mean things you were told when you decided you wanted to go to uni

Scroll to see replies

My ex-school's headteacher laughed in my face when I told him my plans for uni

Same guy asked me to go in to promote the school after I got my offers

I politely declined.

Reply 41

atiyaaloveszaynx

Original post by jonathanemptage

No sorry I was reminiscing I'm actually a graduate trying to decide if i can afford and if if i have the ability to do a PG dip at the moment so not quite as young as you think.

Good luck with your A level I'm sure you'll do fine.

No no I understood what you meant, sorry. Thank you. Good luck to you too, hope everything works out well for you

Reply 42

BB8

Nothing about uni yet (surprisingly) but I have had similar at GCSE and AS...

Back in year 9 my year leader called me to his office to say he'd looked at my GCSE options and he wanted me to reconsider taking both History and Geography at GCSE as he didn't think I could handle the workload (interestingly he said nothing about triple science...). I ended up with an A* and an A.

Then in the first term of year 12 the head of sixth form told me I might find it easier to handle 3 AS levels (after being predicted a U in biology on my report, to be fair, but that was based on one assessment which I had an anxiety attack in the middle of). I ended up with AAAA.

I can also think of a few more examples re: grades. I know several of my teachers were very surprised with my AS grades (I remember my bio teacher in September mentioning how hard I must have worked for that A. I very almost told him I started revision literally a week before the exam, which I did, but he probably wouldn't have believed me). Also, one of my GCSE science teachers told my parents at parents evening that she'd be surprised if I got above a C in core science. I got an A. The next year, that same teacher predicted me Ds and Es in further additional science. I got an A.

Reply 43

Senile Stranger

"Oxford doesn't accept people like you" :rolleyes:

Reply 44

Laurenafenete

Yes, I want to do physics at university and because I'm a girl I get some weird comments like "ooh thats good for a girl", like what is that supposed to mean??

I have a physics teacher, ironically a female one, who I swear is trying to sabartage my efforts to get the grades for uni. She says I wont get the grades for it

Reply 45

jojo10834

Head of Year: "Don't you think you're aiming a bit too high?"

7 months later, about to send my application off

Head of Year: "You haven't put any higher universities down"

-_-

Reply 46

h8skoooooool

Original post by Laurenafenete

Same here

Reply 47

Platopus

My teacher told me "Everyone else at Cambridge will be cleverer than you" which I know is true but it wasn't helpful to be told, especially as this has been worrying me anyway.

Reply 48

Doones

Original post by Platopus

My teacher told me "Everyone else at Cambridge will be cleverer than you" which I know is true but it wasn't helpful to be told, especially as this has been worrying me anyway.

And it isn't true.

Reply 49

The_Lonely_Goatherd

I was told my Oxford application was a waste of time.

Guess who was the only person to get into Oxbridge in four years from my school? :smug:

Spoiler

Reply 50

CoolCavy

Volunteer Team

'Don't go there Cavy there is nightlife there...

like people actually go outside and stuff, i can't picture you there :console:

Reply 51

such_a_lady

I can't remember anything super mean right now but a LOT of people seemed very invested in trying to talk me out of going to Oxford. It seemed to be more of a personal thing for them rather than about me.

Also one of my teachers tried to give me tips to "get in more easily" but they just came across as patronising. Things like "apply to a smaller newer college" (nothing against those colleges but the assumption was that I wouldn't make it into Magdalen or that I'd hate it) and "don't apply for German and Spanish - just apply for German and ask to switch when you get in, as you might not get in for Spanish" (do NOT do this - my German tutor laughed sarcastically when I mentioned this, plus my Spanish admissions process was absolutely fine). When I do access work I try and break down these myths that well-meaning teachers believe, as they don't help!

Reply 52

Platopus

Original post by jneill

And it isn't true.

Thanks - I really hope so.

Reply 53

Kvothe the Arcane

Original post by Student403

Just send her a "hi how are things" email from your @cam.ac.uk email XD That would be bantz

I like you :colone:

. Das it.

Yea, such things only motivate me. I like proving people wrong :smug:

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 54

Clearing and Applications Advisor

My sister was always the clever one growing up. When a science teacher mentioned university to my mum when I was 13 she thought he was joking.

I outperformed my sister in every exam and qualification. My sister is still considered the clever one and still patronises me. :rolleyes:

Reply 55

PGP

Original post by jonathanemptage

I decided uni was for me when I was 15 and my relatives told me how much they loved it when I told the careers advisor she said "you have no chance of going to uni you won't even get in to collage. (I have degree now)

one of my relatives also told me i don't expect you to pass your first year like a week before I went.

Have you ever been told anything like this?

I came to Uk from India in 1978 without any knowledge of English. As I was at school living age so one of my very close relative told my father that it is best to get me a job at sainsbury checkout as without anyengliah i Will not go far. No school will except me as I was 16. Which I did prove him wrong too.
My dad told him that no matter what I will get my daughter educated. Even if he had to work 20 hours a day to pay for me to learn English. I saw look in to my parents eyes and at that point I had decided that I will do anything to be better this relatives children's. I have a postgraduate from university of Lancaster. I worked hard to get their but I made my parents proud and show the relative that myself, my younger brother and sister are all now are highly educated compare to my cousins. And not only that when I was divorcing my first husband he even had a go at my dad for letting me study at such high level? At this point he even asked me to show him proof of my certificate. As in his mind I just went to uni and had fun. And no educated women will bring shame on to her family by asking for divorce.
I am happy married again with two sons. And one is doing well in his job and 2nd about to sit his A level exams to study chemistry at uni...

Thank you to my dad n mum for supporting me all the way with all my decisions

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 56

Serine Soul

Don't listen to them. I was a 'no-hoper' in the (science) Oxbridge group compared to those with 11A*s etc, I could see it in my tutors' eyes. Even after AS results day, my B in my fourth AS looked like a blight to them.

Came out the only kid out of the ten that were originally there with an Oxbridge offer.

Work hard to prove them wrong

Reply 57

lilGem

I ended up taking a third year at college due to illness in AS, in that time I realised how much I missed science, so I took the AS in my second year and would subsequently apply in my third year.

At my brothers graduation, my grandparents asked 'What are you applying for?' I told them 'Biological sciences' and their response 'you can do a degree in that now?' followed by where 'oh I was thinking Exeter, Sheffield, UEA, QUB and Oxford brooks as a back up'
'oh don't be silly they would never take you, you're just not smart enough'

I ended up rejecting my offer from Exeter and insuring Sheffield :redface:

I'm taking a year out once I graduate to gain some more lab experience and apply for Mres programmes in translational oncology before going onto to do a PhD

:redface:

Reply 58