Oxford Magdalen rejection letter

[Maz]

Is it me or is this story nothing more than a jolly jape? It must be a slow news week in P&L to get 7 pages.

The folk in P&L like a good row.
See what I did there? row? boat race? Oxbridge?

 

[Canrider]

The folk in P&L like a good row.
See what I did there? row? boat race? Oxbridge?

Not your best effort, but we'll talk about it in tutorial next week?

 

[brokenflipflop]

A different spin, they were saying "We want you so much and are confident in your ability to do well, just pass the minimum criterion and you are in"

I got a "minimum matriculation" (2E's) from Manchester to read Physics in 1974 and got ABBB

Long shot but was Bob Bell on your course ?

 

[PK99]

Long shot but was Bob Bell on your course ?

38 years ago! I can't remember! Sorry.

 

[rich p]

Long shot but was Bob Bell on your course ?

38 years ago! I can't remember! Sorry.

I can't remember but his name rings a...

Oh, never mind.

 

[brokenflipflop]

38 years ago! I can't remember! Sorry.

It's not me by the way so no need to be sorry

 

[srw]

The thing I found very challenging about Oxford was the combination of both social and academic pressure at the same time. When I got there I found that I was starting behind most of the other physics students because I had done the combined pure and applied maths A level whereas most of the others had done Further Maths, or at least pure and applied as separate A levels. This panicked me, more than it should have done no doubt, and I felt I was struggling from day 1, which was quite a blow to my confidence, and eventually I gave up trying and went to the pub too much instead.

IIRC, physics and the other "hard sciences" (chemistry, engineering) were just about the only courses where undergraduates effectively did a 9-5 job. Which made it much more difficult for them to fit in with the rather freewheeling studenty life the rest of us had.

I found the first year very difficult indeed - by week 6 of each term I was completely wrecked by trying to party and work and do extra-curricular things, not helped by living 10 minutes walk out of college, and 20 minutes away from lectures. I remember going to my final tutorial before first-year exams with the worst hangover of my life - so it's not surprising I got a very bad second class result.

Fortunately in my second year I realised I didn't have to go to every party, and didn't have to try and get on with everyone I met. I found a few very close friends and a subject that interested me and I was very good at. Now if I'd only realised at that stage that I wasn't exactly cut out for the immense pain and tedium of post-graduate research...

 

[srw]

The folk in P&L like a good row.
See what I did there? row? boat race? Oxbridge?

They do - even though they're a collegiate bunch at heart. But we're in the cafe at the moment.

Incidentally, is it just me, or does this thread suggest that a rather higher-than-expected proportion of us are Oxford graduates?

 

[yello]

Incidentally, is it just me, or does this thread suggest that a rather higher-than-expected proportion of us are Oxford graduates?

I did think something similar too.

 

[Noodley]

Incidentally, is it just me, or does this thread suggest that a rather higher-than-expected proportion of us are Oxford graduates?

It suggests that there are a high proportion that like to tell others anyway.

 

[jonesy]

They do - even though they're a collegiate bunch at heart. But we're in the cafe at the moment.

Incidentally, is it just me, or does this thread suggest that a rather higher-than-expected proportion of us are Oxford graduates?

Amongst the CA&D membership at any rate.

 

[srw]

Amongst the CA&D membership at any rate.

Except that we're in the cafe - although the personnel and the quality of debate would fit well in CA&D.

You see, that's what a good-quality university education gets you - an argumentative streak and an eye for detail.

 

[jonesy]

Except that we're in the cafe - although the personnel and the quality of debate would fit well in CA&D.

You see, that's what a good-quality university education gets you - an argumentative streak and an eye for detail.

Ah, but I'd observed that the Oxford graduates are disproportionately amongst the P&L visitors to Cafe ...

 

[jonesy]

It suggests that there are a high proportion that like to tell others anyway.

Surprising isn't it, people who went to Oxford mention their own experiences in a thread about what it is like at Oxford...

 

[yello]

To be fair Noodley, it'd be relevant in this thread.

And I hasten to add I didn't go to Oxford.