Oxbridge: The Myth and the Reality

Few things are surer to get the UK media slathering like Pavlov’s dogs at a feline convention than a story about Britain’s two oldest universities, Oxford and Cambridge. To those from outside of the country the fixation probably looks pretty bizarre, but to the Brits these medieval institutions represent something far more fundamental than bachelor’s, master's and PhDs.

(Read more about studying in the UK.)

To those on the political left they are anachronistic bastions of class privilege, full of tweed-bedecked aristocrats named Rupert and Tarquin swigging port straight from the bottle, pontificating about the Divine Right of Kings (probably in Latin, lest the local proles overhear), and forming the self-congratulatory cliques that will later become the Tory cabinet or the board of directors at RBS or Goldman Sachs.

To those on the right, they are sacred enclaves of all that is good and decent about our green and pleasant land, whose age-old academic, nay, moral superiority is fast being eroded by the mania to open up university education to the rabble, otherwise known as Political Correctness Gone Mad™.

From the point of view of writing about these universities – and as someone who actually studied at one of them – much of the sensationalized coverage they receive makes me laugh. But it’s also slightly unsettling, not least because of the effect I can imagine it having on anyone thinking of applying to study there, particularly from abroad.

So here are five common Oxbridge myths, and how I would say they measure up against reality:

Myth 1: Cambridge and Oxford are by far the best universities in the UK, no matter what you want to study.

This is untrue, but so is the counter-myth that they are merely trading on age-old reputation. The UK is blessed with many top-quality universities (Imperial, UCL, LSE, King’s, Edinburgh, Manchester and many more), and the best courses and tutors are by no means exclusively sequestered within the opulent quadrangles of Oxbridge colleges.

One thing you can virtually guarantee about Oxbridge, however, is that they will be among the leading universities in most of the disciplines they offer (check out QS World University Rankings by Subject to see how we think they measure up in your discipline).

Myth 2: Oxbridge is full of posh people.

It’s true that a disproportionate number of people from private schools attend both Oxford and Cambridge, and the reasons and potential solutions for that are much debated. The image of the two as aristocratic finishing schools isn’t helped by the trappings of tradition, and bizarre rituals which often involve dressing up in formal attire (though most of these are optional).

However, unless you are intent on joining the local hunting society or the notoriously brash OUCA (Oxford University Conservative’s Association), you’ll meet people from all walks of life just like you would at any other university – and people tend to be far more interested in what you’re up to now than where you come from or which school you went to.

Myth 3: Oxbridge is all work, no play.

The workload isn’t negligible – one or two essays to hand in every week for humanities students, all-day labs, classes and lectures (plus out-of-hours work) for the scientists. And then there are the exams. But if you enjoy your subject and learn how to use your time efficiently, this needn’t be anywhere near as daunting as people make it sound.

Unless you’re willing to sacrifice all in your pursuit of academic excellence (and let’s face it, most people want to let off a bit of steam while they’re at university too…), most people find they are able to balance time spent in the library against time spent socialising – though this may involve the occasional coffee-fuelled late night ‘essay crisis’ (you’ll hear this phrase a lot).

Top tip to get your work done and still have fun: read the books during the holidays – this will free up precious hours of leisure/pub/sleep time during term. Making friends with your tutor also goes a long way (plying them with drink may help).

Myth 4: There’s nowhere to go out and have fun in Oxford or Cambridge.

I won’t lie; there may be times when you cast the occasional jealous glance at pictures of your mates partying it up in London or Manchester while you’re burning the midnight oil in a library or listing to another Queen medley in a sticky-floored basement purporting to be a ‘club’. But it’s not all bad – both Oxford and Cambridge are full of charming, old-style English pubs, and numerous nice cafes and restaurants for all budgets.

There are also several gig venues in both (the Corn Exchange in Cambridge and the Carling Academy in Oxford both host plenty of mid-to-high profile bands), though for both live student venues and local music scene, Oxford probably has the upper hand.

Both cities have a healthy student theater scene, and there are innumerable balls, socials and theme nights organized by the colleges (each of which, incidentally, has its own bar). And there are the usual raft of house parties, that classic staple of the student budget. However, if your ideal night out involves clubbing til dawn, your best bet is probably to travel an hour down the road to London.

Myth 5: In order to graduate from Oxbridge you must be fluent in Latin and Ancient Greek, have a signed certificate confirming your ability to operate a punt to a satisfactory standard, sign allegiance to the Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England, and demonstrate at least intermediate-level proficiency at fencing, archery, horsemanship and versification.

This is actually true*

*(completely untrue)

• What really makes Oxford and Cambridge different >
• Oxford or Cambridge? How to choose >
• Surviving an Oxbridge interview >