To think that Oxbridge is overrated?

[colouredcrayons]

And we should encourage our children to focus on more than just two top universities. They don’t even give you better careet prospects these days either.

@DadDadDad I think they both have SubFusc for Matriculation and gowns for formal hall.

It was Sailorsdelight calling them “bloody exam robes”. My point was that they’re only £25 brand new so not £££ as sailors seemed to be implying.

Unless your child is predicated a minimum of 3 A's (and that's not enough for popular courses) nobody is encouraging them to look at Oxbridge.

My DD is being encouraged by the school (as she's predicted
3 A*'s) but not by me. I honestly don't think she'll enjoy the university experience there for a few reasons, but I've left it for her to make her choice and I don't say anything about it.

You also need more than academic ability for the top 2.

I've nothing against them... they open many doors, but they're not for everyone.

@DadDadDad

A bit harsh

However to answer your question:

I don't think it's overrated. It gave me the confidence to form and defend opinions based on my own collection of relevant source material and analysis of the subject. I found that valuable.

@Aria999 - yes, it was a bit harsh.

OK, so it gave you that intellectual confidence, but surely other universities could claim they give their students those skills, which prompts the claim that Oxbridge is overrated because people like you talk as if it's the only place that turns out people that can think.

I don't think it's overrated. It gave me the confidence to form and defend opinions based on my own collection of relevant source material and analysis of the subject. I found that valuable

Are you suggesting this is unique to Oxbridge? Because I have 2 degrees from 2 different non Oxbridge universities and could have sworn i learnt the same things.

@DadDadDad

Ouch. People like me. I made no comment on other universities, only that I found Oxford valuable - the tutorial system in particular.

But I've not been to any other universities so don't know what they're like 😜

What makes you say that?

I guess in the context of the thread it could have been taken as a comparative comment against other universities but I didn't intend it that way. Just that I thought it was a very good education on its own merits.

The "people like you" phrase was where I was paraphrasing the "Oxbridge is overrated" argument. As I'm a Cambridge graduate, I'm well aware that we're not all alike (especially if you went to Oxford ).

I think Formerly has more forcefully shown the weakness in your answer: in order to address the "overrated" criticism you can't just demonstrate how great Oxbridge is, you have to show whether it is truly superior to other universities.

I believe that Oxbridge deserves its rating on the whole, but its cachet unhelpfully overshadows many other fine institutions meaning in some minds those other places get underrated.

To be quite blunt about it, lots of people are bitter that they/or their children were not bright enough to get in.

I have three children in uni ay the moment and oxford is cheaper by miles than the other two ( in northern unis)

Lol. That's fair, I wasn't engaging with the comparative issue which was the original point of the post.

So your first reply was about right.

Meh, Cambridge graduates 😂

aria999, it does not look like you are particularly good at forming and defending your opinions.

Well, it was a while ago 😜

Maybe it's just Oxford that's overrated...

I agree they're not the be-all and end-all. There is too much of an assumption they are perfect for every course and every student, and that's not the case.

You can always choose a college that doesn't require you to wear gowns for dinner or for matriculation, if that doesn't appeal. Or you could borrow one for the afternoon.

So your first reply was about right.

I agreed it was harsh, but I didn't say it was untrue.

I left Cambridge nearly thirty years ago and I think my ability to argue and defend an opinion has improved since then. (This may be because doing a Maths degree I didn't really have to argue over opinions - it's disputing with strangers on MN over the past decade that's given me that experience. ).

Mine was better before I became a SAHM. Arguing with a three year old about the benefits of wearing socks doesn't seem to keep the edge!

In seriousness though- I can't answer the comparative point and won't try but I think the narrow point was still worth making. It's a high quality education, not just an old an famous name.

I have several relatives who went to oxford as did I. Varying degrees of opinion over how good the teaching is- it is very college and course dependant.
Am quite sure most of us would have got just as good an education from an alternative university (probably better in my case) but I’m afraid it has undoubtedly benefitted us all in terms of getting job offers. Particularly the case when applying to the US.

My sister runs a very successful business and (rightly or wrongly) only really employs oxbridge graduates. The roles receive many applications so she uses oxbridge as one of the tools to narrow the entrants down.

One of my good friends from school went to study the same language as me at Oxford and I stayed local. After graduation, we met up and I was very surprised at how poor his speaking skills were - his written language was better than mine for sure, but he could barely hold a conversation after 3 years of study.

Now, he obviously had excellent career prospects and now has an excellent job in the City as a result of his skills and academic background, but for me personally I am happier with the skills I learned - I can travel to another country and converse comfortably with the people there, and can get my point across in writing, though it'll likely be peppered with grammatical errors. But I didnt go to uni with a career in mind, I went to learn a language.

So Oxbridge is valuable for a number of reasons, but it might not always be the best choice for every student. I chose to stay local so I could be near family and friends and keep my weekend job and I received a local bursary to help with my finances. I chose a university with a small class and a truly engaging and enthusiastic teacher who I knew would inspire me to learn. Parents should encourage their kids to do what will make them happy - if the child strives for academic excellence then let them be excellent, if they want a different experience they should be supported to find the right place to suit that.

Aria999 - you've taken my and others' attacks very graciously. I hope you don't take it too personally - it's easy to get a bit intense on an anonymous forum.

Hopefully, the arguments with your son will get more stimulating - I have a seventeen year-old and although some of the arguments are of the "tidy your room" variety, he also has some political and theological arguments that keep me on my toes!

It depends very much on the course but the tutorial system at Oxford is pretty challenging. I went to a top rated RG uni and I don’t think I would have lasted a term doing the same course at Oxford.

@DadDadDad thanks- it's fine.

Dd1’s school organised a trip to Oxford Uni for the ‘more able’ year 10s. Why the f they are doing it in Y10 seems madness to me.

My DD did that, she decided that Oxbridge wasn't for her but that university was so it was worth doing IMO. It can raise aspirations without raising pressure unless the parents are putting the pressure on.

I know exactly zero people that have been to either Oxford or Cambridge and I don't think it's overrated- good for them if they get the grades to be accepted there.

My sister runs a very successful business and (rightly or wrongly) only really employs oxbridge graduates. The roles receive many applications so she uses oxbridge as one of the tools to narrow the entrants down.

This is a shame as there are so many wonderful people who didn't go there that would benefit her company.