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Oxbridge graduates who can’t get a job

468 replies

AquaLeader · 13/08/2025 12:11

Interesting article in The Times this morning.

Meet the Oxbridge graduates who can’t get a (good) job -
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/education/article/oxbridge-graduates-cant-get-good-job-d9ddj9dff

It is unlikely to be a coincidence that the graduates highlighted all appear to hold degrees in the humanities.

Meet the Oxbridge graduates who can’t get a (good) job

Once a passport to a high-flying, highly paid career, a degree from Oxford or Cambridge no longer offers any guarantees. Meet the disillusioned smart set

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/education/article/oxbridge-graduates-cant-get-good-job-d9ddj9dff

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Sevillian · 09/11/2025 12:42

Interesting link.

A few clicks of the TSR buttons reveal quite a lot about this poster.

SilkiePenguin · 09/11/2025 13:10

Yes its interesting. I'ld be pretty confident they are an Oxford student. Not 100% on chemistry but a subject involving chemistry looks almost certain - chemical engineering would also be possible. Cauchy-Schwarz seems to be used in a range of subjects, maths, physics, computing, economics, engineering. I'd rule economics out as they've said STEM and also they got the economics course name different to what it is. The system mentioned on student room comes up as chemistry and they've answered another question on chemistry on there.

RampantIvy · 09/11/2025 13:14

Sevillian · 09/11/2025 11:54

It's not only not helpful to try to assert a division, it also shows either huge inexperience of the world in general or just an absurdly narrow mind.

Countless STEM graduates are incredibly talented in other disciplines and the same is true in reverse.

So true. DD is a STEM graduate and is artistically talented. Her fellow post grad students don't believe that her anatomy diagrams have been drawn freehand.

Sevillian · 09/11/2025 13:28

One of my DC is the same RampantIvy. Some medical artists have an incredibly interesting background. If this young person is indeed a chemist, then maybe they should start with checking out Louis Pasteur's educational history. I don't know that the YPs attitude suggests that they'll make a particular contribution to society but you know, some people who start out with a philosophy degree do seem to have gone places in the past and made a real contribution rather than just shouting how special they are.

Sevillian · 09/11/2025 13:35

SilkiePenguin from TSR, they seem to be an international student, so almost certainly from a very privileged background. Not that that in itself accounts for slagging off all humanities students everywhere, but unfortunately some wealthy students do seem to look down on others with an ease which is deeply unpleasant.

SilkiePenguin · 09/11/2025 14:06

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Sevillian · 09/11/2025 14:37

I only glanced tbf, but I'm still going with well off international. Possibly post grad or even a visiting student. I can't spot where they claim to be paying £9k, only where they refer to students generally paying £9k. Either way, definitely lacking something that I'd prefer my own DC not to lack.

foxglovetree · 09/11/2025 15:18

I doubt this person is a real Oxford student. They don’t write very well or show much analytical skill. If they were an actual Oxford student they would be able to argue a heck of a lot better without resorting to childish abuse. And they would also be spending a lot of time with students from other disciplines in their college and so unlikely be so ill informed about what is involved in studying other subjects.

Sevillian · 09/11/2025 15:31

Absolutely foxglovetree. Hence my initial question. If the poster does have a link to the uni then I can’t see it as a home undergraduate student for one second.

Walkaround · 09/11/2025 16:36

They appear to be a person who is angry, because having a high IQ and being likeable, successful, persuasive, mentally well, or being of any genuine use to anyone or anything are all different things, and you can have a high IQ without having any of the other attributes. There are also plenty of examples in history of the appalling harms caused by people with a high IQ and an absence of empathy.

Sevillian · 09/11/2025 19:07

Being angry and lacking empathy don't of course, of themselves, indicate high IQ. The posts don't indicate high IQ. They do indicate a superiority complex which so often doesn't come with any objective superiority.

The parents are no doubt to blame.

TizerorFizz · 10/11/2025 15:40

@SilkiePenguin No chemical engineering at Oxford. Only general engineering.

It’s interesting how the only genius people quoted are scientists which, of course, shows limited knowledge. Often a problem for some students. They live in their nerdy bubble. Maybe this so called student should read a bit more?

truzty · 10/11/2025 17:21

As they've presumably been censored/banned for making personal attacks, the grown-ups in the room should perhaps refrain from reciprocating. 🙂

SilkiePenguin · 10/11/2025 17:42

I don't think they are banned, still seem to be an active username but maybe best to ignore.

Not sure why mine were taken down, maybe linking to their TSR posts?

I think chemical engineering is an option within the general engineering degree, the things they quoted as having studied were maths and chemistry topics and says they are a stem student on TSR. I think they will be at Oxford, can't see why else you would go on and on about Oxbridge stem being the best otherwise though it's strange either way to put on MN and TSR and several times.

Piggywaspushed · 10/11/2025 18:15

I am always in awe of some of the very best UC contestants, often doing science or maths degrees (although not always) who are so well read, know loads about music (jazz always seems the most arcane to me), ancient history of many lands and peoples, lands of the world, art.... the really clever people are the polymaths who gobble culture , knowledge and all its wonders and don't operate in a Gradgrindian bubble.

TizerorFizz · 10/11/2025 19:25

@SilkiePenguin I have not actually looked but elsewhere Chemical engineering requires Chemistry A level. Most GE courses don’t but of course some Oxbridge undergrads will have Chemistry. As a rule though, Chemical Engineering is separate from mechanical, civil and electrical because they have more of a core syllabus based around physics.

mids2019 · 11/11/2025 07:24

There is a serious point here that humanities need protecting as in a more and more technological world driven by capatilsim employers may very toward STEM/computing science graduates for this brave new world.

humanities offer the ability to counteract the abstract nature of the sciences by putting humanity first and giving voice to the main condition, it's morals and philosphies.

we won't ever get AI to do our thinking for us and that is a blessing. There is something wonderful about us as humanity with with reason so like a god so we should laud all aspects of it.

mids2019 · 11/11/2025 07:24

Human condition above

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