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mattdamon
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Joined: July 19th, 2005, 3:35 pm

Durham...

August 16th, 2005, 6:49 pm

Hi,I've been looking through the threads and found nothing that specifically addressed this - is Durham a decent university? What about Bristol? St Andrew's? Someone in my class made a cruel comment about Durham recently and I hope it's not true. He said it's where all the Oxbridge rejects go. I thought that was a bit harsh, is this the general perception of the place? It would be terrible to apply to a bank in a few years with a decent PhD from Durham say and get it swatted away.
 
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DominicConnor
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Joined: July 14th, 2002, 3:00 am

Durham...

August 16th, 2005, 9:46 pm

That is the traditional comment about Durham.Must confess, though I hear a wide range of good and bad things about a wide range of places, I never hear anything good about Durham. That is of course subject to profound sampling error, and bias from those I hear from.To be sure I think some managers might take a negative view, but the bias is based upon undergrad intake, not research or PhD.But the bias does exist, can't really comment upon whether it is rational, but will say it is quite small and shouldn't really affect your decision.
 
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Etuka
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Joined: January 1st, 2002, 7:40 pm

Durham...

August 16th, 2005, 10:19 pm

There is some truth to this, but Durham is a fine University and provides a good education. So is Bristol, so is St Andrews. You should not get rejected because you have a Durham degree...
 
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linuxuser99
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Joined: March 26th, 2004, 2:51 pm

Durham...

August 17th, 2005, 7:48 am

>> Someone in my class made a cruel comment about Durham recently and I hope it's not true. He said it's where all the Oxbridge rejects go. I thought that was a bit harsh, is this the general perception of the place?Absolutely true. Look at their wikipedia page where they constantly play up the "oxbridge" wannabe aspect of the school - and cling onto the (patently untrue) "third oldest uni" claim like it were a life belt from the rapidly sinking SS Middle Class. They even tried to get a term "Doxbridge" into common parlance a while back (google for references).Sad thing is that in amongst the less bright scion of the establishment there are enough smart people there that it is not a bad university all things considered. St Andrews (check out the ratio of English to Sctos there!) has the same issues as do (to a much lesser extent Bristol and Bath). It's probably true to say that there are few people who are at these schools who did not wish they were at Oxbridge.What Etuka says is true - you wont get rejected because of a Durham Degree. But you wont be accepted into the drawing rooms of the great and good either.
 
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mattdamon
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Joined: July 19th, 2005, 3:35 pm

Durham...

August 17th, 2005, 9:53 am

Thank you all for your replies, that's helpful. May I ask for your opinions on Warwick? Edinburgh? Now these surely ARE good right, and aren't looked upon in the same way?
 
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DominicConnor
Posts: 41
Joined: July 14th, 2002, 3:00 am

Durham...

August 17th, 2005, 10:06 am

I'm with Etuka. We wouldn't delete someone from our files just for having a Durham degree. However I must say one encounters such people more rarely than you would expect from a good size British Uni.Edinburgh is good generally, and I hear various nice things about Warwick for finance. Personally I'd pick Edinburgh.
 
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linuxuser99
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Joined: March 26th, 2004, 2:51 pm

Durham...

August 17th, 2005, 10:30 am

With DCFC on this one. Edinburgh and warwick are both good schools. But I'd way rather spend 3 - 4 years in Edinburgh than Coventry.
 
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migalley
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Joined: June 13th, 2005, 10:54 am

Durham...

August 17th, 2005, 10:56 am

QuoteOriginally posted by: linuxuser99But I'd way rather spend 3 - 4 years in Edinburgh than Coventry.Agree with you there, and I've never even been to Edinburgh!!!!
 
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ppauper
Posts: 11729
Joined: November 15th, 2001, 1:29 pm

Durham...

August 17th, 2005, 12:31 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: mattdamonHe said it's where all the Oxbridge rejects go.not all of them -- some go to bristol.I'd say that's a plus:at least the students there are almost good enough to go to oxford,which is a lot more than you can say for a lot of universities
 
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linuxuser99
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Joined: March 26th, 2004, 2:51 pm

Durham...

August 17th, 2005, 2:19 pm

>> at least the students there are almost good enough to go to oxford,>> which is a lot more than you can say for a lot of universities at least the students there think they are almost good enough to go to oxford,which is a lot more than you can say for a lot of universities I think I'd be the best lover Hilary Swank ever had - dont make it so does it? Remember UK university admissions are entirely self selecting.
 
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htmlballsup
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Joined: February 9th, 2004, 10:23 am

Durham...

August 17th, 2005, 2:30 pm

Durham seems pretty second rate in terms of physics or astronomy research to me.St Andrews always makes me laugh - when I was at school it was V. easy to get in there, since Prince W. turned up itsentrance requirement has rocketed. It has always had some research but nothing knock out.Bristol has some good research.Edinburgh kicks ass in research - with good particle physics and excellent astronomy. They also have Higgs.But then I would say that......
 
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ppauper
Posts: 11729
Joined: November 15th, 2001, 1:29 pm

Durham...

August 18th, 2005, 1:26 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: linuxuser99I think I'd be the best lover Hilary Swank ever had she's certainly be the best you ever had, in that she'd become the only one you've ever had
 
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linuxuser99
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Joined: March 26th, 2004, 2:51 pm

Durham...

August 18th, 2005, 1:27 pm

> she's certainly be the best you ever had, in that she'd become the only one you've ever had"In that weight class" and you're probably right.