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University Challenge

19 replies

FadedRed · 13/08/2018 21:01

Love this programme but think it's time that

  1. Teams should consist on Undergraduates only. Maybe a separate series for Post grad teams.
  2. Oxford and Cambridge should only have one team each, not separate teams for all the colleges.

Any one agree?

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spottybetty · 13/08/2018 21:05

No. Unis have to make up the best team they can. And no again - sorry - some of the oxford or Cambridge colleges may only have a few thousand students, whereas the Uni of London has 95,000 undergrads!

MVLipwig · 13/08/2018 21:08

Fine then why not allow all collegiate unis to enter teams for all the colleges rather than one @spottybetty ?

meditrina · 13/08/2018 21:12

It's University Challenge, not undergraduate challenge.

But I do think collegiate universities shouid all enter on same terms - so either all of them all enter individual colleges (if the colleges want to enter) or they have a single entry (as Durham already does). Not bothered which, just prefer one or the other rather than both.

FadedRed · 13/08/2018 21:50

When the programme first started, there were considerably fewer universities and university students than now, and rarely anyone other than undergrads.
Now there can be a team of (average age) twenty year old undergrads against a team of forty year old PhD's - doesn't seem a very level playing field anymore.

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mammmamia · 13/08/2018 23:02

Love UC
DH and I play along against each other and keep score Blush
We’ve been doing it for 15 years!

campion · 13/08/2018 23:06

Record it then you can pause to...err...think about the answers!

It was won by a one man team tonight.

Guienne · 13/08/2018 23:07

Yes, the Darwin team captain was awesome.

FadedRed · 14/08/2018 11:35

mammmamia DH and I also do that Blush Glad to find we are not alone. and occasionally I let him win Grin

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MrsSnootyPants2018 · 14/08/2018 11:37

Don't agree at all especially the Oxford/Cambridge bit.

Each college is separate and the students take pride in their college so why shouldn't they represent them.

mammmamia · 14/08/2018 16:08

fadedred 🙌🏻 Grin

Clionba · 16/08/2018 20:47

I've got an interest, as my son is on one of the teams this year! He's told us all sorts of interesting behind the scenes stuff. They're really looking for personalities and quirky characters on the teams.

FadedRed · 16/08/2018 21:03

Clionba wow! Would love to hear all the insider stuff.
The programme they did a couple of years ago about the making of UC was fascinating. Did you see that?
But, slightly disappointed to hear they are looking for 'personalities and quirky characters' - IMO any student that is prepared to put themselves on TV in that already challenging (sorry for the pun) situation shows sufficient character, quirky or not.
All the best for your son and his team!

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Clionba · 16/08/2018 21:09

No I didn't see it!
I think to get past the interview stage the team had to show that they were tv material, I think, although it does go on ability as well, I think! They like characters, but it does make it watchable. When I saw him I just focused on the fact that he hadn't ironed his shirt!! I couldn't look at anything else! Thanks for the good wishes!

LARLARLAND · 16/08/2018 21:10

I love the characters. Monkman was brilliant last year and I am loving the new Darwin captain.

Seniorcitizen1 · 18/08/2018 12:51

When I was a student at University of Manchester in the mid-1970s our team answered every question “Marx” in protest at Oxbridge being able to field individual colleges. At the time the rules precluded polys because they did not award their own degrees - it was the council for national academic awards. But of course the oxbridge colleges could not award their own degrees - students were awarded a degree from either oxford or camebridge university. Oxbridge colleges are favoured and over represeted - but whats new in that

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 18/08/2018 12:55

DH and I are reasonably intelligent but we are constantly astounded at how much these young people know, just how???

Clionba · 18/08/2018 13:19

My son has always been an avid quizzer and loved general knowledge. When he was small we bought him a book about animals and he memorised everything and got us to test him! World Cup, classical myths, flags of the world, modern art, the periodic table, he just seems to know a lot of stuff. We joke that he's quicker than Google!

Clionba · 20/08/2018 20:49

So the Captain of the Hertford College Oxford team is a History undergraduate called Tudor!!
You'd really have to be good at History with that name!

5000KallaxHoles · 21/08/2018 11:47

Friend was the understudy for my uni team back when we were all students - we never thought he was that smart to be honest... but then we never saw him sober as a general rule!

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