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Cambridge Decisions 2016 - info and FAQ

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Reply 180
Avatar for R T
R T
13
Original post by Mostly_Crazy
I guess so... thing is, I don't really mind that much if I don't get in - I'll be perfectly happy going to Durham or Bath. But now I'll feel like I've let everyone else down :frown:

The quiet truth of the matter is that:
1. Undergraduate degrees are, very largely, extremely similar at all universities. Especially in Science where there is often a institute of [Subject] which externally moderates and sort of enforces a curriculum (which is often centered around textbooks anyway...)
2. Teaching is, very largely, down to who the University can rope into lecturing (i.e. it's random). Whilst some lecturers enjoy it and put a lot of effort in, most quite obviously treat it as a job. And to be honest, Cambridge does not have unusually good lecturing (and anecdotally the opposite could be said). Being uncommonly clever does not make you a good lecturer, that much is definitely true.
3. Everything else you get out of the University is very much a function of what YOUR interests are and the people you happen to meet at University (which is pretty random).
4. Anyone who isn't currently involved in UCAS in some way or another will have the same preconceptions that they had when they were involved, which could be 20+ years ago. Obviously things change.

I think if you really love your subject, Oxbridge probably does add another dimension. There are questions on my papers which are obviously intended for the top 5 or so students in the year (as well as questions for everyone of course). I'm a 3rd year and now it's reasonably common for my supervisors to get just as stuck on the problems I'm set as I do. Asking for extra work or signing up for more is always encouraged also.

So the decision obviously matters, because it will affect 3 years of your life in all likelihood. But it doesn't matter that much. A durham/ Imperial/ Bath graduate in subject X won't be leagues behind a Cambridge graduate assuming both have done similar amounts of work over their degree.
Original post by Mostly_Crazy
As in lower than the standard offer? From what I understand, very rare unless there are truly exceptional circumstances (or you already have some but not all of your qualifications)The CAT may be able to shed more light on this... @Christ's Admissions
Basically never happens now due to fear of being sued for discrimination. Ironically, one of the major barriers for access is access' own policies but there you go...
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Mostly_Crazy
Makes me wonder how different I (or any of us) will be in 3/4 years time depending on which uni we go to... kind of freaks me out to think about it :s-smilie:


Good point! Hopefully humble :smile:

I'd rather go somewhere less well known and come out a good person instead of going to MIT or Harvard or Cambridge and coming out slightly cocky.

Spoiler

Original post by Student403
Good point! Hopefully humble :smile:

I'd rather go somewhere less well known and come out a good person instead of going to MIT or Harvard or Cambridge and coming out slightly cocky.

Spoiler



Nested spoilers, *starts thinking about some random STEP nested sums question*
My lyf


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by physicsmaths
Nested spoilers, *starts thinking about some random STEP nested sums question*
My lyf


Posted from TSR Mobile

Hopefully they didn't get the better of you
Original post by R T
The quiet truth of the matter is that:
[...]


Good points! Out of interest, what course do you take? I've applied for PBS and to be honest I'm still a little fuzzy on how the Cambridge course differs from elsewhere, aside from being able to take certain HSPS/NatSci papers...
Reply 185
Avatar for R T
R T
13
Original post by Student403
Good point! Hopefully humble :smile:

I'd rather go somewhere less well known and come out a good person instead of going to MIT or Harvard or Cambridge and coming out slightly cocky.

To be honest, unless you are coming top of the year here (which does give bragging rights IMO) almost everyone gets the arrogance knocked out of them very quickly. A few weeks of suddenly being average with hard work hits hard if you're used to effortlessly coming top.

Outside of competitiveness, it's also a very humbling experience to spend literally 12 hours on a piece of work and then have it, and your understanding, ripped to shreds by an expert in the field in a 1 on 1 conversation where there is no escape :smile:
Original post by Mostly_Crazy
Good points! Out of interest, what course do you take? I've applied for PBS and to be honest I'm still a little fuzzy on how the Cambridge course differs from elsewhere, aside from being able to take certain HSPS/NatSci papers...
I'm a 3rd year NatSci. There is diversity in the modules, yes, but ultimately the core part of your degree which you may need for further research or specific jobs won't be much different...To be honest I don't know what PBS stands for; Psychological and behaviour studies? Sounds cool, I have a few friends who've ended up in animal behaviour despite applying for physics lol....
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Student403
Good point! Hopefully humble :smile:

I'd rather go somewhere less well known and come out a good person instead of going to MIT or Harvard or Cambridge and coming out slightly cocky.


I'd like to think I could go to any university without it changing me fundamentally as a person, but I guess you can never know unless/until it happens...
Original post by R T
To be honest, unless you are coming top of the year here (which does give bragging rights IMO) almost everyone gets the arrogance knocked out of them very quickly. A few weeks of suddenly being average with hard work hits hard if you're used to effortlessly coming top.

Outside of competitiveness, it's also a very humbling experience to spend literally 12 hours on a piece of work and then have it, and your understanding, ripped to shreds by an expert in the field in a 1 on 1 conversation where there is no escape :smile:


See, a part of me dreads the idea of that kind of experience, but another part of me really wants the challenge XD
Original post by Mostly_Crazy
I'd like to think I could go to any university without it changing me fundamentally as a person, but I guess you can never know unless/until it happens...



Exactly!

Original post by R T
To be honest, unless you are coming top of the year here (which does give bragging rights IMO) almost everyone gets the arrogance knocked out of them very quickly. A few weeks of suddenly being average with hard work hits hard if you're used to effortlessly coming top.

Outside of competitiveness, it's also a very humbling experience to spend literally 12 hours on a piece of work and then have it, and your understanding, ripped to shreds by an expert in the field in a 1 on 1 conversation where there is no escape :smile:

I can imagine the pain of those who were especially spoilt in compliments during sixth form by heads of departments :lol:


Original post by Mostly_Crazy
See, a part of me dreads the idea of that kind of experience, but another part of me really wants the challenge XD


Exactly!
Original post by R T
I'm a 3rd year NatSci. There is diversity in the modules, yes, but ultimately the core part of your degree which you may need for further research or specific jobs won't be much different...To be honest I don't know what PBS stands for; Psychological and behaviour studies? Sounds cool, I have a few friends who've ended up in animal behaviour despite applying for physics lol....
Yep, Psychological and Behavioural Sciences. I want to be a clinical psychologist so a strong undergraduate psychology degree is essential XD
Original post by Number Nine
None of you are applican'ts, you're all applicans


how often do u see a pun as encouraging as this?

lad, me love u
any architects'?
Original post by physicsmaths
You have had one right.. Second time you have said this... Tell us mate tell us


Posted from TSR Mobile


No, I haven't - it's just something I realised. :lol:

Spoiler

Original post by ib001
Thanks for the tip! At least that's something then. It'll be so nerve-racking the email comes, not sure if people want to open it!!

I am going to stop obsessing about this and do something else.


I've said this to myself ≈109\approx 10^9 times, doesn't work. :lol:
Original post by Zacken
I've said this to myself ≈109\approx 10^9 times, doesn't work. :lol:


Approx 2^30 for the binaey crew
Original post by FanaticEV
Approx 2^30 for the binaey crew


pls. too early for binary.
Original post by R T

2. Teaching is, very largely, down to who the University can rope into lecturing (i.e. it's random). Whilst some lecturers enjoy it and put a lot of effort in, most quite obviously treat it as a job. And to be honest, Cambridge does not have unusually good lecturing (and anecdotally the opposite could be said). Being uncommonly clever does not make you a good lecturer, that much is definitely true.


I agree, small minority of lecturers have actually been good imo
Did CAT really confirm that ALL non-UK students receive mails by the 12th?
I am wondering as my college told me beforehand that they would not send mails to EU non-UK students.
Original post by branflake
Did CAT really confirm that ALL non-UK students receive mails by the 12th?
I am wondering as my college told me beforehand that they would not send mails to EU non-UK students.


The CAT confirmed that all colleges had been reminded that this was the process this year. Whether or not all colleges will actually do it remains to be seen...
Original post by tigersss2007
Originally I applied to Cambridge in secret to avoid unnecessary publicity...Then, I applied for absence to attend the interview, informing my teacher of the whole application thingy. A day later, almost everyone in my school knows about this...


Haha well not so long ago I was at a school where no one has ever applied to Oxbridge - ever - and now I've moved to a school where 15 people apply every year so I've gone from being the one with "unrealistic expectations" to being "one of the many Oxbridge applicants". Either way people like talking. Can't do anything about that.

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