For getting annoyed by my mum saying "college" all the time??

[movember]

Sounds a bit petty but my mum constantly refers to University as "college". Maybe I am being anal about it (probably) but I come from a non academic family. Out of 7 siblings, only one aunt actually went to university (and none of my 12 cousins have either so it was always a bit of a battle against the odds for me. I'm not massively academic so it took alot to actually get IN university, 2 years of education just to get to interview. Then I had to apply amongst 800 people for 200 places. I was one of the successful ones but it was bloody hard and I am proud of myself for getting in.

It's a big deal for me.

Yet my mum constantly refers to it as college and talks about it as if it's just a few gcses Im doing (its a science degree). I and my sister correct her all the time but she does it that often I'm sure she's doing it on purpose.

Yesterday for instance:

mum - "what were you doing on the 26th?"
me - "it's a night out with people from uni"
mum - "oh yes, you're going out with your college friends."

I don't always correct her because I think it sounds a bit twattish but why does she do it??

I constantly get "oh, are you at college today? do you have an assignment to do over the weekend?"

errr ... I have an assignment to do over the next 3 months, not the fecking weekend.

It could be put down to her having no experience of academic stuff but it's SO annoying and she manages to get everyone's place of education right! for instance "oh when your sister finishes college she might go to uni!" hmm you sure she won't just stay at "college" forever? grrrr

Yup. "Uni" makes the teeth itch, just like babe and hun.
Would rather listen to nails scratching a blackboard.

I dont know if it is a regional or generational thing, but when I was at school in the 80's, we went to high/secondary school (11-16yrs), then college, (16-18yrs) and then university (18-21+).

The tv show "university challenge" was on telly then, and it was certainly referred to as university by everyone I knew.

I always think the term Oxbridge is a bit poncey to be honest.

Me too squeaky I mean, make uo your goddam mind...did you go to cambridge or oxford? If you dont know, there's a problem.

OP I think you are being petty and a bit precious. It's a shame that your mum doesn't quite get how much of a big deal this is for you (or does and doesn't buy in to it) and I've been fortunate that my parents are interested and proud of me. I wonder whether degrees are like weddings, really important to you but talking about them is dull for everyone else.

But people don't usually pretend they're not married, so why should anyone have to pretend they didn't go to university?

To a lot of people college and university are interchangeable; indicating third level education. It's only in the UK that we have sixth form "colleges" which are actually anything but.

I don't suggest anyone should have to pretend. I think they should avoid going on and on about their degree or their wedding because neither are riveting.

Call it university if that's your preferred word, but don't get your knickers in a twist if other people don't use it. Certainly don't expect your education to be at the centre of the universe.

To be honest it sounds as though you have some issues about it yourself. It just makes it sounds as though you look down on those at colleges and are walking around with nose it the air going "weeell I'm at University! It really doesn't matter what she calls it and I don't understand why it's an issue for you.

You are also being unreasonable to expect your mum to know how long your projects last.

Sorry for late input.

Oh and your ex is either jealous and feels threatened, or, you're saying it snootily.

I use the word college for university. Not sure if it's a class thing or a geographical thing.

I went to Oxford. I talk about 'when I was at college', or 'I was at college with so and so'. It's only demeaning if you make it so.

That said, you should bloody well feel proud of your achievement, and if you think she's doing it to diminish what you've done then YANBU in the slightest to feel annoyed.

College is to university as

lounge is to sitting room

toilet is to lavatory

serviette is to napkin

Is Neighbours still going then?

Myself and all my friends (who did and didn't go to university) say uni.. I wasn't aware it wasn't allowed in this country!

Bonsoir: except that posh people go to a collegiate university so use College not University (or the name of the town, so "when I was at Oxford..").
In the US they use the term School to mean University or Liberal Arts College (not Community College usually).
I have used both Uni, and College, although the latter more of my time at Oxford than my other Universities :)

So if two institutions offer degree courses and one is a college, the other a university, what is the actual difference? Surely what matters is the quality of your degree at the end.

FunnysInTheGarden

at one time no one ever referred to Uni. All universities and polytechnics were 'college'.

just ask her why she does it, then you''ll find out if shes doing it n purpose, or perhaps she thinks thats what its called.
perhaps the building used to be a poly or a college.

anyway well done op, good luck to you

Consider yourself lucky you're not in the US, OP... people there are always asking 'where did you go to school?' and I have to bite my tongue to stop replying 'Er, XXX C of E Primary School and YYY High School, why do you ask?'

mummytime - people who go to collegiate universities say "When I was up at Caius (or whatever Oxbridge college they went to)" and do not use college as a synonym of university (which it isn't).

I heard uni before Neighbours - remember a girl on the school bus saying it (she was older than me and I'm 47) and thinking it sounded dreadful. Can't bring myself to say it, even though dd1 is now applying. I went to 2 collegiate universities (London and Cambridge) and never referred to them as college.

OP, it takes generations for families to change - dh is 1st (and only) in his family to go to polytechnic university, and his family do not get or value education in any way whatsoever. My family view education very differently. I would be tempted to correct her gently. I think there are genuinely people who just don't get what's involved. Evil me - I'd probably ask her to proofread an essay for me.

The implication there is that university is better than college and that's why people object to the word. But, there are two types of college, one is for the education of people aged 16 - 18, but the other is for doing degree courses.

If only the first type of college existed, I could understand people wanting the word university to be used, but given that the latter type does exist and the quality of the degree is the same, I really don't 'get' what the difference is or why people care so much.