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Degree classification.

Reply 40

Elles

17

it's a university thing..?
how does that work if the colleges have their own boards to decide & the benefits vary?

Reply 41

eleri

5

Elles

it's a university thing..?
how does that work if the colleges have their own boards to decide & the benefits vary?

I didn't know that colleges had any power over this? The exams are set and marked by the university, so the college has no authority over whether you have a distinction or not. The university gives a set amount of money to every scholar, then individual colleges make up their own minds about what else they want to give their scholars. Or that's the way I always understood it. Maybe some colleges only give benefits to the best scholars, or something like that?

I think samlangfield is going to St Anne's anyway, so what I said is correct as far as he will be concerned.

Reply 42

Elles

17

first part is obviously definitely true. but i didn't think it was quite so bingo distinction = scholar.

The university gives a set amount of money to every scholar, then individual colleges make up their own minds about what else they want to give their scholars. Or that's the way I always understood it. Maybe some colleges only give benefits to the best scholars, or something like that?

the university do? (any links on this or just something you've heard?)
our letters mention Tutorial Board decisions & being scholars of the college which is what suggested to me it was just a collegiate thing, decided by tutorial boards / scholar of the college, not university etc.
maybe some subjects have departmental money too..? :smile:

edit - only relevant uni info i can find:

http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/finance/

Other financial assistance from the University
The University and the colleges are very sympathetic to student hardship and are aware of the financial pressures facing undergraduates. There are considerable funds available for special purposes or for hardship, and the University and colleges are looking to extend these possibilities. The colleges offer various financial awards and funds to their students, including:

scholarships and exhibitions - awarded after the first year for excellent academic achievement;
tutorial prizes - for good, consistent work;
study grants - to cover accommodation for students staying in Oxford in the vacation for academic projects;
travel grants - to cover travel costs for a trip abroad related to academic work;
book grants - to cover the cost of purchasing books essential to your degree course;
job opportunities - some colleges can offer part-time work during term and full-time opportunities to students during vacations, providing it does not interfere with their academic work;
hardship funds - for students in financial need.

Reply 43

eleri

5

Elles

the university do?

Ok, my boyfriend's just told me that the £60 was also from college, so that was my mistake. You're still known as a scholar of the university, but apparently they don't actually give you anything. Sorry.

Elles

which is what suggested to me it was just a collegiate thing, decided by the college.
maybe some subjects have departmental money..?

Again, colleges must just decide how to deal with it individually. Which college are you at? They don't seem particularly generous - here, if you're a scholar, you're a scholar, and that's that, no re-election process. Even if you only just scraped your distinction, like my boyfriend.

Elles

first part is obviously definitely true. but i didn't think it was quite so bingo distinction = scholar.

Doesn't everyone who gets a distinction have to wear a scholar's gown?

Reply 44

eleri

5

Elles

first part is obviously definitely true. but i didn't think it was quite so bingo distinction = scholar.

Doesn't everyone who gets a distinction have to wear a scholar's gown?

Reply 45

Elles

17

well, i don't know of anyone who hasn't been made one despite getting a first or distinction! my point was just i thought it was ultimately a collegiate thing & here they say they've had a meeting rather than just being automatically sent out so it doesn't seem quite so automatic & people don't seem to take it as an absolute given post exam results...
(some subjects have 2nd year public exams in 2nd year too, which could count for the "re-election" or new elections after first public exams?)

meeting probably deals more with Exhibition subtleties/tutor endorsements etc for people who just missed out i guess.
& the benefits are £200 pa, scholars gown, admissions ceremony, 2 dinners & a quirky church service invite. for the Exhibitioners £100pa. so don't think they're too ungenerous.. :smile:

Reply 46

eleri

5

Elles

well, i don't know of anyone who hasn't been made one despite getting a first or distinction! my point was just i thought it was ultimately a collegiate thing & here they say they've had a meeting rather than just being automatically sent out so it doesn't seem quite so automatic & people don't seem to take it as an absolute given post exam results...
(some subjects have 2nd year public exams in 2nd year too, which could count for the "re-election" or new elections after first public exams?)

meeting probably deals more with Exhibition subtleties/tutor endorsements etc for people who just missed out i guess.
& the benefits are £200 pa, scholars gown, admissions ceremony, 2 dinners & a quirky church service invite. for the Exhibitioners £100pa. so don't think they're too ungenerous.. :smile:

Fair enough. And my point was just that I think you are a scholar of the university regardless, and the extent to which your college recognises this/what they give you/whether they give it to every scholar/whether it's automatic, etc, varies.

Reply 47

anycon

11

samlangfield

It says on wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Wilson) that Harold Wilson had an outstanding first. I'm not sure whether the writer used "outstanding" in the normal sense of an adjective, or whether "Outstanding" is/was an official degree classification.

Well, that proves my point doesn't it? I read somewhere that Wilson may have got the best first in PPE of the decade, but he still got a first, not a starred or double first.

Reply 48

oldspc

No, you are a scholar or exhibitioner of your college not the university, which doesn't make such awards. Most colleges have just chosen to make a first in mods or distinction in prelims the main determinant in their decisions on whether to award a scholarship.

Reply 49

confuddled101

Can you still get a congratulatory first?

Reply 50

Drogue

19

The usual rule, is that getting a distinction in prelims means you beocme a Scholar, and almost getting a distinction while working hard throughout the year gets an Exhibitionarship. However Merton is an exception, granting Exhibitionarships only for distinctions, and Scholarships (or Post-Masterships as I believe they call them) for exceptionally high firsts.

They aren't just on exam performance. They're granted for "exceptional and consistent academic performance". Which is why my tute partner is an Exhibitionar and I'm not, despite me getting higher in prelims :frown:

*pities self*

Reply 51

Joshworkinghard

1

anycon

Starred firsts and double firsts only exist in Cambridge. The only 'double first' I've heard of from Oxford is Oscar Wilde's.

I'll go and stick that thing about Tony Blair's 2:1 on Wikipedia.

You're talking shat. The Oxford Law Society invite an someone who got a starred first from Oxford in Law to talk to members before their exams.

Reply 52

Drogue

19

Meh, why cn't I see the third page. I wonder what's happened :frown:

Reply 53

anycon

11

Maybe they only award them in certain subjects. Or they're so rare I've never heard of them. No need to be rude, Joshie.

Reply 54

Joshworkinghard

1

anycon

Maybe they only award them in certain subjects. Or they're so rare I've never heard of them. No need to be rude, Joshie.

Sozzy, you just stated it as if it was a fact and may have confused people. I just went nuts.

Reply 55

anycon

11

Because you are nuts? Nutter.

Reply 56

Christina

eleri

Oxford tutors do. Examiners do.

I think that people need to chill out about people's use of language. A small grammatical mistake on a forum is not a big deal. Most people are going to check over an essay for such mistakes before handing it in. I agree that some people need to chill and stop trying to correct people as in my opinion there's no need.

Degree classification.

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