The Oxford rejection - Is this really it?

The Muscovites considered their capital the third Rome? Now that's something I didn't know. To be honest I always thought Russian history to be kind of mysterious. Blood and wars shrouded in the impenetrable icy clouds of the far north. Something exotic that nobody really pays attention to really.

Hahaha getting into Oxford as a tutor and then doing that to the interviewees would be totally awesome. It'd definitely screw with their minds. :P

Terry Pratchett is amazing isn't he? Just like you, one thing I especially love about his books is the way he so successfully builds his characters into such believable people. The depth of his skills shot through my mind with the first book I picked up, and I have never looked back since. I've conquered almost all of the Discworld series, but am worried about his quality now, especially with his Alzheimer's..

As I said, so long as you do what you love, I think you'll have no issues. It's good that you're certain about following your passions. A problem that many of us Asians face is that we too often pursue what is practical for us, and not what we love. I can only hope that I manage to strike a balance between that.

By the way, did you get your application feedback yet? Just got mine a few hours back. Quite sad about it.

Yes they did, and they considered Russia to be Holy, they'd call it 'Holy Mother Russia'. See that's why I like it, because not that many people know much about it, bar the Russian Revolution and Stalin.

Yeah and it'd probably annoy the other Tutors as well, plus it'd be kinda embarrassing from so up for doing that...

I agree, I think Vimes and Granny Weatherwax and two of the most brilliant creations in literature. I know, I haven't read the latest one yet (my entire family has to read new ones whenever they come out) but I'm a bit worried about it

Also, while having Oxford on my Cv would be great, I don't need it to make me stand out, and the field I would want to go into doesn't pay that much attention to where you went to Uni (unlike banking as appears to be the cease).

And I hope you do too what kind of career do want later in life?

I haven't yet, no, I've no idea if it's coming by post or email and they said I'd have it last week or this week so I'm assuming it won't be long coming. What did they say?

Thanks to you I think I shall put Russian history on my to-read list now. Of course, that's in addition to the fifty or so books I currently have on my shelf. I've spent a small fortune on books, and have yet to read most of them due to the flood of weekly magazines I ordered (thank you Economist and Time). The book I'm currently stuck on is Jan Morris' Europe. You currently reading anything?

While I think that Vimes is a wonderful creation, my favourite is still Granny Weatherwax. In fact, I love the series which feature the witches, because I've always had this thing about strong female characters, and the witches embody that perfectly. Add that to my love of fantasy and magic and you got me hooked.

I imagine my bookshelf in my future home to have a whole row dedicated to Terry Pratchett, and I'll categorise it like this:

- The Watch
- The Wizards
- The Witches
- The (Disc)World

And the rest of his odd little books which don't fit anywhere (like Nation) can go into the little corner at the end of the row.

It's good for you then that your field doesn't care too much about the university you attended. For me I'm still not sure what I really want to do with my life. There are so many things that I know I could do, but I'm not sure what I'd be strongly passionate about. I suppose that's another reason why I failed my application, I tried to apply for PPE, which may not have been the best subject for me.

According to the feedback while my Thinking Skills Assessment and my school records were good and impressive, my interview failed me because I was relatively weaker at it (note: it was the mathematical nature of the economics question which sank this right-brained applicant).

Perhaps I'd go into journalism, because I know I love writing. Political theorist also sounds like a nice job. But I also find myself very attracted to policy making. Still quite a lot to go through really. I just know that I don't want anything sciency.

I've got so much stuff I want to read! I'd ask for loads of books for christmas and it'll take me months to get through them! I'm currently reading a book called 'Mao's Great Famine' by Franz Dikotter, and when I've read that i'm going to attempt 'The Opium War' by Julia Lovell. I seem to be reading a lot of Chinese History atm.

I love Granny Weatherwax! And Nanny Ogg, I think if I was a Pratchett character I'd definitely be a Witch, they think like me!

And I agree with you about his strong female characters, what I like about them is that they are ordinary people and humans first and foremost, so many 'strong female characters' are stereotypes in themselves and get put on pedestles in a way that is as annoying as damsel in distress, two dimensional characters only put in for the main male character to sleep with

I think Nation is a brilliant book, in fact all his childrens ones are, he doesn't treat kids like idiots.

Yes, I went to an interview for an internship today and when I said I had an offer from Exeter they were impressed! Which was nice

What else do you think you would have applied for? and if your interests are broad, ESPS sounds good for you

Still haven't heard from the, it's starting to annoy me oh maths (my one B at GCSE), I'm useless at it so I can sympathise with you there!

I've considered Journalism, and done quite a bit of work experience in it (I've been published by the Economist three times! Sorry cheeky boast there ) and liked it but I don't think I'd see it as a long term career. I love writing too though, I've always kinda fancied writing some sci fi short stories

Chinese history? Oh gosh I'm Chinese and studying the past 150 years of Chinese history was some of the most depressing learning I've ever done in my whole life. I remember doing a history research project on The Great Leap Forward; it made for very vivid reading. Made me wonder where the Chinese went wrong, and how it's going back up the global ladder

And yes, Terry Pratchett's female characters are so believable it's amazing. Tiffany Aching is, after Granny Weatherwax, my favourite character (although she does fall into cliche now and then). Who couldn't fall in love with the Nac Mac Feegle?

Nice to know about the internship interview! What job was it for?

Honestly, I know that I'm definitely going into the social sciences, but I don't want a generic "bachelor of social science" degree because that makes it a lot harder to stand out. PPE and ESPS are the two subjects which attract me the most. I'm just beginning to realise that maths won't be my strongest suit, so I've gotta focus on my strengths of writing and analysis.

I'm also considering taking a massive bank loan if I can't get the scholarships. ESPS just seems too good to waste. There's a lot of parental resistance to that though (as can be expected).

Have you heard from Oxford yet? It's been more than a month since the interviews already for crying out loud.

Lastly... Three articles for the Economist! You're kidding! Which ones?

I love Tiffany, I think we'd either be best friends or hate each other, maybe the latter as we're too similar I love the Feegles, I think they'd be great on film too, the Wee Free Men is just crying out to be made into a tv movie or something, and you could get famous scottish actors to vice them

It's for a 3 month internship at a big Public Affairs company in central london, they do a lot of political stuff relating to westminster. It'd be great to get it, it sounds fascinating and it's what I want to go into so a foot in the door like this would be amazing!

And from what I've seen PPE does seem to involve a lot of maths!

What scholarships have you applied for and when would you expect to hear back from them? Fingers crossed for you! Getting a loan like that wouldn't be fun

I finally got it via email yesterday, basically it summed up (it was very undetailed, my scores for each bit of the rpocess mainly) that some bits of my application were good (my interview and sent in written work) but other weren't (my academic record so far and also, to my great dissapointment, my HAT. i got 65 and most who get places get 70 or over. That's annoying as I did so much work preparing for it!)

Well my most recent one was about recent discoveries in the genetics of the balck death, a new study has settled it once and for that the bacilli causing it was Yersinia Pestis (ie the plague) and not ome kind of ebola virus as has been suggested recently. And it also sets out to explain the differences in the way the medaevil outbreaks spread and developed with the way more recent outbreaks have behaved. This was on the website rather than the print copy but I got a byline

And I wrote something on rubbish in the atlantic ocean and also a piece on new schools policy in the UK, the last was used in the print version, as part of a collaberative article.

They would be so fantastic on film. I always wondered why no famous director has ever attempted to put Terry Pratchett onto the silver screen. I read that there was a movie planned for The Wee Free Men, but Terry Pratchett read the script and declared it "awful".

I once dreamed of becoming a film director, and my top goal was to turn Terry Pratchett's books into amazing films. Maybe one day once I'm done with my career.

Ooh. It wouldn't happen to be IPPR would it? I hope that it all turns out for the best!

I'm applying for government scholarships mostly. I'll most probably know by the the middle of this year on my status. And yes, getting such a loan won't be fun at all. But if all else fails, I'll just tell myself that it's the American Way, no?

Dang that stings. Looks like we all failed for certain reasons of our own. Talking as a person who has so far experienced not getting what he has prepared so hard far, I just have to say that we have to push on. No point moping about the past.

By the way, did you join this group?

http://www.facebook.com/groups/336161679735780/

I believe I found the Black Plague one. Babbage? How did you get to write for them? Did you have to write in to volunteer your services?

And that's a very tiny byline!

That's a shame, it could be such a good script if done by the right person, the way he writes is very filmic anyway.

And they'd have ready made designs for the Feegles in the cover artwork, I love the new illustrators cover designs, he has the Feegles and Vimes spot on in my opinion.

I went through a stage of wanting to that as well now I'm just happy to be a film fan is the film 'The Artists' out in your country? If it is go and see it's the best film i've seen in years!

No it's a company called Hanover. Their offices are really nice, and the doorway to their 'brainstorming' room is made to look exactly like the doorway to 10 Downing street!

And you'll just have to get a well paying job afterwards to pay it back!

Well hopefully you do get the Government one though.

Yeah, though from their language I kinda got the impression that if I'd had a super amazing HAT score that might have balanced out my results or vice versa. But hey, no use moping, and someone from my school who also applied post a level for History got rejected too and she had perfect grades so I'm in exactly the same position as her and many with stellar grades.

Yes I am on it, have been for a while, the banter is good and it's a nice way to keep in contact with people I met while at interview.

This one? http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2011/10/medical-archaeology

Yep that's me! And it may look tiny but usually they don't have any bylines at all. If you read the print copy they have no bylines, that's because people often collberate on articles. And because the newspaper is supposed to have one coherant voice, present a united front as it were.

Well basically one of my Father's old Uni friends is the science editor there and I've known him since I wad tiny.

He offered me some time in the office and got me to write some stuff and then thought it was so good he published and then let me come back

No problem apparently the biggest celebrations of it outside China are in London!

I always find offerholdes/people applying intellectual conversations very funny to read. Once you get here, you'll grow tired of them and appreciate some good banter instead.

Exactly. When I read his books I can literally see the story happening in my mind. And I'm really glad for the current illustrations of the Discworld characters; they really are very good. I think Granny Weatherwax is pulled off pretty well too.

Unfortunately it's finished its run here. It was released on screens here in early December if I'm not wrong, and I was busy preparing for the Oxford interviews and flying off for my family holidays.

Oh wells, there's always the DVD anyway.

I just looked at their website. Cool stuff. I'm envious. :P

Yes I know. One of my friends just told me today though that if he were in my position he'd fly over to UCL even if he didn't get a scholarship. I don't know really.. It's just that an education that'll cost around £90,000 for me is reaaaal pricey.

I was, for a short while, considering reapplying. But then if I'm not wrong this means that I would lose my UCL place, and I'm not sure if that's worth it really. Is it true that if you reapply you'll lose any offers from any universities, even if you've accepted them?

Yes I know what you mean about the coherent voice. I know The Economist very well, being a subscriber. =P

Sheesh, that's a great opportunity. I always thought it'd be nice to work at The Economist, or Time. Heck, even National Geographic does some pretty amazing writing.

Really? I read that they were in San Francisco. Did you participate in them at all? :P

No, it doesnt. You'll be surrounded by intellectual stuff in lectures, tutorials and reading groups. When you finish your work you're just tired of evrything that's intellectual/smart/sound smart and all of these serious conversations. I find most intellectual conversations tend to arise from saying something really stupid and then everyone trying to see if it could be true or if it could work ala the hungry caterpillar is a bigger work literature than 'jane eyre'. Thats some of the 'country's best minds' put to good use.

Yes, she isn't a caricature old hag as it would be very easy to make her, I'd be interested to see him attempt carrot in detail.

Definitely get the DVD, I'm going to when it comes out so my mum can see it it's been nominated for 10 oscars! (though Hugo has 11 and no-one can work out why...)

Have you got offers from unis closer to home? Anyway cross that bridge when you come to it.

And I'm not 100% but I think that is the case.

Yeah it was amazing, and it looks incredible on the CV! People keep reminding me of it when I'm a bit down in the dumps for not having got into either of my favourite Universities. How many people have got into Oxford and then never really achieved anything? But i've done something that no-one else my age will have done

Ah no, revising for exams, plus I'm working full time atm so wild celebrations just make me tired when trying to deal with boisterous kids! (I'm working as a teaching assistant)

Carrot? I think it'd be very hard to make much of him. By describing him as "simple, but not simplistic", it's as if Pratchett has put a full stop on his character development. I mean, I get it. 6-foot tall dwarf, bulging muscles, redhead, kind-hearted, undiscovered royalty, simple.

He's quite the caricature isn't he?

Trust me, once I get out of the army and start having more time to myself I'm definitely gonna devour all the films there are to devour.

As for other more reachable study options, I do have offers from local universities, but it's always been a dream of mine to go overseas. Having tasted life in another country before, I have a burning desire to wander the world.

And yes, I'd be very thankful about being able to contribute to The Economist. And although it's hard to think of people who have gone into Oxford and not really achieved much (do such people exist?), I can see how other stuff would help you greatly. I mean, the way ESPS allows me to study and live in another country as part of the curriculum is also something no Oxbridge person would go through. I'm hoping that will make me stand out.

Exams? What in the world are you taking exams for???

only just noticed the final paragraph on my history feedback letter telling me where I went wrong, it basically says I was 'close', makes it even more frustrating! I thought I was over it but knowing that I was that close is horrible.

Damn you got a whole letter?

I got 5 lines

Where do you get the feedback from?

I didn't even get constructive criticism. They just gave me my overall score :/

Same. Gave me my scores and then put them in perspective as in for mine they said that my scores for interview and sent in work were in the range for people who get offers but that my HAT score was below what people who get offers typically get.

But then didn't really elaborate any further than that, the closest they got to anything personal was 'Therefore, although some aspects of your application were good, you were not ultimately among those applicants to whom we were able to offer a place.'

Which is pretty clear cut I suppose but still not terribly informative.