Which is 'posher'?

Hi all,

I hope you can help answer my q. I was talking with a friend and she seems to think, based on what she's heard and seen about the place, that Oxford is the posher/sloanier/more rah of the two unis.

I completely disagree and think Cambridge definitely is - having compared their student newspaper 'varsity' to 'cherwell' - oxford's, it appears that cam's is produced by and for a much wealthier,posher demographic than Oxford. It seemed to take as given that ALL its students were upper middle class, and wealthy with it, as exemplified by some of the prices of the clothes on its fashion pages!

I realise I'm probably going based purely on stereotypes etc etc, but I'm curious - so if you've got anything to say on the matter, put your sixpence in.

Merci.

Reply 1

atoms4peace

1

i dunno. i always got the impression that oxford was posher. idk though i have never been to either

Reply 2

glassheart

10

I too had the impression Oxford was the more typically well to do of the two.

Reply 3

username179029

There is multiple threads following this topic.

Reply 4

studentbug

Pembroke, Cambridge is extremely posh

Reply 5

aspiringlawyer

OP

123mccann

There is multiple threads following this topic.

Your link went nowhere.
Anyway I'd like some fresh ideas! Particularly from people who go there.

Reply 6

Huw Davies

11

The fashion pages of the Cherwell are a complete waste of space - I wouldn't use them as a basis of comparison for anything.

Very few people are going to have been to both in comparable circumstances, so I don't know who is going to make the comparison for you. Statistics-wise they're much of a muchness.

Both universities have a noticeable rah set; both have large numbers of people who aren't.

Reply 7

username179029

Well, it went to search results of Oxford Vs. Cambridge, some on which had only been started a few days ago.

Reply 8

hobnob

14

aspiringlawyer

I completely disagree and think Cambridge definitely is - having compared their student newspaper 'varsity' to 'cherwell' - oxford's, it appears that cam's is produced by and for a much wealthier,posher demographic than Oxford. It seemed to take as given that ALL its students were upper middle class, and wealthy with it, as exemplified by some of the prices of the clothes on its fashion pages!

What makes you think that student newspapers, which are written by about a dozen students at most, are representative of what the entire student body is like? :confused:

And anyway, who even cares which is "posher"?

Reply 9

aspiringlawyer

OP

123mccann

Well, it went to search results of Oxford Vs. Cambridge, some on which had only been started a few days ago.

True. But I have seen those threads - my question is rather more specific than a general weighing up of all qualities.

I suppose it will be tricky getting a fair comparison as you either go to one or the other, not both.

Reply 10

aspiringlawyer

OP

hobnob

What makes you think that student newspapers, which are written by about a dozen students at most, are representative of what the entire student body is like? :confused:

And anyway, who even cares which is "posher"?

I don't think its that crazy to assume the papers are representative - if they're not fair enough, but hardly a wild assumption. Actually I know one of the girls who works on a bit of the cambridge one, and her and her set of friends slot into that whole demographic - sort of made me think perhaps it is represnetative.

Also as to 'who cares...' - if you don't then don't post. I don't care about oxbridge as much as I care about ending child poverty, but its an interesting topic, which others I'm sure also find interesting.

Reply 11

username179029

aspiringlawyer

True. But I have seen those threads - my question is rather more specific than a general weighing up of all qualities.

I suppose it will be tricky getting a fair comparison as you either go to one or the other, not both.

Oh right, well from just reading newspapers and such, Oxford seems to be more for the upper class whereas Cambridge is for everyone, some people have had to work really hard to get to that position there in. But, i'm not too sure on the matter.

Reply 12

aspiringlawyer

OP

Does anyone who attends oxbridge have anything to say?

Reply 13

hobnob

14

aspiringlawyer

I don't think its that crazy to assume the papers are representative - if they're not fair enough, but hardly a wild assumption. Actually I know one of the girls who works on a bit of the cambridge one, and her and her set of friends slot into that whole demographic - sort of made me think perhaps it is represnetative.

Fair enough, but as I said, the trouble with student newspapers is that they tend to be made by just a few people, so it's more likely to be unrepresentative than representative, because it's a tiny sample of students.

Also as to 'who cares...' - if you don't then don't post. I don't care about oxbridge as much as I care about ending child poverty, but its an interesting topic, which others I'm sure also find interesting.

No need to get in a huff about that, it was a genuine question. I wonder who cares about that and why.

Reply 14

aspiringlawyer

OP

123mccann

Oh right, well from just reading newspapers and such, Oxford seems to be more for the upper class whereas Cambridge is for everyone, some people have had to work really hard to get to that position there in. But, i'm not too sure on the matter.

Aha! What makes you think that?

Reply 15

hobnob

14

aspiringlawyer

Does anyone who attends oxbridge have anything to say?

At least two of the people who have posted on this thread "attend Oxbridge", as you call it.

Reply 16

The_Lonely_Goatherd

20

123mccann

Oh right, well from just reading newspapers and such, Oxford seems to be more for the upper class whereas Cambridge is for everyone, some people have had to work really hard to get to that position there in. But, i'm not too sure on the matter.

I used to think the opposite to you: that Cambridge was more upper class and Oxford more friendly/for everyone. Though that was based on my experience of a few Cambridge tutors, so it wasn't really representative.

To the OP: I'm at Oxford. I don't think anyone can really say which uni is posher. Like someone said above, both have a lot of posh people but equally both have a lot of non-posh (can't think of the correct term to describe that!) people :smile:

Reply 17

generalebriety

16

Oxford seems posher to me, but of course I am biased. This whole Oxford vs. Cambridge rivalry seems very one-way (outside very serious groups of boaties).

Reply 18

nexttime

22

on my very limited experience of attending open days at both and interviews at oxford, probably oxford.

however, i would imagine i would be in the minority, having attended a state comprehensive, at either tbh

Reply 19

ragman_wonder

13

to me, being outside of Oxbridge, Oxford seems the "posher" of the two.

Which is 'posher'?

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