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Disadvantages of being an Oxbridge student

I'm currently getting metaphorically letter-bombed by some idiot sending me messages about how, because I go to Oxford, I think I am a superior entity, fighting my glorious 'us v. them' crusade against the less fortunate, and that whenever he catches me trying to defend other universities / courses against snobbish Oxford wannabes, I'm only name-dropping 'lesser' universities in a desperate attempt at 'street-cred'.

I know this is just someone's delusions at work here, maybe he has a victim complex or something, but it pisses me off.

Is there any way Oxford students who don't happen to be insufferable rahs can escape the mindless prejudices of people who think we look down on them?

Reply 1

Taiping

the_alba

I'm currently getting metaphorically letter-bombed by some idiot sending me messages about how, because I go to Oxford, I think I am a superior entity, fighting my glorious 'us v. them' crusade against the less fortunate, and that whenever he catches me trying to defend other universities / courses against snobbish Oxford wannabes, I'm only name-dropping 'lesser' universities in a desperate attempt at 'street-cred'.

I know this is just someone's delusions at work here, maybe he has a victim complex or something, but it pisses me off.

Is there any way Oxford students who don't happen to be insufferable rahs can escape the mindless prejudices of people who think we look down on them?

Is this just some random or someone you know?

Reply 2

the_alba

OP

12

It's a random. No one I know would ever accuse me of being an Oxbridge snob. It's something very peculiar to TSR, I find. There are more inverse snobs on here, who have incredible Oxford-related bitterness for some reason, than there are real Oxbridge-or-nothing rahs. And the latter kind are usually sixth-formers who haven't even got offers yet. But it's the former kind that's irking me at the moment, the kind that says 'If you go to Oxford, you think you are better than everyone else, so I feel it is my duty to put you in your place'.

Reply 3

--

3

Are they doing it via PM? If so, you can disable them in your profile options.

Reply 4

FadeToBlackout

15

Well, of course if you chose Oxford you should expect abuse... had you chosen a university that wasn't such a dump... :wink:

</joking banter>

Seriously, I know that this reverse snobbery exists, with people defending and supporting their own university. I've never had any abuse from randoms about Cambridge, but that said I'm very careful about it and try not to annoy anyone with it. I'll talk about "uni" or "college" rather than name-dropping, and my location isn't "Cambridge" but "Tabland" which isn't blatently obvious to those not in the know.

This reaction is definately a disadvantage. Everyone expects me to conform to a stereotype, expects me to be a certain type of person, but I'm just not. They have this idea of the stereotypical Oxbridge student, and although there are some like that, it's mostly not true.

Reply 5

Helenia

20

If you're getting abuse via PM, you can always report it in AAM.

There's not much you can do apart from just ignore them.

Reply 6

Yoda

12

But you clearly are better than them else they wouldn't be going to a crap university. Make fun of them for being so **** at life.

Reply 7

jammy07

7

the_alba

I'm currently getting metaphorically letter-bombed by some idiot sending me messages about how, because I go to Oxford, I think I am a superior entity, fighting my glorious 'us v. them' crusade against the less fortunate, and that whenever he catches me trying to defend other universities / courses against snobbish Oxford wannabes, I'm only name-dropping 'lesser' universities in a desperate attempt at 'street-cred'.

I know this is just someone's delusions at work here, maybe he has a victim complex or something, but it pisses me off.

Is there any way Oxford students who don't happen to be insufferable rahs can escape the mindless prejudices of people who think we look down on them?

It's one of the great ironies that people like the one you've described spend so much time playing the victim thinking that everyone else looks down on them that they fail to realise that it is in fact they who are being the snobs.

Reply 8

FadeToBlackout

15

Yoda

But you clearly are better than them else they wouldn't be going to a crap university. Make fun of them for being so **** at life.

This post ^^ embodies the kind of stereoype that apparently all Oxbridge students conform to. I don't know if it's your real PoV, Yoda, or whether you're just using your normal forum persona, but meh.

Reply 9

--

3

Wildebeest

Yes, but I'm beginning to get the idea that Yoda's "forum persona" is indeed his real-life personality and temperament. Seriously. :rolleyes:

So basically, he's a muppet? Yes?

Reply 10

sebbie

15

Well there's one major disadvantage, the likes of Yoda sometimes slip through....

Reply 11

tbtommyb

11

Athena

It can sometimes be a problem if you DON'T conform to the Oxbridge stereotype, though - I get so many people asking me "what uni are you at?" and when I say Oxford, the next remark is usually "Brookes?" (how do youeven answer that without sounding wierd? "Oxford Oxford" and "proper Oxford" aren't really acceptable replies), because I have a regional accent that isn't southern/otherwise posh.

I didn't know Brookes was that well known.

Athena

I also have trouble getting my friends to come and visit me - they visit my friend at Cambridge, but not me, because apparently everyone at oxford is "stuck up" and "not like them", and I can't work out why Oxford has a worse reputation for snobbery, because I found the atmosphere in Cam pretty much the same.

Half of my friends have already declared that they're going to come and visit all the time, and I haven't even got in yet. Perhaps things like the number of prime ministers going to Oxford affects people's perceptions. Things like the Bullingdon Club don't help either, I expect. Maybe when your friends think "Oxford" they then think "Boris Johnson" but when they think of Cambridge they think "Stephen Hawking"?

Reply 12

$Avatar for sTe\/o$

sTe\/o

16

burntgorilla

I didn't know Brookes was that well known.

Half of my friends have already declared that they're going to come and visit all the time, and I haven't even got in yet. Perhaps things like the number of prime ministers going to Oxford affects people's perceptions. Things like the Bullingdon Club don't help either, I expect. Maybe when your friends think "Oxford" they then think "Boris Johnson" but when they think of Cambridge they think "Stephen Hawking"?

Or maybe when they think Cambridge they think John Cleese or Stephen Fry? Much more friendly-sounding than Stephen Hawking (who, besides, is really an Oxonian).

Reply 13

Taiping

sTe\/o

Or maybe when they think Cambridge they think John Cleese or Stephen Fry? Much more friendly-sounding than Stephen Hawking (who, besides, is really an Oxonian).

Or Gandalf.

Reply 14

$Avatar for sTe\/o$

sTe\/o

16

Taiping

Or Gandalf.

Yeah, I only wish Patrick Stewart went to Cambridge as well.

Reply 15

FadeToBlackout

15

sTe\/o

Or maybe when they think Cambridge they think John Cleese or Stephen Fry? Much more friendly-sounding than Stephen Hawking (who, besides, is really an Oxonian).

Stephen Fry is an absolute legend and I want to meet him. </Spam>

Reply 16

F1 fanatic

16

the_alba

I'm currently getting metaphorically letter-bombed by some idiot sending me messages about how, because I go to Oxford, I think I am a superior entity, fighting my glorious 'us v. them' crusade against the less fortunate, and that whenever he catches me trying to defend other universities / courses against snobbish Oxford wannabes, I'm only name-dropping 'lesser' universities in a desperate attempt at 'street-cred'.

I know this is just someone's delusions at work here, maybe he has a victim complex or something, but it pisses me off.

Is there any way Oxford students who don't happen to be insufferable rahs can escape the mindless prejudices of people who think we look down on them?

I know what you mean, it's a price you pay for success. I shouldn't have to keep quiet about what university I go to or be overly modest about it, but I keep quiet about going to Oxford because I know I'll be judged for it.

What I don't get is why intelligence should be treated so differently. If you were say, grade 8 in music, then no-one would be at all miffed or take offence if you said so quite openly. The same with most sports - people are impressed if you are national champion in sky diving or whatever. It comes to intelligence though and you immediately get accused of being arrogant or aloof if you so much as mention your academic abilities. It's not everyone of course, but enough to keep quiet about it.

Reply 17

the_alba

OP

12

I think being a brilliant musician (concert level, say) would garner nothing but respect, but telling everyone that you have Grade 8 piano would likely be seen as bragging and, depending on the situation, rightly so.

There is a balance to be struck between being gracefully modest about your abilities (a truly intelligent person is acutely aware of his or her limitations, and how much he/she has still to learn), and having to be over-modest for the sake of keeping the peace, or because you don't want to seem like bragging just for uttering a simple word like 'Oxford'. When asked what I do, I tend to say I'm a postgrad. When the inevitable 'where?' crops up, I feel myself cringeing at having to say Oxford, unless I'm speaking to someone big enough not to have a problem with it.

Usually, when I answer the 'where' question, suddenly the conversation turns really sarcastic, with the other person saying 'Oh, so you're a brainy one are you? Well, I didn't realise I was in the presence of greatness' - or worse, they think I'm upper class and loaded. I could always lie, but that would be the lowest thing to do - as you say, why hide it, as if ashamed, just because some idiot is going to judge you?

Reply 18

Tom

15

Tbh I think Yoda's gotten closest to the correct reply so far in this thread :eek:

What's all this 'so-modest-I'd-lie-about-it' or 'try-never-to-mention-it' stuff? It's the uni you go to. It's a good uni at that. Why on earth would you be ashamed of it?

Reply 19

Chiron

I think it depends very much on the situation as to whether it's bragging or not. If you go around telling everyone that you've got a place at Oxbridge or that you're currently studying there then you probably aren't giving yourself or your University a good name as it's simply uncalled for and inappropriate. On the other hand getting into Oxbridge is an achievement and there is absolutely nothing wrong with being proud of achievements.

Some people seem to hold a lot of preconceptions about Oxbridge and think that it's only for people who've been to Eton (and whose ancestors went to Eton), have pots of money and live in a big country house (and a town house in London, of course). Certainly this is probably true for a percentage of students but it seems to have given both the Universities a bad reputation in this area.

Some people may just jump to conclusions about the two Universities, however, at the end of the day, they're either ill informed or jealous. Either way it's probably them that will end up looking silly in the long run.

Disadvantages of being an Oxbridge student

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