Durham University is not what it seems, do not go here! Please read!

Durham is widely regarded as superior to most RG universities, that's just a fact.
In terms of diversity, I think we should value intellectual diversity over anything like skin colour. What you think matters, what you look like does not.

So I got accepted and I'm starting this year but even now I'm really questioning just how well a working class immigrant like me would fit in this place, but I think that's sort of the case if you pick any 'prestigious' uni only Durham has a college system to sort of re-enforce this whole Oxbridge experience and therefore probably attracts more of the middle-class people.
The accommodation fees are also very very expensive, no doubt about it.

Why does it have to be diverse? It is what it is. You haven't done your research. The situation you found yourself in is entirely your fault.

Haha what sort of stem out of interest? (Actually rejected oxford for durham btw)

Let me guess, you probably are one of the trust fund babies Op is talking about? Upset they guessed your type to a T?

Who seriously thinks that Durham University is superior to most other universities within the Russell Group? Not me for one, and l know a fair amount about universities and higher education, having attended three Russell Group universities. I think some students, and even some school teachers and parents, confuse competitive entry requirements with the actual academic excellence and prestige of the university. Durham attracts high calibre students because it is one of the oldest universities in England, and is collegiate, and it boasts a few nice ancient buildings here and there (although not on the same scale as, say, Edinburgh). Durham is traditionally seen as strong in the Humanities, Law and English. Outside of these subjects it generally doesn't have any superiority over other leading universities, and it certainly isn't a powerhouse in STEM subjects.
Also, looking at the World rankings (THES and QS), Durham doesn't pull up many trees, and ranks below the levels that would be expected from a World class university like Edinburgh, or Glasgow, or Manchester, to name but a few. There is a stark difference between what some students think regarding the academic standing of Durham, and what academics generally think about the university. The latter regard it as a very good university, but certainly not a great one.

Who the f*** rejects oxford for durham? what kind of delusional lie is this? Idc if that this is 3 years ago get backs have no expiry date; this is the worst lie I have ever read. whoever tf this is could've just accepted it; instead bro chose to cope by lying even worse than the devil himself🤦
edit: the emoji lol

This came up on my feed even after 3 years. I actually did reject it and do regret now. Although the reasons were more numerous they were as follows (shortened)
1) imposter syndrome (only applied not expecting to get even interview)
2) course material wasn’t as interesting as Durham
3) was considerably further away from home
4) unlike Durham I didn’t have clarity on accommodation
5) was ecstatic with joy getting into Durham but meh about Oxford as there’s an expectation you must go to the best uni school
But I know what you’re saying, as I once met someone who declined Cambridge for Edinburgh and thought him mad until I was in same boat.

This came up on my feed even after 3 years. I actually did reject it and do regret now. Although the reasons were more numerous they were as follows (shortened)
1) imposter syndrome (only applied not expecting to get even interview)
2) course material wasn’t as interesting as Durham
3) was considerably further away from home
4) unlike Durham I didn’t have clarity on accommodation
5) was ecstatic with joy getting into Durham but meh about Oxford as there’s an expectation you must go to the best uni school
But I know what you’re saying, as I once met someone who declined Cambridge for Edinburgh and thought him mad until I was in same boat.

Oh S***, 😭😭😭😭😭
bro acc came back to reply and it weren't even with smoke alright then I'm listening, you have my respect then now lol.
no but my question to you is why though when so many people literally only go to durham because they didn't get into oxbridge... (many, but not all, as some people don't apply to oxbridge as well but a hella lot of them do alongside durham)
it was so much harder to get in with all the admission tests and interviews; I mean. I hear your points still but still.
your number 5) doesn't make, any sense to me bro; it just ain't making sense to me what do you meannn you were
'ecstatic with joy getting into Durham but meh about Oxford as there’s an expectation you must go to the best uni school'
here you are implying that durham is the better university here, or am I wrong? Or maybe tbf what you were supposed to say was that, there's an expectation to meet up with by going to the best university, I think that was probably what you were meant to say still. but honestly; nahh yk what yeah, the cambridge vs edinburgh one; edinburgh is in a whole other country, in that sense, and uni fees might be cheaper for them there or something (for some people, can't remember how it worked whether it was for nationals or something idk idk) but also they may prefer the city more, it could put them on for a masters and stuff. people reject oxbridge for imperial since imperial has some departments that are better than them at stem; others, for lse (major target for IB); but the reason being why, durham is just such a shocker is because, almost everyone (some didn't apply to oxbridge) at durham ended up there because they did not make the so heavily sought after Oxford which you got; durham is supposed to be the btec version, people during freshers jist about which oxbridge college they didn't get into, or so I've heard lmao💀
but then, for you to have had what they all wanted essentially but you supposedly weren't rejected but instead chose to reject them for the ones the rejects get sent to... yk what I'm saying? edinburgh doesn't have a college system for example; oxford does. edinburgh doesn't do gowned formals; oxford, does. you see, but, yeah man that was why I thought it was delusional still; also from the way you responded to the OP of this post, it kind of backed the idea that you seriously did not get an offer from oxford. hope you don't speak to people in such a tone anymore (from this your comment, perhaps not tho).
So then! why do you regret it? how have things been since then what are you up to; it's safe to assume that you've graduated by now then; doing/done a master's or what's going on. do you regret the decision because you're trying to break into an industry wherein having gone to oxford would've helped you out with that a tonne or something? howcomes you regret it then and what are you up to now?

I appreciate the time you took to reply but I may only cover some of your points. From recollection, I wasn’t in a great place coming out of lockdown which probs clouded what I said and haven’t re-read as I think i may embarrass myself.
The expectation from one of my parents was to go to Oxford and I didn’t feel happy about it, would have been easier for them to reject me so I didn’t have to make the choice.
I did engineering so was lucky to walk into a job but I regret it now bc I didn’t have the greatest time at Durham and from industry experience I could have ended up at same job with oxon after my name which would have been cool (only regret really). I also didn’t feel like I had to work for my degree and just drank/partied and turned up for exams and didn’t really feel like I accomplished my degree, was more of an attendance course.
I wouldn’t sing Durham’s praises highly, I think it’s a massively overrated uni that trades on its reputation.
I hope that answers your question, and yes a lot of reflection has gone on in the past 3 years with even more growing up

I appreciate the time you took to reply but I may only cover some of your points. From recollection, I wasn’t in a great place coming out of lockdown which probs clouded what I said and haven’t re-read as I think i may embarrass myself.
The expectation from one of my parents was to go to Oxford and I didn’t feel happy about it, would have been easier for them to reject me so I didn’t have to make the choice.
I did engineering so was lucky to walk into a job but I regret it now bc I didn’t have the greatest time at Durham and from industry experience I could have ended up at same job with oxon after my name which would have been cool (only regret really). I also didn’t feel like I had to work for my degree and just drank/partied and turned up for exams and didn’t really feel like I accomplished my degree, was more of an attendance course.
I wouldn’t sing Durham’s praises highly, I think it’s a massively overrated uni that trades on its reputation.
I hope that answers your question, and yes a lot of reflection has gone on in the past 3 years with even more growing up

Something tells me that either you didn't even apply to Oxford, or you did apply but knowing that you were going to get rejected anyway you cancelled your application to Oxford, and thus you have told anyone that asked that you rejected Oxford for Durham. If l am right, then strictly speaking you aren't even an Oxbridge reject, but you are still probably an Oxbridge wannabe who at one point actually believed the drivel that Durham is one of the best universities after Oxbridge. That is one of the biggest lies in higher education. The established order of things in UK higher education is the G5, in effect the Golden Triangle of Oxford, Cambridge and London. Then come the Scottish universities like Edinburgh and Glasgow, with Manchester, Bristol and Warwick coming next.

mannn I so damn wanna believe this though the way you have layed this out it seems so so true !! I was giving OP benefit of the doubt, but I hope I'm not being gullible lol. OP if you could share a screenshot of your ucas outcomes if you still have it? Ig that's only what will settle it; no wait, even then it can be forged icl. maybe @Physician we have to ask OP for their linkedin because maybe they've put that they've rejected an oxford offer on there😭😭😭
and I only say this because someone did the exact same thing for cambridge law💀

Maybe that particular person rejected the LLM offer because it was too expensive? Oxbridge charge extortionate fees for masters degrees like cash cows.

prsom brother; also couldn't get to rep your previous comment because i need to rate other members first lol smh;
I hear that tho icl; oh wow for real?! dammit man I've never looked into their masters programmes icl it may be ykk, though I do find it kind of funny how they mentioned an online mooc course that you'd put in a personal statement on their linkedin aha

I have heard before that some people who have rejected offers from top MBA schools like LBS and Harvard have mentioned on their CV that they got a place but rejected the offer. They did this to prove to employers that they are of a certain calibre of employees who are as good as the ones who paid a fortune to fund their MBA, which cost £100-120k.

Oh Wow; Damn man that is serious then, I didn't even know yk! But yes exactly thooo; had they had been able to afford it they would have done it too, this life is hard man fr yk

Some employers, such as investment banks, or accountancy firms like PwC, may fund either part of, or even all of, the MBA fees. I know that Vodafone funded an MBA from Stanford for a senior employee who I once met in London (she also had a Standard University Business school hoodie on). But it certainly isn't the norm, and they will have conditions on payment of fees, such as length of current and future employment, and / or any repayment terms.
I don't wish to go off topic for this thread, so l will mention that Durham Business School was ranked 80th in the World for their MBA programme (where attendance is required) by the FT the last time l looked. So that is quite decent actually, given that their MBA school is still relatively new.

Wow man you are serious on your setuff; props to you for real brother you are hella smart no cap; prsom again lol
Wait though man would you say 80th place is good? Ohhh nvm nvm nvm they're quite new ahh mkay actually yeah no you're right in fact that is banging then icl; would you say an MBA is needed to break into IB? I'm looking to go to KCL (ik it's a semi target) and I also chose ppe to keep my options open - would you say that's goodbye to banking for me for instance while we're at it? tbh yhh I hear that tho it is going a bit off topic but... until the anon arrives back to answer then we can see lol