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Are Oxbridge students arrogant? and other questions.
Hello forumites,
I'm bored. Humour me.
I went to a school that was extremely focused on academic achievement and intellectual competition, to the extent that very few students had much semblance of a social life and most spent the majority of their free time studying. One way I believe many of them dealt with this was to take the assurances from their teachers and parents that they were extremely gifted and superior to the general populace as a sort of p@y-0ff [normal spelling inexplicably censored...] for their unfulfilled lives and poorly-developed social skills. (These assurances they gained led to ego-inflation and intellectual arrogance which, unsuprisingly, meant that by the time I left school I respected or liked very few of them.)
My interest is in whether or not a similar situation exists in Oxford and Cambridge universities. Does the average Oxbridge student have a superiority complex due to their attendance of such a distinguished establishment? In essence, is the average Oxbridge student arrogant? I guess the obvious question to follow this, considering the above paragraph, is whether or not the situation exists in Oxbridge where people justify their unhappiness and lack of fulfillment with life by telling themselves that they are somehow 'better' than average, and delude themselves that their intellectuality makes them somehow special.
In summary then, for those too lazy to read the above, and for those who weren't able to decipher my ramblings I have outlined the key questions.
1. Are Oxbridge students arrogant?
2. Do students at Oxford and Cambridge genuinely enjoy happiness and fulfillment in their lives as much as students at other institutions? If 'no' to what do you attribute this to. If yes, what makes you think this?
Thank you in advance for entertaining my curiosity.
PS: Pleese don't unnessycerelly criticise my gramerr/spieling/under standig of englesh or I wll reply to all of your footere postes in txt spk
PPS: Red diamonds are cool.
I'm bored. Humour me.
I went to a school that was extremely focused on academic achievement and intellectual competition, to the extent that very few students had much semblance of a social life and most spent the majority of their free time studying. One way I believe many of them dealt with this was to take the assurances from their teachers and parents that they were extremely gifted and superior to the general populace as a sort of p@y-0ff [normal spelling inexplicably censored...] for their unfulfilled lives and poorly-developed social skills. (These assurances they gained led to ego-inflation and intellectual arrogance which, unsuprisingly, meant that by the time I left school I respected or liked very few of them.)
My interest is in whether or not a similar situation exists in Oxford and Cambridge universities. Does the average Oxbridge student have a superiority complex due to their attendance of such a distinguished establishment? In essence, is the average Oxbridge student arrogant? I guess the obvious question to follow this, considering the above paragraph, is whether or not the situation exists in Oxbridge where people justify their unhappiness and lack of fulfillment with life by telling themselves that they are somehow 'better' than average, and delude themselves that their intellectuality makes them somehow special.
In summary then, for those too lazy to read the above, and for those who weren't able to decipher my ramblings I have outlined the key questions.
1. Are Oxbridge students arrogant?
2. Do students at Oxford and Cambridge genuinely enjoy happiness and fulfillment in their lives as much as students at other institutions? If 'no' to what do you attribute this to. If yes, what makes you think this?
Thank you in advance for entertaining my curiosity.
PS: Pleese don't unnessycerelly criticise my gramerr/spieling/under standig of englesh or I wll reply to all of your footere postes in txt spk
PPS: Red diamonds are cool.
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It seems to me that the average person here (in Cam at least) is slightly embarrassed by the whole thing.
Well, not by attending Cambridge. I love it and think it is an awesome place, and I am expremely happy and proud to be here.
But I am worried abouit what people think about me. They think I'm a certain type of person just because of the university I'm at, they assume I'm like a stereotype that is in fact not accurate at all.
Most people think the same way, as far as I can see. They are proud about it, of course, but don't boats of it or anything.
Of course there are a few people who think in the way you've described. They are however in the minority, though, and people generally see them as such.
Well, not by attending Cambridge. I love it and think it is an awesome place, and I am expremely happy and proud to be here.
But I am worried abouit what people think about me. They think I'm a certain type of person just because of the university I'm at, they assume I'm like a stereotype that is in fact not accurate at all.
Most people think the same way, as far as I can see. They are proud about it, of course, but don't boats of it or anything.
Of course there are a few people who think in the way you've described. They are however in the minority, though, and people generally see them as such.
mr_person
[Does] the situation exists in Oxbridge where people justify their unhappiness and lack of fulfillment with life by telling themselves that they are somehow 'better' than average, and delude themselves that their intellectuality makes them somehow special?
Although there are many other great places to study in the UK, if we're being honest I'm sure most people would agree that most Oxbridge students have a 'better than average' intellectual capacity - if not, how would they have gotten there in the first place?!? Secondly, how does this fact, coupled with studying at the second and third best universities on the planet not make them special?
Whilst I find intellectual snobbery disgusting, and think people should lead balanced lives with a social life, outside hobbies etc., aren't Oxbridge students entitled to feel just a bit special? The situation's slightly different from your school, as all the people got in on merit (OK, it might have been selective, but most schools aren't).
Perhaps paradoxically, it's my experience that significant numbers of Oxbridge students feel inadequate and perhaps even intellectually intimidated - if you think about it, there will always be a distribution curve, and so someone has to come bottom, even if it's only a perception, and in such an intensely academic environment, that can be compounded, so you may be getting Oxbridge students thinking, 'Oh god oh god I'm thick I'm thick' etc
Autocrat
Perhaps paradoxically, it's my experience that significant numbers of Oxbridge students feel inadequate and perhaps even intellectually intimidated - if you think about it, there will always be a distribution curve, and so someone has to come bottom, even if it's only a perception, and in such an intensely academic environment, that can be compounded, so you may be getting Oxbridge students thinking, 'Oh god oh god I'm thick I'm thick' etc
Yup, this place makes me feel distinctly average... especially when I'm finding new topics in lectures difficult, and when my supervision partner has made me look like an idiot practically every supervision so far by having done the questions I can't!
In response to the OP's 2nd question, it seems to me that people find happiness and fulfilment in what they want? People are here because they like their subject and work a lot but enjoy it. And people do a lot of other stuff too, many people like to "work hard, play harder", in fact of the people I actually see about I don't think there's a single boring person. Of course this falls apart a bit with some people (Arts students...) at times as they find all their time taken up by reading for / writing an essay. I'm only 3 weeks in and don't feel that work is dominating my whole life... but I know of at least one History fresher who took an all-nighter a couple of weeks ago to complete an essay.
I think that if you go to a selective school it's easy to look down on other schools (eg. comprehensive schools) which are nearby. But here, practically everyone you meet is from the same university as you, and you really meet your match.
I think, like others have said so far, if you come here arrogant that will probably change. Even if you were the absolute best student at your school, you'll probably be around average here...if anything being here I think would make arrogant people more humble.
And I seem to be enjoying myself just as much as my friends elsewhere...I'm enjoying the social side about the same as they are and I reckon I'm enjoying the academic side even more...I guess because people who get into Oxbridge are generally genuinely passionate about their subjects (not that people who go to other universities aren't, but I'd say more so here).
And I seem to be enjoying myself just as much as my friends elsewhere...I'm enjoying the social side about the same as they are and I reckon I'm enjoying the academic side even more...I guess because people who get into Oxbridge are generally genuinely passionate about their subjects (not that people who go to other universities aren't, but I'd say more so here).
From my personal experience talking to Oxbridge students, they're not really arrogant at all. they intelligent yes, but they dont go round proclaiming it. Dont confuse arrogance with pride at being in one of said institutions.
Even if you're the best in whatever school you went to - people at Oxbridge are likely to all be pretty intelligent and probably will be the "best" in their school they will have a genuine intrest and passion in their subject. Thats what creates the acedemic enviroment - and eventually fosters excellence. Just as a example Trinity Cambridge has claims more Nobel Prizes then the whole of France, they are proud (and rightfully so) but they are not arrogant about it.
Wangers
Even if you're the best in whatever school you went to - people at Oxbridge are likely to all be pretty intelligent and probably will be the "best" in their school they will have a genuine intrest and passion in their subject. Thats what creates the acedemic enviroment - and eventually fosters excellence. Just as a example Trinity Cambridge has claims more Nobel Prizes then the whole of France, they are proud (and rightfully so) but they are not arrogant about it.
Wangers
Trinity have 31 Nobel prizes but according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_laureates_by_country
France have way more than that....
France have way more than that....
i dont think you can really judge the whole with one view... i think they seemingly are arrogant coz of the fact that they do more work and have to do more work in comparison to other uni students... but u do get a pop of smiles and social puffs in these unis my mate plays warcraft frozen throne with me even tho he goes there in cam
As previous posters have stated, you have to be careful not to confuse arrogance with self-confidence. I seem to have a reputation for being arrogant, but quite frankly I think I'm a mediocre person, academically and socially - I have no inflated ego at all. But just because I have confidence in my opinions and am unafraid to articulate them, and accept compliments when I feel I deserve them, some people construe that as arrogance - which is completely fair and I can understand why, but it's not an accurate representation of me. I wouldn't be surprised if many Oxbridge students were similar - realistic about their merits, but confident in themselves. It seems that people are supposed to put themselves down all the time, and if a person doesn't (but, at the same time, doesn't brag), they can seem rather egotistical.
1. No.
2. Hell, yes! The bops... the balls... the rowing... the union...
2. Hell, yes! The bops... the balls... the rowing... the union...
Maybe, but at least we (tabs) are better than YOU, so it all evens out 
I think the generalisation fails because it relies on the school you went to. I've only ever been educated in fairly unremarkable state schools, where academic acheivement is neither looked down on nor highly prized, and of the other Oxbridge applicants I know (Neither I nor they actually attend Oxbridge, but I feel applicants probably give a good idea of what the students may be like), very few are arrogant and I actually expect the minority who I would consider socially inept to be less likely to be given offers. I myself happen to be incredibly arrogant, but this characteristic has been present in me for a long time before I even considered university applications.
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