Explain the hate

Why is there so much hate towards Durham on TSR? People saying its not very good etc, is it jealously? I don't really understand.

Reply 1

username1967813

Original post by Wiggledinho

Why is there so much hate towards Durham on TSR? People saying its not very good etc, is it jealously? I don't really understand.

Really? I haven't seen any hate directed towards Durham on TSR

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Reply 2

pianofluteftw

In recent months there's been a few trolls (KingoftheRing for example) who seem to spend their time going round insulting universities they've never been too... they seem to pop up now and then!

I'm not really sure why. If I had to guess, it's because lots of people think Durham is trying to be the new Oxbridge (Doxbridge anyone? :P) - this is down to the fact that it is a top UK university with a collegiate system. I think this is something that's never going to go away - Oxbridge is probably always going to be a thing, Durham is an old, collegiate university that is highly regarded - I don't think it is actively trying to be part of 'Doxbridge' by any means. In my opinion Durham does what all universities do - try and maintain standards and climb through the league tables (whether or not this is worthwhile is a debate for a different day :P) It also has a bit of a posh reputation (although I go here and me and most of the people I've met are not extraordinarily posh - same as most other unis) which some people don't like.

Durham also has a weird relationship with other non Oxbridge but top UK universities as it doesn't 'perform' as well in the international league tables. Whilst individual departments are amongst the very best in Europe/ the world (I know most about Physics for obvious reasons) the university as a whole doesn't ever appear that highly internationally. This is down to a number of factors - Durham is small for a top university and to put it bluntly it isn't in the South, or the capitol of somewhere. Internationally people look to London when they look at the UK, Durham being so up north can be overlooked :P

Of course then there are others who just didn't get in, so there is an effect similar to the bitter Oxbridge rejects...

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 3

Horologist

I'm a Durham reject and I'm not bitter!

But it's true that others can be quite bitter towards Durham. I think that's a sign that it's a good university and it has a lot of unique things going for it.

As a Durham student, if anyone accuses you of being an Oxbridge reject it's probably safe to assume they were either rejected by Durham or didn't get the grades to apply.

There are probably others who could go but choose not to but still feel the need to put the boot in. I noticed that some people who go to the London unis can be quite dismissive of Durham. That might just be because the idea of going up north to study in a tranquil place with lots of old buildings is an anathema to them and they're strongly drawn to the bustle of a big capital city - hence their own choice. I guess the ones who hate on Durham can't get their head around the fact that someone might have a different personality to them and might be looking for different things in life.

When it comes down to it, it's probably not a good idea to listen to the haters anyway. People who automatically dismiss a university and everyone in it just because it's not for them or it made them angry once are probably not worth knowing.

All you can do is know who you are and follow your instinct. If that directs you away from Durham, fair enough - at least it was your own decision.

Reply 4

math42

It's because Durham has a collegiate system and old architecture like Oxbridge, but is obviously not as prestigious or exclusive, so it is, I imagine rather unfairly, assumed that most people who go there really just wanted to go to Oxbridge but were rejected. There are many universities filled with Oxbridge rejects but Durham gets the most flack because, due to its aesthetic and structural similarity, its students are assumed to not have let go of the Oxbridge fantasy. This is probably true for some individuals, but it does seem a pretty harsh and unfounded generalisation.

Reply 5

Masih ad-Dajjal

Because it's the sort of place where mediocre kids with rich parents go after getting slaughtered at the Cambridge interview.

Reply 6

Horologist

Turtles all the way down!

Reply 7

Unkempt_One

Durham's biggest flaw is its lack of international presence and connections. Also, while certain departments, such as Physics, have a very strong national reputation, some other departments are flagging quite badly. That being said, Durham is changing very rapidly and I think this post as whole could be untrue in as little as a decade. The stuff about Oxbridge rejects is basically nonsense. All of the top non-Oxbridge universities are absolutely stacked with people who were rejected. The only difference with Durham is that the calibre of undergrads in its most competitive subjects is very high; that probably rubs some people the wrong way.