What actually makes an Oxbridge degree better than the rest?

I mean, is it just the name? Im guessin that though Economics at other Uni's will be slightly diferent than at Oxbridge, how diff could they be? Do u not learn as much at other Uni's? What actually makes oxbridge so special? How is the education received there differ?

I understand the collegiate system makes the teaching better qaulity, but can that really be it? Im beginning to think it is just the name....?

Reply 1

Donald Duck

15

Of course you have the tutorial system and such. They also have to work harder (generally) and are exposed to more stress. Apart from that, they know how to sell themselves (they got in) and are usually logical good thinkers. They have been in contact with much interesting people, which also broadened them, and learning with the best causes you to understand things better too.

Reply 2

Joe555

13

The word "Oxford" or "Cambridge" on your CV :tongue:

Reply 3

ThePants999

14

It's also the competitiveness of the uni. People who get into Oxbridge have been rigorously assessed and have impressed Oxbridge tutors. So, regardless of how you get on in your degree or how well you're taught, many companies consider the fact that you were accepted to say something positive about you.

Reply 4

Angelil

19

Probably not much in the UK. However, overseas the only UK universities that are really well known are basically Oxford, Cambridge and the University of London. Since I'm moving abroad next year I think that having Oxford on my CV may prove an advantage.

Reply 5

WhatTheFunk

17

a question by saying they are in contact with much interesting people, what you mean lectures people working there, cos wouldn't that be at must unis

they work alot harder to get in to oxbridge must have 3 As or more, and as it say they can sell them selves

Reply 6

HCD

16

What of someone that was accepted by Oxbridge, and can prove it, but then chose to study elsewhere because of something about the course? Surely that person was accepted, which says something positive about them?

Although, putting that you were accepted by Oxbridge on your CV tactfully without looking like a twit would be a challenge!

Reply 7

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3

holla_at_ya

I mean, is it just the name? Im guessin that though Economics at other Uni's will be slightly diferent than at Oxbridge, how diff could they be? Do u not learn as much at other Uni's? What actually makes oxbridge so special? How is the education received there differ?

I understand the collegiate system makes the teaching better qaulity, but can that really be it? Im beginning to think it is just the name....?

Endlessly creating new threads is irritating, please stop.

You don't learn just as much at other universities at all. The work ethic and the atmosphere tends to be vastly different to other universities. At some other universities doing the same subject I would have one essay to hand in on a module at the end of a 12 week term, here I have 8 essays to complete in 8 weeks, with a 6 day deadline for each one. There is a focus on working and it can be pretty intense, and stressful; my friends at other universities do little else other than turn up for lectures until the last three or four days before their end of term deadline when they actually work. My bibliography this term includes probably about 150-200 books/articles, I'd be surprised if theirs included a tenth of that.

Reply 8

epitome

11

Hi Holla,

Okay, well Oxbridge is not necessarily better than all other universities in every area (there are other extremely good unis); and it is certainly not the case that its graduates will necessarily be any better than graduates from other universities (they definitely will not be, in many cases).

However, that aside, what does Oxbridge offer? It's not really the collegiate system that "makes the teaching better quality". What this system does is break us down into little groups, so we're treated as individuals rather than herds of cattle. The primary difference between Oxbridge and the majority of other unis is simply the amount of individual attention every single student gets, by way of the supervision system (a supervision is a very small teaching group -- one-to-one with an academic, or one-to-two. Sometimes three students, but no more). This individual teaching puts a lot of pressure on to complete the work. Furthermore, there is MORE work: we have at least one of these intense sessions a week (up to maybe 4 or 5), and each of those will usually have a deadline. I don't know about the workload in economics, but - for instance - in English, I do more essays in one term (and of a similar length) than my friends at other reasonably good universities do in an entire year. That quantity of work simply menas you get through more stuff, which means you come out knowing more (hopefully!). Or, at least, you are made more aware of what it is you don't know...

So it's really a combination of two things: VER Ysmall-group teaching (on top of the normal lectures & larger groups), and a significantly larger work-load. The education is therefore generally very thorough, and students are given a better opportunity to become more knowledgeable.

It has little to do with the name. If you take a moment to have a scan of the assessment records of each of the university departments, you will see that Oxford and Cambridge most often have the very highest grades in almost every department -- that's no mean feat. The name creates a silly aura around the place, and lots of myths -- but the education itself is not influenced by silly myths; it is simply an extremely good education. :smile:

Reply 9

epitome

11

Haha, in the time it took me to type that, all the other replies popped up! :biggrin:

Reply 10

epitome

11

What of someone that was accepted by Oxbridge, and can prove it, but then chose to study elsewhere because of something about the course? Surely that person was accepted, which says something positive about them?

Well, you wouldn't want to put "Accepted by Oxbridge but turned it down" on your CV...BUT the likelihood is that that person would go on to do very well at their other chosen university, so would be an extremely good competitor when it came to employment later anyway. :smile:

Reply 11

timeceremony

You want to work in a good law firm (Yes, a good university makes a difference)
You want to get into a good school for postgraduate studies (Yes, university matters)
You want to get a position as a researcher at a university (No, university matters little but instead the specifics of your PhD and who was your supervisor during the process of writing it).
You want to make fantastic discoveries in a field of interest (University matters NOT)
You want to make the discovery of the decade (or century) (University matters NOT and I laugh at those who think so).

Put this on your wall so that you may be reminded of your own naïvety.

Reply 12

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3

robinson999

a question by saying they are in contact with much interesting people, what you mean lectures people working there, cos wouldn't that be at must unis

they work alot harder to get in to oxbridge must have 3 As or more, and as it say they can sell them selves

You make very little sense. However, I think you're trying to say that you are lectured by 'interesting people' at all universities. Well, that may be so, but you don't get the same level of contact. Supervisions give me one-on-one contact discussing my work with a senior academic (who has either written the texts that are on my reading lists or regularly has dinner with the people who have) for a substantial amount of time every single week, it adds up to so much more than simply sitting in a lecture theatre listening to someone give a lecture.

Reply 13

epitome

11

a question by saying they are in contact with much interesting people, what you mean lectures people working there, cos wouldn't that be at must unis

That's almost incomprehensible, but never mind.
I think the idea is that we have much closer contact with those lecturers. At many universities, you go to a lecture with 200 other people, listen for an hour, then the lecturer leaves. Here, you go to the lecture, and then if you're really interested can set up a one-to-one meeting with that lecturer, or might have him/her supervising you for a whole term on their subject. So we kind of get to know them, and are guided by them much more, than at most other universities.

Reply 14

Jimi Haze

timeceremony

You want to work in a good law firm (Yes, a good university makes a difference)
You want to get into a good school for postgraduate studies (Yes, university matters)
You want to get a position as a researcher at a university (No, university matters little but instead the specifics of your PhD and who was your supervisor during the process of writing it).
You want to make fantastic discoveries in a field of interest (University matters NOT)
You want to make the discovery of the decade (or century) (University matters NOT and I laugh at those who think so).

Put this on your wall so that you may be reminded of your own naïvety.

Something I've been told; an Oxbridge Degree will always get your CV looked at, it's how you respond in the interview that gets you the job, not your Uni/Degree :wink:

Reply 15

WhatTheFunk

17

what are asking what you mean by more interesting people, like wouldn't you meet more interesting people at uni anyway

Reply 16

generalebriety

16

*can't be arsed to read most of the thread, so lazily agrees with 3232, because he's probably making the most sense*

Reply 17

generalebriety

16

robinson999

what are asking what you mean by more interesting people, like wouldn't you meet more interesting people at uni anyway

Believe me, I know plenty of people who are very bored at uni.

Reply 18

timeceremony

Jimi Haze

Something I've been told; an Oxbridge Degree will always get your CV looked at, it's how you respond in the interview that gets you the job, not your Uni/Degree :wink:

Which further proves my point.
Seriously though, I could care less about where I study. I'm only here for the interesting people I've met so far and the fact that I wanted to study in an English-speaking country, as well as Imperial being too expensive for my budget.