University of Oxford
speciality: Politics

University of Oxford is the best in the world for sure. Even here in South Africa the University is well known and rated the best in the world, the world has not seen the best if it has not experienced the quality of Oxford.

The university of Oxford is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world, offers an unparalleled academic environment. Renowned for its rigorous academic programs, world-class faculty, and historic architecture, it attracts top students globally. Its fosters a strong sense of community and personalized learning. But its intense academic pressure and high cost of living in Oxford can be challenging for some students.

The first week has been busy. I had a great time meeting new people and there was a fantastic range of activities to try, but it was hard to juggle it all when you had to do your first academic work at the start of the semester to deliver. It really varies from university to university. I’ve been lucky enough to live in exceptionally beautiful rooms with fireplaces, desks and views of the deer park, but again, accommodation in Oxford is not standardized. You can expect beauty, but not always the newest furniture/accessories. There are more libraries in Oxford than almost any other university in the world – you’ll never run out of books. The classrooms are fantastic and all central. I was lucky enough to live close to the sports center which meant I got a free college gym membership which was great. All facilities tend to be doubled and many are offered at university level eg. sports fields, student cafes, societies and at the university level. I also did an honors course with history and politics. Because I was torn between two departments, the organization wasn’t always great and I had to keep track of things myself. The width was phenomenal though, I’m about 50/50 but I have hundreds of modules to choose from. The tutoring system is the best part of the Oxford class because I don’t learn really well just from lectures. I had great one on one sessions with an expert on my topic once or twice a week – much more effective learning since I could ask as many questions as I wanted. Oxford has a friendly urban energy, but urban fun. Students go to the clubs there as much as anyone else and there are plenty of cool bars. As the prices are close to London it was a bit pricey but on the other hand the colleges have a lot of their own parties or “bops” with heavily subsidized alcohol etc.

I had a great time at Oxford. The facilities were excellent, with nice food available in Hall and big sports grounds for different colleges a short cycle out of the city centre.

The professors were usually very good, and I had a lot of stimulating discussions in tutorials, though occasionally essays were unmarked or returned late.

I really enjoyed the college atmosphere, and found my college a very good place to settle and live for three years.

Oxford is very full on and difficult. The workload is very high, very consistently, and most people find it hard to keep up. Because there is so much work, you often feel like you haven’t fully understood and covered every topic. The atmosphere at the university is also still fairly posh and stuffy. People from privileged backgrounds dominate extracurriculars in university life.

The PPE course is very anglo-centric. Philosophy is exclusively analytic, and politics is either analytic theory or positivist empirical work.

Made great friends! Have loved the environment that is very stimulating and intellectually challenging. It was also conducive to getting out of my comfort zone and growing massively as a person. The sports infrastructure is rather disappointing though.

I thought the college system was amazing for making everyone feel welcome and like they had a part in such a large institution. Tutors can give you individual attention regularly, which really motivated me to get the most out of my education and also my peers. The workload is a lot, but if you can handle it, it’s means you get so much out of yourself and learn so much!__I’d highly recommend looking to peers in older years for advice and help, I was always willing to go for a coffee or share my notes with someone, and it creates such a positive environment ! I loved my time at oxford.