MSc Computer Science: Imperial or Oxford?
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'international nature' translates as 'no one bloody speaks english'. Whenever I go to the computer rooms there (despite not being a student *cough*) they're full of foreign people. Imperial halls are the same. A lot of english people there have found it very difficult to socialise. Societies at Imperial are also flawed. Their idea of 'eventful' is going to a bunch of different clubs...
I think Oxford is more internationally prestigious but the imperial college CS course seems to be better.
Course > University
Course > University
kat2pult
'international nature' translates as 'no one bloody speaks english'. Whenever I go to the computer rooms there (despite not being a student *cough*) they're full of foreign people. Imperial halls are the same. A lot of english people there have found it very difficult to socialise. Societies at Imperial are also flawed. Their idea of 'eventful' is going to a bunch of different clubs...
well, that sucks.
i think that one good reason for studying abroad is that you get to have new experiences, like the local culture, and mingling with the local people. doesn't oxford also have a high percentage of international students?nuodai
If you go to Imperial you'll be a victim of arsen, stabbing and murder 
oh, goodie.
kat2pult
Oxford - all the people I know at Imperial don't like it much. I have spent a lot of time there and dislike it. It's one of the more unfriendly unis. There's a LOT of chinese kids and you don't get to meet people who aren't business or science minded. Also, Imperial has no on sight accomodation and finding accomodation may prove to be difficult.
The people I know at Oxford love it.
Personally I think how good the university is more important than how good the course at the uni is.
The people I know at Oxford love it.
Personally I think how good the university is more important than how good the course at the uni is.
thats why i love it. also there is loads of on sight accommodation! its not like kings! also somehing you may want to consider is the fact that Oxford has extremely short terms, like 24 weeks per year i think. Imperial=39. i prefer this, you may not. the two are very different in terms of lifestyle but in terms of the intensity of the workload they are both going to push you as hard as possible and will both teach you thoroughly. having said that, i cannot pretend to view them both equally in this subject. Imperial is not just the UK leader but the EU leader in so very many technological and scientific fields. so many that it would take a long time to post but all you would need to do is look to google for enlightenment. here is the Imperial syllabus btw: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/pls/portallive/docs/1/27079700.PDF.
Where is the on site Imperial accomodation? The halls are spread over London! They used to be a part of the Univerisity of London which meant you were able to meet people from a spectrum of different universities and courses across London.
Another thing - Oxford is a lot more traditional than Imperial. Ie, more balls and formals. I've seen dancers in Imperial with no place to practice other than in the canteen.
One thing I do like about Imperial though is that it's situated between 2 high roads with excellent transport links and right next to Kensington Gardens, which means there'll always be somewhere to go and something to do. What's more, having an Imperial card entitles you to food discounts on site, and the library is open 24/7.
One of the problems with Oxford is that you may feel the people around you are snobbish, or out to make you feel inferior. Also, the transport links are much to be desired. If I had the choice, the collegiate nature of Oxford would sway the vote for me.
Another thing - Oxford is a lot more traditional than Imperial. Ie, more balls and formals. I've seen dancers in Imperial with no place to practice other than in the canteen.
One thing I do like about Imperial though is that it's situated between 2 high roads with excellent transport links and right next to Kensington Gardens, which means there'll always be somewhere to go and something to do. What's more, having an Imperial card entitles you to food discounts on site, and the library is open 24/7.
One of the problems with Oxford is that you may feel the people around you are snobbish, or out to make you feel inferior. Also, the transport links are much to be desired. If I had the choice, the collegiate nature of Oxford would sway the vote for me.
kat2pult
Where is the on site Imperial accomodation? The halls are spread over London! They used to be a part of the Univerisity of London which meant you were able to meet people from a spectrum of different universities and courses across London.
Another thing - Oxford is a lot more traditional than Imperial. Ie, more balls and formals. I've seen dancers in Imperial with no place to practice other than in the canteen.
One thing I do like about Imperial though is that it's situated between 2 high roads with excellent transport links and right next to Kensington Gardens, which means there'll always be somewhere to go and something to do. What's more, having an Imperial card entitles you to food discounts on site, and the library is open 24/7.
One of the problems with Oxford is that you may feel the people around you are snobbish, or out to make you feel inferior. Also, the transport links are much to be desired. If I had the choice, the collegiate nature of Oxford would sway the vote for me.
Another thing - Oxford is a lot more traditional than Imperial. Ie, more balls and formals. I've seen dancers in Imperial with no place to practice other than in the canteen.
One thing I do like about Imperial though is that it's situated between 2 high roads with excellent transport links and right next to Kensington Gardens, which means there'll always be somewhere to go and something to do. What's more, having an Imperial card entitles you to food discounts on site, and the library is open 24/7.
One of the problems with Oxford is that you may feel the people around you are snobbish, or out to make you feel inferior. Also, the transport links are much to be desired. If I had the choice, the collegiate nature of Oxford would sway the vote for me.
i dont know what youre talking about though i assume you think Imperial still uses UOL accomodation? Garden, Weeks and Beit Halls are all within like 3 minutes of Imperial as is Tizard and others im sure. i cant remember where they all are as i applied for mine and thats that but they aint anything like youre making out. its nothing like Kings. also wtf are you talking about with the Dancers? Imperial has the whole Ethos complex where Dance classes, Karate, Taekwondo etc happen. im assuming you meant facilities but if you mean they dont have as many formal gatherings to perform at then id imagine youre absolutely right. nowhere (bar Durham and the music colleges etc perhaps) has as much of that jazz as Oxford. there are enough events though but nothing like the regular ladidas enjoyed by you Oxons. its not really my thing as you can probably tell
but if the OP is concerned there is the summer ball which, according to this http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/summerball/index.html, is the largest in London which suprised me given UCL is twice the size of Imperial in terms of population. edit: i had to laugh at the shameless industrial whoring of Imperial once again
, the summer ball is sponsored by BP haha. ah well its partially those industrial connections that make it Imperial eh.If they're within 3 mins of Imperial it means they aren't in Imperial. They may be close but not on site, as I keep emphasising. I do know that Imperial are no longer part of the uni of London. The newest and best Imperial accomodation is situated at Caledonian Road which is a bit of a trek in rush hour.
Haha yeah I saw that BP thing. Also, when I went there a few weeks back they had a fun fair outside the Sherman Building. I was surprised.
On a serious note, though, I must say that the people I know at Imperial have all said the same thing - if it wasn't as good a university as it is, they would not have chosen it.
Imperials plus points :
- huge spending on students
- the clocktower in the middle is pretty at night
- cheap (ish) food
- good transport
- very practical courses
- plenty of available computers
- long opening hours (many buildings shut at 11pm. Library is 24/7)
- close to good shops/restaurants/cafes
- the year starts in october which means you have a long summer
- regular bbqs in summer
bad points :
- it may be difficult to randomly bump into people on different courses reguarly
- despite the renovation to the library, I find the area very 'concrete'
- some courses force you to do auxillary subjects which do not contribute to your final degree
- LOADS of exams and coursework
- some courses don't finish until mid to late july which may mean missing out on summer jobs
- VERY male dominated
- few black people (most are asian)
- expensive accomodation
- may be disturbed by the music college onsite
- only have access to certain buildings which may mean you can't use the facilities you want to
- few social events
- a very touristy area (you may get annoyed at the slow walking people when you're running late)
- lots of lecturers still use chalk, so if you've an allergy...good luck lol
Haha yeah I saw that BP thing. Also, when I went there a few weeks back they had a fun fair outside the Sherman Building. I was surprised.
On a serious note, though, I must say that the people I know at Imperial have all said the same thing - if it wasn't as good a university as it is, they would not have chosen it.
Imperials plus points :
- huge spending on students
- the clocktower in the middle is pretty at night
- cheap (ish) food
- good transport
- very practical courses
- plenty of available computers
- long opening hours (many buildings shut at 11pm. Library is 24/7)
- close to good shops/restaurants/cafes
- the year starts in october which means you have a long summer
- regular bbqs in summer
bad points :
- it may be difficult to randomly bump into people on different courses reguarly
- despite the renovation to the library, I find the area very 'concrete'
- some courses force you to do auxillary subjects which do not contribute to your final degree
- LOADS of exams and coursework
- some courses don't finish until mid to late july which may mean missing out on summer jobs
- VERY male dominated
- few black people (most are asian)
- expensive accomodation
- may be disturbed by the music college onsite
- only have access to certain buildings which may mean you can't use the facilities you want to
- few social events
- a very touristy area (you may get annoyed at the slow walking people when you're running late)
- lots of lecturers still use chalk, so if you've an allergy...good luck lol
kat2pult
If they're within 3 mins of Imperial it means they aren't in Imperial.
Does it make any difference at a city university?
My halls at York were 3-15 minutes from the teaching rooms (depending on where we were) and that was definitely "on campus". Why do the halls need to be inextricably attached if they're within less than 5 minutes walking distance?
kat2pult
Imperials plus points :
- huge spending on students
- the clocktower in the middle is pretty at night
- cheap (ish) food
- good transport
- very practical courses
- plenty of available computers
- long opening hours (many buildings shut at 11pm. Library is 24/7)
- close to good shops/restaurants/cafes
- the year starts in october which means you have a long summer
- regular bbqs in summer
Imperials plus points :
- huge spending on students
- the clocktower in the middle is pretty at night
- cheap (ish) food
- good transport
- very practical courses
- plenty of available computers
- long opening hours (many buildings shut at 11pm. Library is 24/7)
- close to good shops/restaurants/cafes
- the year starts in october which means you have a long summer
- regular bbqs in summer
sarcastic are we? i hope no one really looks forward to huge spending while in college.
solo2wolf
Garden, Weeks and Beit Halls are all within like 3 minutes of Imperial as is Tizard and others im sure.
walking is good for the health.
solo2wolf
but if the OP is concerned there is the summer ball which, according to this http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/summerball/index.html, is the largest in London which suprised me given UCL is twice the size of Imperial in terms of population.
edit: i had to laugh at the shameless industrial whoring of Imperial once again, the summer ball is sponsored by BP haha. ah well its partially those industrial connections that make it Imperial eh.
edit: i had to laugh at the shameless industrial whoring of Imperial once again
, the summer ball is sponsored by BP haha. ah well its partially those industrial connections that make it Imperial eh.wow, what a grand event. that's going to be interesting.
as for BP, well, someone needs to pay for it, haha. i don't mind though if there are formal gatherings, as long as there's the "informal" parties with friends... constantly. unfortunately, the only time i'm going to the UK is when classes are about to start. thanks, now i'm starting to get the system. 
By the way, that 'huge spending on students' means that the university spends a lot on each individual student, not that you all have to pay a lot lol.
As for their being no on site accomodation...well, I just think it makes a university more homely. More like a community, other than just a place to go to study, or see friends occasionally. The Student Union is also not on the main campus at Imperial which means that after a few months, unless you love your course, you may not associate the university with 'fun'. This doesn't matter too much with London universities, but there's no specific club where you can go and only hang out with Imperial people. This is one aspect of my promotion of Oxford. Each of the colleges at Oxford uni has their own traditions and ways of doing things. There is college rivalry, which really makes you feel as if you fit in with those in the same college around you. I personally would find this a lot less daunting (which is why I applied for 3 collegiate universities and 2 back ups in my UCAS application).
I find that Oxford holds a greater prestige, as definitely ought to be the one you aim for. It's surrounded by greenery and little traffic (they like their bicycles and health shops there lol), and is really a student town. Oxford is a huge university, and the city is shared by Oxford Brookes and various colleges. This means you'll often find yourself surrounded by people your own age, which is always a plus, right?
As for their being no on site accomodation...well, I just think it makes a university more homely. More like a community, other than just a place to go to study, or see friends occasionally. The Student Union is also not on the main campus at Imperial which means that after a few months, unless you love your course, you may not associate the university with 'fun'. This doesn't matter too much with London universities, but there's no specific club where you can go and only hang out with Imperial people. This is one aspect of my promotion of Oxford. Each of the colleges at Oxford uni has their own traditions and ways of doing things. There is college rivalry, which really makes you feel as if you fit in with those in the same college around you. I personally would find this a lot less daunting (which is why I applied for 3 collegiate universities and 2 back ups in my UCAS application).
I find that Oxford holds a greater prestige, as definitely ought to be the one you aim for. It's surrounded by greenery and little traffic (they like their bicycles and health shops there lol), and is really a student town. Oxford is a huge university, and the city is shared by Oxford Brookes and various colleges. This means you'll often find yourself surrounded by people your own age, which is always a plus, right?
kat2pult
By the way, that 'huge spending on students' means that the university spends a lot on each individual student, not that you all have to pay a lot lol.
hahaha, my bad. i was thinking "huge spending by the students." i need to brush up on my english. though i'm not that type who will get a degree without being able to strike up a good conversation in english.
(just another article i've read... haha) though the other imperial advantages you wrote were like not that interesting. clock? lolkat2pult
As for their being no on site accomodation...well, I just think it makes a university more homely. More like a community, other than just a place to go to study, or see friends occasionally. The Student Union is also not on the main campus at Imperial which means that after a few months, unless you love your course, you may not associate the university with 'fun'. This doesn't matter too much with London universities, but there's no specific club where you can go and only hang out with Imperial people. This is one aspect of my promotion of Oxford. Each of the colleges at Oxford uni has their own traditions and ways of doing things. There is college rivalry, which really makes you feel as if you fit in with those in the same college around you. I personally would find this a lot less daunting (which is why I applied for 3 collegiate universities and 2 back ups in my UCAS application).
I find that Oxford holds a greater prestige, as definitely ought to be the one you aim for. It's surrounded by greenery and little traffic (they like their bicycles and health shops there lol), and is really a student town. Oxford is a huge university, and the city is shared by Oxford Brookes and various colleges. This means you'll often find yourself surrounded by people your own age, which is always a plus, right?
I find that Oxford holds a greater prestige, as definitely ought to be the one you aim for. It's surrounded by greenery and little traffic (they like their bicycles and health shops there lol), and is really a student town. Oxford is a huge university, and the city is shared by Oxford Brookes and various colleges. This means you'll often find yourself surrounded by people your own age, which is always a plus, right?
it's always nice to meet girls my age, oops, i meant people my age.
i think this applies to me more as someone who'll be very far away from home. and the uni i pick should be my "home" for a whole year of my life. 
kat2pult
By the way, that 'huge spending on students' means that the university spends a lot on each individual student, not that you all have to pay a lot lol.
As for their being no on site accomodation...well, I just think it makes a university more homely. More like a community, other than just a place to go to study, or see friends occasionally. The Student Union is also not on the main campus at Imperial which means that after a few months, unless you love your course, you may not associate the university with 'fun'. This doesn't matter too much with London universities, but there's no specific club where you can go and only hang out with Imperial people. This is one aspect of my promotion of Oxford. Each of the colleges at Oxford uni has their own traditions and ways of doing things. There is college rivalry, which really makes you feel as if you fit in with those in the same college around you. I personally would find this a lot less daunting (which is why I applied for 3 collegiate universities and 2 back ups in my UCAS application).
I find that Oxford holds a greater prestige, as definitely ought to be the one you aim for. It's surrounded by greenery and little traffic (they like their bicycles and health shops there lol), and is really a student town. Oxford is a huge university, and the city is shared by Oxford Brookes and various colleges. This means you'll often find yourself surrounded by people your own age, which is always a plus, right?
As for their being no on site accomodation...well, I just think it makes a university more homely. More like a community, other than just a place to go to study, or see friends occasionally. The Student Union is also not on the main campus at Imperial which means that after a few months, unless you love your course, you may not associate the university with 'fun'. This doesn't matter too much with London universities, but there's no specific club where you can go and only hang out with Imperial people. This is one aspect of my promotion of Oxford. Each of the colleges at Oxford uni has their own traditions and ways of doing things. There is college rivalry, which really makes you feel as if you fit in with those in the same college around you. I personally would find this a lot less daunting (which is why I applied for 3 collegiate universities and 2 back ups in my UCAS application).
I find that Oxford holds a greater prestige, as definitely ought to be the one you aim for. It's surrounded by greenery and little traffic (they like their bicycles and health shops there lol), and is really a student town. Oxford is a huge university, and the city is shared by Oxford Brookes and various colleges. This means you'll often find yourself surrounded by people your own age, which is always a plus, right?
again....where are you getting this from lol?its in the beit quad which is practically attached to Imperial (Other side of the road)! Other than that Ethos (the Imperial College sports center) is within 2 minutes AND its FREE to students. you say Oxford should definitely be the one to aim for but i dont agree with this at all. I have chosen Imperial over Oxford (having had offers from both) and know quite a few others who have done the same. I think Oxford and Imperial appeal to similar but also fundamentally different kinds of people. Both want the best and can achieve but in terms of lifestyle are looking for different things. Both are fantastic places, among the very very best in the world but you need to figure out if the whole Oxford collegiate community is your thing. you can make up your own mind about the courses from the syllabus but i know which i would choose.
i just came across these two websites...
http://browse.guardian.co.uk/education?SearchBySubject=true&Subject=Computer+sciences+and+IT
and
http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/tol_gug/gooduniversityguide.php?AC_sub=Computer+Science
and it got me thinking. though i'm skeptical with league tables, i can't help but feel that i'm so confused with which school to choose because
Overall,
Oxford > Imperial.
For CS,
Imperial > Oxford.
So, the question remains whether for me, Uni > Course or Course > Uni.
But now, the table's all messed up, haha.
http://browse.guardian.co.uk/education?SearchBySubject=true&Subject=Computer+sciences+and+IT
and
http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/tol_gug/gooduniversityguide.php?AC_sub=Computer+Science
and it got me thinking. though i'm skeptical with league tables, i can't help but feel that i'm so confused with which school to choose because
Overall,
Oxford > Imperial.
For CS,
Imperial > Oxford.
So, the question remains whether for me, Uni > Course or Course > Uni.
But now, the table's all messed up, haha.
whitelighter
hahaha, my bad. i was thinking "huge spending by the students." i need to brush up on my english. though i'm not that type who will get a degree without being able to strike up a good conversation in english. (just another article i've read... haha) though the other imperial advantages you wrote were like not that interesting. clock? lol
it's always nice to meet girls my age, oops, i meant people my age. i think this applies to me more as someone who'll be very far away from home. and the uni i pick should be my "home" for a whole year of my life.
(just another article i've read... haha) though the other imperial advantages you wrote were like not that interesting. clock? lolit's always nice to meet girls my age, oops, i meant people my age.
i think this applies to me more as someone who'll be very far away from home. and the uni i pick should be my "home" for a whole year of my life. one year? are you postgrad?!
whitelighter
i just came across this website...
http://browse.guardian.co.uk/education?SearchBySubject=true&Subject=Computer+sciences+and+IT
and it got me thinking. though i'm skeptical with league tables, i can't help but feel that i'm so confused with which school to choose because
Overall,
Oxford > Imperial.
For CS,
Imperial > Oxford.
But now, the table's all messed up, haha.
http://browse.guardian.co.uk/education?SearchBySubject=true&Subject=Computer+sciences+and+IT
and it got me thinking. though i'm skeptical with league tables, i can't help but feel that i'm so confused with which school to choose because
Overall,
Oxford > Imperial.
For CS,
Imperial > Oxford.
But now, the table's all messed up, haha.
OMG what are you doing using tables at this stage!Tables should be used AS A ROUGH GUIDE to make initial choices. at this stage you have your shortlist (Oxford and Imperial) and you must then choose between them based on the finer points of the two institutes.
solo2wolf
one year? are you postgrad?!
yeah. i did mention it, haha. i said MSc.
is the postgrad significantly different from the undergrad? i mean, i would be making a different decision because i'm postgrad CS?i need to go training so will post latet but OP you should go to the Imperial and Oxford forums respectively with the same question. you may also find this thread useful: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?p=11881659&highlight=oxford+vs+Imperial#post11881659
infact very useful given Oxford and Cambridge are similar in terms of Collegiate system, demographic and general lifestyle.
infact very useful given Oxford and Cambridge are similar in terms of Collegiate system, demographic and general lifestyle.
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