Imperial VS Oxford

I'm shocked that you're comparing the teaching quality at Imperial with that of Reading University.

Why?

Why should Imperial have better teaching quality? Research trickles down to what is being taught, but I don't see why a uni with a stronger department should necessarily be better at teaching. In fact, you could argue the two are negatively related because top researchers will spend a lot of their time doing just that, researching, and seeing teaching as a distraction.

Reply 21

i_hate_teeth

10

Original post by danny111

Why?

Why should Imperial have better teaching quality? Research trickles down to what is being taught, but I don't see why a uni with a stronger department should necessarily be better at teaching. In fact, you could argue the two are negatively related because top researchers will spend a lot of their time doing just that, researching, and seeing teaching as a distraction.

I just assumed that it would have better teaching due to the fact that it's one of the best universities in the world, and that it's a target school for many multinational companies.

Reply 22

halfoflessthan50p

12

Original post by i_hate_teeth

I'm shocked that you're comparing the teaching quality at Imperial with that of Reading University. What are you studying at Imperial, and do others on your course feel the same way? I've got an interview for EEE coming up soon and Imperial is my first choice by miles. The only cons I've heard about Imperial are that it's expensive and that the workload is high.

I did physics and I have to say the teaching was a bit inconsistent too.

There were a few excellent lecturers. A few truly awful ones. And a lot of okay ones. Labs were consistently very good.

If anything I think the best academics can sometimes make the worst lecturers. Because they're so clever and understand everything so easily they can't empathise with students who find it difficult and need things explained slowly and properly.

Reply 23

Fallen

17

Just go with what you are happier with.
Honestly, your career prospects will be fantastic at either, so you should just choose the place you like more (because if you like it, and like the course, then you are far more likely to excel)

Edit:
Why the neg rep?
There is no point of going to, say, Oxford and getting a 3rd or not passing, when you could get a 1st or 2:1 at IC. Not that ICs course will be any easier.
If you neg rep me for that, frankly you are an idiot.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 24

chrypton

5

I think everyone has to realize that even really good schools have people who can teach and people who cannot.

I went to the open day at Oxford this summer and attended 3 lectures on Mathematics and thought all of them were boring, expect for one which was remotely interesting. This was not because I didn't like the topics, but rather because the lecturers weren't that engaging. But I'm sure I was unlucky with the lectures/lecturers. I can't say anything about Imperial, because I haven't visited, but I'm sure it's the same there.

Personally, I have had a lot of experience with bad teaching in the past and have luckily found alternate ways of teaching myself when needed.

Not everyone who has a PhD from a top university can teach :wink:

Reply 25

VersaEmerge

11

Original post by ritchie888

I've heard that the Imperial students are so hardcore that when they graduate they can slam the revolving doors at the main entrance.

it will come in handy since those revolving doors are ****ing broken every morning

Reply 26

INTJ

11

Original post by hajolli

If one person had a 1st from Imperial in Chemistry, and another had a 1st from Oxford, would there be any real difference in their career prospects? :confused:

Im thinking of Imperials reputation as a scientifically-specialist university here

I do not know about chemistry specifically, but Oxford will be regarded as 'better' by almost anyone who does not work in fields related to your course. Overall, Imperial is on par with UCL, and Oxford sits just ahead of the two. But, for chemistry, this might be different - I'm not sure. Overall, though, no.

Reply 27

Physics Enemy

19

Original post by i_hate_teeth

Imperial College is better than Oxford in pretty much every course that it offers, whether it's medicine, engineering, maths or pure sciences at both undergrad and postgrad.

Oxford's intake procedure is a lot harsher and academically discriminating, so their intake is better. Courses are more or less the same everywhere, but entry difficulty, difficulty of exams and that of achieving high honours is what seperates them. You can learn Maths to a Grade C at A-Level or to Grade S STEP II level. But the content is the same in both. So saying 'the course is better' has little meaning.

i_hate_teeth

Imperial graudates also have higher starting salaries than oxford graduates.

Because the doss courses and relatively mediocre arts courses at Oxford drag the value down. A better comparison would be Oxford Maths Grads vs Imperial Maths Grads. Since Oxford Maths grads get more 1sts & 2.1s than Imperial Maths grads AND have the prestigious name tag as well, I'm 99% sure their salaries are bigger as a result.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 28

Physics Enemy

19

Original post by i_hate_teeth

Well as far as salaries are concerned, it's an established fact that Imperial graduates earn more than graduates from every other UK university excluding LSE. Mind you, the difference in average starting salaries between IC and LSE graduates is very small.

I'm basing this on the time suniversity guide 2011

Again; because by virtue of being specialist unis, Imperial and LSE aren't weighed down by the starting salaries of soft subject/art grads. You'd think Imperial students would have realised that by now, but they never do.

If Cambridge got rid of all it's courses apart from Maths, Natural Sciences, Engineering and Economics then I'm sure they'd top those figures comfortably. A higher good honours rate + prestigious name tag = More £.

Reply 29

i.am.lost

18

Original post by i_hate_teeth

Well as far as salaries are concerned, it's an established fact that Imperial graduates earn more than graduates from every other UK university excluding LSE. Mind you, the difference in average starting salaries between IC and LSE graduates is very small.

I'm basing this on the time suniversity guide 2011

You're making a very stupid statement there that's not really true - I'd love to see some facts and figures for this bold statement...

Having said that, I do remember at the Imperial Computing open day we were told that Imperial Computing grads had the second highest graduate starting salary (around 37k if I remember), second only to Cambridge Economics (38.5k).

So, yes, they do very well, but you're exaggerating.

Reply 30

Cataclysmic

Original post by i_hate_teeth

I'm shocked that you're comparing the teaching quality at Imperial with that of Reading University. What are you studying at Imperial, and do others on your course feel the same way? I've got an interview for EEE coming up soon and Imperial is my first choice by miles. The only cons I've heard about Imperial are that it's expensive and that the workload is high.

you're obviously not in university.. once you arrive, you'll realize that teaching quality does not necessarily coincide with departmental nor institutional prowess. personally i study at a top engineering dept, and though the research may be rated 6* with the best researchers in their respective fields, some of them are pretty poor teachers. one of whom for instance i'm sure is autistic, but is virtually a genius.

i also have a friend at the LSE who is utterly disappointed with its teaching standards.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 31

Cataclysmic

Original post by i.am.lost

You're making a very stupid statement there that's not really true - I'd love to see some facts and figures for this bold statement...

Having said that, I do remember at the Imperial Computing open day we were told that Imperial Computing grads had the second highest graduate starting salary (around 37k if I remember), second only to Cambridge Economics (38.5k).

So, yes, they do very well, but you're exaggerating.

whether or not the OP is lying, i'm not surprised at all if imperial graduates do earn the most on average.

Reply 32

i.am.lost

18

Original post by Cataclysmic

whether or not the OP is lying, i'm not surprised at all if imperial graduates do earn the most on average.

They undoubtedly do very well, but one needs to keep in mind that because of Imperial's confinement to the sciences, other top unis (inc. Oxbridge) will be weighed down by potentially low starting salaries of arts students so the "on average" comparison isn't entirely fair, it should be subject-specific.

I have a friend who did a CS MSc who has encountered many employers that don't even know Imperial (which I would never have expected). I think its reputation is somewhat limited in industry only to the sciencey fields.

Reply 33

i_hate_teeth

10

Original post by Physics Enemy

Again; because by virtue of being specialist unis, Imperial and LSE aren't weighed down by the starting salaries of soft subject/art grads. You'd think Imperial students would have realised that by now, but they never do.

If Cambridge got rid of all it's courses apart from Maths, Natural Sciences, Engineering and Economics then I'm sure they'd top those figures comfortably. A higher good honours rate + prestigious name tag = More £.

UCL graduates also have a higher average starting salary than oxbridge graduates according to the Times University guide 2011.

Reply 34

Physics Enemy

19

Original post by i_hate_teeth

UCL graduates also have a higher average starting salary than oxbridge graduates according to the Times University guide 2011.

If that's true, it doesn't support what you say about Imperial. And to make inferences depends on the proportion of students from each uni that try to go into the city or similar. I have a strong suspicion that a larger proportion of UCL Grads try to get city jobs and grad jobs. I think Oxbridge may churn out a larger proportion of academics who therefore get paid less.

The Q is, not what they earn, but who is in the best position to earn the most. There's a difference. All Oxford grads could opt to be on the dole after their degree, but it doesn't mean their prospects or degree are worse.

More useful figures to make inferences about which degree/uni punches the heaviest in the jobs market, would be to look at the the % of successful Ox applicants out of the Ox Grads that apply for the big jobs, vs the % for UCL apps.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 35

Don_Lad

Original post by hajolli

If one person had a 1st from Imperial in Chemistry, and another had a 1st from Oxford, would there be any real difference in their career prospects? :confused:

Im thinking of Imperials reputation as a scientifically-specialist university here

Oxford's chem course, esp the labs, are particularly good - I've heard better than Imperial. Also Oxford is a nicer place to live.

Reply 36

danny111

3

Original post by Don_Lad

Also Oxford is a nicer place to live.

Oxford better than Kensington?

Whatever dude.

Reply 37

jkh13

Original post by i.am.lost

I have a friend who did a CS MSc who has encountered many employers that don't even know Imperial (which I would never have expected). I think its reputation is somewhat limited in industry only to the sciencey fields.

I find this hard to believe, Imperial CS is ranked consistently in the top 3 of CS in the country and we have the 2nd highest starting salary out of all courses in this country. We have more graduates going to the big tech firms and banking tech every year than Oxford and Cambridge

Reply 38

meatzaper

Original post by ritchie888

I've heard that the Imperial students are so hardcore that when they graduate they can slam the revolving doors at the main entrance.

Blasphemy.... only Chuck Norris is that powerful

Reply 39

i_hate_teeth

10

Basically it comes down to this. If you want to play dress up and eat dinner by candlelight in a draughty building and live in a bubble for 3-5 years then go Oxbridge.

If you want to earn alot of money and be an employable person that can releate to people from different backgrounds and socio economic groups go to IC/LSE/UCL.

Imperial VS Oxford

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