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I went to a state school and state sixth form, and my experience definitely deviates from that presented in the article and some other comments here. I think th

by AlexSW 5y ago

I went to a state school and state sixth form, and my experience definitely deviates from that presented in the article and some other comments here. I think the part of the article which focuses on more personalised teaching rings the most true for me. There may be differences due to the subject, level, or college. I did a one-year masters in STEM in a very international graduate Oxford college. But the vast majority of members of the college were hard working, insightful, friendly, and not at all posh. There was a very friendly and open social life, and I definitely don't consider there to have been a great facade presented. Perhaps I would have found different in an undergraduate degree in the arts, or a different college, but I didn't get that sense from the people I spoke to from other colleges and faculties. My best guess is the Oxford college the article writer ended up in was rather more grand and snobby than any of those I spent time at. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that this certainly isn't the only experience, and I'm confident none of the friends I made there would relate to the article's assessment. I found it a fantastic place to meet insightful, honest, friendly people in addition to all of its merits for learning.

stablenode 5y ago
Similar story here. Perhaps arts degrees are different, but I could not relate this piece to any of my experiences from when I was studying for a CS degree. It felt as though the author was writing about a different country.
- AlexSW 5y ago
  I had several close friends studying for their own Masters degrees in subdesciplines of Anthropolgy and History of Art, and I'm not aware of them having had different experiences either, so my current best guess is down to it perhaps being an undergraduate degree in one of the most exclusive colleges.
madaxe_again 5y ago
In U.K. collegiate universities, like Oxbridge and Durham, there is a huge cultural divide between colleges and courses. I went to Durham. I was - I am - a posh kid - albeit one who’s acutely and painfully aware of his advantage. The college I was in was stacked to the rafters with posh kids. Everything orbited the social life - the balls, the ents, who was where in the pecking order of committees and executives. I mean, the college was in a literal castle. If you were reading arts, it was easy enough to stay entirely within that world. Economics, politics, classics, history, philosophy, etc., were all filled with pashminas and brogues. I spent time in those lectures as I was running a miniature essay mill to boost my social standing, as that was just what you did. I read physics - and the crowd couldn’t have been more different. The majority of science students were in the hill colleges, nearer the science campus, and came from state schools, rather than the mess of public school alumna you found in the Bailey colleges. I was a lone wool blazer in a lecture theatre full of t-shirts, rope-knit jumpers, pink hair and leather jackets. For me, it was an illuminating experience, and it made me realise that I didn’t really fit in either tribe - although 20 years on, the few people I’m still in touch with are from my course, not my college. The U.K. is a peculiar place when it comes to class. I realised over the years that how I said what I said, how I spoke, how I dressed, were all far more important to our business (because of course I started a business, with a posh friend from school) success than what we said, what we did. To other posh people, it says you’re one of the club, you can be trusted, nice school tie - to people from outside that world, it induces either a hat-clutching deferent reverence, or outright hostility. I liked the people who were outright hostile, because by that point I absolutely hated the same thing that they did - even though I benefited from it. Anyway. Experiences vary, and which college you’re in has a huge impact.
- fyhhvff 5y ago
  What is an "ent"?
  - thinkingemote 5y ago
    Entertainment I think, or perhaps, entertainment officer, organiser of stuff to do therefore gaining high status.
  - madaxe_again 5y ago
    An “entertainment”, as the sibling says - anything from theatre to a festival to a party to a booze-up to a charity run to a charity booze-up run - basically student-organised activities of one variety or another.
kanche 5y ago
True, some of the Oxford colleges give a "posh" vibe: Magdalen College; some colleges are very friendly: Linacre College
railton 5y ago
Rebanks (author of this article) studied History, which I imagine has quite a different mix of people than e.g. engineering or one of the sciences. I can't find out the college he attended, but I agree that college choice really can impact who you meet and the general "vibe". My experience at Cambridge (similar path to you, Alex) is also at odds with this article.

by AlexSW 5y ago

stablenode 5y ago

Similar story here. Perhaps arts degrees are different, but I could not relate this piece to any of my experiences from when I was studying for a CS degree. It felt as though the author was writing about a different country.

AlexSW 5y ago
I had several close friends studying for their own Masters degrees in subdesciplines of Anthropolgy and History of Art, and I'm not aware of them having had different experiences either, so my current best guess is down to it perhaps being an undergraduate degree in one of the most exclusive colleges.

madaxe_again 5y ago

In U.K. collegiate universities, like Oxbridge and Durham, there is a huge cultural divide between colleges and courses. I went to Durham. I was - I am - a posh kid - albeit one who’s acutely and painfully aware of his advantage. The college I was in was stacked to the rafters with posh kids. Everything orbited the social life - the balls, the ents, who was where in the pecking order of committees and executives. I mean, the college was in a literal castle. If you were reading arts, it was easy enough to stay entirely within that world. Economics, politics, classics, history, philosophy, etc., were all filled with pashminas and brogues. I spent time in those lectures as I was running a miniature essay mill to boost my social standing, as that was just what you did. I read physics - and the crowd couldn’t have been more different. The majority of science students were in the hill colleges, nearer the science campus, and came from state schools, rather than the mess of public school alumna you found in the Bailey colleges. I was a lone wool blazer in a lecture theatre full of t-shirts, rope-knit jumpers, pink hair and leather jackets. For me, it was an illuminating experience, and it made me realise that I didn’t really fit in either tribe - although 20 years on, the few people I’m still in touch with are from my course, not my college. The U.K. is a peculiar place when it comes to class. I realised over the years that how I said what I said, how I spoke, how I dressed, were all far more important to our business (because of course I started a business, with a posh friend from school) success than what we said, what we did. To other posh people, it says you’re one of the club, you can be trusted, nice school tie - to people from outside that world, it induces either a hat-clutching deferent reverence, or outright hostility. I liked the people who were outright hostile, because by that point I absolutely hated the same thing that they did - even though I benefited from it. Anyway. Experiences vary, and which college you’re in has a huge impact.

fyhhvff 5y ago
What is an "ent"?
- thinkingemote 5y ago
  Entertainment I think, or perhaps, entertainment officer, organiser of stuff to do therefore gaining high status.
- madaxe_again 5y ago
  An “entertainment”, as the sibling says - anything from theatre to a festival to a party to a booze-up to a charity run to a charity booze-up run - basically student-organised activities of one variety or another.

kanche 5y ago

True, some of the Oxford colleges give a "posh" vibe: Magdalen College; some colleges are very friendly: Linacre College

railton 5y ago

Rebanks (author of this article) studied History, which I imagine has quite a different mix of people than e.g. engineering or one of the sciences. I can't find out the college he attended, but I agree that college choice really can impact who you meet and the general "vibe". My experience at Cambridge (similar path to you, Alex) is also at odds with this article.