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Classics - state school???

Hey, just wonderin' - are there any Classicists out there that haven't gone to private school????

Not that I have a problem with private school's at all, but when i was up for uni interviews, I reckon that i was the only state school applicant there!!! lol

Classics and German: Oxford (Somerville) - Unconditional

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Reply 1

tonia

I've heard that aswell.
one of my history teachers told me that courses like ancient history were quite hard to get onto if your not from a private school (which im not).
well done for getting into oxford anyway !! :p:

xxx

Reply 2

Mellie

Is that not because Classics isn't part of the curriculum at most state schools, though?

I went to a Sixth Form that offered Classics and it really was one of a few locally that did.

Reply 3

irishman_carl

That's probably right!! I came from a comprehensive school and 99.9% of the people didn't even realise what classics was - nevermind have provision to teach it....
I think it's a shame that not many state school students apply.... :smile:

Reply 4

Madelyn

Finally, more state school classicists! It does seem rather lonely - I went on the JACT Greek thing and met about three other people, out of three hundred odd, from state schools. I usually comfort myself by thinking that we've achieved more than the private school kids have - they've had it all on a plate :tongue:

Seriously, though, it is quite impressive that we can get to studying classics at university, given all the discouragement we (or at least I) get at school. Maybe we should a state school classicists association, and go around the country encouraging state kids to do classics.

Reply 5

irishman_carl

Well I'm up for that!!! I couyldn't go to the JACT summer thing (I was on holiday with my friends at the time) - did you enjoy it???

Reply 6

tonia

Definately a good idea !!!!!! :p:

Reply 7

In my own world

I went to a state school and I'm going to be studying Classical Studies. I think it really just depends on how much your school offers you (e.g. A-level choices at my school included Latin and Classical Civilisations). I guess I was just lucky in that respect.

I know what you mean irishman_carl - it gets quite depressing when I have to explain for like the millionth time what Classics is. The government seriously needs to sort our education system out!!! Lol!

Reply 8

irishman_carl

I think that Oxford's got the right Idea this year though - they've just launched a 'get to know the CLassics' for state school and middle school students to try and boost the image of the subject before people get to decided on other, more publicised areas!!

Which Classical languages are the state schoolers focusing on in Classics? - I'm doing both Latin and Greek but I've chosen to focus way more on Ancient Greek (particularly in my first year)

Reply 9

HaileyBailey

I've spent most of my life in private school but I went to my local state school for 6th form, ironically said state school had a much better standard of teaching and grades than my old private school in Oxford no less!

When I was at different Uni open days however, I found a huge mix of people from state and private schools. I was more shocked to find that I was just about the only one who hadn't studied Classical Civ. or Ancient History at school (I've really just come to Classics through my own interest.) Most private schools around here don't see those Alevels as being acedemic enough to teach and the state schools see no demand for it. :frown:

Reply 10

Madelyn

irishman_carl

Well I'm up for that!!! I couyldn't go to the JACT summer thing (I was on holiday with my friends at the time) - did you enjoy it???

Yes, it was really good, apart from the whole "do these people not see how immensely privileged they are?" thing. But very much worth doing, and having not looked at any Greek since GCSE, I now feel more confident about going back to it at uni. And it was lots of fun. And I met the head of JACT.
I'm now finding it really hard to choose between Latin and Greek, Bryanston reminded me of how cool Greek is, but I've done so much more Latin that I don't want to abandon it...
Which unis are people going to, to fulfil their state Classics dreams?

Reply 11

Angelil

I went to a state comprehensive girls' school, and....well..... *points at degree title in sig*

I didn't do any Classics-related A Levels though, since my school didn't offer them. But now I'm here, I've spent two years doing Latin, and I'm about to do Beginners' Ancient Greek. Bring it on :biggrin:

Reply 12

trying41

irishman_carl

Not that I have a problem with private school's at all, but when i was up for uni interviews, I reckon that i was the only state school applicant there!!!

I know for a fact that most of the applicants to Somerville last year for Classics were from State Schools.

Reply 13

Starling

I didn't go to a private school and I'm taking Classics as half of my degree in October. I don't know if it depends on the area, I'm in Cambridge so our sixth forms are pretty decent, both mine and the other local one offer Classical Civilisation, and I think the other one even offered Latin...I'm now full of dread everyone on my course will be geniuses from private school! Not that I have anything against them, one of my close friends attended one after all. :biggrin:

Reply 14

irishman_carl

trying41

I know for a fact that most of the applicants to Somerville last year for Classics were from State Schools.

really?!?!?!? that's great - i didn't realise!! are you going to Somerville too or another Oxford College?

Reply 15

Jenii

I went to state school and they offered classics, and it was actually really enjoyale and i think if more state schools tried to work it into their curriculum it would regain it's popularity!

On the other hand, i don't get why private schools do it, because it felt like a it of a dossers subject (at least at GCSE it did)!

Reply 16

EKO

I went to a state school, and haven't studied the classics or any sort of ancient history or philosophy there. However, I didn't let school get in the way of my education.

Reply 17

MentalSarcasm

I went to a bog standard comprehensive, but our Headmaster was still stuck in the 50's so we had 2 classics teachers. When I started in Year 9 you could only take latin, by the time I'd left they were offering Classical Civilisations for GCSE and A-Level and Ancient Greek for GCSE because my and my best friend pestered the head of department to let us take A-Level CC and Greek, part time around our other classes.

Reply 18

Ferrus

Classics and Ancient History were both taught at my Grammar School. I greatly regret my not studying them, but alas I was allowed to study no more than 4 A levels

Reply 19

Went to an State Grammar in NI and we only had to change to study Latin, and a tiny bit of Ancient Greek for a year. I'm applying for Classical Studies now but hoping that if I take the 8 week JACT course in Cork over the Summer I'll be able to transfer to 'straight' Classics.