Friend acting defensively

[Katzen]

Hi there,

I've got a friend a year older than me who I've known for a very long time. We always got along very well.

This year I entered college and entered the same course studies. However on a different university/college than his.
My college seemingly has a very high reputation and the students need a high grade to be accepted in. After so much effort on my last year of senior high school I had a grade high enough to enter this course. His grade wasn't as high as mine, and according to a friend, if he had it this year, he wouldn't have been accepted in his uni.
His college is quite good, but mine is quite more demanding (they work in semesters, my college is one of the few who do trimesters).

This year he moved out with his girlfriend to the city (3 months now), so I see him every one in a while, roughly once or twice a month.

He always asks what's up with college, at first he was very helpful and nice but as time passed, he asked about our material taught and ends dismissing my university and studies.

Last friday we got together. He always asks about college (that would be fine) but it bothers me that he ends talking about the material. It is quite annoying to talk about the material when I hang out for doing something else than studying it. Our other friend (who is our age but in High School) is silent near us.

This last time I felt quite bothered because he ended saying that my college was very basic, and stuff like such; Basically dissing it. But indirectly he is attacking all the effort I have done to enter and staying in this college; which is very high.
At the end he is supportive as a good friend. But it bothers me a lot that he brings up "this and that is crap in your college" attitude.

I never bring up the topic neither attack his college.

College brought me a sense of hapiness that I never had before. My commuting gives me freedom and I happen to have wonderful classmates and friends there.

His attitude lately intrigues me.

[Noirtier]

It appears to me that he is still bitter and a bit jealous/envious that you were able to get into that university and he wasn't. So, in his attempt at alleviating his own jealousy, he's trying to make your school seem like it wasn't worth it in the first place, and that his is better, even if (which I'm assuming this is the case) your university is actually better as far as academic studies/preparation for the career field goes. I'm sorry that he's done this to you and honestly, I would talk to him about it and tell him that you want him to stop. Let him know that when you hang out with him, it isn't to discuss academics or your courses or your university, it is to just hang out as friends and try to have fun like you did before you all went to college. And if he can't accept that, then I would suggest trying to find some new friends. I know he's been with you for a while, but for a friend to do that for such a prolonged period of time is, really, quite unacceptable.

[Katzen]

You confirmed my suspicion. I won't break the frienship apart because of this, but will be more alert.
I am having a Xmas dinner with them, in his house. I know he will talk about it and I will be receptive up to a point, because it's holidays and I don't want to talk about academic stuff. It's lame to talk about it on some certain free time.