[aldo_14]

The rich, the elite, the daft.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/16/oxford_uni_hackers/

I won't get started on my dislike of the ridiculous elitism of the 'venerable' universities.......

[Fineus]

Yawn.

Employ the kids. They clearly know more than those in charge of the security at the Uni. This seems like an attempt to save face by coming down hard on those who did it - keeping the focus off the fact that they were able to do it.

[aldo_14]

I'm surprised the people at Oxford actually are aware of such new fangled gadgetry as computers, electricity and the wheel.  Unless their butlers use them, of course.

[Fineus]

Heh, true that. Shame really.. it's a beautiful town (city?).

[mlewis]

And how exactly would you know the demographic make up of the elite universities? It's arrogant and offensive to be that prejudiced with absolutely no justification.

I happen to go to Cambridge, and am from a very normal and not at all rich background. 99% of students at Oxbridge are very normal, if extremely clever and motivated. If you don't want to or can't see that, that's your loss.

[an0n]

Originally posted by mlewis
And how exactly would you know the demographic make up of the elite universities? It's arrogant and offensive to be that prejudiced with absolutely no justification.

It's arrogant and offensive to think everyone should subscribe to your morale and ethical beliefs.

[vyper]

Mlewis, you listen to me and you listen bloody damn good:

I go to Caledonian University. We have some of the newest facilities in Scottish universities, yet because we're a young (read 13 years old) University we (the students) get constant bull**** off Glasgow and Strathclyde students because "oh they're not a proper uni" and it's not done in a joking me.  

Most of the people who say it are "normal" just like you, and they're still arseholes for saying it. So don't tell me how elitism  is getting a bad name.

[an0n]

Vy-per! Vy-per! Vy-per!

[vyper]

[q]and motivated[/q]

Btw, we're all just as motivated. You don't need to go to an ancient uni to have motivation.

now I'm sorry if I'm coming across as agressive but this matter gets to me.

And...
WELCOME

[mlewis]

Originally posted by an0n
It's arrogant and offensive to think everyone should subscribe to your morale and ethical beliefs.

There was nothing 'morale' in what I said- I would just like not to be stereotyped as some kind of arrogant tosser.

I'm sure Caledonian Uni is a great place- I don't know much about it, but I wouldn't say it wasn't a proper uni. I wasn't asking to be put on some pedestal! Just not actively insulted by someone who probably really doesn't have a clue.


Anyhow, thanks for the welcome. It looks a great forum, otherwise.

[vyper]

Go play the SCP now

[Martinus]

[color=66ff00]The uni I go to is called the university of ulster, more particularly the Jordanstown campus (there are 4 or 5 campuses strewn over N. Ireland.). Anyhow the one that everyone use to try to get into was Queens uni. in Belfast. Prodigious background and well known for medicine and law. After having a good look around the place I'm very glad I went to UUJ, it's more relaxed, the lecturers aren't quite so uptight due to not being expected to continously churn out cutting edge research every single year and all of the women are in the same building.

Anyhow one thing I will say for Queens is that they are quite sensible when it comes to students messing about. A few years back a guy hacked the unix mail server in an attempt to have it automatically post an electronic christmas card to every lecturer on the entire Queens (lots of flashing ascii chrimbo trees from what I heard.)
He ended up killing the server and doing about £2000 worth of damage (man hours to fix the network back up). You know what Queens discipline board did to him? They suspended him for two weeks based on the fact that his intentions were not maligned. I find that most reassuring.
[/color]

[vyper]

[q] and all of the women are in the same building[/q]

I like Caley's layout of Chicks in the Wood building (heh, interesting name) and chicks in the Health building, and most of the predomenantly male disciplines in the Moore building between - we're surrounded by hot chicks the minute we leave a lab.

[Martinus]

Originally posted by vyper
I like Caley's layout of Chicks in the Wood building (heh, interesting name)

[color=66ff00] I think I just cracked a rib or three.
[/color]

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by mlewis
And how exactly would you know the demographic make up of the elite universities? It's arrogant and offensive to be that prejudiced with absolutely no justification.

I happen to go to Cambridge, and am from a very normal and not at all rich background. 99% of students at Oxbridge are very normal, if extremely clever and motivated. If you don't want to or can't see that, that's your loss.

I'm sorry mlewis, but it seems that every year about UCAS recruiting time we get stories about straight A Scottish students rejected by the 'elite' universities' for no apparent reason beyond location.

Of course, the real reason I dislike the 'old' unis down in England is their desire to raise fees, which has a negative impact on everyone - even Scotland.

Seriously, it's the people that run the place - i.e. the ones that want top-up fees and whatnot - that I dislike.  Nothing against the students.

Oh, and vyper? - Caledonian Polytechnic *runs*

[vyper]

[q]
Oh, and vyper? - Caledonian Polytechnic *runs*[/q]

*grabs a screwtop bottle*
SHURRUP!

[mlewis]

Originally posted by aldo_14


I'm sorry mlewis, but it seems that every year about UCAS recruiting time we get stories about straight A Scottish students rejected by the 'elite' universities' for no apparent reason beyond location.
 

The thing is with those stories, is what they don't mention. They never report that the people that do get the places, also have at least 3As or equivalent at A- level (that's really good, to anyone who doesn't know what an A-level is).

Unfortunately, there are too many people with great grades wanting to go places like Oxbridge, and not enough places for them. There are other great unis in the country too- all it means is that they didn't do quite so well at interview than some others, for whatever reason.  I'm from Northern Ireland, and from a very 'ordinary' family and school. There are lots others like me there, so from my point of view, there is no deliberate bias in the system. Just my opinion.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by mlewis


The thing is with those stories, is what they don't mention. They never report that the people that do get the places, also have at least 3As or equivalent at A- level (that's really good, to anyone who doesn't know what an A-level is).

Unfortunately, there are too many people with great grades wanting to go places like Oxbridge, and not enough places for them. There are other great unis in the country too- all it means is that they didn't do quite so well at interview than some others, for whatever reason.  I'm from Northern Ireland, and from a very 'ordinary' family and school. There are lots others like me there, so from my point of view, there is no deliberate bias in the system. Just my opinion.

The specific story I'm thinking of was a girl who got Straight A's at amultiple highers (our equivalent of A levels) and was rejected by Oxford.  It got coverage in the Scottish news (maybe national), and she later got a scholarship from one of the big unis in America.

THere's a perception of bias, certainly up here.  Same actually applies to St.Andrews...it also inludes the whole fees debate..  That's why I never considered even applying to any of the big english unis, because I never expected I'd be considered.  Tho I think I may have applied to St.Andrews, not sure.

[Stryke 9]

Well, of course. Who wants a Scotsman running loose on their campus? Next thing you know, they'll have turned one of the professors into a haggis and be on the top of the clock tower dressed in nought but a kilt playing bagpipes at 3AM.

[aldo_14]

That only happened once........