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Why did YOU choose Oxford or Cambridge over the other?

Reply 100

gooseymcgoose

11

Tom Holder

5. Oxford is undoubtedly better for social sciences

naw man!

Reply 101

username61396

1

For me, the main reason had to be that Oxford did not offer the course I wanted (Chem Eng). They had a weird combined degree called Engineering with Science :frown:

.

Also, I have heard of Cambridge a lot more than Oxford. I have no idea why this is. My mother is Malaysian and all her school certificates are Cambridge board. Experts on tv and radio are always "of the University of Cambridge".

Lastly, my great uncle applied to Cambridge before the second world war, but never made it due to the Japanese invasion. I suppose there was something in that story that my grandmother told me that made me go for Cambridge.

Reply 102

Laus

13

I really can't decide whether to apply for philosophy at Cambridge or Philosophy and Theology at Oxford! I have visited Oxford - I thought the city was absolutely beautiful. I haven't visited Cambridge yet but plan to in the next couple of weeks. Is it anything in comparison to Oxford?

Reply 103

slk999

OP

15

Laus

I really can't decide whether to apply for philosophy at Cambridge or Philosophy and Theology at Oxford! I have visited Oxford - I thought the city was absolutely beautiful. I haven't visited Cambridge yet but plan to in the next couple of weeks. Is it anything in comparison to Oxford?

I know Oxford very well and love it, and from what people have told me about Cambridge, it is no comparrison. There's far more to do in Oxford and Cambridge is more spread out with a more oldy worldy feeling about it. Though you're best off getting advice from someone who goes to Cambridge, or who knows it well.

Reply 104

harr

15

ninjapanda

I know Oxford very well and love it, and from what people have told me about Cambridge, it is no comparrison. There's far more to do in Oxford and Cambridge is more spread out with a more oldy worldy feeling about it. Though you're best off getting advice from someone who goes to Cambridge, or who knows it well.

I think the problem here is that it is down to personal taste. I haven't visited either town and I don't know which I'll apply to yet, even if I do eventually apply to one of them. But from you description I'd prefer Cambridge - it sounds quieter. Many people go to London Universities, which I'd hate to go to because I don't like big cities. So I think that you can't tell whether you will like a town just using the opinion of someone on the internet.

Reply 105

slk999

OP

15

but even so, oxford is still a small city really.

Reply 106

Mithent

Cambridge did the course I wanted (Natural Sciences) and has a better reputation for natural sciences overall. I've never been to Oxford (mean to fix that soon), but I liked the city of Cambridge when I visited - I like it being smallish, and am not bothered by how much night-life there is.

Reply 107

Samf

Clare College, Cambridge MML - Oxford's course appeared less flexbile and much more literature based (english lit with a bit of french is how it has been invariably described..) and I wanted the chance to do linguistics. Also, on the mod langs open day at oxford one of the langs students stood up in front on everyone n criticsed the course saying there is insufficient oral sessions. The fellows all seemed very pretentious...!

Reply 108

eleri

5

I chose purely on the place, rather than the course, which was probably stupid but I don't regret it.

Oxford was a more comfortable distance from home - two hours by train rather than four and a half, I'd been to Cambridge before and just didn't pick up on anything like the kind of atmosphere that I'm used to and love at home (Cardiff), and other people had also told me that there was a lot more life in Oxford, whereas Cambridge was just all about the university. I haven't been back to Cambridge since though, so my views on it probably don't count for much.

In retrospect, I probably should have looked into the actual course more, because the Oxford languages course definitely is very heavily literature based and there's not really enough practical use of the language. But, like I say, I don't regret it because I absolutely love Oxford, and that counted for a lot for me.

Reply 109

Simplicio

I remember reading all these physics textbooks and every famous scientists came from Cambridge (alright I admit exaggerating, not every but the number of Nobel Laureates from Cambridge just trumps those of Oxford :biggrin:

) Looking back, I’ve never considered Oxford, haven’t visited the city and not even checked their course on their website so maybe it was really folly of me.

But I haven't regretted my decision, now I can go around telling people I'm studying where Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin once studied! :rolleyes:

Reply 110

lucho22

13

I chose Cambridge because the MML course was much more to my liking - It's more flexible and interesting with scope for interdisciplinary study. I in fact prefer Oxford as a city, but I feel as if I need somewhere where there's not much to do - or otherwise I'd never do any work...

Reply 111

parsleythelion

1

I live in Oxford and wanted to go to uni elsewhere.

I love the city to bits though - I'm not sure if I'd have made the same decision if I was coming from somewhere else.

Reply 112

wilbur

1

Couple of reasons for choosing Oxford:
1) A larger, livelier city to live in
2) I knew the city quite well before I applied
3) An excellent English course (although I do envy the flexibility of Tripos)
4) The Bodleian Library
5) Varied music and cultural attractions/events

Reply 113

dragons_circle

Both have stunning colleges (although I visited Merton and King's, so it's a bit skewed), but Oxford the city was much uglier compared to Cambridge and had more traffic.

Reply 114

priya

14

ninjapanda

I know Oxford very well and love it, and from what people have told me about Cambridge, it is no comparrison. There's far more to do in Oxford and Cambridge is more spread out with a more oldy worldy feeling about it. Though you're best off getting advice from someone who goes to Cambridge, or who knows it well.

i'd say oxford is far more spread out - most places in cambridge can be reached in the space of a 20 min walk, with all the colleges practically on top of each other, whereas some of the oxford colleges are a bit more spread out. cambridge is very much a buzzing student town- there is still plenty to do, but it depends whether you'd prefer a more campus-y feel to your university experience, or a big town experience. the phrase "oxford university is a university in a city, whereas cambridge univeristy IS the city" isn't far wrong

(having said this, there are a surprising number of cambridge chavs who seem to appear from nowhere, constantly decorating the street corners)

Reply 115

-myrna-

Easy i choose Cambridge because they had the Natural Sciences tripos, and i love the way it works! :smile:

Reply 116

Jonesy_LJ

Oxford all the way because it has P.P.E., it's older, and it's not an insular as Cambridge.

Reply 117

jumping10

Oxford was a better location but the overwheling factor was that ona Oxbridge conference in Old Traford, there was a woman representing Cambridge who had an incredibly irrating voice and who came across unbelievably stupid! stating the obvious 'in Cambridge, colleges are different shapes...' then a picture of two colleges of different shapes came up. It made Cambridge look unprofessional and a bit dumb!

I didn't pay that much attention I have to admit because of the woman sounded like someone of night night and me and my friend were in stitches crying. People around us were not impressed.

Oxford appeared fun, professional and likable-the winner!

Reply 118

Turdburger

16

Oxford because:

1) The Cambridge Nat Sci course, as good as im sure it is, doesn't suit me, don't have any real desire to study physics or biology, just chemistry.
2) Oxford is a slightly bigger city, bit more to do etc.
3) I think the Oxford colleges are prettier than their Cambridge counterparts (although I think the city of Cambridge is prettier than Oxford)
4) Again far better impression from Oxbridge conference.
5) Sounds really silly, but from the people in our year, most really clever people are going to oxford, most of the geeky nerds are off to Cambridge!! (Sorry if you are reading this Jeff)

:smile:

Reply 119

digital-observations

Originally I was more interested in Cambridge because I wanted to go further afield, but they didn't do a combined History and Politics course and despite my head of Sixth Form trying to persuade me that Cambridge would be better, decided my personal statement would be easier to write with Oxford as my other five applications were combined with Politics, and was pretty set on doing Politics anyway. Plus I've known the Oxford area for a few years anyway, and when I was up in Cambridge for other reasons in the summer, decided that although it's very pretty, I preferred Oxford and it seems like there is more going on there.

Why did YOU choose Oxford or Cambridge over the other?

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