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chriswhit
My "ultimatum" was more to do with the fact that I ceased to care what you did, or didnt do. I have not and never will say that my advice is "100% correct" or invaluable either. As for the "moralistic high ground" I really havent a clue what you are talking about. This is a discussion forum. As such, what you post may attract various view points, which, as with mine, you are free to do as you wish. I hope you have a very enjoyable time at Cambridge - however you choose to define what that may be.


lol - what i meant was you said that "take my view or not" etc, which looked to me as though you were saying that your view is wonderfully correct and that is worth full consideration.

you made it sound like you are correct. which of course you may be, im not saying you're not!
Going on the only things I can; this site, my interview, open days, most Cambridge students I've come into contact with have seemed relatively normal, sociable people. As a result of that, I'm looking forward to going. I see myself as an average applicant, and I'm not a tosser, so why should I expect anywhere else to be? I expect Cambridge to be, boiled down to simplicity, like everywhere else; people you like, people you don't, a good mix of different people, and a lot of fun. Not a lot to ask is it? What's this thread about anyway?
Reply 82
"you have advice from a lot of people, take note of it or disregard it" was what I said, meaning exactly that!:smile: Perhaps I should have said "feel free to take note or disregard it." I would not say (or presume) that my advice was any better or more correct than that of anyone else as everyone is different. I hope this is clear now.
Reply 83
Charlottie
Going on the only things I can; this site, my interview, open days, most Cambridge students I've come into contact with have seemed relatively normal, sociable people. As a result of that, I'm looking forward to going. I see myself as an average applicant, and I'm not a tosser, so why should I expect anywhere else to be? I expect Cambridge to be, boiled down to simplicity, like everywhere else; people you like, people you don't, a good mix of different people, and a lot of fun. Not a lot to ask is it? What's this thread about anyway?

I agree, I spent the last year working in Oxford and all the people from the unviersity there seemed very normal, well rounded people. The same goes for all the people I have met who are going to Cambridge - and I shared a house with two of them last year.
chriswhit
"you have advice from a lot of people, take note of it or disregard it" was what I said, meaning exactly that!:smile: Perhaps I should have said "feel free to take note or disregard it." I would not say (or presume) that my advice was any better or more correct than that of anyone else as everyone is different. I hope this is clear now.


indeed! hey - i notice you're from cheshire, where bouts do you live?
Reply 85
good:smile: I'll pm you with my exact location!
chriswhit
good:smile: I'll pm you with my exact location!



lol - ok
crana9
I hope you don't think I actually categorise people in my head into CICCU/ChipOnShoulder/GapYearBore etc... :wink:


nah, although i can appreciate the comedy value of doing so. and the fact that it all is, of course, a joke playing on stereotypes, that some people on this thread have taken a little too seriously :rolleyes:
Reply 88
I know a good stereotype, that all Imperial students are geeks. :smile: (pleads guilty).

I think I should have have applied to Cambridge, not Oxford. There seem to be more common people of my sort there. :p:
Reply 89
edders

I think I should have have applied to Cambridge, not Oxford. There seem to be more common people of my sort there. :p:


Rubbish. Anyone without at least one (Conservative) peer in the family has their application to Cambridge thrown out even before interviews.
Reply 90
Mop
Rubbish. Anyone without at least one (Conservative) peer in the family has their application to Cambridge thrown out even before interviews.

Ah, dang. :frown: Just as well I took my scummy state school A-Levels elsewhere then. :wink:
Mop
Rubbish. Anyone without at least one (Conservative) peer in the family has their application to Cambridge thrown out even before interviews.


I'll have to hunt mine down and kill him then.
well back to the original topic (sort of), I really look forward to being, if not bottom of the pile, at least somewhere in the middle. Being surrounded by more intelligent/more hardworking people will only encourage me to do better, which is one of the reasons I applied to Cambridge. Clearly if you've been made an offer the interviewers have confidence in your abilities, so there's no point in worrying until you actually get there.
Calvin
Perhaps the following line of reasoning would be worth considering for some...

I'm (on the whole) not a snop/crazy muppet/amazingly clever

I got into Cambridge/Oxford/Primary School

People like me get into Cambridge/Oxford/Primary School

So what sorts of people should I expect in Cambridge?
People like me. Have a little self respect, realise that probably you aren't going there on a complete fluke and that on the whole you can expect many of the people to be like you ("unfortunatly" in some cases). You are after all nothing particularly special really.


:biggrin: I got into primary school too! We must be pretty similar! :smile:
xx_ambellina_xx
I'll have to hunt mine down and kill him then.



i'll willingly help you
Reply 95
When I started my degree, I said to myself, "if I'm the least able person here, I'm still the least able person at Cambridge". I know it'll be hard not to compare yourself to your peers in Cambridge, but it doesn't take away from the achievement of getting a place and securing the grades to take it up. In my case, a lack of confidence was, in the end, probably a bigger obstacle than lack of ability.

On induction weekend, one of the first things the admissions tutor and senior tutor told us was that they knew their jobs, they'd been doing it for years, and they were greatly affronted by the suggestion that they might let in anyone who didn't deserve a place. It's common to imagine they've made a mistake with you, but I expect you'll surprise yourself.
on_hiatus
When I started my degree, I said to myself, "if I'm the least able person here, I'm still the least able person at Cambridge". I know it'll be hard not to compare yourself to your peers in Cambridge, but it doesn't take away from the achievement of getting a place and securing the grades to take it up. In my case, a lack of confidence was, in the end, probably a bigger obstacle than lack of ability.

On induction weekend, one of the first things the admissions tutor and senior tutor told us was that they knew their jobs, they'd been doing it for years, and they were greatly affronted by the suggestion that they might let in anyone who didn't deserve a place. It's common to imagine they've made a mistake with you, but I expect you'll surprise yourself.



Anyone in Cambridge who doesnt at some point doubt that they deserve their place is an arrogant tit. Everyone feels overwhelmed by it all at some point, it just natural in such a high intensity academic environment.
can i ask why is it necessary to compare ourselves to other students at cambridge? surely our degrees are for ourselves, irrespective of how good others' are?

does it matter if you are not as good as someone?
Reply 98
adampogonowski
can i ask why is it necessary to compare ourselves to other students at cambridge? surely our degrees are for ourselves, irrespective of how good others' are?

does it matter if you are not as good as someone?


Well... in some ways, yes.

If you just want intellectual fulfilment, fine.

If you want to get a good job at the end of it, or to go on to further study, for many career paths it's important to get a 2:1 or better. It doesn't matter how many people do better or worse than you if you don't fit the minimum criteria for what you wanted to do next.
crana9
Well... in some ways, yes.

If you just want intellectual fulfilment, fine.

If you want to get a good job at the end of it, or to go on to further study, for many career paths it's important to get a 2:1 or better. It doesn't matter how many people do better or worse than you if you don't fit the minimum criteria for what you wanted to do next.



so you saying it is good to compare yourself with others? and that there is a need?