Is Oxford 'more fun' than Cambridge?

Hello everyone!

Hate to ask the question, but it's something that popped into my mind. It seems to me that there is this understanding that Oxford students tend to go out more and have and more fun (perhaps dude to this city??) than Cambridge, who work alot harder. I am probably wrong, and this is probably another wrong assumption, but at school we had about 90 ppl apply, and the majority were Oxford, and many people said that Oxford was a better place to be for socialising. In terms of freshers week, I have a lot of friends at Oxford (the majority at Brasenose actually!) and they said that it was absolutely chaotic and some of the most fun they've had in ages. Is Cambridhe freshers week just as debaurched hehe?

Anyhoo, not like it really matters! This didn't factor into my application at all, as you can see - I chose Cambridge because it was better for History of Art, and I prefered the course.

Opinions??

Thanks! Amrou

Reply 1

Scipio90

Very few people will have experienced undergraduate life at both, so you're unlikely to get any useful responses.

Reply 2

indigovioletred

8

Exactly as Scipio90 said, there will only be a tiny number of people who have experienced undergrad life at both... Bear in mind that even medics who've swapped round after 3 years, will still have different experiences at each because of the different nature of the first and last three years of their course. I've seen a few people who live in one city and study in the other, but again, it's not really a good basis for a comparison of student life.
The only person I know to drop out of one and reapply to the other says he much prefers Oxford, but I suppose he would say that now he's here, and surrounded by Oxford students!

Reply 3

MSB

17

There's no scientific measurement of 'fun'; anything is only as fun as you make it.

Reply 4

Resok

12

MSB

There's no scientific measurement of 'fun'; anything is only as fun as you make it.

Are you straightedge?

Reply 5

generalebriety

16

Define "fun"; I'll do the calculations and get back to you in six weeks. Anyway, back to my essay.

Reply 6

MSB

17

Resok

Are you straightedge?

Am I what?

Reply 7

ukebert

13

Impossible to say. Apart from anything Freshers depends heavily on college, not just university.

Reply 8

Resok

12

MSB

Am I what?

Nevermind, you're avatar is a black X, usually associated with straight edge. Look it up on wikipedia, I'm edge myself.

Reply 9

MSB

17

Resok

Nevermind, you're avatar is a black X, usually associated with straight edge. Look it up on wikipedia, I'm edge myself.

Oh.
No, it's just a black X.

Reply 10

Natsuko

1

Oxford is a bigger city than Cambridge (I only know my way arround Oxford because I go there often since I live near by but I've only been to Cambridge a few times and I can work my way arround almost as well as I can Oxford) so there's going to be more night life there. Have you tried reading in the back of any university guides? There's a whole section of little reports on all of the universities in the country written by students at those universities (certainly in "The Guardian University Guide", not sure who writes them in "The Times")

Reply 11

Resok

12

MSB

Oh.
No, it's just a black X.

Nice...

Reply 12

7589200

18

History of Art is fun anywhere :smile:

Reply 13

Chabbers

I'd be interested to see where the perception that Oxford is more fun comes from too actually. A fair number from my school said that they would never even think about applying to Cambridge but that they would love to go to Oxford. It seems like Cambridge is perceived to have a much stuffier atmosphere but I really can't see where it comes from, I loved it when I visited.

Reply 14

jjpp

11

Oxford is bigger so there is more to do and bigger clubs hence, i suspect, the 'more fun' moniker. Cambridge is far smaller. Having spent time at both, although only undergrad at one, it's my opinion they're both 'dull' by standards of wanting to go out amazing clubs etc. People are very interesting though.

Reply 15

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

19

Oxford is certainly more fun-loving and informal than Cambridge. Take from me who has experienced both. I can even upload the rejection letters for a quick comparison, if you want.

Reply 16

skagitup

1

yep. it's definitely dude to this city.

Reply 17

BrightGirl

15

I've always got the impression Oxford is more fun. Dunno if it's just a stereotype, but just seems to me that Cambridge is more work orientated since they ask for module scores, and less party like cos apparently the city is small.
Oxford sounds more fun loving and reminds me of Hogwarts, whilst Cambridge is cold.
Obviously stupid, but just how it falls in my mind for some reason. :p:

Reply 18

nemnem

2

I didn't realise cambridge was that small

Reply 19

fraternité

Alumni comparison would lead me to the opposite conclusion :p:

; I'm going to be heavily biased towards Cam though, I guess...

I have been to Oxford a few times and the city is more... city, indeed, but I don't think the people, the colleges or the institutions come off (at a cursory glance) as particularly different - more, or less, fun.

Is Oxford 'more fun' than Cambridge?

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