Ok, I totally agree with the whole architypal courses at Oxbridge - my friend is studying Ancient Greek Philosophy at Oxford...which I don't think is really going to help. Having said that I'm doing an English degree at Reading; but no doubt she will be more employable than me even in a Literature field. Although I disagree that it is all upper class tw@ts!! she has no financial support from either of her parents and is by no means well off. But then, I feel she is a minority!!!

All of these courses have a purpose - particularly golf green stuff - yeah, to you and me it seems like tosh, but for someone like my friend Sam who has never held down a job for more than six months he is loving working at a golf club and they are going to pay for him to go to college and learn the skills to improve which is great - surely that is what education is for? and anyhow, i don't think it is a degree in the sense that he get a BSc or anything, it is vocational - like GNVQs.

As for horse pyschology - this isn't terribly popular :lol: but horse physiotherapy is hugely popular. And the courses are mostly filled with people who have had horses all their lives, wanted to be a vet but just did not do well enough in exams so have found a different niche. Again, we need jobs filled in every part of Britain - what is the point of everyone been qualified to do the same thing? If we have a whole nation of chemists/technicians who will do the other jobs?

Also I know for a fact I would not be at uni if I had to do any of those Science courses! I had to work my socks off to get B's at GCSE in maths and science...but I love English and I am going to do a PGCE in Secondary English teaching next year...which I think is a slightly helpful job to the nation!

I did my first year in Sociology and English, but I dropped Sociology after the first year (which was expected anyway - you do 2 subjects in your first year and drop one.) I found that my first year Sociology stuff was identical to my AS/A Level sociology stuff and to be honest, it was really fascinating, but second time round I couldn't be bothered!

Media is such a fast growing industry that there are bound to be loads of courses about it. I wonder if studying Literature had the same uproar centuries ago?! Although, I do totally agree that a number of people told me if I want to go into Journalism or any field like that don't get a Media or Journalistic degree. Get a traditional degree and then sit the NCTJ exams.

Anyhow, prospective employers can see quite clearly what standard the applicant is firstly by their degree subject and secondly where they took the degree!!

I agree with most of what you say but I disagree with the Rich/Poor thing

 

Universities seem to be coming more and more like inner London councils in the sense that upper middle class students are being rejected by uni's in favour of ethnic minorities or those from poor backgrounds like there is some sort of quota system in place so poor and ethnic students have far more opportunities to get into uni than ever before

 

Yeah, but how many kids from working class or from ethnic minority backgrounds get the chance to study at Oxford or Cambridge though...? Or indeed the other "Red Brick" Unis..? I think you'll find the vast majority of ethnic minority and working class students are doing courses in the former Polytechnics... The odds are still stacked in the favour of the well-to-do when it comes to the more "prestigious" Unis, remember that notorious case from a few years back of the girl from a working class background who got rejected from Oxford even though she passed her school exams and the entry exams with flying colours ....? Nothing short of scandalous that was.. Still, she got the last laugh when she was offered a full scholarship from Harvard University :lol: :lol: :lol:

My friend who studies Law at Oxford says that her main problem is that the university do not allow you to get a job during term time and if you run out of money you should apply to them for grants/bursaries which obviously severely effects the working class students!

My friend who studies Law at Oxford says that her main problem is that the university do not allow you to get a job during term time

 

That's outrageous actually.... <_< How DARE any university deny a student the basic human right to go out and find a part-time job.... That really isn't on, and it's plain to me that Oxford is an elitist, upper-class establishment.. About time the Govt did something about this... Oh, wait, hang on, they WON'T though will they, seeing as how most of that lot are more than likely ex-students there..... <_<

 

How would Oxford know if you've got a job or not?

How would Oxford know if you've got a job or not?

 

stalking the students?

Well no - if you were covert about it I'm sure they wouldn't know. But their colleges are totally enclosed - there are people on the gates 24/7 and you have to be present at formal dinners regularly. But yeah, maybe ban is the wrong word - maybe i should have said "actively discourage" but either way, they would rather give you money or pay for your books for you than you need to seek employment.

Well next month I'm going to start my final year studying Drama (which is one of the subjects attacked here) and I don't see why that isn't useful at all! Infact many employers see it as a postive thing to have! For example it can show many qualities like teamwork which of course is something that a lot of employers look for and my course has offered me modules that can benifit me and offer me experience of various possible jobs, an example of that is that I took a teaching module in my second year where my lecturer was a former school teacher herself and we prepared a lesson plan and everything like real teachers would and we got to actually DO a lesson for our chosen age group. I feel personally that the amount of different things I've done and research would benifit me when searching for many different jobs so I think that whoever said all this should actually research and see what people actually do on these courses because we don't all just spend two hours running around you know. :rolleyes: But saying that I'm still swinging towards the performance side and going to a professional school afterwards.

Well no - if you were covert about it I'm sure they wouldn't know. But their colleges are totally enclosed - there are people on the gates 24/7 and you have to be present at formal dinners regularly. But yeah, maybe ban is the wrong word - maybe i should have said "actively discourage" but either way, they would rather give you money or pay for your books for you than you need to seek employment.

 

And are they gonna pay for your rent, electric/gas bills and food as well then...? Surely not every single student would stay on campus...

 

oxford is a little different to other places (apparently - i only know what i'm told so don't shoot the messenger!)

you choose/are assigned a college in your first year. it is unheard of for anyone not to live in their college in the first year and of course they then move into houses. they aren't stopping you from working in the holidays (which to be honest is all most of my friends do anyway - i'm one of a rare number who work during term time) and they just say that before you go looking for a term time job then the uni will help/fund you. at least they are trying to do something to help - my uni couldn't give a toss if you were about to go under!!