Oxford University OR Cambridge University?

Original post by chinkilicious

No, visiting their campuses on open days isn't possible. On their websites and prospectuses, their course outlines aren't very specific, but quite general. Or am I looking in the wrong places???

For Oxford if you go to:

https://courses.maths.ox.ac.uk/overview/undergraduate

you'll be able to find details of the course synopses for each year.

For Cambridge if you go to:

https://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/course/schedules.pdf

you'll similarly be able to find details of the course synopses for each year.

Reply 22

chinkilicious

OP

13

Original post by RichE

For Oxford if you go to:

https://courses.maths.ox.ac.uk/overview/undergraduate

you'll be able to find details of the course synopses for each year.

For Cambridge if you go to:

https://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/course/schedules.pdf

you'll similarly be able to find details of the course synopses for each year.

r u currently studying on oxbridge?

Reply 23

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by chinkilicious

r u currently studying on oxbridge?

Currently teaching at Oxford

Reply 24

artful_lounger

Original post by chinkilicious

No, visiting their campuses on open days isn't possible. On their websites and prospectuses, their course outlines aren't very specific, but quite general. Or am I looking in the wrong places???

Look at departmental pages, they're usually much more informative (the notable exception I've found, without having yet trawled every Tripos department site, is HSPS - which is pretty useless :rolleyes:

), for Cambridge. Oxford is a bit more hit and miss in that regard but every bit of information you could possible want to know about course structures for every FHS/Prelims/Mods at Oxford are contained in the relevant exam regulations pages (in excruciating detail, sometimes). Some of the departmental pages for Oxford are relatively helpful (PPE and Philosophy in particular; Maths is fairly useful if you manage to find the correct page within the department site), but without knowing what course you're looking at it's hard to advise specifically.

Worst case scenario, learn to play the organ to ARCO level and apply to both as an organ scholar :tongue:

Reply 25

Parliament

12

Original post by Muttley79

Oxford has some lovely river walks and green parts - both city centres are busy.

Hey, OP asked for opinions and I gave mine. I still prefer Cambridge now when I visit Oxford - Ox seems more built-up and not as quaint. I'm aware that plenty of people prefer Ox to Cam, lol. Just my opinion, after all.

Original post by chinkilicious

Can I ask if you got an offer etc?

Yeah, I'm in my third year at Cam now.

Reply 26

Doones

Original post by 12to16ELEMENOP

Look into the finances- if that's an issue for you (it'd certainly be for me :tongue:

)

Why? Oxbridge can be cheaper than other universities partly due to the short terms. They also have pretty good bursaries for low income households.

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Reply 27

chinkilicious

OP

13

Original post by artful_lounger

Look at departmental pages, they're usually much more informative (the notable exception I've found, without having yet trawled every Tripos department site, is HSPS - which is pretty useless :rolleyes:

), for Cambridge. Oxford is a bit more hit and miss in that regard but every bit of information you could possible want to know about course structures for every FHS/Prelims/Mods at Oxford are contained in the relevant exam regulations pages (in excruciating detail, sometimes). Some of the departmental pages for Oxford are relatively helpful (PPE and Philosophy in particular; Maths is fairly useful if you manage to find the correct page within the department site), but without knowing what course you're looking at it's hard to advise specifically.

Worst case scenario, learn to play the organ to ARCO level and apply to both as an organ scholar :tongue:

I don't play play the organ, but I play violin. I've got my grade 8 and am currently working towards my diploma. I'm thinking of applying for an instrument scholarship 😂

Reply 28

username1865079

Original post by chinkilicious

No, visiting their campuses on open days isn't possible. On their websites and prospectuses, their course outlines aren't very specific, but quite general. Or am I looking in the wrong places???

Have you looked at their departments’ websites as well, not just the universities’ websites on undergraduate application?
I don’t know about Oxford but Cambridge’s department websites have dedicated pages on undergraduate courses that explains in more details about the course structures/contents, etc.
There’re differences in those between the two universities and that’s the most important thing you should consider which university to apply to.

Another difference you may want to consider is the accommodation; all Cambridge colleges guarantee the college accommodation for at least 3 yrs (very often throughout the whole course if it’s 4yrs) but many Oxford colleges only do so for the first year, so it’s quite possible you’ll need to rent privately from the second year onwards. You can choose a college to apply that offers you the accommodation throughout a course but there’s no guarantee you’ll end up there as some applicants get accepted by a college that’s not their first choice if their original colleges doesn’t.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 29

Doones

Original post by chinkilicious

I don't play play the organ, but I play violin. I've got my grade 8 and am currently working towards my diploma. I'm thinking of applying for an instrument scholarship 😂

The ability to apply to both is only for organ scholars. :wink:

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Reply 30

Original post by vincrows

Another difference you may want to consider is the accommodation; all Cambridge colleges guarantee the college accommodation for at least 3 yrs (very often throughout the whole course if it’s 4yrs) but many Oxford colleges only do so for the first year, so it’s quite possible you’ll need to rent privately from the second year onwards. You can choose a college to apply that offers you the accommodation throughout a course but there’s no guarantee you’ll end up there as some applicants get accepted by a college that’s not their first choice if their original colleges doesn’t.

That's not true of a single Oxford college. Full details are in the tables on pp.146-7 of

http://www.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxford/UGP%202019%20Colleges.pdf

Reply 31

username1865079

Original post by RichE

That's not true of a single Oxford college. Full details are in the tables on pp.146-7 of

http://www.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxford/UGP%202019%20Colleges.pdf

I know all oxford colleges offer the college accommodation for the first year but not all do so for duration of the course. I know many who rented privately in some of their years there because of that.
The chart you linked shows it too.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 32

Original post by vincrows

I know all oxford colleges offer the college accommodation for the first year but not all do so for duration of the course. I know many who rented privately in some of their years there because of that.
The chart you linked shows it too.

You said that "many Oxford colleges only do so for the first year" and I cannot find a single college on that chart that is listed as doing so. The minimum offered on that chart is for two years.

Reply 33

username1865079

Original post by RichE

You said that "many Oxford colleges only do so for the first year" and I cannot find a single college on that chart that is listed as doing so. The minimum offered on that chart is for two years.

Perhaps the keyword in the chart is ‘usually’.
I know some who only lived in the college accommodation in the first year.
My understanding from people who’s been to oxford is that, yes, some colleges offer the accommodation for extra year but not all students take it if they find a private accommodation and prefer to live there while living in a private accommodation is a rare thing among Cambridge undergraduates and only happens with a minority among 4 yr course students and if their college doesn’t not have accommodation for the final year. (Plus medics & vet meds with longer course and who prefer to live nearer their clinical places)

The point of my original post was that most Cambridge colleges do offer the accommodation for duration of course while many oxford colleges don’t, so OP may want to take that into account when choosing between them and choosing which oxford college to apply if they decide to apply to them.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 34

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by vincrows

The point of my original post was that most Cambridge colleges do offer the accommodation for duration of course while many oxford colleges don’t, so OP may want to take that into account when choosing between them and choosing which oxford college to apply if they decide to apply to them.

Fair enough but that's not what you originally expressed, and what you originally said was manifestly untrue. And - looking at that table - it remains the case that a majority of Oxford undergraduate colleges do offer accommodation for all years.

Reply 35

artful_lounger

Original post by chinkilicious

I don't play play the organ, but I play violin. I've got my grade 8 and am currently working towards my diploma. I'm thinking of applying for an instrument scholarship 😂

I mentioned the organ as organ scholars are allowed to apply to both Oxford and Cambridge in a single year (whereas everyone else who doesn't already have a degree can only apply to one, as we all know).

If you are interested in an instrument award, or generally in continuing with your music at uni, you may want to consider the different facilities Oxford vs Cambridge offer, and specifically the varying provisions of the individual colleges that offer your course though :smile:

Reply 36

The_Lonely_Goatherd

20

I applied to Oxford music because:

1. My older sister was at Oxford, so the city was already a little familiar
2. I went on a Sutton Trust summer school there and loved it!
3. I knew I wouldn't get into Cambridge, due to low UMS scores
4. I was put off Cambridge by their entrance test for music, and their course content/structure was overall less appealing than Oxford's

:musicus:

Reply 37

Realitysreflexx

22

Both will be to your benefit, and likely both will lead to a few psychological break downs and a great degree.

I personally, *if i had the talent* would have to say Oxford is better, simply because my grandfather did engineering there.

Of course totally unbiased, scientific, critical analysis of the highest form.

Reply 38

RhynieChert