[JammyChoos]

Just curious to see whether it
happens at top uni's or not

[Megaross]

Of course it does, getting into oxbridge doesn't mean you're some kind of perfect genius, it just means you jumped through the right hoops and chose a top uni.

[The_Lonely_Goatherd]

People definitely get Thirds and I think some just about get a Pass. I've not personally heard of anyone failing. That's not to say it doesn't happen. Though I can't think how it would happen...

[Pwn4g3_P13]

(Original post by JammyChoos)
Just curious to see whether it
happens at top uni's or not

i actually researched this for a project in college

1.4% fail to complete an oxbridge degree, compared to 2-5% at more normal universities and a high end of 25% at Southhampton Solent

[arbaaz]

very very few. primarily because those who get into oxbridge are extremely clever thus explaining why the stastics are very low.
few people will probably get thirds, but they'll be in a minority and will usually improve their grades dramatically for the following year when they realize the implications.

[Got the tshirt]

I think if you make it to the end of your course you'll probably get something but people definitely fail their exams and decide not to come back. Other people change to less challenging courses. Classics people might change to theology, medics to bio nat sci.

[*Liana*]

I'm at Cambridge and it does happen... not very often though and from what I've seen tends to happen in certain courses such as Engineering and Maths, and most often in the first year. A girl in my year actually completely failed first-year medicine, didn't even manage to get a third or an 'ordinary' (lower than a third but not an outright fail).

[whatsername2009]

Of course some people at Oxford and Cambridge fail their exams, just like at any other university. Getting in is one thing; being able to cope with the workload is another.

[Lumos]

I'd guess that more people drop out than fail at the end of their degree. Quite a low 'student happiness' rate at camdrige at least, so I hear...

[Intriguing Alias]

(Original post by JammyChoos)
Just curious to see whether it
happens at top uni's or not

More people drop out before they have a chance to fail really. While the students are stronger, the courses are extremely difficult.

(Original post by Lumos)
I'd guess that more people drop out than fail at the end of their degree. Quite a low 'student happiness' rate at camdrige at least, so I hear...

People usually drop out due to difficulty rather than being unhappy with the university. I don't know where you're getting that from, when I've visited everyone's really lively and happy (despite the immense workloads) and they all speak highly of it. And the only statistics for this kind of thing are the student satisfaction scores on league tables, which Cambridge usually get a high score in.

[Lumos]

(Original post by hassi94)
People usually drop out due to difficulty rather than being unhappy with the university. I don't know where you're getting that from, when I've visited everyone's really lively and happy (despite the immense workloads) and they all speak highly of it. And the only statistics for this kind of thing are the student satisfaction scores on league tables, which Cambridge usually get a high score in.

It's just all that pressure.. there sure are more suicides at top universities (due to work load/stress, not other factors). student happiness isn't quite the same thing as student satisfaction... you may have had undeniably good teaching quality, contact hours, support offered, job prospects... but still be miserable. My sister is at cambridge and attended a students union seminar about this problem, they do have data for it but it's not usually factored into league tables.

[scribble_girl]

I know someone who was on track to fail their Oxford degree but got kicked out before he formally failed it..

[Got the tshirt]

(Original post by Lumos)
It's just all that pressure.. there sure are more suicides at top universities (due to work load/stress, not other factors). student happiness isn't quite the same thing as student satisfaction... you may have had undeniably good teaching quality, contact hours, support offered, job prospects... but still be miserable. My sister is at cambridge and attended a students union seminar about this problem, they do have data for it but it's not usually factored into league tables.

There does seem to be quite a few suicides. I think my sister said there were 7 she knew about last year and I know there have been at least 2 this year.

[Apa]

(Original post by Got the tshirt)
There does seem to be quite a few suicides. I think my sister said there were 7 she knew about last year and I know there have been at least 2 this year.

Oh my god that's awful, I didn't realise the number was so high. Is this a standard figure for the top few universities?

[Got the tshirt]

(Original post by Apa)
Oh my god that's awful, I didn't realise the number was so high. Is this a standard figure for the top few universities?

Don't know about other unis but the pressures can get on top of you.

[cambio wechsel]

1. the Oxbridge brand makes it easy to transition to easier course at slightly less prestigious university.
2. Collections and tutes/supervisions makes it harder to fly under the radar.
3. Cambridge had provision for this under the tripos syestem: failing natscis channeled into HPS, Mathmos and engineers into management studies (both available only as 3rd year options)

[JammyChoos]

(Original post by scribble_girl)
I know someone who was on track to fail their Oxford degree but got kicked out before he formally failed it..

This was what I thought would happen because they wouldnt want someone to bring them down in the league tables.

[Derek_the_Sheep]

(Original post by JammyChoos)
This was what I thought would happen because they wouldn't want someone to bring them down in the league tables.

"Up to a point, Lord Copper".

At Oxford (and Cambridge?) it's not the University that does any kickings out, but the College. (Unless the person fails their Prelims exam (end of first year) and the resits.) A College will get out someone who is not doing at all well either by persuasion, or, if needed, by a series of internal assessments and hearings leading to a compulsory "sending down". They will do this for really bad students because (1) they are a pain to teach in tutorials; (2) they tend to drag their year group down; (3) they will lower the college's standing in the "Norrington table" should they get to finals exams and bomb out.

The University as a whole won't care much, I think, about a handful of students getting thirds or worse.

[nulli tertius]

(Original post by Derek_the_Sheep)
"Up to a point, Lord Copper".

At Oxford (and Cambridge?) it's not the University that does any kickings out, but the College. (Unless the person fails their Prelims exam (end of first year) and the resits.) A College will get out someone who is not doing at all well either by persuasion, or, if needed, by a series of internal assessments and hearings leading to a compulsory "sending down". They will do this for really bad students because (1) they are a pain to teach in tutorials; (2) they tend to drag their year group down; (3) they will lower the college's standing in the "Norrington table" should they get to finals exams and bomb out.

The University as a whole won't care much, I think, about a handful of students getting thirds or worse.

I gain the impression that far fewer students fail mods/prelims than in the past.

That is probably due to the elimination of rugger/rowing undergrad admissions coupled with the raising of admission grades.

Although some Oxford dons may complain (perhaps through rose tinted spectacles) of a reduction in the quality of students admitted

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education...im-tutors.html

the one skill and talent that all Oxford freshers now come equipped with is A*** exam technique.

It is hard for someone who is good at exams completely to fail, regardless of their knowledge of and ability in the underlying subject matter.

[nohomo]

Here are drop out rates for the end of the first year of a degree.