The University of Oxford, with its ancient colleges and lofty spires, has a reputation of intellectual prestige on the one hand and eccentricity on the other. Across the river Cherwell, its newer neighbour is a modern, dynamic, and sprightly alternative full of industrious opportunities. Yet, it is inevitably still a place where “I go to Oxford,” if left unspecified, tends to be followed by ‘no, not that one’.
Oxford Brookes: the ‘other’ university with which we share a city. They’ve heard it all. I know they have, because I’m fortunate to spend term time and the vac in the same town as one of my closest hometown friends. Our Romeo and Juliet friendship bridges the divide via brunch catch-ups and evenings at O’Neill’s.
For many of us, the Brookes versus Oxford conversation is playful banter, a civil war rendition of the infamous Oxford-Cambridge rivalry that stems from our natural tendency to try and prove our superiority, near and far from home. But is this always the case? Or is there actually some real antagonism underlying these playful remarks?
Same city, different world?
The two universities cohabit a relatively small city, yet the students at each institution live parallel lives, barely interacting with each other. Brookes in Headington, Oxford in the city centre – with a couple of miles of river and an A-road separating the pair. Even the social scene doesn’t really crossover. For ‘Uni of’, we love (tolerate?) Bridge Thursdays, TVC Megabops, the Boogaloo and much more. Brookes students frequent Bridge and Fishies (their sports night at the O2 Academy – supposedly ‘better’ than Indie Fridays…).
The contact between us is relatively slim, while the stereotypical quips about ‘The Other Side’ are just as frequent from team Dominus Illuminato Mea as they are from Brookes students rolling their eyes at our medieval stone snobbery.
What do Brooke’s students actually think of us?
No exploration of any ‘rivalry’ is complete without looking at the other side. Speaking to a Brookes psychology student about the Headington perspective, she insists: “Some students live up to the ‘Brookes not books’ stereotype, but that’s not the case for all of us.”
Brookes students are perhaps better than we are at offering respect and appreciation for the other side: “I think Oxford students have worked really hard to get into Oxford, and it’s a massive achievement to be receiving an education at an amazing university.” However, where both institutions perhaps align is the sense of pride uniting the student body.
Brookes may not edge University of Oxford out on the league tables, but that doesn’t mean it should be looked down upon. It boasts one of the top motorsport engineering programmes in the country, producing Formula 1 engineers who’ve gone on to work for Ferrari, Williams, and Mercedes. Their sports culture is outstanding, with its rowing club producing multiple Olympic medallists in the last two decades. Many Oxford college teams in fact look to Brookes to get their rowing coaches.
When asked about the typical ‘Uni of stereotypes, Brookes students can admit that not every Oxonian they encounter is that of the tweed-wearing, gown-donning, Byron-reading bibliophile type. But for them it is undoubtedly the case that the ‘Uni of’ crowd can sometimes come across as pretentious, posh, and snobby. However, what stands out most to Brookes students is our inability to comprehend that not everybody with an OX postcode is banging on the doors of the RadCam, trying to be a part of the academic elite.
“I think a lot of Oxford students don’t understand or realise that we have differing life circumstances and priorities which led us to choose our universities,” she points out. “My learning difficulties and other life challenges hindered my ability to achieve top marks in A-Levels, but I’m still glad that I chose Brookes, as they have amazing support for students.”
Room for Two?
Any concept of a Brookes-Oxford rivalry, or cold war, can be resolved by understanding that the two universities are not trying to be one another. They both exist for a reason and differ for a reason, so neither should attempt to diminish the other. In the words of Team Brookes: “I love Brookes, and Oxford students love Oxford. We’re all just trying our best to get a degree.”
Perhaps the dynamic between Oxford and Brookes students is all part of the city’s intellectual flair. The older, more traditional sibling may overshadow its younger, cooler counterpart in the headlines. However, over a century of harmonious student life shows that Oxford is big enough to accommodate both of us.
