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Oxbridge Prejudice

Started by The Boston Crab, September 23, 2018, 07:43:43 AM

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ziggy starbucks


Isnt Anything

I didnt know that Steve Drewett, Tony Banks and Matt Smith were in the Bullingdon Club...

Mister Six

Quote from: Buelligan on September 23, 2018, 10:32:20 AM
I agree, I don't give two fucks.  It's how you live that counts.  Everyone, every single one of us, can never leave the body and mind we are born with in this life. 

If you're pretty or fast, good for you.  At the end of the day it's the living that means shit.  All these little human clubs are fine, if that's important for you.  Imagining that because you belonged once to one or other makes you special is your problem and it needs working on because these foolish vain ideas often stand between us and finding happiness.  And happiness being who you are is the goal, not being granted some idiot badge or medal for dancing to someone else's music.

+Karma

You never had a fortune cookie before, pal?

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: The Boston Crab on September 23, 2018, 09:46:46 AM
Well, the replies are pretty much as expected.

PS: I'm yawning as I type this.

PlanktonSideburns

I was walking through hale the other day and someone in an audi with one of those allover matt paint jobs called me a Fucking Slow Cunt for not walking fast enough at a turning he had waved me through, it was such an unexpected turn I burst out laughing- he slammed on the breaks at this and continued his tirade, but I was almost round the corner and didn't quite catch what he was saying.

Paul Calf

Quote from: The Boston Crab on September 24, 2018, 06:10:51 AM
You never had a fortune cookie before, pal?

You're not an arsehole because you went to Oxbridge.


Quote from: PlanktonSideburns on September 24, 2018, 07:32:18 AM
I was walking through hale the other day and someone in an audi with one of those allover matt paint jobs called me a Fucking Slow Cunt for not walking fast enough at a turning he had waved me through, it was such an unexpected turn I burst out laughing- he slammed on the breaks at this and continued his tirade, but I was almost round the corner and didn't quite catch what he was saying.

Very funny. Are you my neighbour? When are you going to give us planning permission for the floodlights? I don't appreciate your 'joke' one bit.

bgmnts

Quote from: Shit Good Nose on September 23, 2018, 09:43:08 PM
Of the four people I've known in my life who went there (one in Oxbridge, the other three in Cambridge), all bar one of them got in largely because of a long history of rich (in monetary terms) family, and they all breezed in no problem, almost as if it was written and guaranteed even if they got shit grades.  Not that they were otherwise dumbasses - they were still pretty academically savvy - but the one who got in that didn't come from money worked incredibly hard at it and, despite getting more than the necessary A-levels, had to go through what seemed like endless intense interviews/interrogations which lasted for hours at a time in front of a panel of people and those interviews went on for weeks.  Contrast that with the moneyed-up Oxford lad who told me his interview consisted of a single half hour chat with one don (or whatever you call them) over a glass of sherry (or brandy, I can't remember which) where he (the don) just reminisced about being a student at Oxford with one of this guy's relatives.

Those four now:
Leading scientist and world authority on research into autism in young children (Cambridge - money, but very very bright as well and was always destined to end up doing something mega clever);
Investment banker at Deutsche Bank, although currently on a career "break" (Oxford - money, not much better than average at most subjects with the exception of maths, which he was naturally very adept at);
Airbrush artist with galleries in London and New York (Cambridge - did not come from money, excelled at every subject but still had to work his arse off for years just to get in);
Floats between semi-professional jobs in the estate management field, public and private sector (Cambridge - money.  Fairly bright, but has just always bummed around not really knowing what to do and only in the field because her dad worked in it and pretty much forced her to follow in his footsteps).

Hm?

Jack Shaftoe

Quote from: icehaven on September 23, 2018, 11:35:17 AM
A surprisingly high number of members of one of the reading groups I run at work went to Oxbridge, at least 5 or 6 I can think of off the top of my head, and at one point 3 at the same time (two Oxford one Cambridge) so much friendly rivalry and talking each other's colleges down ensued. I should probably mention they were all also prisoners on a sex offender wing, just to offer a bit of balance.

Sitcom gold.

PlanktonSideburns

Quote from: The Boston Crab on September 24, 2018, 07:51:36 AM
Very funny. Are you my neighbour? When are you going to give us planning permission for the floodlights? I don't appreciate your 'joke' one bit.

I was just visiting. I went to Ammanford brickwork and plastering collage for unambitious young boys, so I live in more of a kebab over the wall into the garden kind of place. I love that big old brick church in the middle of town, and the bowling green also. What's a good pub in hale? That restaurant with all the astroturf on it looks like warmed up dogshit

Icehaven


Buelligan

Quote from: The Boston Crab on September 24, 2018, 06:10:51 AM
You never had a fortune cookie before, pal?

QuoteYou will die alone and poorly dressed.

There really is a lot fun to be had on here with the varying degrees of success members have had in life.

Blinder Data

Quote from: PlanktonSideburns on September 24, 2018, 08:41:52 AM
I live in more of a kebab over the wall into the garden kind of place.

Love this - now I'm nostalgic for my hometown, oddly

PlanktonSideburns

Quote from: Blinder Data on September 24, 2018, 11:30:56 AM
Love this - now I'm nostalgic for my hometown, oddly

Oddly is a great town, had some great nights out there

Shit Good Nose

Quote from: PlanktonSideburns on September 24, 2018, 07:32:18 AM
I was walking through hale the other day and someone in an audi with one of those allover matt paint jobs called me a Fucking Slow Cunt for not walking fast enough at a turning he had waved me through, it was such an unexpected turn I burst out laughing- he slammed on the breaks at this and continued his tirade, but I was almost round the corner and didn't quite catch what he was saying.

That's all well and good, but where was Pace during all this?


Quote from: bgmnts on September 24, 2018, 08:27:29 AM
Hm?

'ford.  You know what I mean.

State school oik here. I went to Cambridge over 20 years ago, and I don't think it had a particularly higher standard than any of the other 'big' universities at the time. I'd almost say that the exams were marked very generously so as not to sully its mythical status. But, while the teaching was as good as you could expect (although, as I said, not necessarily any better than any other decent UK university), I missed out on the social aspect, that other dimension to university which helps you establish yourself and your ideas with like-minded people. Walking around town like a wanker in black tie and collegiate gown like I fucking owned the place wasn't my style, nor was getting into the rowing clique, or whatever other chances there were to bond with people I had absolutely nothing in common with. My final act of 'rebellion' was to go work full time in a pub for a bit when I graduated instead of selling my soul to a management consultants or something. Yeah, that'll show 'em.

No regrets or anything. The magic word 'Cambridge' on the CV has probably opened a door in its time, but I know it's just a cheat. I never went back to collect my MA three years later. I paid some of my dues and then left the UK a decade later and finally found what I was looking for. Don't know if the Cambridge experience just turned me off the UK completely or if it would've happened anyway, but I maintain the impression that it was all somehow overrated, a playground for the privileged and powerful. One of the biggest social circles in my year was centred around Larissa (daughter of Michael) Howard. Well, you can imagine can't you?