Tutor not to expected standard

[walokmalok]

DD is at one of the big name colleges in Oxford, usually in top 3 for the Norrington. This year, as her tutor is on sabbatical, they have appointed a new tutor from another college, who has two years as a lecturer under their belt.

This new tutor studied at somewhere the likes of Exeter, Manchester, Birmingham. They got BBB in their a levels, and did not gain entrance to Oxbridge, but did do their doctorate there.

The tutor has an unbearably affected accent that I suppose is a device to try and fit in.

They are not willing to allow things like vacation residence for revision, whereas every single other tutor is. They are far too strict, and play everything conservatively.

DD feels as if they have a huge chip on their shoulder, and this is affecting her ability to work properly. The tutor does not fulfil their role like the previous tutor. They are hardly world class either.

Is it possible to switch tutors?

Haha just here for the lolz!

walokmalok of course tutors are variable in quality tell your DD to suck it up like everyone else has to.

Wow. Just wow. I'd love to know how you know what grades they got in their A levels.... And why you feel it matters? PhD overrules anything done previously. I didn't realise we were now judging academics on A levels....do I need to start digging out my GCSE certificates?
And what the fuck does someone's accent have to do with their ability to be an academic? You'd flipping love me and my broad Yorkshire accent - never stopped me getting my PhD or my ability to be a damn good tutor.

I think your child will benefit hugely from being taught by someone who has experienced HE outside of Oxbridge.

In many, many cases it takes first year undergrads a while to adjust their expectations to fit with the reality of studying in HE.

Can't wait to see how this thread goes

Mrs Rees-Mogg, is that you?

Brian Cox went to 'the likes of Manchester', in fact he's still there as Professor of particle physics. He also got a D in A level Maths and has a northern accent.

I just love the idea of the unbearably affected accent. Tutor's probably taking the piss.

I didn't know Brian only got a D in Maths A level! Does that mean I'm better at maths than him then with my B? (Taken in the same year.)

I'm pretty sure that this is a wind-up, but in case not, OP, if finding herself with a non Oxbridge born and bred tutor woth inferior A levels was going to be such sn issue for your DD, did she not think to check out the possibility of this happening beforehand? She could then have made an informed decision to withdraw her application, do some more research on the level 3 achievements of teaching staff and reapply to Cambridge the following year or something. Or Harvard, or Brown or MIT? - probably not too many Brum educated ademics there?

I assume that she has by now severed all ties with any member of her former friendship group who made the mistake of themselves choosing an unacceptable university?

Did Brian Cox (the one in D:Ream, not the actor) really get a D in A Level Maths?

Yep, he said it on the Jonathan Ross show

www.famousscientists.org/brian-cox/

Cox received a first class degree in Physics from the University of Manchester in 1997. His pop band, D:Ream, disbanded the same year. Cox completed a doctorate in high energy particle physics at the University of Manchester in 1998

That can't be right.

Hilarious. Do people like the OP really exist?

Got his Bsc in 1997 and PhD a year later...? Doesn't sound right....

Cross post!

And is this newish tutor standing in the middle of an august quad shouting her A-level grades in her ‘affected’ voice?

Let me shock you, OP, I did my doctorate at Oxford, and did quite a bit of undergraduate tutoring then. Yes, while I was still a student. For finalists. And without an Oxford undergraduate degree or a single A-level. Here, have some smelling salts.

But of course, Professor Cox is certainly not a Professor at Oxford - I mean, he got a D... You really should be grateful for small mercies, OP: just imagine how awful it would be if your daughter was taught by someone as uncouth and under-achieving as that. The D! The accent! Prof Cox makes this tutor's 3 Bs look pretty impressive, eh, OP?

(This really has to be a WUT, right?!)

Brian Cox tweeted that he started his PhD in 1995 so must have done first degree before 1997.

He's 8yo than me and I graduated in 1997 so I'd guess he graduated in 1989?

Excellent. We're all Coxed Up, then

He had very very long hair once.

How ridiculous! I’d suggest letting the college worry about the tutors credentials and telling your DD to speak to the tutor about her concerns. Tutors are not identical, they have different teaching styles that work for them. Your DD needs to be more proactive and speak to them to solve the issues. Obviously tell her not to bring up his A-Levels, they are totally irrelevant when he has a doctorate.

Is dd VERY embarrassed by you OP? Or did the apple not fall far from the tree?
Ugh to Brian Cox, lovely and clever though he may be. I can just never get past what looks like him fondling an invisible breast as he talks. (Tony Blair does it too)

BookMeOnTheSudExpress

I will never be able to get that image out of my mind