Stephen Hawking had applied to do a Ph.D. at Cambridge while he was a student at Oxford . He was accepted on condition that he got a ‘First’ from Oxford. Hawking thought he could get through successfully. But as the examination came, his confidence failed. Hawking got only borderline marks between a first and a second. As he had only a borderline result, his examiners called him for an interview and asked him about his plans. He told the examiners boldly, “If I get a first, I shall go to Cambridge. If I receive a second,
I will remain at Oxford. So I expect that you will give me a first.’ He got his ‘First’ and he went to Cambridge. His wit helped him here to get what he wanted.
