University Challenge ?
Discussion
Just watched it, can answer the odd question but how does it work ?
How do people that young know all that stuff, some of it is pretty obscure, do they have the Daily Mirror Book of Facts ? do they revise specific areas having been prompted or are they just freakishly clever ?
I know some clever people but they dont seem to be able to name paintings or random bits of classical music with the accuracy of a 23 year old with mad hair, they dont know who some 11 century poet was by a short excerpt of their work or everything on the periodic table and how it fits together.
Am I just really thick and need to get up to speed on political uprisings, wars, monarchs, palaeontology and chemistry, am ok on 80s pop music, IT and cars but they dont come up that much !
How do people that young know all that stuff, some of it is pretty obscure, do they have the Daily Mirror Book of Facts ? do they revise specific areas having been prompted or are they just freakishly clever ?
I know some clever people but they dont seem to be able to name paintings or random bits of classical music with the accuracy of a 23 year old with mad hair, they dont know who some 11 century poet was by a short excerpt of their work or everything on the periodic table and how it fits together.
Am I just really thick and need to get up to speed on political uprisings, wars, monarchs, palaeontology and chemistry, am ok on 80s pop music, IT and cars but they dont come up that much !
OMITN said:
Clever people who are interested in, and retain the information to, lots of things.
The info the know is very useful for winning at University Challenge, but less handy for getting laid by a townie in exchange for a bag of chips.
Hmm. Damn, I never asked for the bag of chips! The info the know is very useful for winning at University Challenge, but less handy for getting laid by a townie in exchange for a bag of chips.
OMITN said:
Clever people who are interested in, and retain the information to, lots of things.
The info the know is very useful for winning at University Challenge, but less handy for getting laid by a townie in exchange for a bag of chips.
It just seems kind of strange that folk that age know all those subjects to that depth, I get being interested and retaining info but its so diverse and they are so young in the main.The info the know is very useful for winning at University Challenge, but less handy for getting laid by a townie in exchange for a bag of chips.
They are very smart and well-read. And a bit weird and geeky.
Oxbridge entrance in my day was about cross-disciplinary knowledge - understanding the influence of Sophocles on Shakespeare, engineering advances on history, the connection between mathematics and philosophy, or the theatre on other genres of art. Also, usually, candidates need something other than academic achievement to gain entry - a high degree of proficiency in a musical instrument, or proven achievement in sport. They are normally well travelled - visited lots of museums and stately homes with their parents. So music and art are part of their upbringing.
I'm not sure it is tested in quite the same way but I'm sure the interview process tries to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Then there is the selection process for the team when they are there.
But still, their knowledge is impressive.
Oxbridge entrance in my day was about cross-disciplinary knowledge - understanding the influence of Sophocles on Shakespeare, engineering advances on history, the connection between mathematics and philosophy, or the theatre on other genres of art. Also, usually, candidates need something other than academic achievement to gain entry - a high degree of proficiency in a musical instrument, or proven achievement in sport. They are normally well travelled - visited lots of museums and stately homes with their parents. So music and art are part of their upbringing.
I'm not sure it is tested in quite the same way but I'm sure the interview process tries to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Then there is the selection process for the team when they are there.
But still, their knowledge is impressive.
Som euniversities do train their teams and learn specific material (eg on the good teams you’ll notice it’s always the same person who answers the geography questions etc. Etc.)
But I think fundamentally it just starts with reading a lot. I do pretty well and it’s from plenty of reading, fiction and non fiction, and current affairs, all the time. About the only time I’m not reading is when I’m running/walking/cycling/driving.
But I think fundamentally it just starts with reading a lot. I do pretty well and it’s from plenty of reading, fiction and non fiction, and current affairs, all the time. About the only time I’m not reading is when I’m running/walking/cycling/driving.
Ooh I know the answer for 10...
I was asked to be on the UC team when I was an undergrad - my course leader said that as well as my academic knowledge I had 'an inordinate and encyclopedic level of knowledge of the most mundane crap imaginable'. I didn't much fancy it so declined.
Anyhoo. Never underestimate the power of editing. Whole strings of a dozen 'starter for 10' questions go unanswered and an hour long show with half of it showing blank faces doesn't make for good TV. I think Paxman confirmed this a few years ago.
I was asked to be on the UC team when I was an undergrad - my course leader said that as well as my academic knowledge I had 'an inordinate and encyclopedic level of knowledge of the most mundane crap imaginable'. I didn't much fancy it so declined.
Anyhoo. Never underestimate the power of editing. Whole strings of a dozen 'starter for 10' questions go unanswered and an hour long show with half of it showing blank faces doesn't make for good TV. I think Paxman confirmed this a few years ago.
J4CKO said:
Just watched it, can answer the odd question but how does it work ?
How do people that young know all that stuff, some of it is pretty obscure, do they have the Daily Mirror Book of Facts ? do they revise specific areas having been prompted or are they just freakishly clever ?
I know some clever people but they dont seem to be able to name paintings or random bits of classical music with the accuracy of a 23 year old with mad hair, they dont know who some 11 century poet was by a short excerpt of their work or everything on the periodic table and how it fits together.
Am I just really thick and need to get up to speed on political uprisings, wars, monarchs, palaeontology and chemistry, am ok on 80s pop music, IT and cars but they dont come up that much !
Cynic, UWAHow do people that young know all that stuff, some of it is pretty obscure, do they have the Daily Mirror Book of Facts ? do they revise specific areas having been prompted or are they just freakishly clever ?
I know some clever people but they dont seem to be able to name paintings or random bits of classical music with the accuracy of a 23 year old with mad hair, they dont know who some 11 century poet was by a short excerpt of their work or everything on the periodic table and how it fits together.
Am I just really thick and need to get up to speed on political uprisings, wars, monarchs, palaeontology and chemistry, am ok on 80s pop music, IT and cars but they dont come up that much !
Often they are asked questions that they've studied. Apart from that these people are almost always fantastical intelligent anoraks. Just sponges for random facts.
I generally can get about half the questions on University Challenge... If I'm feeling really sadistic I watch Only Connect.
captain_cynic said:
I generally can get about half the questions on University Challenge... If I'm feeling really sadistic I watch Only Connect.
This, University Challenge is easy compared to Only Connect! Starts off easy enough in the early episodes but now it is towards the end of the series the connections are ludicrously obscure!It doesn't require any great depth of knowledge, just an awareness of history, the arts and sciences, plus the ability to make educated guesses. And then you need a specialist area that compliments those of your team mates.
A couple of my mates won UC in the 90s. They were postgrads, very bright, and educated in the old fashioned sense. One of them was a proper general knowledge competition enthusiast, and he actively sought out and squirreled away knowledge that he thought would be useful in competitions. For example, he chose The Archers as a specialist subject when he appeared on Master Mind on the basis that (a) he listened to it and (b) it was a narrow area so you could easily enough anticipate the type of questions you'd be asked and then trawl through the scripts memorising all the characters and the key plots.
A couple of my mates won UC in the 90s. They were postgrads, very bright, and educated in the old fashioned sense. One of them was a proper general knowledge competition enthusiast, and he actively sought out and squirreled away knowledge that he thought would be useful in competitions. For example, he chose The Archers as a specialist subject when he appeared on Master Mind on the basis that (a) he listened to it and (b) it was a narrow area so you could easily enough anticipate the type of questions you'd be asked and then trawl through the scripts memorising all the characters and the key plots.
There was a programme on a year or so ago about the selection of UC teams. It seemed to be purely down to heats/tests to see who knew most. Very little about the student's social background.
This seems pertinent: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-36082065
I want to enter Only Connect but I'm currently a team of one.
This seems pertinent: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-36082065
I want to enter Only Connect but I'm currently a team of one.
J4CKO said:
OMITN said:
Clever people who are interested in, and retain the information to, lots of things.
The info the know is very useful for winning at University Challenge, but less handy for getting laid by a townie in exchange for a bag of chips.
It just seems kind of strange that folk that age know all those subjects to that depth, I get being interested and retaining info but its so diverse and they are so young in the main.The info the know is very useful for winning at University Challenge, but less handy for getting laid by a townie in exchange for a bag of chips.
One of the teams who won it recently said that they trained by watching loads and loads and loads of old episodes. There are patterns of questions and they don't repeat exactly but similar ones come up. Being able to recognise classical music pieces, and paintings and painters gives you a good start. You can also make good educated guesses - for example often if there is a really complex sounding mathematical question the answer is quite often either -1, 0, or 1.
But mostly you need to be a mega geek with a broad range of knowledge. A good team with a range of subjects is good also. Plus you often seen mature students have a very broad range of knowledge.
But mostly you need to be a mega geek with a broad range of knowledge. A good team with a range of subjects is good also. Plus you often seen mature students have a very broad range of knowledge.
I always understood that the brain never forgets anything it's all about the recall.
Friends of ours don't have a telly, do social media etc. The kids all read in the evening, family meals are all about in depth discussions on some from of art or historical facts. Their 18 year old is like an encyclopedia and the type of youngster that would end up on uni challenge.
Me, if I get more than 5 answers during the program I've had a good day. My wife blurts out many a right answer and regular says "don't know how I knew that".
Friends of ours don't have a telly, do social media etc. The kids all read in the evening, family meals are all about in depth discussions on some from of art or historical facts. Their 18 year old is like an encyclopedia and the type of youngster that would end up on uni challenge.
Me, if I get more than 5 answers during the program I've had a good day. My wife blurts out many a right answer and regular says "don't know how I knew that".
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