I think I could be Oxbridge potential- but worry about self-motivation and passion

What was your insurance uni? I am actually applying to Cambridge instead haha. I find Oxford more pretty and prestigious, but Cambridge is closer to London and has the best history department in the world

Yeah, thats a v. good point. I do quite literally hate assesment objectives!

KCL




I always felt that doing English AS and A2 was more about jumping through hoops than intellectual ability, due to the emphasis on AOs

Good to know someone feels the same way about them! Interesting that you say you found people were pompous at KCL- I had been thinking about them for English and Film (Film is my primary passion.)

That's only the Music department and that was just my opinion. I know people who have gone to KCL from Oxford and are very happy there. It just didn't suit my personality.

I never went on a general open day. Best to explore for yourself

I wasn't initially that interested but when I went there on the open days and again for the Sutton Trust, I realised it was a place I could be very happy and comfortable in

I hoped to get in but was quite stunned to receive the offer from the college I'd applied to. I left the interview period thinking I'd blown it

I've always been good at English and judging from various conversations I've had with alumni, a mock interview video at Cambridge and general comments from people, I do have a niggling feeling that I could stand a chance at gaining a place.

However, the main problem with me is laziness- I lack self-motivation and get very easily distracted when working. I also doubt my passion for English- which you seem to need a lot of if you are to be considered. I do read, but quite slowly, and I doubt I've read as widely as many typical candidates have.

I'm doing fairly well in English Lit AS at the moment, but I do find it a struggle to hit the 'Assessment Objectives' which so many of our assignments and essays today are based around. I prefer exploring the text rather than ticking boxes I guess.

I was wondering if anyone else is feeling this way, or is unsure whether they are Oxbridge material. Part of me just thinks 'what the hell, you might as well just go for it, you only have one chance.' But is this realistic considering all of the above?

Apologies for the tedious length of this

Oh I see. Yeah I definitely will, the responses from this thread are telling me I should have a go for Oxbridge, so I'm feeling more positive about it now

Thanks- encouraging words

I've always been good at English and judging from various conversations I've had with alumni, a mock interview video at Cambridge and general comments from people, I do have a niggling feeling that I could stand a chance at gaining a place.

However, the main problem with me is laziness- I lack self-motivation and get very easily distracted when working. I also doubt my passion for English- which you seem to need a lot of if you are to be considered. I do read, but quite slowly, and I doubt I've read as widely as many typical candidates have.

I'm doing fairly well in English Lit AS at the moment, but I do find it a struggle to hit the 'Assessment Objectives' which so many of our assignments and essays today are based around. I prefer exploring the text rather than ticking boxes I guess.

I was wondering if anyone else is feeling this way, or is unsure whether they are Oxbridge material. Part of me just thinks 'what the hell, you might as well just go for it, you only have one chance.' But is this realistic considering all of the above?

Apologies for the tedious length of this

I've always been good at English and judging from various conversations I've had with alumni, a mock interview video at Cambridge and general comments from people, I do have a niggling feeling that I could stand a chance at gaining a place.

However, the main problem with me is laziness- I lack self-motivation and get very easily distracted when working. I also doubt my passion for English- which you seem to need a lot of if you are to be considered. I do read, but quite slowly, and I doubt I've read as widely as many typical candidates have.

I'm doing fairly well in English Lit AS at the moment, but I do find it a struggle to hit the 'Assessment Objectives' which so many of our assignments and essays today are based around. I prefer exploring the text rather than ticking boxes I guess.

I was wondering if anyone else is feeling this way, or is unsure whether they are Oxbridge material. Part of me just thinks 'what the hell, you might as well just go for it, you only have one chance.' But is this realistic considering all of the above?

Apologies for the tedious length of this

You should definitely have a go, but bear in mind that English at Oxford is very competitive. Apart from your excellent A* grades in English language and literature, your GCSEs are quite mediocre; these can be slightly overlooked if you get A*AA+ though. That being said, I have known someone who got in with no A*s at GCSE and one who was rejected with 10!

Oh, I'm student head of English at my sixth form, so if you want to discuss anything about literature or language I am always interested

DERAIL!

Is Nick in the Great Gatsby a reliable narrator!?!?!

Ah, I happen to be doing The Great Gatsby at the moment!

I would say he is a reliable narrator because of his relative neutrality in the novel. Also, he seems to perfectly understand what type of character Jay Gatsby is in the last chapter: a man trying to chase the American Dream but finally coming to realise that the past is a cyclical nature. Basically, pursuit of the American dream always results in misery in the end (as shown by another, similar novel Of Mice and Men.

Intertextuality! Cyclical Nature! Ooooh i love it.

One interesting argument put forward by a classmate of mine is that Nick is actually gay, is consistent infatuation with certain characteristics of Gatsby [see Suits, smile etc] are at the root of his narrative.

Bear in mind that Nick controls the narrative entirely, and he admits himself at the start, that people are unequal and so he judges them accordingly. [Tom etc].

Its all good schtuff!

Ah, true! I had quite overlooked that hehe. The book is quite liberal so I guess the possibility of homosexuality is quite strong.

So, did you particularly enjoy the book or do you prefer others?

I am more of a poetry nut myself.

We are doing a post-modern book called Enduring Love.

Our classical texts are Othello and A streetcar named desire.

I have to say, Othello is my favorite. Iago is so dam fascinating.

x

x

The highlighted are the exact same as me! English isn't that popular in my school and the others who are good at English are dropping it so I don't really have anyone to compare myself to. No one else wants to do English at Uni and there have been about 2 people in the last 5 years in my school to do English at Uni. One of them (who was AMAZING) didn't get into Cambridge so I don't know how I stand a chance

I've always been good at English and judging from various conversations I've had with alumni, a mock interview video at Cambridge and general comments from people, I do have a niggling feeling that I could stand a chance at gaining a place.

However, the main problem with me is laziness- I lack self-motivation and get very easily distracted when working. I also doubt my passion for English- which you seem to need a lot of if you are to be considered. I do read, but quite slowly, and I doubt I've read as widely as many typical candidates have.

I'm doing fairly well in English Lit AS at the moment, but I do find it a struggle to hit the 'Assessment Objectives' which so many of our assignments and essays today are based around. I prefer exploring the text rather than ticking boxes I guess.

I was wondering if anyone else is feeling this way, or is unsure whether they are Oxbridge material. Part of me just thinks 'what the hell, you might as well just go for it, you only have one chance.' But is this realistic considering all of the above?

Apologies for the tedious length of this