The Student Room Group
Competition - post a photo you've taken of nature >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Competition - post a photo you've taken of nature >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

What's honestly so good about Oxbridge?

Scroll to see replies

Original post by Princepieman

Going to Oxbridge does not, by itself, command one with a higher salary. There is no 'Oxbridge' premiun on salaries and that is not what these salary statistics are saying. Otherwise, solid answer.


It's not a huge premium, but it's still a premium:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/11918904/Oxbridge-graduates-earn-double-200000-Russell-Group-premium.html
It's snobbery.

Its nothing more complicated than that.

The idea that students at any other UK Uni don't like 'studying or 'succeeding' or 'enjoy culture', or that you somehow have to go to Oxbridge to achieve these things is clearly utter twaddle.
Original post by qwertyuiop1993


These studies are so beyond useless when individualised..
I want to go to Cambridge for five reasons...

1) accommodation for all three years
2) the supervisions
3) the city itself, beautiful
4) the collegiate system, it apparently feels like you belong to something and you're not just a student at a university
5) the economics course itself, it's pretty broad encompassing economics, history, politics and maths

I honestly don't get why people look at earning figures and graduate destinations. What you get out of it is what you put in, going to Cambridge doesn't give you everything on a silver platter. I could go to a 'normal' university and still land myself in a decent graduate job providing I work hard and get work experience.
(edited 7 years ago)
Not everyone goes to uni to get wasted every night and to try as many drugs as they can. Some people actually value their education. For these people, the poor nightlife in Cambridge isn't a big deal :smile:
Original post by jamestg
I want to go to Cambridge for five reasons...

1) accommodation for all three years
2) the supervisions
3) the city itself, beautiful
4) the collegiate system, it apparently feels like you belong to something and you're not just a student at a university
5) the economics course itself, it's pretty broad encompassing economics, history, politics and maths

I honestly don't get why people look at earning figures and graduate destinations. What you get out of it is what you put in, going to Cambridge doesn't give you everything on a silver platter. I could go to a 'normal' university and still land myself in a decent graduate job proving I work hard and get work experience.


Very few people understand this.. The ones who do generally are on a path to success in life :wink:

Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 7 years ago)
Honestly, for most courses you won't see a difference between Oxbridge and other top universities.
It's work experience and talent for the job in question that'll make you succeed, not a degree which in most cases doesn't even prepare you for the job.
Original post by qwertyuiop1993


I don't really think you can use the salary argument either for or against tbh - it is way way too complicated to be able to say that going to oxbridge gets you a higher salary, and equally it is too complicated to say it doesn't. There are so so many factors which will contribute to the higher than average salaries, so to say either way is pretty much impossible
Original post by Vixen47
If it wasn't for Oxbridge TSR wouldn't be where it is now.


Just saying :mmm:


so a couple of oxbridge guys went: hey lets make a student page so people can communicate and revise and the other goes: BUT LETS MAKE IT IN A WAY SO THEY PROCRASTINATE SO NOBODY CAN REACH OUR LEVEL OF SMART MWAHAHAHA

just saying thats how i see it...
Original post by Princepieman
Very few people understand this.. The ones who do generally are on a path to success in life :wink:


Nobody's saying you have to go to Oxbridge to get a well-paid job, but the fact is, a randomly selected Oxbridge graduate is more likely than the average graduate to get one. That's what those "useless" studies show.

On every single thread I see you in, you're butt-hurt about Oxbridge - still bitter about a rejection, perhaps?
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by StrangeBanana
Nobody's saying you have to go to Oxbridge to get a well-paid job, but the fact is, a randomly selected Oxbridge graduate is more likely than the average graduate to get one. That's what those "useless" studies show.

On every single thread I see you in, you're butt-hurt about Oxbridge - still bitter about a rejection, perhaps?


There are so many reasons you could quote for why the average oxbridge graduate earns more, you need to look beyond the stats as it's nowhere near as clear cut as they make it appear
Original post by StrangeBanana
Nobody's saying you have to go to Oxbridge to get a well-paid job, but the fact is, a randomly selected Oxbridge graduate is more likely than the average graduate to get one. That's what those "useless" studies show.

On every single thread I see you in, you're butt-hurt about Oxbridge - still bitter about a rejection, perhaps?


Loooool, maybe.

I'm not butthurt as such, I just don't want people reading these threads to automatically assume Oxbridge = high chance of job, with no intermediate explanation of why that statement isn't always correct. It's better if people choose their degrees/unis for more tangible reasons, not because a random survey from a sample of individuals with randomised career outcomes/desires says there's a 'premium'.
Original post by samb1234
There are so many reasons you could quote for why the average oxbridge graduate earns more, you need to look beyond the stats as it's nowhere near as clear cut as they make it appear


...yes, there probably are, but it doesn't make the statement (which some people try to cast aspersions on in these sorts of threads) any less true.

Original post by Princepieman
Loooool, maybe.

I'm not butthurt as such, I just don't want people reading these threads to automatically assume Oxbridge = high chance of job, with no intermediate explanation of why that statement isn't always correct. It's better if people choose their degrees/unis for more tangible reasons, not because a random survey from a sample of individuals with randomised career outcomes/desires says there's a 'premium'.


Well no, not maybe. It's a statistical fact, whether you like it or not.

Very altruistic of you. You're right: getting into Oxbridge isn't a guarantee of a great job. In most cases, though, it gives you an edge.
Original post by StrangeBanana
...yes, there probably are, but it doesn't make the statement (which some people try to cast aspersions on in these sorts of threads) any less true.



Well no, not maybe. It's a statistical fact, whether you like it or not.

Very altruistic of you. You're right: getting into Oxbridge isn't a guarantee of a great job. In most cases, though, it gives you an edge.


I would argue that it's a fairly typical example of the correlation/cause debate, but nearly everyone on here always claims that oxbridge is 100% the cause when really it's a lot more complicated than that. Therefore you can't really say that going to oxbridge gets you more money, because although there is a correlation it is not necessarily the reason that oxbridge graduates earn more
Original post by StrangeBanana


Well no, not maybe. It's a statistical fact, whether you like it or not.

Very altruistic of you. You're right: getting into Oxbridge isn't a guarantee of a great job. In most cases, though, it gives you an edge.


The maybe was to the rejection comment lol, which is partially true.

Your second statement is exactly how I see it.

Posted from TSR Mobile
In my opinion... Nothing. The only thing I find appealing is the collegiate system, but I'm sure I could/will experience that feeling that I'm part of something irrespective of a collegiate system. I could have applied for Oxford I reckon, but it's not my scene as such.
Original post by samb1234
I would argue that it's a fairly typical example of the correlation/cause debate, but nearly everyone on here always claims that oxbridge is 100% the cause when really it's a lot more complicated than that. Therefore you can't really say that going to oxbridge gets you more money, because although there is a correlation it is not necessarily the reason that oxbridge graduates earn more


"nearly everyone"? More like a few naive kids - most people realise it's not that simple.
Original post by JBLondon
Indeed, the one good thing about medicine is that the place you go isn't as important as all the other subjects.

I got into another 'golden triangle' uni, which I loved the look of, so I'm happy :colondollar:


KCL isn't a real 'golden triangle' uni
Original post by Princepieman
Loooool, maybe.

I'm not butthurt as such, I just don't want people reading these threads to automatically assume Oxbridge = high chance of job, with no intermediate explanation of why that statement isn't always correct. It's better if people choose their degrees/unis for more tangible reasons, not because a random survey from a sample of individuals with randomised career outcomes/desires says there's a 'premium'.


I wasn't actually suggesting that chance of getting a good job is a reason for going to Oxbridge. And as someone else has pointed out its hard to distinguish correlation from causation. I don't really think the Oxbridge brand necessarily has that much of an effect (except maybe in certain domains like law), but the fact that Oxbridge tends to attract very intelligent, hard-working students aiming for grad jobs means that there's a higher likelihood of employment. For example, in highly competitive grad schemes where selection is university-blind (Civil Service Fast stream comes to mind) Oxbridge grads have a significantly higher chance of being accepted - that's not the brand working.

I chose Oxford because I liked the look of the course and I wanted to be challenged in a tutorial setting. Yes, the prestige was a nice factor, but I think the most valuable thing I got out of it was the ability to deal with vast amounts of work efficiently and being able to defend your ideas to authority. Nothing like Oxford Finals to make normal working life feel pretty easy.

I'm not saying that Oxbridge is the be all and end all, and there are loads of reasons why other universities will suit other people better.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by qwertyuiop1993
x


Great post :smile:

That's what I mean, it's not because of 'Oxbridge' that their graduates earn more on average. It's because the people who get into Oxbridge are as you say: hard working, intelligent, driven etc. These qualities are innate to the type of students who get into Oxbridge and I'm confident they would do well regardless of whether their degrees read Oxford/Cambridge or not.

That's why it's important to not get trapped into formulaic 'x degree from y uni = z salary equations most young people on TSR function off of when choosing courses/unis. It's not only inaccurate, but it's dangerous because it sets an 'expectation' for them which, if unattained, would be disastrous to their sense of worth.

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you