>>16889277
make the best out of it dude

you are awesome and you achieved something awesome, be proud of it and continue working hard this is pretty much a pass to fulfilling your dreams, if you want to take it

>>16889277

If Durham was you 'reaching', then well done

If you failed on Oxbridge and its your back up, top kek

I really wouldn't worry, top Russells (excluding Oxbridge, UCL/LSE/Imperial) are broadly on the same tier in terms of how much actual work you'll be doing

Source: at Oxford

>>16889293

Thanks, man.

I won't go into my background apart from stating that it was the shits (family filled to the brim with scroungers and murderers - I'm literally the first to have made it to college, let alone Uni, let alone Durham).

I've done well.

>>16889304

Durham was my joke choice. I put it there as a flip because I figured that if I'd use up four choices on vaguely realistic options (Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol) then I may as well have a stab in the dark. (I got offers from all the aforementioned fwiw)

Now I've made it to Durham, my path is at the whim of me. I know that for as shoddy as their funding is, a First from Durham entitles me to do my post-grad work literally anywhere (Oxbridge, Paris, Berlin, Utrecht...)

I was reaching as a joke and I got in.

Now I have to reconcile that fact with what I *might* end up achieving. Hence why I'm freaking the fuck out.

>>16889353
do you think you can't achieve it?

a good exercise for controlling your emotions is always to just sit or lay down just relax and breath slowly and deeply just totally relax

now imagine the thing that scares you over and over until you can stay relaxed

this might take a while, but it has worked wonders for me

>>16889380
>do you think you can't achieve it?

A First at Durham?

In the first instance, I am freaking the fuck out because I'm not "born" to even study at Durham. Let alone get a First.

I haven't been thinking about whether or not I could actually achieve it.

I am capable of relaxing before an exam or writing an essay. When I began college, I assumed I would be bottom of the class and that relaxed me (as well as listening to Augustus Pablo). There was no pressure.

But I know at Durham, I will be going against "rahs" that have had education drilled into them privately from an early age and middle class kids who have burned so much midnight oil, they could power a continent.

I genuinely assume that I was a statistical outlier when I came top of my year because nobody as lazy as me could come top of a decent class.

My knowing how to chill is Lebowski-esque.

But I won't be able to "relax" at Durham and chill my way into a First.

I will have to work and I mean fucking work to get to the top of the class. Am I capable? How the fuck would I know? I'm used to being a big fish in a shallow pond.

>>16889471

Rahs are generally stupid. You'll find that you're significantly smarter than them.
They required everything to be handed to them for them to get into Durham. You required far less.

>>16889504

Only so many kids can get Firsts. If not the rahs then the genuinely hard working middle class kids stand between me and my first. And those hard working middle class kids worked very fucking hard to get into Durham.

I just coasted through (admittedly a decent) class. Several are on Russell Group courses... But I were never challenged.

Using a very rudimentary analogy, I feel like am entering the Hunger Games.

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Mfw I've only been accepted to the University of Maine. Just kill me lads.

>>16889471
from someone who is repeating college education

don't ever rely on being smart or being able to do something without much work

always work hard, I have known this fact from the beginning but I still fucked over years of my life because I didn't actually follow it, and I still have huge problems motivating myself after years

>>16889556

To be honest, what you will immediately learn after freshers week is that most people do not give one solitary shit about studying, 2.1s are incredibly easy to obtain, and most have no interest in doing any better than that. I think you're very much exaggerating how difficult university will be for you and how much it will require of you. It'll be fine. People coast to firsts all the time if they just put in slightly more than is expected of them.

>>16889568
>don't ever rely on being smart or being able to do something without much work
>always work hard,

THIS. FUCKING THIS A THOUSAND TIMES OVER.

You got into Durham and if you're a poorfag, genuinely well done. It is a tight cunt to get into.

Don't waste your energy pondering whether or not you belong there. You've earned your place there and that's the end of it.

At the start of the course, your past and the past of your peers means literally fuck all. You are all starting at the same line.

Intellectually, you're on a par with your competition. The difference between you and them is made by your hard work.

>>16889602

I hope you're right.

Thanks for your time ITT. It is genuinely appreciated.

>>16889568
>>16889620

I suppose one benefit of having a chip on my shoulder is that I will work harder than the others.

>>16889559

Hugs?

I don't know how good/bad Maine is...

>>16889277

So you applied for Oxbridge and Durham and that's it? Or did all other units you applied to tell you to fuck off?

>>16890816

I applied for five Russells and got offers from all of them.

Didn't think I would get one.

Durham was off-chance choice. Thought I wouldn't stand a chance getting into Oxbridge so I didn't apply.

Guess I can do my masters at Oxbridge (or Paris/Berlin/Utrecht) if I do well at Durham.

Still not absorbing I got in though.

Awww as a Durham uni postgrad, welcome to the club!

Always work hard and you'll do fine. Never underestimate where brains and hard work and asking will take you. Someone has to get in, right?

>>16889277
Sounds like you got a little case of imposter syndrome, friend. Just take it, it's not gonna be any harder than any other uni, you'll just have better lecturers. Nothing to freak out about.

They wanted you for a reason, who cares what that reason is.

>>16890852

Hey there.

Which college did you start at?

I'm in Cuths (giggle)

Also, is Durham as beautiful as it seems?

I only have google earth and a fleeting vision when I was on a train to Newcastle a couple of years ago.

>>16890891

Cheers mate.

I'll have to keep words like yours to mind between the now and then otherwise I'll be overawed and I don't want that.

Thankfully, I'll have TdF and the Euros (sans Bosna :( ) to keep me occupied in the meantime,

>>16889559
Do okay there, do something impressive to put on your resume, and then go to a good grad school.

>>16889471

You fucking chilled your ass to Durham.

YOU CAN CHILL YOUR ASS TO A FIRST.

Just remember, you are not fighting against anyone but yourself. So relax and forget about that First. You already seem capable of busting your ass while being chill anyhoo, so THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF YOUR BIRTH should not even matter to begin with.

Context: I'm a second year student at digipen and i had to swap majors. I'm up against people who have YEARS of experience in either programming and/or media and I'm doing fine. My grades aren't the best and honestly, i don't care as long as i meet the minimums to graduate.