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What subject?

I am planning on applying to Oxbridge next year (I'm doing ASs at the moment), but I have no idea which subject to choose. I did my GCSEs last year (see sig) and I'm doing French, Latin, Greek, History and English (and am carrying them all on to A2). I have spoken to my subject teachers and each one says that if I wanted to apply to read their subject then I would be in with a chance. Does ANYONE have any advice at all on what I should do? Thanks!

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Reply 1

Yuo shouldn't apply to Oxford or Cambridge just for the kudos, you have to want to do their course. Choose your coure first, before you even think of where you might like to apply.

Reply 2

Good advice

Reply 3

I do agree that really you should start by working out what subject you want to do and then where you want to go to uni.
However, perhaps the best bet would be a joint course- Classics at oxford would include latin and greek and you can also do it combined with a modren language or english. you can also do history and english and history and modern languages. there's a full list of courses at http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/courses/

Reply 4

trina
I do agree that really you should start by working out what subject you want to do and then where you want to go to uni.
However, perhaps the best bet would be a joint course- Classics at oxford would include latin and greek and you can also do it combined with a modren language or english. you can also do history and english and history and modern languages. there's a full list of courses at http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/courses/

Good advice too. If you want any advice/to ask any questions about the Classics course, PM me.

Reply 5

or PM me. and bear in mind that Classics is cooler in every respect :wink:

Reply 6

I think Lit Hum. It's the most intellectually demanding. You can do anything with a first in classics from Oxbridge.

Reply 7

anycon
You can do anything with a first in classics from Oxbridge.

It certainly opens a lot of doors but I think thats a bit of an exaggeration!

Reply 8

fairieboi
or PM me. and bear in mind that Classics is cooler in every respect :wink:

Why of course :wink:

As for Classics opening doors, it is certainly a well respected course, but it's not going to set you up for life.

Reply 9

Yep i agree classics is a great course, and certainly with latin / greek and other arts based subjects you'd be ( seemingly ) suited to the course.

However, much depends on what sparks your interests (and if you have future ambitions and goals how the course fits into that, if you don't have future ambitions and goals thats not too much of a worry... many people in their last year of uni still don't know what they are going to do when they graduate) , so you should choose a subject that sparks your interest/imagination etc ... remember you'll be slogging it (particularly at Oxbridge) for 3 to 4 years so you'd better choose something you like or you'll (1) be miserable; (2) end up going off the rails and failing (or at best getting shotty marks). So perhaps you could supply us with some more information about your interests etc so we can actually give you some more 'sound' advice.

Reply 10

you really ought to choose a course before you choose a university. It's very hard to get in with a lackluster attitude to the course, let alone complete it.

Reply 11

I think you should do Physics :p:
Seriously though - only you know what sort of course you'd like to do! Do a bit of research about what different courses involves and see what interests you. Then do as everyone else said above and when you know what course/degree you want to do, pick your universities. Don't pick Oxbridge then your subject - quite simply it's unlikely that you'll get in if you do it that way round!

Reply 12

InterCity125
you really ought to choose a course before you choose a university. It's very hard to get in with a lackluster attitude to the course, let alone complete it.

None of you know what you're talking about, clearly. :rolleyes:

I was 14, choosing A-level options. I didn't really like any subject very much. Perhaps Maths, but no way was I doing Maths for 3 years. I had the Oxford prospectus. I was looking for the easiest route for me to get into Oxford. Law? Snore. Medicine? Urgh, you have to help people. PPE? Too...academic.

Then I found the glorious E&M. So it was decided: in three years time, I'd apply for E&M. This was gut feeling. So I decided I was going to both like and become good at Economics, business and all related areas. Get some top marks and stuff. I'm not entirely sure whether I convinced myself that I like it or whether I actually did. Either way, I like it now. I go up next week.

I'm not the first.

Reply 13

easy route - and you choose E&M!!!
That seems a pretty interesting route to go. Mind you, haveing said what I did once chap from school wanted to go to cam. He did ASNAC just because it was easy to get into. Mind you, with about 1 person per place he'd have to be very bad not to get in.
If you really want to go to Oxford I'd look through the brochure and pick one that takes your fancy and see how hard it is to get in for. With Greek you could look at Classics (but that's not easy before anyone says anything). I'd wouldn't do med - too much work and it isn't all that brilliant anyhow.
Law - that one's ok. Good prospects but hard to get in. However, if you convince yourself enough.

As to looking at the course it would be a good idea if you liked it, but even if you don't try to convince yourself that you do. Then they're more likely to take you.

Reply 14

anycon
I think Lit Hum. It's the most intellectually demanding. You can do anything with a first in classics from Oxbridge.

what do you mean 'most intellectually demanding'? You haven't done another degree so how can you say things like that.
I have no time for people who make claims like that, especialy with no evidnce to back it up. I'd like to see a bunch of Classics people taking on a medicine degree and vice versa.

Reply 15

InterCity125
what do you mean 'most intellectually demanding'? You haven't done another degree so how can you say things like that.
I have no time for people who make claims like that, especialy with no evidnce to back it up. I'd like to see a bunch of Classics people taking on a medicine degree and vice versa.

Classics Mods at Oxford are the hardest exams in the world, only beaten by the Chinese Civil Service exams. Seriously, it's one hard course.

Reply 16

Feefifofum
Classics Mods at Oxford are the hardest exams in the world, only beaten by the Chinese Civil Service exams. Seriously, it's one hard course.

How are you measuring the "hardness" of these exams? Have you actually got any evidence?

Reply 17

Feefifofum
Classics Mods at Oxford are the hardest exams in the world, only beaten by the Chinese Civil Service exams. Seriously, it's one hard course.


I don't wish to diss Classics, but what a load of *******s! Hard course, I'm sure, but no evidence whatsoever to show that it is the second hardest course in the world.

Reply 18

It's based upon hours of exams in the shortest amount of time. It's something like 6 hours of exams each day for a week with Classics. Nothing to do with content though.

Reply 19

dklon985
It's based upon hours of exams in the shortest amount of time. It's something like 6 hours of exams each day for a week with Classics. Nothing to do with content though.


Hmm, ok... sorry for jumping to conclusions. 2nd year medicine at Cambridge is pretty bad in that respect too. The myth goes that it is the second hardest course in the world, based on the amount of factual content that needs to be remembered. :rolleyes: The worst is supposed to be Astrophysics at Yale. It's a great story - don't know about it being true, though!