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Double Firsts
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I keep reading/hearing about well-known people who got double firsts at Oxford or Cambridge: David Baddiel (English), Lily Cole (History of Art) and, I think, James Norton (Theology) at Cambridge. Could somebody please explain the difference between a double first and an ordinary (!) first. Are 'Doubles' only given at Oxbridge? Hey, one of you ABers out there might have one of these mysterious Doubles!
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.I thought that a double first was when you had also got a First in your first/ second year as well. I think that's what it means at Cambridge, anyway, where the full course is called the "Tripos" and split into parts I (first and second year) and II (third year); Masters in this system are part III.
I think that meaning at least is only at Oxbridge. Not sure other universities do the same, either because lower-year exams count equally towards the overall degree or because they're regarded as merely ways to get into the second/ third year rather than as a graded thing in their own right.
Also Oxbridge is weird like that; I'm still waiting to collect my MA (Cantab.) for no other reason than enough time having passed since leaving...
Also Oxbridge is weird like that; I'm still waiting to collect my MA (Cantab.) for no other reason than enough time having passed since leaving...
It's over 40 years ago now, but at Durham you were only only examined at the end of the first year (called preliminary honours). If you failed you were taken off the honours course and put on the general degree course(now defunct) where you studied 3 subjects in much less depth. Finals were at the end of the third year, there were no exams at the end of the second year.
well Jack may have been 'up' in the good old days of the little go and the great go
yeah you know like 200 y ago
Jim n I were in the late twentieth century system where simply put you read a part 1 in two years and were classed ( first etc ) and then the third year was a part 2 ( another chance at a first )
and if you got a first in both part 1 and part 2 then you got a double first
lots and lots of exceptions - I read a part 1 in natural sciences and then a part 1 in Law. three years - two-year part one and a one-year part one - and your degree is in your final year subject so I got a law degree
Jim plugged in at post grad level and did a part 111 - eek !
he would be contemporary with math geeks who were so good at adding
that they took the second year math exam in their first year ( part one ) and then the final year in their second year ( part two ) and then in their third year the post grad MMath - in my time they still came out with a BA
In the good old days you could read a subject like history of art or sewing AND a math degree at the SAME time ! and if you got a first in both subjects at the same time you got a double first. Incredible
Lew Kwan Yew did it apparently in 1956 in Law and Math
Oxford well you did ask you had to do three years in Schools - and you could not chop and change as we could. So for Biochem - it was three years hard graft in Biochem - O I say ! - and it all boiled down to your third year and you could be asked any question relevant to any year. eek !
You were examined every year in classed exams and they had funny names just like in Money College Oxbridge episode of the Young Ones.
Prelims, Honour Mods and I cant recollect the final year one - I wasnt there.
And if you got a first in one of the first two years
but not in finals could you go around boasting you got a first at Cambridge ? O my god the fur used to fly over that one in my time ....
James Norton - Theology - first in part 1 and first on part 2 - easy one
and correct name - at Oxford I think it is called Divinity
Baddiel would have done an English part 1 and part 2 - but neednt - he could have done a history part one or law ( so long as you clock up three years )
Longish answer but you asked
yeah you know like 200 y ago
Jim n I were in the late twentieth century system where simply put you read a part 1 in two years and were classed ( first etc ) and then the third year was a part 2 ( another chance at a first )
and if you got a first in both part 1 and part 2 then you got a double first
lots and lots of exceptions - I read a part 1 in natural sciences and then a part 1 in Law. three years - two-year part one and a one-year part one - and your degree is in your final year subject so I got a law degree
Jim plugged in at post grad level and did a part 111 - eek !
he would be contemporary with math geeks who were so good at adding
that they took the second year math exam in their first year ( part one ) and then the final year in their second year ( part two ) and then in their third year the post grad MMath - in my time they still came out with a BA
In the good old days you could read a subject like history of art or sewing AND a math degree at the SAME time ! and if you got a first in both subjects at the same time you got a double first. Incredible
Lew Kwan Yew did it apparently in 1956 in Law and Math
Oxford well you did ask you had to do three years in Schools - and you could not chop and change as we could. So for Biochem - it was three years hard graft in Biochem - O I say ! - and it all boiled down to your third year and you could be asked any question relevant to any year. eek !
You were examined every year in classed exams and they had funny names just like in Money College Oxbridge episode of the Young Ones.
Prelims, Honour Mods and I cant recollect the final year one - I wasnt there.
And if you got a first in one of the first two years
but not in finals could you go around boasting you got a first at Cambridge ? O my god the fur used to fly over that one in my time ....
James Norton - Theology - first in part 1 and first on part 2 - easy one
and correct name - at Oxford I think it is called Divinity
Baddiel would have done an English part 1 and part 2 - but neednt - he could have done a history part one or law ( so long as you clock up three years )
Longish answer but you asked
Oh i got my a levels at 16 !
quite a few of us around
mr brown ( the prime minister ) of kirkcaldy academy did apparently and has spent the remainder of his black and worthless life saying he felt abused as result of being hot housed
history boys is all about young men being hot housed for the seventh term oxbridge exam
did two years gap as a lab tech at porton down
quite a few of us around
mr brown ( the prime minister ) of kirkcaldy academy did apparently and has spent the remainder of his black and worthless life saying he felt abused as result of being hot housed
history boys is all about young men being hot housed for the seventh term oxbridge exam
did two years gap as a lab tech at porton down