Should i decline my offer from Cambridge?

Scroll to see replies

Reply 100

Doones

Original post by Someone123123

Graduate prospects via league tables amongst other indicators suggest otherwise

Go to Sussex then.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 101

the_queen

Go to Cambridge! Even your gf should encourage you to do so. If she really loves you, she should understand and support you.

Reply 102

username3715802

Well guys, official fml, my girlfriend has found about this forum and stopped answering my calls and texts. :rolleyes:

. Better now than later to have the talk :/

Reply 103

Doones

Original post by scottsmith

Well guys, official fml, my girlfriend has found about this forum and stopped answering my calls and texts. :rolleyes:

. Better now than later to have the talk :/

Luckily you didn't use your real name for your account.

Oh...

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 104

the_queen

Original post by scottsmith

Well guys, official fml, my girlfriend has found about this forum and stopped answering my calls and texts. :rolleyes:

. Better now than later to have the talk :/

Good for you! Go to Cambridge!

Reply 105

EY1001

Original post by emmaross00

why is everyone against young love? i think its nice of him to sacrifice something for his girlfriend

Nothing at all against young love but the truth of the matter is if it is true love he should be able to do his Cambridge thing while she does her Edinburgh thing and they can still live happily ever after for the next 70 years! The whole 'sacrifice' thing is unnecessary.

Reply 106

the_queen

Original post by emmaross00

So we just going to forget about his girlfriend, who wasted a year of her life :/

She wasted a year now, but she can live good years for the rest of her life with her bf graduated from Cambridge.

Reply 107

Parliament

Original post by scottsmith

Well guys, official fml, my girlfriend has found about this forum and stopped answering my calls and texts. :rolleyes:

. Better now than later to have the talk :/

Why is this thread a problem? You're seeking advice... nothing wrong with that. Anyway, your decision seems to have been to put her ahead of Cambridge...? I don't see the issue here. I'll fight your girlfriend for you.

Original post by Doonesbury

Go to Sussex then.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Absolutely blistering chat from 'Section Savage' Doonesbury

Reply 108

auburnstar

Original post by Someone123123

Possible, but OP has a better chance of doing that at Cambridge, which is in his hands. Why throw it away?

With respect, I think this is naive. At the end of the day OP will be competing in the job market. What does 'right for you' mean anyway? Fairy talk.

Yes, but it's harder. Why choose the harder route?

Don't worry you don't come across as harsh, friendly debate like this is totally fine. :smile:

I agree with Doones, apart from Part III, no employment prospects are sealed by choosing one over the other. Cambridge is helpful, but it doesn't guarantee great employment (I mean we can use Jake Wright as an example - he has a 2.1 in compsci from Queens, but yet is still afaik looking for a job and has received more rejections than offers).

Right for you is fairy talk to an extent because it's subjective. Right for you is also a pragmatic term however because if you go to a great uni but really hate it and graduate with a 2.2/3rd, the stress and potential worsening of mental health would not have been worth the prestige (relative to getting a better grade with less intense workload elsewhere). Especially when you consider how small a factor your uni is for employment 'in the real world' ie outside of TSR.

Honestly, it's really easy to think "oh yeah this one has more prestige, therefore, I will/am more likely to get a "better" job". But the actual value placed on the name outside of law isn't as big as assumed and the stats prove this. Heck even my recent job did not care that I was at Durham [insert self-deprecating joke here], or remark on it at all. It didn't matter - what mattered was whether I could do the job or not.

There are also bigger considerations like is even getting the "best" job the right goal if that means a more stressful environment? Is it something that everyone should want or aspire to have? This isn't even to mention the systemic problem of being disabled and looking for work (where grads who are disabled struggle to find *any* suitable employment even with a good degree). Jobs, school, uni... it isn't everything, lost or ironic as this message may be on TSR :wink:

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 109

DrSocSciences

Cambridge is for life. Just saying.

Reply 110

Someone123123

Original post by Doonesbury

Go to Sussex then.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Original post by Parliament

Absolutely blistering chat from 'Section Savage' Doonesbury

My source isn't perfect (league tables after all) but they are useful to see general trends. I would be interested to see the sources for your claims; I haven't read through the entire thread but I don't think you provided one.

Original post by auburnstar

Don't worry you don't come across as harsh, friendly debate like this is totally fine. :smile:

Good to hear :smile:

Perhaps we will have to agree to disagree here, but see above. I don't think people struggle to get to these uni's for nothing other than meaningless prestige. You will be taught on a superior course by world leaders in their field, will be exposed to superior opportunities, have the chance to make some brilliant contacts and mingle with the best. On paper there are no direct marks awarded to the university you went to. But the university affects all these other factors that have been mentioned on this thread. Edinburgh is a great uni for maths, but Cambridge is better. Some people strive for the best no matter what. Some don't, which is up to them and totally fine.

Right for you is fairy talk to an extent because it's subjective. Right for you is also a pragmatic term however because if you go to a great uni but really hate it and graduate with a 2.2/3rd, the stress and potential worsening of mental health would not have been worth the prestige (relative to getting a better grade with less intense workload elsewhere). Especially when you consider how small a factor your uni is for employment 'in the real world' ie outside of TSR.

Admission to Cambridge is extremely difficult. Chances are, as he was given an offer, he is right for the course and does possess the ability to succeed through and through, including dealing with stress. I wouldn't underestimate OP here!

Honestly, it's really easy to think "oh yeah this one has more prestige, therefore, I will/am more likely to get a "better" job". But the actual value placed on the name outside of law isn't as big as assumed and the stats prove this. Heck even my recent job did not care that I was at Durham [insert self-deprecating joke here], or remark on it at all. It didn't matter - what mattered was whether I could do the job or not.

Again, see above, and your presented stats are too general to apply in this situation; it is looking at many continents and aggregating all courses, thus making it invalid here. You need to look at statistics specifically for maths in the UK to apply it to OP.

There are also bigger considerations like is even getting the "best" job the right goal if that means a more stressful environment? Is it something that everyone should want or aspire to have? This isn't even to mention the systemic problem of being disabled and looking for work (where grads who are disabled struggle to find *any* suitable employment even with a good degree). Jobs, school, uni... it isn't everything, lost or ironic as this message may be on TSR :wink:

This is a personality matter. As above, some strive for the best, others don't. As OP applied for Cambridge, I assume he falls in the former.

Reply 111

AuroraNyx

Original post by scottsmith

Well guys, official fml, my girlfriend has found about this forum and stopped answering my calls and texts. :rolleyes:

. Better now than later to have the talk :/

Hate to say the "young love is frail" crowd was right, but....

Reply 112

Doones

Original post by Someone123123

You just highlighted such stats are flawed otherwise everyone would be going to Sussex to read Maths, so there's no point producing yet more stats for this.

OP is an individual. And is clearly a high achiever with offers from at least 2 very good universities. They have the opportunity to do very well at both, and then the opportunity to do very well in any subsequent career.

There's a time for stats, and this isn't it.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 113

Someone123123

Original post by Doonesbury

They're not completely invalid, and are better than claiming something without providing any sort of evidence whatsoever; it's outrageous to claim that university has no correlation with employment opportunities. I don't think you should give misleading advice if you can't back it up. Better to phrase it as your opinion instead of hard fact.

Reply 114

username2312479

Original post by Kuchan

So I wouldn't need to get all A* to be offered a place?

I think you thought GCSE As were equivalent to National 5s As - they are actually equivalent to an A*+

He got 8As in his National 5s. This is the highest grade you can get (there is no A* grade in National 5s).

To answer your question "most students who apply have at least four or five As or A*s". So unlike the op you do not need all A*'s but it does increase your chance of getting offer.

Reply 115

161BMW

Original post by the_queen

She wasted a year now, but she can live good years for the rest of her life with her bf graduated from Cambridge.

is not "wasted" if she did some travelling or work experience as that all counts on the CV.

Reply 116

auburnstar

Original post by Someone123123

Some people strive for the best no matter what.

Not super relevant to the thread but I will just say that as someone who has been personally mentally screwed over by this mentality... This is all well and great, until you f*** up at some point (which you inevitably will because it is impossible to achieve every single goal in life - which is a good thing because it stops you from being complacent, and makes life more interesting). But when this happens, if you rely on this view, your whole sense of self-worth depletes into a pile of nothing because if you strive for the best and don't get it, what's left?

To quote Sam Harris “…our pleasures are, by their very nature, fleeting. If we enjoy some great professional success, our feelings of accomplishment remain vivid and intoxicating for an hour, or perhaps longer, but then they subside. And the search goes on. The effort required to keep boredom and other unpleasantness at bay must continue, moment to moment…”

I'm not saying anyone here holds this mentality, nor do I discount prestige (it exists in many cases for a justified reason). But I would say that choosing something solely on the basis of prestige without considering "do I really want to do this? Is this really what is going to make me happiest?" is often unwise.

I've spoiler'd some interesting links on the topic which may help those who are struggling with this mentality after facing any change in career path, job/school rejections etc.

Spoiler

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 117

SeanFlynn123

Original post by scottsmith

Me and girlfriend have been together for 3 years and she (being older than me by a year) took a gap year so we can go to the same uni. If i got to Cambridge i am pretty sure she will understand, but it would feel like i betrayed her...

in terms of career prospects, i am planning on doing my masters there, so either path i choose i will still have a masters degree from Cambridge.

If you are going to end up at Cambridge either way then do what you feel is right, if you think going to Cambridge is for you then do it, but you can still get a 2.1 at Edinburgh which will get you in for your masters at cambridge... Good luck to you :smile:

Reply 118

Doones