Would it be stupid to turn down a Cambridge maths offer?
I have mixed feelings about whether to accept my Mathematics offer from Cambridge (A*,A*,A plus 1,1 in STEP) or from Nottingham (B,B,B) NOTE A typical Nottingham offer is A,A,A or A*,A,B so please don't assume it is sub-par. I am beginning to veer towards Nottingham. This is obviously a life changing decision so I am thinking very carefully about it.
When I first applied to uni I think I had my mind so strongly set on Cambridge being the only place I wanted to go that I didn't consider what it would actually be like to study there (if that makes sense). Now after thinking about it properly I could in all seriousness see myself dropping out of Cambridge. I am really not attracted by the high pressure/high intensity working lifestyle. I would rather coast through a respectable Notts degree whilst enjoying other aspects of uni life. I see my social interests as more clubbing/going out and Cambridge has a much quieter social scene.
My parents tell me that I would be a fool to reject Cambridge, I'd be throwing away an education that would present me with better career prospects for the future. I fully understand that with a Cambridge maths degree you could just about walk into whatever profession you wanted. But would a Nottingham maths degree be that much worse?
Mathematics courses are very similar from uni to uni, and both Cambridge and Nottingham courses offer a wide range of topics to choose from so I could not say that I preferred either of the unis' courses.
I much prefer Nottingham as a city than Cambridge. This is because 1) the Nottingham nightlife is much more lively than that of Cambridge and also 2) Nottingham is closer to home so it would be less hassle to come back to see family/friends in Doncaster.
An additional note is that if I put Nottingham as insurance choice then I can only apply for accommodation there in August by which time I will just have to take what the uni has left (and may even end up having to rent off site). I don't see this as a deciding factor but it means that i don't want to put Cambridge first with Nottingham as backup.
According to the "DirectGov Unistats website" student satisfaction at Cambridge and Nottingham is 96% and 92% respectively, and employment after 6 months is 89% and 73%.
So basically should I have a less enjoyable experience during my 3/4 years at uni in order to have potentially better career prospects in the long term?
When I first applied to uni I think I had my mind so strongly set on Cambridge being the only place I wanted to go that I didn't consider what it would actually be like to study there (if that makes sense). Now after thinking about it properly I could in all seriousness see myself dropping out of Cambridge. I am really not attracted by the high pressure/high intensity working lifestyle. I would rather coast through a respectable Notts degree whilst enjoying other aspects of uni life. I see my social interests as more clubbing/going out and Cambridge has a much quieter social scene.
My parents tell me that I would be a fool to reject Cambridge, I'd be throwing away an education that would present me with better career prospects for the future. I fully understand that with a Cambridge maths degree you could just about walk into whatever profession you wanted. But would a Nottingham maths degree be that much worse?
Mathematics courses are very similar from uni to uni, and both Cambridge and Nottingham courses offer a wide range of topics to choose from so I could not say that I preferred either of the unis' courses.
I much prefer Nottingham as a city than Cambridge. This is because 1) the Nottingham nightlife is much more lively than that of Cambridge and also 2) Nottingham is closer to home so it would be less hassle to come back to see family/friends in Doncaster.
An additional note is that if I put Nottingham as insurance choice then I can only apply for accommodation there in August by which time I will just have to take what the uni has left (and may even end up having to rent off site). I don't see this as a deciding factor but it means that i don't want to put Cambridge first with Nottingham as backup.
According to the "DirectGov Unistats website" student satisfaction at Cambridge and Nottingham is 96% and 92% respectively, and employment after 6 months is 89% and 73%.
So basically should I have a less enjoyable experience during my 3/4 years at uni in order to have potentially better career prospects in the long term?
(edited 12 years ago)
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These four years of your life will affect the next 50 you know
Yes, you'd be a moron.
Original post by ev1
I have mixed feelings about whether to accept my Mathematics offer from Cambridge (A*,A*,A plus 1,1 in STEP) or from Nottingham (B,B,B). I am beginning to veer towards Nottingham. This is obviously a life changing decision so I am thinking very carefully about it.
When I first applied to uni I think I had my mind so strongly set on Cambridge being the only place I wanted to go that I didn't consider what it would actually be like to study there (if that makes sense). Now after thinking about it properly I could in all seriousness see myself dropping out of Cambridge. I am really not attracted by the high pressure/high intensity working lifestyle. I would rather coast through a respectable Notts degree whilst enjoying other aspects of uni life. I see my social interests as more clubbing/going out and Cambridge has a much quieter social scene.
My parents tell me that I would be a fool to reject Cambridge, I'd be throwing away an education that would present me with better career prospects for the future. I fully understand that with a Cambridge maths degree you could just about walk into whatever profession you wanted. But would a Nottingham maths degree be that much worse?
Mathematics courses are very similar from uni to uni, and both Cambridge and Nottingham courses offer a wide range of topics to choose from so I could not say that I preferred either of the unis' courses.
I much prefer Nottingham as a city than Cambridge. This is because 1) the Nottingham nightlife is much more lively than that of Cambridge and also 2) Nottingham is closer to home so it would be less hassle to come back to see family/friends in Doncaster.
An additional note is that if I put Nottingham as insurance choice then I can only apply for accommodation there in August by which time I will just have to take what the uni has left (and may even end up having to rent off site). I don't see this as a deciding factor but it means that i don't want to put Cambridge first with Nottingham as backup.
According to the "DirectGov Unistats website" student satisfaction at Cambridge and Nottingham is 96% and 92% respectively, and employment after 6 months is 89% and 73%.
So basically should I have a less enjoyable experience during my 3/4 years at uni in order to have potentially better career prospects in the long term?
When I first applied to uni I think I had my mind so strongly set on Cambridge being the only place I wanted to go that I didn't consider what it would actually be like to study there (if that makes sense). Now after thinking about it properly I could in all seriousness see myself dropping out of Cambridge. I am really not attracted by the high pressure/high intensity working lifestyle. I would rather coast through a respectable Notts degree whilst enjoying other aspects of uni life. I see my social interests as more clubbing/going out and Cambridge has a much quieter social scene.
My parents tell me that I would be a fool to reject Cambridge, I'd be throwing away an education that would present me with better career prospects for the future. I fully understand that with a Cambridge maths degree you could just about walk into whatever profession you wanted. But would a Nottingham maths degree be that much worse?
Mathematics courses are very similar from uni to uni, and both Cambridge and Nottingham courses offer a wide range of topics to choose from so I could not say that I preferred either of the unis' courses.
I much prefer Nottingham as a city than Cambridge. This is because 1) the Nottingham nightlife is much more lively than that of Cambridge and also 2) Nottingham is closer to home so it would be less hassle to come back to see family/friends in Doncaster.
An additional note is that if I put Nottingham as insurance choice then I can only apply for accommodation there in August by which time I will just have to take what the uni has left (and may even end up having to rent off site). I don't see this as a deciding factor but it means that i don't want to put Cambridge first with Nottingham as backup.
According to the "DirectGov Unistats website" student satisfaction at Cambridge and Nottingham is 96% and 92% respectively, and employment after 6 months is 89% and 73%.
So basically should I have a less enjoyable experience during my 3/4 years at uni in order to have potentially better career prospects in the long term?
Only you can know which is the better pathway for you. It is actually four years of your life that you don't get back... its not like life begins AFTER a degree somehow so I can really understand why you are thinking this through. Very sensible.
I suppose it also depends on your aims in the long term. Again only you can know.
Sorry to be vague but I don't think anyone can really answer this one definitively on your behalf.
Good luck choosing.
Mate, it is Cambridge.
Also, considering the 96% student satisfaction, i am sure the social side is not as bad as you fear.
Also, considering the 96% student satisfaction, i am sure the social side is not as bad as you fear.
It's not really as important as it might seem at the moment. Go wherever you think you will enjoy most. If you find fulfilment in socialising then the career prospects thing doesn't really matter; the kind of jobs where the choice will matter are high pressure jobs with long hours - the very lifestyle you aren't interested in!
Original post by localfox1000
Mate, it is Cambridge.
Also, considering the 96% student satisfaction, i am sure the social side is not as bad as you fear.
Also, considering the 96% student satisfaction, i am sure the social side is not as bad as you fear.
Yeah I agree with you, the social life isn't worse - just different.
Original post by ev1
This is obviously a life changing decision
I cannot think that your life will be significantly different with a maths degree from Cambridge rather than from Nottingham, nor the other way around. It's that kind of thinking that sees people sillily devastated when they lose out in the admissions lottery.
As someone else has suggested, choosing Nottingham might negatively affect, though not conclusively end, hopes of [direct-] graduate entry into investment banking, but that doesn't sound like the sort of career you'd be hoping for anyway.
Entry into Cambridge maths isn't a degree in maths from Cambridge. It's the opportunity to work your ass off for one, in a course which moves very quickly and where you might suddenly find that the others in your class are either or both of smarter or more hardworking than you are. That's the whole of the chance you'd be 'throwing away'.
Original post by ev1
I have mixed feelings about whether to accept my Mathematics offer from Cambridge (A*,A*,A plus 1,1 in STEP) or from Nottingham (B,B,B). I am beginning to veer towards Nottingham. This is obviously a life changing decision so I am thinking very carefully about it.
When I first applied to uni I think I had my mind so strongly set on Cambridge being the only place I wanted to go that I didn't consider what it would actually be like to study there (if that makes sense). Now after thinking about it properly I could in all seriousness see myself dropping out of Cambridge. I am really not attracted by the high pressure/high intensity working lifestyle. I would rather coast through a respectable Notts degree whilst enjoying other aspects of uni life. I see my social interests as more clubbing/going out and Cambridge has a much quieter social scene.
My parents tell me that I would be a fool to reject Cambridge, I'd be throwing away an education that would present me with better career prospects for the future. I fully understand that with a Cambridge maths degree you could just about walk into whatever profession you wanted. But would a Nottingham maths degree be that much worse?
Mathematics courses are very similar from uni to uni, and both Cambridge and Nottingham courses offer a wide range of topics to choose from so I could not say that I preferred either of the unis' courses.
I much prefer Nottingham as a city than Cambridge. This is because 1) the Nottingham nightlife is much more lively than that of Cambridge and also 2) Nottingham is closer to home so it would be less hassle to come back to see family/friends in Doncaster.
An additional note is that if I put Nottingham as insurance choice then I can only apply for accommodation there in August by which time I will just have to take what the uni has left (and may even end up having to rent off site). I don't see this as a deciding factor but it means that i don't want to put Cambridge first with Nottingham as backup.
According to the "DirectGov Unistats website" student satisfaction at Cambridge and Nottingham is 96% and 92% respectively, and employment after 6 months is 89% and 73%.
So basically should I have a less enjoyable experience during my 3/4 years at uni in order to have potentially better career prospects in the long term?
When I first applied to uni I think I had my mind so strongly set on Cambridge being the only place I wanted to go that I didn't consider what it would actually be like to study there (if that makes sense). Now after thinking about it properly I could in all seriousness see myself dropping out of Cambridge. I am really not attracted by the high pressure/high intensity working lifestyle. I would rather coast through a respectable Notts degree whilst enjoying other aspects of uni life. I see my social interests as more clubbing/going out and Cambridge has a much quieter social scene.
My parents tell me that I would be a fool to reject Cambridge, I'd be throwing away an education that would present me with better career prospects for the future. I fully understand that with a Cambridge maths degree you could just about walk into whatever profession you wanted. But would a Nottingham maths degree be that much worse?
Mathematics courses are very similar from uni to uni, and both Cambridge and Nottingham courses offer a wide range of topics to choose from so I could not say that I preferred either of the unis' courses.
I much prefer Nottingham as a city than Cambridge. This is because 1) the Nottingham nightlife is much more lively than that of Cambridge and also 2) Nottingham is closer to home so it would be less hassle to come back to see family/friends in Doncaster.
An additional note is that if I put Nottingham as insurance choice then I can only apply for accommodation there in August by which time I will just have to take what the uni has left (and may even end up having to rent off site). I don't see this as a deciding factor but it means that i don't want to put Cambridge first with Nottingham as backup.
According to the "DirectGov Unistats website" student satisfaction at Cambridge and Nottingham is 96% and 92% respectively, and employment after 6 months is 89% and 73%.
So basically should I have a less enjoyable experience during my 3/4 years at uni in order to have potentially better career prospects in the long term?
Idk I did. I rejected Cambridge Nat sci. and firmed UCL for astrophysics instead even over Imperial. It is where I want to go. If you are smart enough you will do something half-decent with your life.
I don't think you can really compare Cambridge Maths and Nottingham Maths tbh. If you were talking about UCL/Warwick/Imperial Maths or something, then I'd say it wouldn't be the WORST idea ever, but between Cambridge and Nottingham it wouldn't make sense to turn down Cambridge. What other offers do you have?
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Swayum
I don't think you can really compare Cambridge Maths and Nottingham Maths tbh. If you were talking about UCL/Warwick/Imperial Maths or something, then I'd say it wouldn't be the WORST idea ever, but between Cambridge and Nottingham it wouldn't make sense to turn down Cambridge. What other offers do you have?
OP listen to this guy, this is the only sensible answer so far
one thing that no-one has yet pointed out is that Cambridge is a wealthy university. It offers better financial aid and accommodation can be cheaper than other universities. You need to consider if you would have significantly smaller debt.
Do you have other offers? There are a few employers that value Oxbridge to the exclusion of all others (London law firms, for example) but there are other universities that are highly rated for maths and may be preferred to Cambridge.
How will you feel if schoolfriends are being paid (note not earning) many times more than you and are off on expensive holidays/ buying fancy cars or their own home? Will you feel that having more time to yourself and a less pressurised life compensates?
There are high levels of mental illness in the brightest students. If you decide you wish to opt for a different university point that out to your parents and tell them you feel you'd be more likely to get a first elsewhere.
As it happens I know I lad who dropped out of Imperial and went to Nottingham. He was much happier there but graduated with a lower second and took a while to find a job. You need to be careful not to do too much clubbing.
Do you have other offers? There are a few employers that value Oxbridge to the exclusion of all others (London law firms, for example) but there are other universities that are highly rated for maths and may be preferred to Cambridge.
How will you feel if schoolfriends are being paid (note not earning) many times more than you and are off on expensive holidays/ buying fancy cars or their own home? Will you feel that having more time to yourself and a less pressurised life compensates?
There are high levels of mental illness in the brightest students. If you decide you wish to opt for a different university point that out to your parents and tell them you feel you'd be more likely to get a first elsewhere.
As it happens I know I lad who dropped out of Imperial and went to Nottingham. He was much happier there but graduated with a lower second and took a while to find a job. You need to be careful not to do too much clubbing.
Honestly, I'd go with Cambridge. I'm sure there will be other people there who want to socialise too. Also as you say these degrees are basically the same, the work load may not be that different. But I would assume that Cambridge would be quite strict thus helping you to stay on track, somerhing you take for granted. This degree is only 4 years of your life, and what is a few years compared to your whole life? Imagine the social life and the holidays etc when you're fresh out of Cambridge earning serious money
It's really up to you. Yes, Cambridge maths will be more helpful if you want to go into a high-powered career, but if you don't like pressure and intense environments maybe you don't anyway? I was torn between UCL and Oxford last year and people mentioned the career thing to me a lot- but I actually want to be a primary teacher so the whole thing was a moot point really. In the end I chose Oxford and I found my first term pretty tough and considered dropping out. Things are better now- you can and will adjust to the workload- and I won't say that I regret my choice because I have had some amazing times here, but I do think that maybe UCL would have been a better fit for me and I think I knew that last year, I was just blinded by everyone else's opinion and the general prestige. University is meant to be one of the best experiences of your life and it would be a shame to spend three or four years hating it.
That said, I would check that this isn't just cold feet about how hard it might be. There's a difference between not wanting to do it (which is fine) and thinking that you can't do it, which since the tutors let you in, simply isn't true. Don't let the fear put you off, make sure it's an informed decision about what you think is best for you.
That said, I would check that this isn't just cold feet about how hard it might be. There's a difference between not wanting to do it (which is fine) and thinking that you can't do it, which since the tutors let you in, simply isn't true. Don't let the fear put you off, make sure it's an informed decision about what you think is best for you.
This might be of some help to you
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?p=29244437
I had pretty similar concerns about Cambridge before I came here. Yes, the work is intense, but because everyone around you is in the same situation it doesn't feel so bad. The clubs are a bit rubbish but I've realised that going out is far more about who you go out with than where you go. Saying the social scene in Cam is quieter isn't really true - it's definitely different but still a huge amount of fun. There are plenty of people who go out 4 or 5 times a week.
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?p=29244437
I had pretty similar concerns about Cambridge before I came here. Yes, the work is intense, but because everyone around you is in the same situation it doesn't feel so bad. The clubs are a bit rubbish but I've realised that going out is far more about who you go out with than where you go. Saying the social scene in Cam is quieter isn't really true - it's definitely different but still a huge amount of fun. There are plenty of people who go out 4 or 5 times a week.
Original post by parentlurker
one thing that no-one has yet pointed out is that Cambridge is a wealthy university. It offers better financial aid and accommodation can be cheaper than other universities. You need to consider if you would have significantly smaller debt.
Good point. And it becomes the truer if you choose a college which can accommodate for all three (or four) years.
....there are other universities that are highly rated for maths and may be preferred to Cambridge.
There is no UK university more highly rated for maths than Cambridge.
How will you feel if schoolfriends are being paid (note not earning) many times more than you and are off on expensive holidays/ buying fancy cars or their own home? Will you feel that having more time to yourself and a less pressurised life compensates?
Why will his schoolfriends be getting paid many more times than him if he does Nottingham maths? Even if all his schoolfriends were doing Cambridge maths, still that "many times as much" doesn't reflect salary differences between graduates of the two courses. If Cambrdge maths grads earn even twice as much as their counterparts from Nottingham I'd be frankly astonished.
(edited 12 years ago)
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