Just out of interest, when you say you are on a masters course do you mean that you have a PhD place with the first year being an MPhil and requiring a conversion or you are on a stand alone masters? If the latter then 'staying on' to do a PhD isn't really the case I'm afraid, it'll require independent application like others from other universities.

Oh yeah, about the oxbridge thing. Get over it, you are making quite a big issue out of what is essentially nothing. If you have a suitable degree at the required grade then you are an acceptable student.

Don't worry, Oxfors is only 10th! It is Cambridge were you would have to worry (this would be the write place for the cute creapy laughing face but I just cannot get it)

Oz, for the laughing face type: psycho in brackets!

The SJT (Shanghai Jiao-Tong) listing appears to be the most reliable, although it is weighted towards those universities with outstanding research in the sciences.

As for Oxford, I was only there for a term, but I think it's one of those places you either love or hate, but I would presume that the differences and peculiarities of Oxford vs other unis is far less pronounced for postgrads than it is for undergrads. If there's a project you like, and the reputation for research in that area is good, then go for it!

Hi all
Thanks for advice and comments and jokes
Well, just curious, and, after all, I know different people will like or dislike it. Just wonder if there is someone doing PhD in Oxford in this boards?? Just to hear their impressions and experiences..... What about the city? what about the people? I also worry because I have heard it is really expensive, even more than London, which I do not know?
Thanks anyway for your inputs!

I've lived in Oxford as a non-student and it's a nice place to live, a lot quieter than London, don't think it's that much cheaper though. It's definitely prettier than cambridge.

I was pleasantly suprised by my university ranking on the world and europe scales...

http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2005/ARWU2005_Top100.htm

Not that I had reason to suspect otherwise since my supervsior is fan-friggin-tastic.

cambridge!!!

I think my uni must be 101 in the list.

I can't make sense of those rankings - once you go below 100 on the world list (or 34 on the European list) it just goes alphabetical?!

Mine is on the null-position: best in the Galaxy and probably also in the Universe. It's simply so good that nobody bothers mentioning that fact in some rankings