Prompted by a conversation with sammee42

[wellinghall]

[Poll #1281890]

Comments

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed living in Oxford as a student. And I quite enjoyed studying at Oxford, though I must admit that the latter probably had much less impact on me generally.

My observation of other people undergoing the same experience leads me to believe that it's entirely possible to enjoy either one of those, without enjoying the other one at all.

[camillofan.livejournal.com]

I ticked the "I thought you did" box, even though I'm not sure I actually did (think so, that is), on account of how you always seem to be going there now. :-)

As to whether I think you'd've enjoyed it, I say "yes." Though it can be the sort of place to chew one up and spit one out (speaking of unfelicitous metaphors), and you strike me as a somewhat sensitive soul (takes one to know one), on balance I think you'd've liked it.

Where did you study?

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

The Unversity of Essex, in Colchester. My wife studied at Oxford, and we often go back there - chiefly for national or local Tolkien Society meetings.

[camillofan.livejournal.com]

And? Do you think you'd've enjoyed studying there?

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

I think you would have had a fighting chance of enjoying it, and that you would have swum rather than sunk academically and therefore not suffered from that point of view, unless you had not been having a great time all round and that had affected your studies (as these things can).

However, I think it would have been rather dependent on whether you were studying the right subject, and were at a college that suited you, and probably meeting the right folk to be friends with fairly early on would have helped immeasurably (again given what's on offer at/in Oxford you would have had a fighting chance here too). (This points of course goes for other universities too).

Questions: did you enjoy it at the uni you DID go to, and do you wish you had gone to Oxford?

(Bet you wish you'd never asked, lol).

[segh.livejournal.com]

Of course you would - especially if you were a few years older so we'd have been up at the same time!
I enjoyed every minute I spent there (oh, all right, except the one when I got my heart broken) to such an extent that the next five years, full and exciting as they were, had a certain flavour of anticlimax . . . then I started having children.

[dreiviertel.livejournal.com]

I hope you would!

[el-staplador.livejournal.com]

'That depends' on whether Oxford is really what I think it's like, and I'm fairly sure it isn't. Having been there the sum total of once, I don't really feel qualified to judge. All I can say is that I enjoyed studying at Exeter, and despite the latter's reputation, wasn't technically an Oxbridge reject myself, not having applied in the first place. Even so, I tend to note a certain defensiveness in myself when the subject comes up.

[white_hart]

I thought you did...

My own answer to that question is that I think I wouldn't, and I'm very glad I went to Warwick instead and had a fantastic time (although I didn't do much work...)

[thecatsamuel.livejournal.com]

I thought you did but don't quite know why. I had fun at Oxford and now I am having fun Somewhere Else as a student so I think it's what you make of it really. Have found some very nice interesting people and some total tossers on both courses.

[lalwendeboggart.livejournal.com]

Depends...

As I think each college is very different and if you had ended up with a lot of mad keen boozy 'rugger lads' it might have been a bit different to if you had been in a college with boozy cricket types ;)

Though Oxford is very 'high octane' and you strike me as more relaxed type of guy :)

[lalwendeboggart.livejournal.com]

Actually 'chap', rather than 'guy' ;)

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

The boggart speaks the truth - each college is different. The following stereotypes applied when I was there (1990-93) but may well be different now. As in most aspects of life, stereotypes are mostly prejudice, but there is some truth behind them. Rugger buggers may be more likely to apply to a college with a rugger bugger reputation and so the stereotype reinforces itself over time.

Christchurch: Teddy bear carrying public school types in love with Brideshead Revisited. Oh, and rugger buggers.
Worcester: Right wing public school types.
Wadham: Left wing public school types.
Magdalen: Sloanes and Bohemians.
University: Northern chemists from comprehensives.
Corpus Christi: Shy nerds.
St John's: Studious types. Overworked.
St Hilda's: Big-spectacled feminists.
Somerville: Loose women.
Jesus: Welsh.
Oriel: Rowers.
St Peter's: No social skills.
Balliol: Politically correct.

There are probably more but these are all I remember. And like I said, some of them have probably changed since the early 1990s.

[findabair.livejournal.com]

I don't know - would you?

I've been wondering the same thing for myself, after I went over for Oxonmoot last year and staid at the college of a friend who is there. To me it's the sort of place that seems like a dream place to study, but in reality I don't know the place at all well enough to say.

[rosathome.livejournal.com]

I definitely don't know you well enough to say, and all of these things are so dependent on multiply unpredictable factors, but...

My three years as an undergraduate at Oxford (91-94) were the most unqualified-ly happy of my life.

Also, I'm curious to know (since it's missing from the list) what stereotype philmophlegm would associate with my college, Exeter.