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Do you regret going to Cambridge University?

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Original post by jneill
@auburnstar

This, but just to add, there is only a limited number of spaces available so they do have to let some with real acadamic talent go. They can't offer/accept everyone.

Oh, and they do makes mistakes. Not many, but of course, sometimes the "better" candidate doesn't get in. It's a human process.


That's so true.

Also it's very difficult (impossible) to predict how a candidate they chose will utilise the academic environment/opportunities they are given at Cambridge.
Among a few people I know who struggled at Cambridge, one of them was perhaps the offer given by 'a human mistake' but others were obviously not putting enough effort. One of them changed attitude after a good 'talk to' by his DoS/friends/Dad and graduated with good enough degree to proceed to their master's at Cambridge, but one of them kept on doing things how he wanted (too many non-academic things on his plate *See note below).


* Note
TO PEOPLE WHO ARE WORRYING ABOUT THE SOCIAL LIFE ASPECT AT CAMBRIDGE.
Yes, Cambridge students may not go clubbing/partying as often as some students at some universities do, but there are enough non-academic fun you can find and do to make your plate over-flowing, even at Cambridge. You just have to be a little sensible and selective in choosing what and how many of them you take up.......unlike the last student I mentioned above. .......though I must admit, and admire him, some of the things he was doing at uni made a very good launch-pad for what he's doing now. It enabled him to found his start-up which has been growing bigger & stronger ever since. So all is not lost, I suppose......:wink:
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by cambio wechsel
yes. Degrees aren't like A levels with the exams set by a centralized authority. The Cambridge degree will explore topics in greater depth than would be true elsewhere, while covering material more quickly, and (in Economics) will assume a mathematical competence and background that cannot confidently be assumed in the students at most other institutions.

I think a large part of what makes Oxbridge grads attractive to employers is the fact of their having been through this very rigorous mill. An 8 week term, 2 essays a week, rinse and repeat 8 times and then cram for closed book exams to be sat over a very short period.

I missed a Cambridge offer and didn't entirely get over that until revisiting the university for my younger sister's graduation. At lunch my proud mum said to me, and with real feeling, "I'm just so relieved you didn't get in". She was right, of course. They always are, mums.


I like this post. There is much truth in the notion that employers value the discipline, time-management, ability to assimilate large amounts of material quickly and general work output that the rigours of a Cambridge Tripos necessarily develop.

And your 'mums' comment is so true. Even when you desperately want them not to be right, they generally always are - often quietly so.
Original post by jneill
@auburnstar

This, but just to add, there is only a limited number of spaces available so they do have to let some with real acadamic talent go. They can't offer/accept everyone.

Oh, and they do makes mistakes. Not many, but of course, sometimes the "better" candidate doesn't get in. It's a human process.


In that case why do people reapply and why are they (fairly often) successful, if the academics rejected them the first time around?
Reply 43
Avatar for Doones
Doones
21
Original post by auburnstar
In that case why do people reapply and why are they (fairly often) successful, if the academics rejected them the first time around?


Because they went on to exceed the standard academic requirement e.g. achieve A*A*A* instead of the usually asked A*A*A (or whatever), and being a year "wiser" can mean they are better in the interview, etc.

Also by going through the whole process previously they know what to expect this time around. There's always something to be said for age and experience :wink:
(edited 7 years ago)
Yes I do. I studied English Literature at Cambridge and got a 2:1 but didn't enjoy my time there at all. It was too stressful, the workload was grossly intense and I felt like I was losing my mind by just trying to get a pass on all my assignments. This led me to be constantly stressed and anxious so that I couldn't even properly relax during social events because my mind was thinking about all the work I still had to do, deadlines and the such. If I could go through it again I would never ever apply to Cambridge, but to another uni with a healthier work life balance.
Do I regret going to Cambridge... ?

This is a very difficult question, to a certain extent Cambridge has offered me so much I would perhaps not have got elsewhere, however I have also experienced so much stress and frustration during my time here. If I was to rewind the clock I really don't know if, knowing what I have been through (both positive and negative) these past 3.5 years, I would make the same decision.

Positives:

•

I learnt lots of stuff - not to say you can't learn stuff elsewhere, but the supervision system in particular has really made sure I understand everything we have been learning

•

Access to internships/ careers opportunities - now, I can't say that other universities aren't also very good at this, but at Cambridge I've been lucky enough to attend countless employer presentations/ networking sessions, go on insight days, and it did seem to give me a helping hand in internship applications (in that friends elsewhere with similar academics/ experience otherwise struggled a lot more - but that's obviously a tiny sample size)

•

Financially - Cambridge doubled my maintenance grant, gave me a very generous scholarship (admittedly paid by a private company, but it was only available for students at certain universities, pretty much all "top" ones), and has (through various grants) massively supported my personal travels and sports

•

So many extracurricular opportunities - sports, outreach work, extra lectures/ talks, music - all at both super relaxed and university levels


Negatives:

•

STRESS - so much stress... Even having balanced twice the standard workload during A levels I still found coping with Cambridge incredibly challenging. It wasn't so much the quality of work as the lack of guidelines and support in producing it - no past paper markschemes, no set syllabus, no example coursework pieces, no guidelines on what is expected in coursework, no retake opportunities, hardly any coursework credit (lots of work, for a very small percentage of our overall grade), ridiculously time pressured exams, no real attempt to ensure examiners or lab supervisors are marking to the same standard, etc.

•

Grade based partly on your ranking (at least in the first few years), making for a very competitive and non-supportive atmosphere among students - which contributed towards a focus on passing exams and getting good coursework marks rather than just learning overall

•

College inequalities - they all claim to be "basically the same" but in reality there are so many inequalities between the colleges, I'm not going to list them all here but essentially the quality of academic support and even things like accommodation quality/ prices vary so much :frown:

•

No year abroad/ placement year opportunities/ support - I really had to FIGHT to be allowed to take a year out for my year abroad (which was independently organised and didn't count towards my degree), and they seem totally uninterested in providing work experience or international opportunities for students, despite it being really valuable for your career.

•

Banning part-time jobs - they make us feel like kids by imposing such restrictions on what we can and cannot do with our spare time

(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by jneill
Because they went on to exceed the standard academic requirement e.g. achieve A*A*A* instead of the usually asked A*A*A (or whatever), and being a year "wiser" can mean they are better in the interview, etc.

Also by going through the whole process previously they know what to expect this time around. There's always something to be said for age and experience :wink:


Also some reapplicants are stubborn and won't take no for an answer :wink:
Reply 47
Avatar for Doones
Doones
21
Original post by NeverLucky
Also some reapplicants are stubborn and won't take no for an answer :wink:


I wonder if anyone has turned up for an interview to be greated with - oh no it's you again: GET OUT!

:smile:
Original post by jneill
I wonder if anyone has turned up for an interview to be greated with - oh no it's you again: GET OUT!

:smile:


I think that'll be very very unlikely. It takes a off-the-scale level of stubborness to not only reapply but reapply to the same college :lol:
Reply 49
Avatar for Doones
Doones
21
Original post by NeverLucky
I think that'll be very very unlikely. It takes a off-the-scale level of stubborness to not only reapply but reapply to the same college :lol:


Fellows/academics can also change their college... :wink:
Original post by jneill
Fellows/academics can also change their college... :wink:


Even then the chances of changing to the specific college in that specific year you reapply...the interviewer just has a personal vendetta against you :lol:

I always wonder what would happen if you were the son/daughter of the DoS that did your subject at the college you applied to and it was plainly obvious to the other fellows/academics :lol:
Original post by NeverLucky
Also some reapplicants are stubborn and won't take no for an answer :wink:


Probably the following, from what you and jneill have said:
- Year older/wiser
- have experience of the process
- exceed standard offer ie no doubting about whether they can meet the offer
- reapplicants tend to believe they have a realistic chance (because of grades attained)
- reapplicants who don't get dejected are stubborn and that stubbornness might just be useful xDD
Original post by jneill
I wonder if anyone has turned up for an interview to be greated with - oh no it's you again: GET OUT!

:smile:


Anecdotally I've heard of people who have been reapplying for so many admissions cycles and seems to live on a perpetual gap year. Perhaps at that point you accumulate some kind of reputation?? xDD
Reply 53
Avatar for Doones
Doones
21
Original post by NeverLucky
I always wonder what would happen if you were the son/daughter of the DoS that did your subject at the college you applied to and it was plainly obvious to the other fellows/academics :lol:


Knock, knock
Interviewer: Come in.
Interviewee: Hi Mum!
Interviewer: Oops...

I suspect in reality it isn't permitted.

Original post by auburnstar
Probably the following, from what you and jneill have said:
- Year older/wiser
- have experience of the process
- exceed standard offer ie no doubting about whether they can meet the offer
- reapplicants tend to believe they have a realistic chance (because of grades attained)
- reapplicants who don't get dejected are stubborn and that stubbornness might just be useful xDD


Yup!
Original post by auburnstar
Probably the following, from what you and jneill have said:
- Year older/wiser
- have experience of the process
- exceed standard offer ie no doubting about whether they can meet the offer
- reapplicants tend to believe they have a realistic chance (because of grades attained)
- reapplicants who don't get dejected are stubborn and that stubbornness might just be useful xDD


I guess more time to focus on the application as well since you don't need to be doing anything else.

At this point in time, I would recommend to literally everyone to consider a gap year. I don't see many downsides at all.
Original post by jneill
Knock, knock
Interviewer: Come in.
Interviewee: Hi Mum!
Interviewer: Oops...

I suspect in reality it isn't permitted.



Yup!


Well obviously I don't think they'll be allowed to interview their kid but would they bar them from applying to that college :dontknow:
Reply 56
Avatar for Doones
Doones
21
Original post by NeverLucky
Well obviously I don't think they'll be allowed to interview their kid but would they bar them from applying to that college :dontknow:


I suspect so if the parent is a DoS or AT. It would look odd...

@Peterhouse Admissions might confirm :smile:
Original post by NeverLucky
.

At this point in time, I would recommend to literally everyone to consider a gap year. I don't see many downsides at all.


Same
Reply 58
Avatar for jadeemma
jadeemma
OP
9
Thank you everyone for all the help and advice on my original post! Just got another question, what's more important to employers, where the degree is studied at, or the level of the degree? For example is a 2.1 from Cambridge considedered better than a 1st from Bath?
Reply 59
Avatar for daniilS
daniilS
6
Original post by NeverLucky
I think that'll be very very unlikely. It takes a off-the-scale level of stubborness to not only reapply but reapply to the same college :lol:


I know some people did that and got an offer, even saw one on TSR recently. I think unless you personally offended the interviewer the first time it's not too dangerous to give the same college another try if you really like it :tongue:

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