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Russell Antony

Why do some people think that Oxford isn't the top any more?

Reply 1

Talkative Toad

Volunteer Team

Original post

by Russell Antony

Why do some people think that Oxford isn't the top any more?

Who thinks this? League tables you mean?

Reply 2

xyz1234567

Top for what?

Reply 3

thegeek888

Original post

by Russell Antony

Why do some people think that Oxford isn't the top any more?

Which subject? 😧

Reply 4

Russell Antony

I mean in general some people say that some colleges in Oxford aren't as good as other universities. Also league tables

Reply 5

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by Russell Antony

I mean in general some people say that some colleges in Oxford aren't as good as other universities. Also league tables

Are you planning to substantiate which people or based on what they are saying that?

It's a pretty arbitrary statement. I could say in general some people say that the world is made of pudding and this isn't as good as if it was made of cheese. And there are league tables that rank all the flavours of cheese to prove this. Means nothing you see?

Reply 6

xyz1234567

The course content and exams are standard across the university so studying (eg) Chemistry at one college is going to be basically the same experience at another. Also what does it even mean to say studying a course at one college is worse than studying a completely different course at another university. What does “better” or “worse” even mean in that context? What makes a course “better” is going to vary depending on your priorities.

Reply 7

Russell Antony

I mean some universities may not have the same teaching skills as others. I just wanted to clarify if this statement was true or false.

Reply 8

thegeek888

Original post

by Russell Antony

I mean some universities may not have the same teaching skills as others. I just wanted to clarify if this statement was true or false.

There is a greater emphasis on "Independent Self Study & Learning" at the very best universities. 🙂

Reply 9

xyz1234567

Universities do not have teaching skills. The individual academics who work there have teaching skills. Academics are highly mobile and the person who teaches you at Oxford may have been teaching at Durham or Sheffield a few years before or may move on to Exeter or Bristol in a other few years - they will be just as good or bad a teacher at Oxford as they were when they taught elsewhere. Just as every school has amazing teachers and less good teachers, every university will have some lecturers you think are fantastic and others you rate less highly.

Obviously the tutorial system is very different to most universities and for many people that is the big draw to Oxford. For others it isn’t right. You have to think about whether that style is what you want.