Today I would like to talk about a very embarrassing issue, that we are all guilty about, yet none of us would readily admit to. University snobbery. Yes, don't lie we have all done it to some degree.
This tends to cut in two ways. First of all people resentfully look upwards to those institutions that are ranked above theirs and claim "Oh, the only sort of people who go there are all boffins who work all the time, and have no social life" or "Oh you have to be rich/privately educated/the son of a duke to go there". They then look at those institutions below them and think they are not 'real' universities, and you must be a bit thick to end up there. That leaves you feeling all smug and happy. Apart from if you go to Oxbridge then presumably you look down on everyone else. Or if you go to whatever uni is at the bottom and even then I am not sure what you do at that point.
Obviously no one, apart from the most blindly arrogant, would admit this in polite society. Yep, we will all play the Oh its great that access is widened card in public. Some of us will even work out some complicated mathematical formula that takes into account the fact that although my uni is ranked lower, my psychology department is ranked higher (but only in the Times, not the Guardian) and combined with the fact that both of ours requires higher A-levels grades than hers to get into, means we all end up happy.
All well and good. That's until the whole fragile system comes crashing down when someone unwittingly makes a comment that is taken the wrong way by someone with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. I am not sure what temperature blood freezes at, but its brought on by the high pitched shriek "AND WHATS WRONG WITH GOING TO AN EX POLY!!!".
The Cabin In The Woods
3 weeks ago
2 comments:
I went to an ex poly and then one of those 'top' Unis. I feel confused!
I've been to both. I found the ex poly better in terms of the standards of teaching & physical environment. I can't bear snobbishness. There does seem to be a great deal of it among clin psych wannabees. It's really putting me off....so much so that I made very definate moves toward my back up plan!!! I even filled out an application for the training & was interviewed yesterday. Must admit, the interviewees for the back up plan were not complete twats so I was reassured with my choice (still not sure what I'll do if they offer me a place though...not sure I understand why I'm still considering a career in clin psych, alonside all of those awful cunts).
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