c4countdown

This isn't a proposal to run a tournement, but I was thinking earlier that apart from the younger players like Kai and Eoin; most aptoforumites are at or have been to university.

Therefore I was wondering which one, so we could have a discussion about who would hypothetically win a University Challenge Style Countdown Tournament.

Just to keep it easy, you can represent any university you got into and went to at least one class and you don't still have to be there to be 'elligible'. If you went to more than one (either because you dropped out or did some kind of post grad) then you can choose which one to represent.


Also I wasn't sure if this belonged in Countdown General, Events, Apterous or this one so please move if you feel appropriate Charlie.

I graduated from Exeter University.
I've recently done some postgraduate studies at Thames Valley University.

I'm hoping to go to Cambridge. Although Computer Science really interests me, Maths would be the course I would take, and hopefully by the time I leave for uni I'll have 3 A levels in Maths.

University of Hull mate.

Edit: One of the great universities along with Oxford and Cambridge.

Exeter University for the B, Open University for the M.

I think Cambridge would be pretty certain to win any such Countdown University challenge.

I went to Surrey. Not one of the traditional big names, but it's now in the top ten for maths. It wasn't top ten when I started. I'm not trying to take credit, but...

Cambridge, then UCL then the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. I think I'll try out for the LSHTM team, thanks.

Douglas Wilson wrote:the younger players like Kai and Eoin

And me!

Michael Wallace wrote:Cambridge, then UCL then the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. I think I'll try out for the LSHTM team, thanks.

Is it hard to get into Cambridge Uni?

I don't know what University to go to. Maybe Oxford, maybe Cambridge...it doesn't have to be one of those really - although it would be good to go to one of those universities - the only unis I want to go to are good ones (such as Oxford and Cambridge). Not sure though.

University of Leicester (okay, so I 'went' to Bishop Grosseteste College in Lincoln, but my degree says 'University of Leicester' on it so that's what I'm claiming).

Me, Hunter and Chitters would boss it for Sheffield

Soph K wrote:

Michael Wallace wrote:Cambridge, then UCL then the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. I think I'll try out for the LSHTM team, thanks.

Is it hard to get into Cambridge Uni?

I guess? I mean, if you're a super genius it'll seem easy, and if you're not it'll seem harder, depends on what you want to study, how good you are at it, how hard you can work, etc. etc.

Warwick, Computer Science. My headmaster was really keen for me to go to Cambridge because (a) he thought I could pass the entrance exam and (b) it would make his school look good. Unfortunately by that point I'd already made up my mind I wanted to do Comp Sci and Cambridge were way down the list of good unis for that subject, so I took great delight in disappointing him.

Phil Reynolds wrote:Warwick, Computer Science. My headmaster was really keen for me to go to Cambridge because (a) he thought I could pass the entrance exam and (b) it would make his school look good. Unfortunately by that point I'd already made up my mind I wanted to do Comp Sci and Cambridge were way down the list of good unis for that subject, so I took great delight in disappointing him.

Snap (to the Warwick Comp Sci bit). What year did you graduate?

Mike Brown wrote:What year did you graduate?

1981 - you?

Phil Reynolds wrote:

Mike Brown wrote:What year did you graduate?

1981 - you?

1988. I expect lots of the lecturers were the same, though, and probably some of the computers! Do daisy or snow mean anything to you?

Me and Conor would bitch slap you all. Charlie can be our first choice reserve.

Seriously though, after losing out on a £2.19 Bet on the boatrace, I really want to get some revenge in the form of varsity countdown.

Pleasing to see a couple more Warwickians on the list!

JackHurst wrote:Me and Conor would bitch slap you all. Charlie can be our first choice reserve.

Seriously though, after losing out on a £2.19 Bet on the boatrace, I really want to get some revenge in the form of varsity countdown.

But your knowledge is shocking. All you have is maths and anagrams.

Edit: Oh actually, I was under the impression of playing University Challenge but only with Countdown forumites. My mistake, guess that's why I'm at Hull.

I'm a Sheffield maths drop out, just like Craig Beevers.

Wolverhampton Poly.

Don't worry, I've heard every possible joke and insult about going to a poly.

JackHurst wrote:Me and Conor would bitch slap you all. Charlie can be our first choice reserve.

Seriously though, after losing out on a £2.19 Bet on the boatrace, I really want to get some revenge in the form of varsity countdown.

What'd be really cool is if the three of you entered the National Scrabble Club Tournament (given that last time I checked, there was an official and registered CU club). Okay, there's no Oxford University club, but that just surely means you win merely by turning up...

Mike Brown wrote:

Phil Reynolds wrote:

Mike Brown wrote:What year did you graduate?

1981 - you?

1988. I expect lots of the lecturers were the same, though, and probably some of the computers! Do daisy or snow mean anything to you?

2005.

By the time I was at Warwick they'd moved the CS department to its own building rather than giving it a few rooms dangling off the end of the Physics area. And they had a room full of Sparc workstations each of which was named after a character from the Mr Men.

Mike Brown wrote:

Phil Reynolds wrote:

Mike Brown wrote:What year did you graduate?

1981 - you?

1988.

Gosh. You're younger than you look.

I expect lots of the lecturers were the same, though

Oh, undoubtedly - indeed a few of them are still there, including Meurig Beynon who was my personal tutor.

and probably some of the computers! Do daisy or snow mean anything to you?

Um, no, soz. This was before the days when local networks became the norm so we hadn't got into the habit of giving the machines cute names. When I started the department's main teaching computer was a PDP-11/34 running V7 Unix (actually in my first term it was V6), supplemented by various LSI-11s referred to as either 'twin tubs' because they had dual 8" floppy disk drives on the front, or 'fish tanks' because they looked a bit like Orac from Blake's 7 (though sadly not transparent). Later on the PDP was supplanted by a VAX-11/780 running an early form of BSD Unix, and we also had a Commodore PET to play with. What were daisy and snow?

Ryan Taylor wrote:University of Hull mate.

Edit: One of the great universities along with Oxford and Cambridge.

Oxford's a complete dump...
Uni of Essex, Uni of Worcester. I've had a quality education.

Can I enter with a "didn't go to University" team? I promise we'll try and keep the open-mouthed dribbling and throwing of our own faeces to a minimum.

I went to Teesside University to study History. Graduated in 2008.

Jon Corby wrote:Can I enter with a "didn't go to University" team? I promise we'll try and keep the open-mouthed dribbling and throwing of our own faeces to a minimum.

Snigger.

Cambridge and then Cambridge some more for me, approaching my sixth year here. They might let me leave eventually.

Edinburgh, then Napier. Six years well spent.

I'll represent Scotland if no-one else turns up.

Karen Pearson wrote:Wolverhampton Poly.

Don't worry, I've heard every possible joke and insult about going to a poly.

Aparrotly not.

Ian Volante wrote:Edinburgh, then Napier. Six years well spent.

I'll represent Scotland if no-one else turns up.

Isn't Innis there at the moment? You could put together a decent team, even though Edinburgh isn't what it used to be.

University of Glasgow 79-82. Electrical/Electronic engineering drop-out.

Back there at the moment, at end of jr hons year doing maths. 7 exams imminent

Phil Reynolds wrote:Oh, undoubtedly - indeed a few of them are still there, including Meurig Beynon who was my personal tutor.

I remember him; Martin Campbell-Kelly was mine, if it means anything to you.

Um, no, soz. This was before the days when local networks became the norm so we hadn't got into the habit of giving the machines cute names. When I started the department's main teaching computer was a PDP-11/34 running V7 Unix (actually in my first term it was V6), supplemented by various LSI-11s referred to as either 'twin tubs' because they had dual 8" floppy disk drives on the front, or 'fish tanks' because they looked a bit like Orac from Blake's 7 (though sadly not transparent). Later on the PDP was supplanted by a VAX-11/780 running an early form of BSD Unix, and we also had a Commodore PET to play with. What were daisy and snow?

We were still using an LSI-11 when I was there for a raster graphics course, or something like that. daisy was a Systime (pretend VAX) owned by the Computer Centre and snow was a VAX which was getting on a bit, but we loved it. Good old UNIX, you can't beat it.

Graeme Cole wrote:By the time I was at Warwick they'd moved the CS department to its own building rather than giving it a few rooms dangling off the end of the Physics area. And they had a room full of Sparc workstations each of which was named after a character from the Mr Men.

I haven't been back to the campus since the '90s, I really should go and have a look round. By the time I left, they were using precious stones to name the VAXes (diamond, garnet, ruby...) and planets and moons for the Sun workstations. Love the Mr Men theme, did they call them things like happy and messy, or is the mr/mrs attached?

Mike Brown wrote:

Phil Reynolds wrote:Meurig Beynon [...] was my personal tutor.

I remember him; Martin Campbell-Kelly was mine, if it means anything to you.

Yep, Martin taught the History of Computing module I took in my second year and is still there.

Phil Reynolds wrote:

Mike Brown wrote:

Phil Reynolds wrote:Meurig Beynon [...] was my personal tutor.

I remember him; Martin Campbell-Kelly was mine, if it means anything to you.

Yep, Martin taught the History of Computing module I took in my second year and is still there.

Loved that course! Do you still have connections with the uni then or have you just googled it?

Mike Brown wrote:Do you still have connections with the uni then or have you just googled it?

I don't have specific connections with the university any more, other than membership of the Graduates Association and the fact that I still visit campus quite often; it's only a few miles away so I go to stuff at the Arts Centre quite regularly, and also occasionally get involved in student projects - I was there this week doing a voiceover for a student film.

As far as the old department goes, no need for Google - I just went to the university site and followed the links to find the current list of CS teaching staff.

Phil Reynolds wrote:

Mike Brown wrote:Do you still have connections with the uni then or have you just googled it?

I don't have specific connections with the university any more, other than membership of the Graduates Association and the fact that I still visit campus quite often; it's only a few miles away so I go to stuff at the Arts Centre quite regularly, and also occasionally get involved in student projects - I was there this week doing a voiceover for a student film.

As far as the old department goes, no need for Google - I just went to the university site and followed the links to find the current list of CS teaching staff.

Thanks Phil, a few more names there that I can remember!

So far then:

Exeter
Matt Morrison*
Brian Moore*

Thames Valley
Matt Morrison*

Open
Brian Moore*

Hull
Ryan Taylor

Surrey
Martin Bishop

LSHTM
Michael Wallace

Leicester
Ben Wilson

Sheffield
Dinos Sfyris
Ben Hunter

Warwick
Mike Brown
Phil Reynolds
James Hall
Graeme Cole

Cambridge
Charlie Reams
Jack Hurst
Kai in the youth team

Wolverhampton
Karen Pearson

Worcester
Lesley Hines*

Essex
Lesley Hines*

Teeside
Martin Long

No University
Jon Corby

Edinburgh
Ian Volante*

Edinburgh Napier
Ian Volante*

Glasgow
John Gillies

*indicates that the person didn't indicate which one they'd represent in a hypothetical tourney.

I haven't included people who have been suggested, but not replied to this thread ie. Innis and 'Chitters'.

Cambridge would be favourites at the moment me thinks, with Sheffield and Warwick respectable challengers.

Any more replies would be good!

I know there's at least myself and Phil Makepeace at UCL.

Raccoon was at Cambridge before LSHTM, so he should have dual eligibility I think.

Cambridge and UCL for me the first time round, and Sussex on my recent foray back into academia

I'm pretty sure the University of Manchester could beat those Cambridge tossers. Me, Dan Pati, Richard Everley, Aaron Higgs and Steve Woods (Possibly the best octochamp of all time!!!) would dominate.

JackHurst wrote:Me and Conor would bitch slap you all. Charlie can be our first choice reserve.

University Challenge-style would be by college, though.

Seriously though, after losing out on a £2.19 Bet on the boatrace, I really want to get some revenge in the form of varsity countdown.

Could be a little one-sided, I fear.

Oxford could have Junaid Mubeen and Thomas Cappleman.

Oxford could claim Jeffrey Burgin.
So there!!!

Durham FTW!

JackHurst wrote:Me and Conor would bitch slap you all. Charlie can be our first choice reserve.

Seriously though, after losing out on a £2.19 Bet on the boatrace, I really want to get some revenge in the form of varsity countdown.

I'll accept your challenge on behalf of Oxford.

I'd like to go to Cambridge, ICL or UCL, Cambridge being first choice.

I went to Trinity College Dublin. But only to see the Book of Kells. And it was closed that day.

Mark James wrote:I went to Trinity College Dublin. But only to see the Book of Kells. And it was closed that day.

We went to see that. It was RUBBISH. It was in box so you couldn't pick it up and read it or nuffin', the story was crap and wasn't even in English. Like it was written by kids or summat - they shoulda done it in Word so it was easy to read. It was really dark in there too for how much we paid to get in, so it's just as well I've got a really good flash on my camera for all the photos I took. There was loads of old pictures an' stuff too so they could've really done with nice photos to brighten the place up.

Put me down for Worcester - University of Essex has got one of the highest suicide rates in the country.

Sorry to restart a previously dead thread but, having stumbled across it, I couldn't let all this Oxford-bashing go on without mounting some form of defence. I'll willingly do battle in any Varsity match, and due to the likely defeat we'd suffer as a result will take this opportunity to remind you of the shoeing you Tabs have received at rowing, rugby union and rugby league and will further receive at the football tonight.

Jeffrey Burgin wrote: Tabs have received at rowing, rugby union and rugby league and will further receive at the football tonight.

So Oxford is best at running around in a field and Cambridge is best for intellectual pursuits. Yep, sounds about right.

Dinos Sfyris wrote:Me, Hunter and Chitters would boss it for Sheffield

and me.

Looks like I'd be about 4th reserve for Cambridge.

As mentioned above, I'm currently at Edinburgh. Shame we don't even seem to have enough people to form a 'Scotland' team.

I'll represent the Exeter B-team, being on the B-campus in Cornwall. Damned underpredicted A-levels! -shakes fist-

Had an email this week from the Warwick Graduates Association about the university's "50 Forward" fundraising campaign - the idea of which is to raise £50 million in time for Warwick's 50th anniversary in 2015. For some reason I find it very depressing to be reminded that I'm older than the institute of learning I attended. You Oxbridge toffs must feel particularly smug.

Ben is looking lonely so I'll admit to Leicester Uni