both on paper and, where their on-paper record has failed to take account of their true ability, the interview has been there to ensure that the most academically rounded people (within their chosen subject of course) have been picked, so there's hardly going to be anyone who might have gotten in because of a flukey exam record and nothing else. In fact I've heard that students aremore like to form a "camaraderie", since evryone acknowledges how difficult the work is :smile:


Original post by Rhetorical Hips
Try not to worry about how you compare to others - however I appreciate that it's much easier said than done. In my experience, if you let 'imposter syndrome' get to you, it'll sap at your enthusiasm and thus it's very difficult to motivate yourself to work. And a surefire way to end up at the bottom is to not try in the first place.

^^
I can't believe do many of you relied with such kind comments, thank you. You have made me feel somewhat less apprehensive. I'll do my best not to worry!
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 39
Original post by Platopus
Oh dear, that's unsettling! I just will have to work hard and hope for my best I guess.


Except it's not true - it didn't hold these folks back:
http://thetab.com/uk/cambridge/2010/05/23/massive-fail-1358

That's not to say you'll "only" get a Third anyway - but in the unlikely event it happens it REALLY is not the end of the world.

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