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Negatives of Oxbridge
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There's lots of disadvantages to Oxbridge - the fact that (if it's anything like oxford) you'd have an unbelievably high load of work, so high for lots of subjects that it's likely that you'll just be churning out stuff of really crap quality in very high quantity; the fact that you (if it's anything like ox again) mightn't properly be treated like an adult - cleaners coming into your room everyday, college convinced it's fine to give you little privicy, some silly rules; the fact that the terms are so short and that you probably have to clear all your stuff back home at the end of every couple weeks.
It's seriously not the be all and all, getting in - the main thing you get at oxbridge and not other places is pretty buildings (again, you can get these other places - durham, edinburgh etc) and the chance to pretend to be a bit of a toff (eg with punting and formal hall). People are probably a little geekier here as well, but I suppose that can be seen as an adv or a disadv.
It's seriously not the be all and all, getting in - the main thing you get at oxbridge and not other places is pretty buildings (again, you can get these other places - durham, edinburgh etc) and the chance to pretend to be a bit of a toff (eg with punting and formal hall). People are probably a little geekier here as well, but I suppose that can be seen as an adv or a disadv.
Agreed, plenty of advantages to going elsewhere.
As far as the maths course goes, which i presume you're applying to, from your previous posts, then everything is based on your end of year test. because the course is hard, you're less likely to get a high grade in your degree, so are potentially less employable at the end of the degree. Plus, most of the work in the maths course is done away from lectures, on your own, so a lot of it seems to be in a very 'self-teach' kind of method.
Depending on who you are, these might be plusses (they were for me), but then again, most people consider them major bad points. Plenty drop out in the first term/year.
As far as the maths course goes, which i presume you're applying to, from your previous posts, then everything is based on your end of year test. because the course is hard, you're less likely to get a high grade in your degree, so are potentially less employable at the end of the degree. Plus, most of the work in the maths course is done away from lectures, on your own, so a lot of it seems to be in a very 'self-teach' kind of method.
Depending on who you are, these might be plusses (they were for me), but then again, most people consider them major bad points. Plenty drop out in the first term/year.
Sarahl89
You get nicer accomodation, my friend's kitchen can only fit one person in at a time apparantly!
You get nicer accomodation, my friend's kitchen can only fit one person in at a time apparantly!
Er.. what!?
Cambridge has several faults, but its accommodation is really not one of them!
When I was choosing Universities I visited friends at Durham, Bath, Bristol, York, Sheffield and Surrey. Everywhere the accommodation was horrible. Granted this is all just first year halls - you tend to share a house with people for the last two years - but I visited many student houses of second years too.
Observations:
- First year halls are usually very run down, dinghy and depressingly institutional.
- Students are often sharing facilities on a ratio of 12 to one large kitchen and large bathroom.
- Students have large discrepancies of lifestyle preference, which makes almost every student home or hall absolutely nauseatingly filthy... food and dirty plates left everywhere.. no spare space on kitchen counters to prepare food because of the massive piles of washing up... my friends' living room (second year house) was so littered with rubbish, crumbs, bits of paper and junk food wrappers that walking around sounded something like the loud crackling of braken and dry sticks when you walk through woods in Autumn.. I can handle a bit of untidiness, but when you're dealing with smelliness and dirt everywhere its a horrible feeling. I'd probably either end up cleaning constantly, or I'd buy a minifridge and cook everything on my camping stove in my room
- Students often live quite far away from their lectures (not always but often)
- A girl was in here a week ago complaining that an estate agent was screwing her over. And most of my friends experienced problems with landlords who neglected to maintain the properties they owned (meaning stuff like broken showers, insect infestations, hideous damp... all of which you have to fight with someone to make them sort out) At Cambridge the colleges maintain our houses, and employ bedders to clean the kitchens and bathrooms every day, take out our rubbish and hoover our rooms once a week.
- Aesthetically many student rooms are nice looking with recently painted/fitted interiors (not true everywhere but certainly true at my college)
- College accommodation is usually very close to the centre
- Yes some college kitchens are very tiny and they don't really encourage people cooking for themselves, but in Easter term, you really really don't have time to cook for yourselves. Houses usually have one large kitchen as well as one really small one like you described. Our large one is mostly unused by the other three people sharing it, so I have it largely to myself and can keep it tidy and cook in it when I feel like it.
I was really dreading accommodation when I thought I'd not get into Cambridge. If cooking for myself means dealing with that scale of disgustingness I'd rather wait until I have my own space someday.
ixivxivi
There's lots of disadvantages to Oxbridge - the fact that (if it's anything like oxford) you'd have an unbelievably high load of work, so high for lots of subjects that it's likely that you'll just be churning out stuff of really crap quality in very high quantity; the fact that you (if it's anything like ox again) mightn't properly be treated like an adult - cleaners coming into your room everyday, college convinced it's fine to give you little privicy, some silly rules; the fact that the terms are so short and that you probably have to clear all your stuff back home at the end of every couple weeks.
It's seriously not the be all and all, getting in - the main thing you get at oxbridge and not other places is pretty buildings (again, you can get these other places - durham, edinburgh etc) and the chance to pretend to be a bit of a toff (eg with punting and formal hall). People are probably a little geekier here as well, but I suppose that can be seen as an adv or a disadv.
It's seriously not the be all and all, getting in - the main thing you get at oxbridge and not other places is pretty buildings (again, you can get these other places - durham, edinburgh etc) and the chance to pretend to be a bit of a toff (eg with punting and formal hall). People are probably a little geekier here as well, but I suppose that can be seen as an adv or a disadv.
I know some people don't enjoy tutorials or supervisions, but my learning experience is a huge deal nicer as a result of this, and its a large reason behind choosing the University. I really enjoy my lectures, and the teaching from my department is generally fantastic. Also the college system and the size of my department mean that I have closer contact with the academics and also other students. I think making friends here was easier than I personally would have found it elsewhere. Additionally the library system is a lifesaver for me here, as is the hugely generous bursary scheme. Financially I'd have struggled at most other Universities.
Sarahl89
how is that a plus?!
You get nicer accomodation, my friend's kitchen can only fit one person in at a time apparantly!
You get nicer accomodation, my friend's kitchen can only fit one person in at a time apparantly!
I dunno, everyone I know doesn't want to leave uni (2nd and 3rd years). Therefore more time while you're there is definitely a plus!!!
It's like the best time of your life so why spend most of it at home?
Plus if you're paying £3000 a year you want to squeeze loads out of it.
angelafleming
I've been rejected by Cambridge (without interview) and I'd appreciate it if someone could list some advantages of getting rejected by Cambridge, just to cheer me up.
Read it.
Craghyrax
Er.. what!?
Cambridge has several faults, but its accommodation is really not one of them!
When I was choosing Universities I visited friends at Durham, Bath, Bristol, York, Sheffield and Surrey. Everywhere the accommodation was horrible. Granted this is all just first year halls - you tend to share a house with people for the last two years - but I visited many student houses of second years too.
Observations:
- First year halls are usually very run down, dinghy and depressingly institutional.
- Students are often sharing facilities on a ratio of 12 to one large kitchen and large bathroom.
- Students have large discrepancies of lifestyle preference, which makes almost every student home or hall absolutely nauseatingly filthy... food and dirty plates left everywhere.. no spare space on kitchen counters to prepare food because of the massive piles of washing up... my friends' living room (second year house) was so littered with rubbish, crumbs, bits of paper and junk food wrappers that walking around sounded something like the loud crackling of braken and dry sticks when you walk through woods in Autumn.. I can handle a bit of untidiness, but when you're dealing with smelliness and dirt everywhere its a horrible feeling. I'd probably either end up cleaning constantly, or I'd buy a minifridge and cook everything on my camping stove in my room
- Students often live quite far away from their lectures (not always but often)
- A girl was in here a week ago complaining that an estate agent was screwing her over. And most of my friends experienced problems with landlords who neglected to maintain the properties they owned (meaning stuff like broken showers, insect infestations, hideous damp... all of which you have to fight with someone to make them sort out) At Cambridge the colleges maintain our houses, and employ bedders to clean the kitchens and bathrooms every day, take out our rubbish and hoover our rooms once a week.
- Aesthetically many student rooms are nice looking with recently painted/fitted interiors (not true everywhere but certainly true at my college)
- College accommodation is usually very close to the centre
- Yes some college kitchens are very tiny and they don't really encourage people cooking for themselves, but in Easter term, you really really don't have time to cook for yourselves. Houses usually have one large kitchen as well as one really small one like you described. Our large one is mostly unused by the other three people sharing it, so I have it largely to myself and can keep it tidy and cook in it when I feel like it.
I was really dreading accommodation when I thought I'd not get into Cambridge. If cooking for myself means dealing with that scale of disgustingness I'd rather wait until I have my own space someday.
Cambridge has several faults, but its accommodation is really not one of them!
When I was choosing Universities I visited friends at Durham, Bath, Bristol, York, Sheffield and Surrey. Everywhere the accommodation was horrible. Granted this is all just first year halls - you tend to share a house with people for the last two years - but I visited many student houses of second years too.
Observations:
- First year halls are usually very run down, dinghy and depressingly institutional.
- Students are often sharing facilities on a ratio of 12 to one large kitchen and large bathroom.
- Students have large discrepancies of lifestyle preference, which makes almost every student home or hall absolutely nauseatingly filthy... food and dirty plates left everywhere.. no spare space on kitchen counters to prepare food because of the massive piles of washing up... my friends' living room (second year house) was so littered with rubbish, crumbs, bits of paper and junk food wrappers that walking around sounded something like the loud crackling of braken and dry sticks when you walk through woods in Autumn.. I can handle a bit of untidiness, but when you're dealing with smelliness and dirt everywhere its a horrible feeling. I'd probably either end up cleaning constantly, or I'd buy a minifridge and cook everything on my camping stove in my room
- Students often live quite far away from their lectures (not always but often)
- A girl was in here a week ago complaining that an estate agent was screwing her over. And most of my friends experienced problems with landlords who neglected to maintain the properties they owned (meaning stuff like broken showers, insect infestations, hideous damp... all of which you have to fight with someone to make them sort out) At Cambridge the colleges maintain our houses, and employ bedders to clean the kitchens and bathrooms every day, take out our rubbish and hoover our rooms once a week.
- Aesthetically many student rooms are nice looking with recently painted/fitted interiors (not true everywhere but certainly true at my college)
- College accommodation is usually very close to the centre
- Yes some college kitchens are very tiny and they don't really encourage people cooking for themselves, but in Easter term, you really really don't have time to cook for yourselves. Houses usually have one large kitchen as well as one really small one like you described. Our large one is mostly unused by the other three people sharing it, so I have it largely to myself and can keep it tidy and cook in it when I feel like it.
I was really dreading accommodation when I thought I'd not get into Cambridge. If cooking for myself means dealing with that scale of disgustingness I'd rather wait until I have my own space someday.
ummm Sheffield has AMAZING accomodation!
it is all new and built into a modern village. I had a tour round and everything is cosy, clean, well structured with plenty of space.River85
Although I don't see many moaning. A few will pretend they are at a uni as good as Cambridge (with a great arrogance). Fortunately, not many.
I thought you were finished with TSR, OP?
Although I don't see many moaning. A few will pretend they are at a uni as good as Cambridge (with a great arrogance). Fortunately, not many.I thought you were finished with TSR, OP?
I think you've all omitted one major advantage of getting rejected by Cambridge: Now I'll definitely be going to the US for undergrad education and I won't have to live in the country that tortured my country (India) until 60 years ago.
scraceus999
ummm Sheffield has AMAZING accomodation! it is all new and built into a modern village. I had a tour round and everything is cosy, clean, well structured with plenty of space.
it is all new and built into a modern village. I had a tour round and everything is cosy, clean, well structured with plenty of space.Open day?
They show you the new nice bits. I stayed with my friend at each year of her degree there. No matter how nice it was, it still isn't as nice as here, and my comments about the ration of students to facilities, and the mess still applies.
Craghyrax
Cambridge has several faults, but its accommodation is really not one of them!
When I was choosing Universities I visited friends at Durham, Bath, Bristol, York, Sheffield and Surrey. Everywhere the accommodation was horrible.
Cambridge has several faults, but its accommodation is really not one of them!
When I was choosing Universities I visited friends at Durham, Bath, Bristol, York, Sheffield and Surrey. Everywhere the accommodation was horrible.
Yup, I think very few universities have fantastic first year accomodation. By Durham, are you referring to the Bailey colleges? They've only just managed to get running water
. Bathrooms are shared by a whole corridor (and mixed sex). The excitement of living in a Georgian townhouse or a castle (the only college as grand as many Cambridge colleges) soon wears off, I'd imagine. I don't think they are pleasent places to spend a year. The Hill colleges, being 20th and 21st century, or of a slightly higher standad.Sheffield's accomodation was awful. It was a prison. I don't think I could have lasted two weeks there without throwing myself off the roof, let alone a full year. My brother's room deep have a great view of trees/parkland and red squirrels
I think they've improved some of their halls though.Newcastle's is OK, but very cramped (even by halls of residence standards).
Those are the only universities I've had experience with. I don't think Cambridge's is any worse than those (probably a fair bit better).
angelafleming
I think you've all omitted one major advantage of getting rejected by Cambridge: Now I'll definitely be going to the US for undergrad education and I won't have to live in the country that tortured my country (India) until 60 years ago.
OK, brilliant. Hope you enjoy the US then. They are no angels on the imperialism front, even if they haven't had anything quite like the British empire (which, despite its many faults, did some good).
Was there any need to say that (or even contribute to this thread), except to get more attention and neg rep?
Craghyrax
I've reported your thread so that the mods merge it with the 'negatives of Oxbridge' thread in Oxbridge.
Read it.
Read it.
Can I ask you why/how you always write in that very difficult to read cyan colour?
River85
Cambridge's is any worse than those (probably a fair bit better).
In my experience Cambridge is better. Oxford, I know, struggles to house everyone and people have to live out a bit more. With Cambridge it varies hugely. Some of the newer colleges don't have enough money to keep their facilities that spankingly new and shiny. My college is one of the nice ones as far as accommodation goes, but unfortunately also the worst in terms of rent prices
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