To ask what you would think about someone that had masters degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge?

[Zorbing]

That's the question!

Its not me, obvs. But I am wondering what assumptions, if any, you might make about someone like this (justified or otherwise).

Would you think they were highly intelligent / had a strong work ethic? Or just lucky and privileged?

Would you think that they're probably a bit of a dickhead?

Its a woman incidentally, not sure if that makes a difference.

I'd think they were smart.

I’d think they were fairly smart, and very privileged.

MA usually aren’t funded by student loans. So unless you have financial backing or family wealth doing a MA is very difficult. Many people can manage one with a career development loan, but two? Yeah, very privileged. I wouldn’t hold that against them, it’d just be a fact I would note.

I wouldn’t think they were any harder working than anyone else with a MA or two. Someone who gets an MA and who works throughout it alongside studying is a hard worker.

@Gwenhwyfar

"Postgraduate courses are far, far, far, far easier to get onto at Oxbridge than undergraduate courses. I don't think this demonstrates that they're any more skilled or qualified than anyone else with a degree of that level/discipline from a respected university. In fact, depending on the discipline, they'd be far better off with a postgrad from a different university. Oxbridge prestige is largely only applicable to undergraduate degrees."

Well, I didn't know that and I presume I'm not the only one, in which case having a master's from Oxbridge will open doors for them.
I would have presumed they were very intelligent, but also privileged, whether privileged before they went there or not, they are now.

Yes, I didn't know that either, and I suspect that the majority of people also don't know.

@KateTheEighth

I'd think "wow how fortunate that you can study for so long without having to get a job"

To be fair, we don’t know that she didn’t.

I worked full time alongside my full time Masters. No way of knowing whether this person worked to fund herself or not (unless I’ve missed it), though they need to have had a degree of privilege to actually afford the course fees without student loans.

@WeatherSystems

I’d think they were fairly smart, and very privileged.

MA usually aren’t funded by student loans. So unless you have financial backing or family wealth doing a MA is very difficult. Many people can manage one with a career development loan, but two? Yeah, very privileged. I wouldn’t hold that against them, it’d just be a fact I would note.

I wouldn’t think they were any harder working than anyone else with a MA or two. Someone who gets an MA and who works throughout it alongside studying is a hard worker.

People keep overlooking scholarships — it doesn’t have to mean you’re rich, or reliant on loans.

@WeatherSystems

I’d think they were fairly smart, and very privileged.

MA usually aren’t funded by student loans. So unless you have financial backing or family wealth doing a MA is very difficult. Many people can manage one with a career development loan, but two? Yeah, very privileged. I wouldn’t hold that against them, it’d just be a fact I would note.

I wouldn’t think they were any harder working than anyone else with a MA or two. Someone who gets an MA and who works throughout it alongside studying is a hard worker.

You can now get a student loan to undertake a masters course but its circa 11k I think so won't cover fees + living expenses that's for sure, and in the majority of cases wouldn't even cover fees in their entirety.

Can also get a loan for a PhD from Student Finance England - but not if you already have taken out a loan from them for a maters course.

so we aren't to be allowed to know why?

@WeatherSystems

I’d think they were fairly smart, and very privileged.

MA usually aren’t funded by student loans. So unless you have financial backing or family wealth doing a MA is very difficult. Many people can manage one with a career development loan, but two? Yeah, very privileged. I wouldn’t hold that against them, it’d just be a fact I would note.

I wouldn’t think they were any harder working than anyone else with a MA or two. Someone who gets an MA and who works throughout it alongside studying is a hard worker.

Government Postgraduate Loans are available to pretty much anyone with a first degree, and for the vast majority of postgraduate degrees.

It seems a shame more people don't know this.

Postgraduate courses are far, far, far, far easier to get onto at Oxbridge than undergraduate courses.

This.

I think I must be getting old. I used to gleefully read these sorts of threads with my biggest judgey mcjudgeface pants on, and roll my eyes at anyone who said smugly "it's none of my business, why would I judge them at all?"

But I'm reading this, and all I'm thinking is "well, you can't possibly judge anything about a person based on that one small bit of information. If it were professionally relevant (or just if I were politely curious) then I would probably just ask them about it" 🤷‍♀️

Would you think they were highly intelligent / had a strong work ethic? Yes with a smidge of financial privilege. Highly intelligent would be my first thought.

@godmum56

so we aren't to be allowed to know why?

Know why what?

I am one. I am a woman who is 38. I am very normal- I do not have a very high paid job but I enjoy what I do.
I will say that as a woman at Oxbridge- I had to work twice as hard. It tests every aspect of your life and it's bloody hard. You either come out having hated every second or you have learned a lot from it. I do not feel Univerity defines you, but it does shape your character. Yes, some people are fortunate to get in and afford it, that does not keep them there.

Technically I do, because I have one actual studied for masters from one of them and the MA from the other. I wouldn’t think anything of it unless they were in two totally different subjects in a short time frame but that would be more down to the subject than the university.

People who are saying they must be rich should look at what LSE are charging for masters! Oxbridge is a bloody bargain in comparison - my masters tuition was roughly the same as the postgrad loan.

Also to add, they do not look at just intelligence- yes you have to be bright, but to them it is more about problem-solving. They also look at your skills as an employee as in their hope you will be applying to some of the best jobs around the world and they want it reflected well on them. In my year, we had 5 students who were on scholarship and went to very deprived area state schols. It really does depend on the person you are.

Zorbing
"Know why what?"

why you want to know

@godmum56

Zorbing "Know why what?"

why you want to know

Because I wanted to know if others shared the views of some of my colleagues.

Unusual to have MA MA or MSC MSC rather than progressing from MA /MSC on to a Phd. The Only person I have known who has done this taught in higher ed. I would not consider the applicant a 'dickhead' they have worked hard and I respect hard work in any form.

People talking about scholarships and government loans: for one, perhaps. But is it really likely or possible that somebody would manage to achieve the government loan twice (surely there’s a limit?) or a scholarship twice?

To be able to fund a MA plus living costs twice over means you’re in a privileged position. Maybe I’m overlooking the unicorns though, which she may be.

I would assume that they were highly competitive and pretty clever. People who get themselves in that position have ambition and self belief but also ability.

@fat13

I think anyone with two masters degrees perhaps likes being a student a bit too much tbh.

This

So can we assume she didn’t get the job?
Probably just as well, if it would have meant she had to work with people who despise education and hard work.

@WeatherSystems

People talking about scholarships and government loans: for one, perhaps. But is it really likely or possible that somebody would manage to achieve the government loan twice (surely there’s a limit?) or a scholarship twice?

To be able to fund a MA plus living costs twice over means you’re in a privileged position. Maybe I’m overlooking the unicorns though, which she may be.

Yes it is true that you can only receive the government loan once. It’s not permitted to take two postgrad masters loans. Just one for undergrad and one for postgrad.

However - it’s very likely they once someone had been awarded one scholarship they will go on to be awarded another. Scholarships have a domino effect.

[quote NotAllTheOnesWhoWanderAreLost]@Bhooks, it seems that we have very similar attitudes there.[/quote]
😃