Dropping out of Oxford

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Original post by alicebytemperley

Why did my last post get negative rep..?? :/

Probably because the amount of people who aren't at the uni going "OMG it's Oxford, just stick it out coz it's Oxford!", having no idea of what the reality is like, is getting a bit tedious :sigh:

(For the record, it wasn't me. I don't do neg rep :nah:

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Original post by Jeykayem

At the moment, I've accepted that I'm near the bottom of the school and am aiming for a 2.2 and therefore found reading back over the threads regarding me myself and I's predicament slightly upsetting. I accept that a Manchester 2.1 is more desirable than an Oxford 2.2, but I wouldn't like to think that I would be considered arrogant if that is what I get; I can't help that I'm too stupid to get a 2.1. At the end of the day, I just want my future lifestyle to reflect how hard I've worked throughout my education.

Sorry to hear things still aren't going that great for you. Just wanted to say: even if you are at the bottom of the bunch (it's easy to feel like that when you're not), there's no shame in being at the bottom of the extraordinarily talented/very best :hugs:

Reply 101

Lemons

I've no idea how it works for sciences, but in social sciences/humanities tutors tend not to be completely adverse to students changing course. I believe that you have to show that you're really not enjoying the course you're on, are finding it too challenging, and that you want to study X other subject, but people have done it (I know 2 personally). Maybe give that a try?

Don't stick with it just because it's Oxford, it's not true that employers automatically think Oxbridge graduates are better than graduates from other universities (and I know this from experience/actually speaking to graduate recruitment/reading employer surveys on the Oxford careers website).

Reply 102

alicebytemperley

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Probably because the amount of people who aren't at the uni going "OMG it's Oxford, just stick it out coz it's Oxford!", having no idea of what the reality is like, is getting a bit tedious :sigh:

I didn't mean it like that. I always feel sad when people say, "I want to quit this..." because I don't know them personally but part of me thinks that it's their self esteem more than anything else and that by quitting any university they'd be throwing something away. Yes, for some people Oxford is a means to an end. I'm not saying that it's the best outlook, but it's an incentive to stay there.

Reply 103

Sithius

80 hours a week my ass. If you're going to lie girl, at least make it believable.

Reply 104

insignificant

Original post by Sternumator

You should try your best because it is only a few years and the difference between being an oxford graduate and a uni drop out is huge. If I was you I would keep fighting with it untill I was kicked out.

To a certain extent I would agree with this, as if you give up early and drop out, you will wonder if you could've done it. But it's a fine line, try too hard and put yourself through too much then you will make yourself ill, with stress.

Reply 105

alan.accordion

Original post by Wasps12

Get out while you still can, what with the tuition fee rise next year.

It won't affect you, fear not.

Reply 106

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Original post by alicebytemperley

If that's the case, then I apologise for my hastiness :smile:

There are lots of undoubtedly well-meant but terribly naive posts on this thread and it can be quite offensive to those of us who know the system better :yes:

Reply 107

jjarvis

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

but rest assured, almost everyone at Oxford feels like this at least once at some point during their course. If they don't, they're not human or a knob :yes:

I would be shocked if this weren't true at Cambridge, too. I love studying there, but the workload is heavy and it can be a very stressful place. So, know you're not alone OP--perhaps other people find it incredibly difficult and just don't talk about it.

Reply 108

alicebytemperley

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

If that's the case, then I apologise for my hastiness :smile:

There are lots of undoubtedly well-meant but terribly naive posts on this thread and it can be quite offensive to those of us who know the system better :yes:

What do you mean by 'the system'? I'm friends with someone who recently graduated from Cambridge who now works in the policy part at the BBC with a group of other young graduates, all of whom are from Oxbridge :P

Reply 109

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Original post by alicebytemperley

It's one thing to hear about it but it's quite another to be there yourself. I suspect that people wouldn't be like "there are children dying in Africa" or "it's Oxford, stick with it and it'll looking amazing on your CV!" if they were at the place and had a full idea of what it can be like :nah:

Reply 110

alicebytemperley

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

From a BBC article:

"One employer surveyed received more than 14,000 applications for 400 places.

Graduates applying from Oxford University had a one in eight chance of success, the ratio offered for those applying from new universities was one in 235."

It's common sense that some employers are going to use positive discrimination and favour Oxbridge candidates. I have spoken to people who were at Oxbridge and the connections they have as a result of that education certainly can come in useful.

Reply 111

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Original post by alicebytemperley

I'm not entirely seeing how that relates to what I was saying. Whilst I think the Oxford label is less effective these days than people might imagine, I've never said it's ineffective or that the networking isn't useful :confused:

Reply 112

BJack

Original post by alicebytemperley

TLG isn't saying it doesn't look good on a CV; it's more that if the stress kills you before you graduate, a CV isn't a whole lot of use.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 113

Peel

My uni's no Oxford, but I can completely sympathise with you. By far the hardest thing is not getting in, but staying it. Haven't read through the pages but personally, if I was that unhappy I'd look to move uni but obviously that's easier said than done. Good luck with your decision though!

Reply 114

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Original post by BJack

TLG isn't saying it doesn't look good on a CV; it's moret that if the stress kills you before you graduate, a CV isn't a whole lot of use.

Thank you for putting what would have inevitably involved far too much waffle/life story very succinctly here for me :colondollar:

Reply 115

Couldxbe

In all honesty, if you don't like Chemistry at Oxford.. you're not going to like it at another university.

Some of your problems happen across a lot of chemistry courses, for example, the lab courses not being synchronized (in first year I did inorganic labs before we started on the inorganic course..). Some of our lecturers are poor too...

In some respects, I was in a similar position. I didn't enjoy my first term at all.. and chemistry doesn't really interest me as much as it interests everyone else. I stuck it out... and I'm doing well (apart from organic, which I despise actually) and on track for a high 2.1... so yeah. Although I was never working 11 hours a day, more like 5...

Reply 116

CaptainFunk

Original post by cifes

Wasn't really a suggestion :P But I only sent off the application form the day before the UCAS entries closed, didn't go to any open days...

Am worried about finding work etc too...would rather be there stressing than sitting around here doing nothing. And employers noticing the drop-out bit of the CV...

Please note you never have to disclose that you've previously attended a university and failed to complete your degree. Even on the UCAS form, they state that you must disclose your full educational history yet if you don't disclose it you are unlikely to be caught out! People will say otherwise but i was surprised when someone i knew very well was chucked out of UCL Medicine and reapplied elsewhere (to a university he had not applied to previously and with no affiliation with London) only to be let back in a year later.... Dropping out is not the end of the world, but it certainly sounds like a depressing year in limbo waiting to go back to university and feeling pretty awful. I say stick with it! If you eventually drop out or fail the finals you will be living thinking 'ahhh crap i was at Oxford of all places and i threw that hard work away.' You can always postgrad in something. Although you may have difficulty finding the finances to do so cos of a certain ******* prime minister. If you do drop out, make sure you get your head in the game and apply somewhere prestigious but know your facts! And whatever you do make sure you don't feel too depressed about being a 'drop-out.'

Reply 117

alicebytemperley

Original post by BJack

TLG isn't saying it doesn't look good on a CV; it's moret that if the stress kills you before you graduate, a CV isn't a whole lot of use.

Is Oxford really that stressful compared to other unis? It's worrying me! I know I definitely wouldn't go for Merton...

Reply 118

Sithius

Original post by Sithius

80 hours a week my ass. If you're going to lie girl, at least make it believable.

People negging me for the above clearly don't attend a prestigious university, or indeed a university at all for that matter. The OP does not spend Mon-Fri (for example) working from 6 in the morning to 10 at night. Bloody fools.

Reply 119

hobnob

Original post by Sithius

80 hours a week my ass. If you're going to lie girl, at least make it believable.

As I said, it all depends on how narrow your definition of 'work' is - and people do use very different definitions. If you count time that you spend desperately staring at your computer screen / textbook / problem sheet without actually achieving anything (for one reason or another), or sitting at the library late at night, trying to stay awake and keep your mind from wandering because you feel that you *have* to finish no matter what, then yes, it's possible to rack up that many hours a week. But it's debatable whether that kind of thing really constitutes 'work' if a lot of your time is actually taken up by trying to force yourself to focus and there's no actual result at the end, other than that you make yourself feel miserable. :dontknow: