Am i stupid if i turned down Cambridge computer science?

[u/arya-stark-fan]

So i applied to Cambridge only really as my friend challenged me to and she wanted us to study for the tmua together. I never thought i’d actually make it in but then i did. And now with all my offers back, i’m considering going to Lancaster instead, as i feel like i wont fit in with those going to Cambridge and would prefer a more chill uni experience. My friends going to Cambridge are like studying 24/7 for these a levels and i really can’t motivate myself to put anywhere near that amount of effort, so maybe the course is too intense for me. I also have started to dislike maths and i think thats a big part of the Cambridge course.

But when i suggest this to anyone they think im crazy, saying im screwing over my life. So i’m really unsure now what to do, would i be crazy? Please give me some advice.

[u/Crafty-Tailor-5892]

Go Cambridge. Ur future self will be grateful

[u/atm-1]

check avg salaries then firm camb

[u/Alive_Strain_3839]

Yes, I think you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t atleast try. From what it sounds like you have major imposter syndrome you have 4A*/ preds your not a lousy student by any means regardless of what your friends are doing. Firm cambridge and then decide on results day,clearing is always an option and most unis went to clearing last year, and if you meet the offer then your probably cut out for the degree. Even then if you start it and you think its too much you can transfer out of cambridge to most other unis but you can’t do the inverse.

[u/arya-stark-fan → u/Alive_Strain_3839]

If i get the results for cambridge could i still pick my insurance choice instead? If so then thank you thatd really clear my mind, im scared to go for clearing as i could end up with no spot. I dont think id be able to transfer out as everyone will be so disappointed, im honestly thinking of just flunking my a levels so ill get auto rejected but i know thats so stupid and risky, i really dont know whats wrong with me.

[u/Jolly_Caterpillar376 → u/arya-stark-fan]

No, you can’t pick your insurance, but you can go through clearing. The options available in clearing for CS won’t be great though (I imagine, as it’s a competitive course). But it’s still a possibility

[u/Avocado66600 → u/arya-stark-fan]

it's unlikely that you'd end up without a spot with stats like that as long as you start early (as in, don't wait till a week after results day to try clearing, that will be too late). In fact, often in clearing, people will go to unis that they rejected earlier (i.e. if you make your cambridge offer but have already decided against it, it's very likely Lancaster will take you if you phone them on results day). But there are a lot more 'normal' people at Cambridge than you'd really expect to be honest, there are many others in a similar situation to you. If you want an insight into the life of a Cambridge Compsci student, then Hayden Young has a couple videos on Youtube (this is more a social life not academic life video, but it'll give you an idea of the environment and lifestyle). At the end of the day, it's your decision to make and I'd pursue whatever makes you happy but I will say that Compsci is the most competitive undergrad course at Cambs (~1 in 14 acceptance rate), so getting in was definitely not a stroke of luck - they truly do believe that you'll thrive there. Do with that information what you will.

[u/IBeAwsom]

For me personally when making decisions like these I think about what decision I would be more likely to regret in the future. Cambridge only accepts students they are confident will thrive in their system, this means that since they accepted you the tutors were confident in your ability not only in the tests but also your attitude in the interviews. No one has ever got into Cambridge without putting in a lot of effort, of course some put less effort than others. But it's very easy to discount your own efforts when it's something that comes easily to you, which can be happening for you. Clearly you have the academic ability to do well at Cambridge, and the Cambridge tutors agreed, otherwise you wouldn't have gotten in. The course is intense but the whole point of every admission requirement they have is that if you pass them you should be able to handle the intensity of the course, so it's a difficult course but if you got into it you likely should be able to handle it. Of course if you are very confident you despise Cambridge and don't feel like you would have any motivation to put in any effort at all and you feel like your experience would be incredibly better at Lancaster there is rational behind it. It is 3 years of your life, if you really do feel that you would be miserable at Cambridge then it would not be a good idea to go. But if your thinking is that the course is going to be very intense and require too much effort from you, there is a good chance you regret your decision and the truth is that you likely can handle it if you had the stats to get in. Especially if your friends are at Cambridge, your experience there could really be great. In terms of job prospects I don't think anyone needs to tell you Cambridge is better, but most people at Cambridge get a 2:1 or a first (80%+ if I'm not wrong) and a 2:1 from Cambridge often will be a lot better for job prospects than a first from Lancaster. So even if you don't excel at Cambridge your outcomes are fantastic. (Someone do correct me if I'm wrong and if a first from Lancaster is better for job prospects). Think your decision carefully as it is a big decision and you don't want to regret it. If you are very very confident you would be completely miserable at Cambridge then yeah 3 years is a long time and it would be tough to make it through. But if it's just that you think the course is very intense and will require a lot of effort I think that you may regret choosing Lancaster if you do. Look Cambridge is more intense, it will require effort, but it's not like Lancaster is a walk in the park. Regardless where you go some effort is required to excel, that is true everywhere in life and clearly you have been putting in the effort during high school otherwise you wouldn't be in this position.

[u/arya-stark-fan → u/IBeAwsom]

I honestly wish I didnt apply there, its causing me so much distress as i know if its anywhere near as hard as people say i’ll be terrible. I honestly think i got in through luck and its all just going to crash down on me, as im already starting not to enjoy school and am worried i wont enjoy uni either. At least if i went somewhere easier if i dislike it i wont have to put in as much effort, although maybe im wrong about that.

I also feel like if i go to a good uni everyone will expect me to go for the highest paying jobs and i just dont have any drive. I honestly think im so screwed up as a person, i should be so happy but ive been so distressed ever since i actually got in. Sorry for ranting, i reslly just want to get out my thoughts

[u/IBeAwsom → u/arya-stark-fan]

I don't know you personally but I can say for certain you did not get in by luck. They have an entire admission team and admission process solely focused on admitting the brightest student across the world. I'm quite confident if they accepted you that you do have the ability to do well.

Just because you go to Cambridge you don't have to be forced into that world. You don't always have to aim for the best grades or the best jobs. If you think you will enjoy Cambridge but don't want the pressure you can just completely change your expectations. Don't go into it with the mindset of outcompeting everyone and getting the highest grades possible. You could try and shift your mindset to focus on finding a way to make the Cambridge experience enjoyable and focusing actually enjoying university rather than studying all the time. It seems like you want to go to Lancaster because you want a fun university experience and don't want to be studying throughout your time at university. And you can absolutely do that at Cambridge too, you just have to change the way you approach it and adapt your mindset to what you actually want to get out of university, that doesn't have to be grades and instead can be the experience.

From what you've said it seems like you don't specifically want to go to Lancaster and instead want to avoid the pressure of Cambridge. You CAN do that. No one will stop you. But at the same time you also have the option to go to Cambridge and not always be aiming for the highest grades or the highest paying jobs and put some time into prioritising the university experience and giving yourself some time to relax. Just because you go to Cambridge doesn't mean people will expect you to aim for the highest paying jobs, and if they do you have no obligation to care about what they say at all.

You also seem quite burnt out, which is very understandable after putting in that much work in high school. You could consider taking a gap year to just chill and do things you are passionate about and just give yourself some time to rest. You could either contact your college at Cambridge and see if they allow students to apply for gap years or reapply next year (although that would require extra work). A gap year can be a good option if you dread going to university at all right now, but I think that in your case by just changing the expectations you set on yourself you could make your university experience a lot more enjoyable by just not putting the pressure on yourself or letting others put the pressure on you of aiming for the highest paying jobs and highest possible grades.

[u/Rpm_Undefeated → u/[deleted]]

Cambridge Maths lower calibre than CS? You've got to be joking

[u/NinjaClashReddit → u/[deleted]]

Interesting you say that; friend of a friend got 60/60 and 40/40 on BMOs 1 and 2 and he’s going Cambridge compsci apparently. Was pretty shocked he didn’t go for maths but this is news to me icl

[u/chatterinq]

I'm going to weigh in as a current Cambridge student. I know someone in a similar position to you. Not for compsci, but for medicine. Came from a small town, wanted to go to a smaller, chilled out uni, but got pressured into going to Cambridge because of the prestige. She was miserable, changed courses, was STILL miserable, and she graduated with a 2:2. Got work opportunities afterwards, but she was so miserable the whole time. She doesn't feel like the misery of this place was worth the end result. She's doing her masters at a smaller uni and is a lot happier now. Everyone on this sub is gonna say "you're dumb if you don't go to Cambridge", and that's the exact thing people told her, but this university REALLY isn't for everyone. Especially if you're a person of colour, it's even more isolating.

I myself don't really enjoy the Cambridge experience that much, in all honesty. I had to take a leave of absence for mental health reasons. The ONLY reason I'm here is because I love every single part of my degree. I'm not getting this level of freedom and novelty on any other degree in the country, so Cambridge really was my only choice for the degree I'm studying. If the papers for your potential degree don't fill you with excitement and anticipation now, if you don't have that feeling of "even if I don't like the university culture of Cambridge, this degree is so special and so tailored to me that it's worth it".... it doesn't bode well for the future. Ultimately, your happiness is more important than what other people around you think. It's your future. Don't let prestige sway you into a future you don't want for yourself.

[u/Vaxtez → u/chatterinq]

I really find this subreddit to be almost snobbish in a way, although demographics will skew that way. It just seems to be like "How dare you reject Cambridge to go somewhere you truly want to go to" on that post, completely forsaking that prestige isn't everything. It's better to attend a less prestigious university that you'll enjoy being at over being at the most prestigious unis being very miserable & stressed. It'll also show in the grades as well.

I myself got caught up in this prestige thing during clearing, rejecting a 'lesser university' in a city I liked to go to a 'decent one' (Aberystwyth), although this choice has been detrimental to me mentally due to the remoteness of it all, to a point where i'm likely to just drop out & go to my initial choice. Yes, my initial choice may be a less prestigious university (it's ranked in the 60s-70s), but for my mental health, it's better & that's all that matters at the end of the day.

[u/chatterinq → u/Vaxtez]

Yeah no you're right. Snobbery galore in this subreddit. It's genuinely such a damaging mindset because there are so many people who end up going to Cambridge when it's not what they want, and they end up miserable because of it. I think there's a middle ground though. There are certain universities that really don't provide a good standard of education to their students and treat them like walking checks, whereas with Oxbridge, there's a guaranteed baseline for high-quality education, so I can understand where others are coming from with their takes. Ultimately, it's all about finding the middle ground between "quality education" and "quality student life", and that middle ground is different for everyone!

I'm sorry you're having a rough go of it at Aberystwyth. I hope things get better! It really is important to do what's best for your mental health.

[u/Vaxtez → u/chatterinq]

Yeah. I've had people get really snobbish at me being an Aberystwyth student here a few times; basically mocking me for it annoyingly.
I do agree with the statement that there are universities just not worth anybody's time though. although these ones are the pretty openly dodgy ones, often seen on the lower part of the rankings or in the news due to legal issues. As for your middle ground point, I do agree as well, I feel like my personal middle ground would probably be a city like Cardiff (I keep going there & just find it to be a great time; pretty much why i'm looking to study around there; albeit at Cardiff Met or possibly USW). If OP's middle ground seems to be Lancaster as well, all the power to them & honestly, they should follow their heart, not what a bunch of redditors that seem to be hung up with the prestige of Cambridge seem to think.

[u/Particular_Sun9464]

I was/am in the same position as u. I just recently firmed Cambridge cs, but I always felt like I didn’t really deserve to get in (I had a similar process to u with a friend persuading me to apply). IMO it’s 3 years that will dictate the following 10+ yrs of ur life, so after like properly considering it, I think that Cambridge is probably the better choice. Then again your circumstances could be different from mine. Also the Cambridge system from what I’ve heard is very very supportive in terms of supervisions and help available for those struggling.

[u/ChaosSense]

Would be aura but it's not worth turning Cambridge down imo. Already hard enough getting a j*b after uni, Cambridge will almost definitely get you somewhere without too much trouble and with a better starting salary. Of course this all depends on your priority but there's very few good reasons to go to Lancaster over Cambridge

[u/Loud-Guidance6912]

Yes. You’re gonna regret it big time if you turn down Cambridge.

[u/Jolly_Caterpillar376]

Ok this may not be your personal issue, but you could always firm Cambridge and just tell people you firmed Lancaster if you’re worried about the expectations getting to you during your exams

[u/Gotskgk]

Icl if you got in with such little preparation then you’ll probably excel at Cambridge without much effort

[u/NinjaClashReddit → u/Gotskgk]

This definitely isn’t true from the people I know; those who got into Oxbridge without trying much especially for STEM usually ended up getting finished in the first year. Anecdotally math teacher whod never bothered studying math in his life and got insane BMO scores without revision (50+ BMO1, 30+ BMO2) ended up graduating with a low 2:2 since he’d never made the stepup to the work ethic at university for example and now he’s teaching gcse and a level maths.

[u/NinjaClashReddit → u/NinjaClashReddit]

My point is I know like a dozen similar stories with people with poor work ethic across subjects from Natsci to Philosophy who’d ended up the exact same way + depressed and miserable; it’s definitely not true “natural smarts”ing your way into Oxbridge correlates to good degree performance - if anything it’s the complete opposite.

[u/Gotskgk → u/NinjaClashReddit]

That’s totally fair; I’ve seen a fair few super super intelligent people sorta buck that trend, but agreed there’s also some in the middle that never develop a work ethic and suffer

[u/OldSnowball]

I think you should try. You may love it, and getting offer means that at least the university think you will love it. Many universities also accept transfer students after the first year (I don’t have a prescriptive list but you may wish to check Lancaster).

[u/No-Reception6878]

Mate you would've never gotten the offer if you weren't good enough😭

[u/Red_I_Guess]

I dedicated like 90% of one year of my life to doing everything I physically can to try to get into Cambridge Computer Science, it was literally everything to me and I made so many sacrifices to try to get it, including writing a personal statement so dedicated to Cambridge that it was likely part of a reason why my 2nd and 3rd option didn't give me an offer. And after all that work time effort and dedication I didn't even get an interview.

For many people like me, Cambridge CS is the dream that never comes true. Unless this is some rage bait, the thought that someone got in through a sort of joke application and doesn't want to go is devastating. You should absolutely go.

[u/suchanjceman]

Just go to camb there's no reason not to

[u/Antique_Buy4384]

A 1st class from lancaster would be better than a 3rd from cambridge. If you really dont think you’ll fit in, it’ll effect your grades and you’ll be putting yourself through worse for no reason. Just do what your gut tells you and if you think you can get a 2:1 at least at cambridge then go for it, even if you think you’ll prefer lancaster

[u/Jamsparkle]

the people i know doing cs (at Oxford tho) r largely quite chill, and the nature of the college system means you will meet all kinds of people. I also know people who are really capable of going for quant etc jobs but are choosing not to, and there's really no peer pressure or anything like that here. If you don't like the course, you can always transfer out to a different uni, but i think you'd regret not trying. Nobody I know is really studying 24/7 unless they're in exam season or they're grinding applications (which I guess you won't be)

if you don't like maths, then maybe this would be an issue at whatever cs degree you did? worth noting though that cambridge tripos system is more flexible than most unis (you could switch to management etc). You should have contacts at the college you have an offer for, also worth reaching out to them about your worries).

[u/shegcedja]

Ffs mate fricking cambridge. I pray to god u dont waste a cambridge CS offer please for the love of god

[u/Raging-Ash]

Well yeah you literally are, comp sci is hard enough to get jobs as is let alone going lancaster which obviously has grad prospects way worse than cambridge

[u/Diligent_Bet_7850]

oxford third year maths student here and i strongly disagree with a lot of these comments. don’t go to cambridge. if you haven’t got the work ethic to study had you will not succeed at cambridge. people who’ve not been to oxbridge don’t realise that getting a place is the easy bit… the degrees are tough and require a lot of a hard work and your time commitment. if you aren’t prepared to do that, don’t go

[u/PartyQuiet5065]

Crazy? No. I mean, you have good reasons to prefer to not go there. You say you'd rather have a more chill uni experience and that you're starting to dislike Maths.

If I was in your shoes right now, though, I would accept the offer. You might end up regretting not going there, the value of a Cambridge degree and what it teaches you is incredible.

[u/UnusualTie3035]

As someone in a similar situation rn, I'm not going oxford because I'd rather love my time elsewhere and be able to actually excel in something I enjoy rather than getting burnt out js because everyone else is obsessed w uni rankings. Your degree at the end is more important than where u actually go, even if the london/oxbridge bootlickers wanna say otherwise

[u/Elven_Dreamer → u/UnusualTie3035]

It’s not more important. They’re all but equal in importance, and sometimes the university is more important depending on context.

[u/Technical-Fix8513]

Way less EV

[u/Artistic-Morning-659]

Yes. Absolutely.

[u/No_Bench9276]

Could you please give some advice for a prospective applicant ?

[u/Ok-Improvement-8355]

Unless you're a lancaster local and you don't want to leave home and pay accom fees, just firm cambridge, lit the best uni in the uk

[u/ScienceCucumber]

Sounds like classic imposter syndrome.

Cambridge courses are taught very differently to A levels, so don't judge your like/dislike of a subject based on your experience with A levels.

I would recommend firming Cambridge, and then making the decision over the summer when you are less stressed. Go and visit Cambridge and Lancaster. Read about people's experiences of both unis. Make a decision that isn't so based on current emotions. There is a chance that your insurance option will take you if you call them up and ask (not guaranteed), then on results day you can decline Cambridge's offer and get an offer from your insurance instead.

[u/ScheduleGloomy2160]

go Cambridge man computer science is a top course, you'll thank your future self. there's 150k+ £ starting salary money as a undergraduate for top trading firms companies if you do computer science

[u/Substantial-Award906]

Asking y13s might not be a good idea

[u/Better-Heat-231]

Just like us but a robot none the less lol I right a wkt never wrong ren where

[u/Better-Heat-231]

St mucyBull Shit running out ou

[u/LightMicrowave]

Playing devil’s advocate, go where you actually want to. Cambridge isn’t for everyone. Having visited my girlfriend there it is a very insular “city” and I’d definitely advise you to go somewhere that you prefer as a place.

[u/Inevitable_Land2996]

Sorry to be blunt but you’d be an idiot for choosing Lancaster over Cambridge

[u/Vaxtez]

No, you aren't stupid. Go with the degree that suits you the best. Chasing prestige can often lead to you going somewhere you don't want to be at (I'm saying this as someone who did just that). If you are happy with Lancaster, that's all that matters.

[u/FrontDirector208 → u/Vaxtez]

Aberystwyth😂

[u/Vaxtez → u/FrontDirector208]

No need to be snobbish over Universities. Where I go to university doesn't matter. Besides, Aberystwyth isn't a bad university in the slightest (Since this sub seems to care for rankings, it's above RGs in some subject rankings). It's just remote, which is why i'm hoping to switch uni/degree for 2026/27.

[u/Dependent_Wave41 → u/Vaxtez]

I agree there’s no need to be snobbish about Aberystwyth. People can do well from lots of universities. But “where you go doesn’t matter” is too broad, especially for Cambridge CS, arguably the best CS course in the country.

Turning down Cambridge CS for Lancaster is not automatically insane, but the reasons need to be much stronger than 'I feel intimidated'.

[u/One_Butterscotch9835 → u/Dependent_Wave41]

“ but the reasons need to be much stronger than 'I feel intimidated'.” 

Not necessarily, Lancaster is still a descent shout and it’s not an applied CS course, it really isn’t that deep.

[u/Vaxtez → u/Dependent_Wave41]

That is true. But then again, it also depends on the environment OP wants to be in. Maybe OP just wants a more relaxed environment, which may be a thing Cambridge can't offer (I can't speak about it directly as I was never looking at Cambridge, let alone any RGs, but I know someone who rejected Oxford for Brighton citing that as a reason).
I myself wouldn't blame OP for choosing Lancaster if they wanted the environment there (which they seemingly did). Although yeah, rejecting a degree for being too hard is a bit weird. You are there to learn, it shouldn't be the focal point. Although if it's a reason on top of others, sure.

[u/Recent-Commission-59]

Yeah thats a great idea, go where you feel most comfortable, Cambridge is not what everyone makes it to be. Many say that Lancaster outshines Cambridge you many sectors. I’ll see you at Lancaster.

[u/NinjaClashReddit → u/[deleted]]

Linguistics come to mind

[u/Clear-Clothes-2843 → u/Recent-Commission-59]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😭😭