Introductions

Oooo I got told.

I am trying to help you. This is something you did need to get over, you can't spend 3 or 4 years being embarrassed of where you go to university. People care less than you think, they don't automatically think you're a tosser for going to oxbridge. They will, however, think you're a tosser if you try to hide it because then it looks like you're trying to spare their feelings or something ridiculous.

I dislike my education being the first thing that people hear about me as, like it or not, it does affect what they think of me. I would much prefer it if they were able to form their opinions without it.

Well at your age, the university you go to is one of those things people are going to ask about, because it's the obvious question to ask. It will be a huge part of your life and gradually become part of the way you define yourself so I don't really see the issue. I don't really understand why it comes up though, I don't think people ever introduce me as 'oh this is so and so, she has a cambridge degree', that would be weird.

I wouldn't mind too much if they asked about it first - it's the fact that they get told immediately by the person who is introducing me, like it's the most important thing about me. Plus it will be hugely embarrassing if I don't get in now that everyone who's ever met me knows I have an offer.

Yeah, and I'm telling you to get over yourself. What wrong assumptions? And also, who ****ing cares?

i dont get why you are so rude.

i think audrey hepburn has explained enough.

I'm not being rude, you're the one who thinks people can't handle you saying you go to oxford or cambridge or whatever. Just get over it, it's not a big deal. I don't see why this is an issue.

rich, toff-ish people - look at all the stupid oxbridge stuff in the papers and all the politicians who occasionally feel the need to rant at it. .

You're in for a shock

So, basically, your point is that we should not care if people automatically think we're snobby and loaded (as they inevitably will, according to you)?

And as for everyone (immediate generalisation warning, no?) at Oxford being rich toffs, I've certainly come across more snobbery against richer people (just mild murmerings behind people's backs - "ooh, they went to Eton", or "Well some of us didn't go to boarding school" as an irrelevant response to someone mentioning that they weren't allowed to do such and such at their school. etc). I can't think of an instance when someone was rude to someone on the basis of going to a poorer school or anything likewise about their background, although obviously this is just my experience. I can dress in a pretty tramp-like manner on occasion, don't mind "admitting" I got EMA, get bursaries, don't have the money to do something or other and I've never had any rude comments.

...Anyway, as far as I can see, this thread was supposed to be a sort of mutual moaning/amusing anecdote thread, rather than a let's-attack-each-other one.

I'm not all that sure why you're continuing your postgrad at Oxbridge when, from the impression I've taken from your posts, you didn't seem to enjoy your undergrad there, and have no hope that the people at Oxford will be anything but dorky, stuck-up, overly-friendly, loaded teetollers who you are going to despise.

I'm starting Oxford in October and ever since I got accepted I've found that whenever I get introduced to someone new it gets mentioned within at least two minutes! I didn't mind at first because I was rather proud of myself, but now that I've realized that Oxford really is 'just another university' and that it's not that big a deal, it's getting rather frustrating. I just feel like I'm being judged on the fact that I got into a good university rather than my actual personality, am I right to find this annoying?

Does anyone else get this - and dislike it? Does it still happen to current students too? I'm rather tempted to tell people that I'm going to get a degree from McDonalds instead just to get some peace.