University of Oxford
speciality: English Language & Literature

Oxford is well-known for its academic excellence. There’s no doubt that this is reflected in the rigorous work given to students – whilst it’s common at other UK universities to do only a few essays in a twelve-week term, Oxford undergraduates rarely get any less than one essay per week (or a problem sheet for STEM) in its short eight-week terms, with other assignments, such as translation (if you’re a student of language), on top of that. Although the work is tough, I find this creates a great bond between you and your fellow students; group study trips to the library or a café are common, and there’s a sentiment of ‘everyone has a lot on, so we’re going to get through this together’.

Similarly, the college system is a unique structure that provides an unparalleled support and social structure. From your first days, you’re integrated into your college community. Typically, your college provides you accommodation (so you’re living beside others at your college), meals in its dining hall, and social events for college members. Luckily, accommodation, food, and drinks are subsidised, so you may only pay about £4 for a full dinner in hall.

Whilst the collective stress of academia may put some off, I find the real attraction of Oxford to be the unique experiences it provides. For example, colleges hold formal dinners in candlelit halls multiple times a week, which can cost under £10 for a three-course meal! The university has a thriving network of societies hosting events all throughout term, and there are many spectacular balls to attend, especially in Trinity Term (Spring-Summer). Other traditions, such as wearing sub fusc for exams, make the Oxford experience akin to no other. You can bond with those who graduated decades ago over these traditions!

Overall, I am extremely grateful that I’m experiencing Oxford, even with the weekly essays!

Studying at Oxford is a unique and enriching experience. Although the workload can be heavy, the tutorial system allows you to receive more personalised feedback than you would at a non-Oxbridge university. Tutorial essays champion independent thought, and the tutorials itself (usually involving another student and one tutor) allow you to expand, challenge, and defend ideas. The 28 university libraries are called the Bodleian Libraries; they are scattered around the city which means you will always find a space to study. Beyond academics, the city offers a lot of fun activities to participate in with friends, not to mention the various student societies you can attend or be a committee member of.

I would highly recommend Oxford University if you are an academic and self-motivated individual. You will have the chance to meet some interesting people and the tutors will be leaders in their given field. In my experience, they are well aware of the workload and will be understanding if you are struggling. The collegiate system is great as it fosters a sense of community and really does become like a family, although from what I have seen it can get a bit cliquey.
This university is challenging and there will be some days when you will spend the whole day in the library. You will have a lot of work to keep on top of which isn’t for everyone, and the pastoral support available can be extremely unhelpful.
Overall, though, I love studying here!

It’s fun, and a good opportunity to meet lots of new people. There’s a variety of social activities both in and out of college, and also lots of workshops for our subject and general university guidance. Beautiful rooms and most of us had en-suite bathrooms. The food in college is also mostly good, and there is a variety for different dietary needs. The university libraries are world-class, and earth college has its own library. The English faculty library is modern and airy, although it could do with more workspaces with plugs for laptop chargers. The flexibility is the best element, as you could study largely what you were interested in, within the historical parameters of the course structure. The lectures are also interesting, although we’re not always directly relevant to the work we are doing with our tutors. The city is beautiful, and has an excellent variety of independent restaurants and cafes, making good food very affordable. West gate is a good centre for shopping, and the Covered Market is unusual.

The University of Oxford’s undergraduate materials science course is very well organized, with lectures that build on one another and numerous connections between topics to provide students a comprehensive overview of the field. Although they could be more brief at times, the lectures are quite helpful and contain all the information stated in the course overview. To further this, anything not understood is clarified in small classes or “tutorials” between two or three students and their tutor. All of the lecturers are incredibly helpful, answering any questions or queries throughout the course. Practicals also benefit those who learn best by doing and provide pupils greater learning autonomy. Lack of communication between students is the department’s biggest problem.

The teaching I have experienced at Oxford is brilliant. Tutors seem to really care that you make progress and are satisfied with your studies, and the course is tailored to individual students- my weekly essays could be on whatever I wanted, within a literary time period, and there was a great deal of freedom in coursework.

The English course at Oxford is exceptional, even if it is quite limiting for students. You can only choose one paper – the rest are compulsory, covering a particular time period, i.e. 1350-1550. However, while the set up encourages you to look at canonical texts, you are able to essentially write on any text or writer within the given time frame – so if you are willing to put in the effort to find interesting, oblique writers you are very much able to write on them. Only Shakespeare and Chaucer are compulsory as writers.
The teaching was generally very good, and the class sizes small. However, the work is hard and a lot is expected of you which can really take its toll.
Oxford is a great if small city, but it is very expensive to live in. Student life is vibrant but the circles can be quite small – however, I certainly managed to have fun.