Holiday work /Assessments

I might be coming to Oxford next year to study biology and I was wondering how much work is given over the Christmas holidays.

Reply 1

Plagioclase

Original post by weeksz09

I might be coming to Oxford next year to study biology and I was wondering how much work is given over the Christmas holidays.

It's not that you're given work to do over the holidays (although you are), but you need to study over the holidays (1) because the content covered during term time is often too much to take in during the term and (2) you've generally got 'collections' (mock exams) straight after the holidays. How much you work is really up to you but you ought to do quite a lot, really, particularly if you're doing a science subject. Obviously not as much as during term time but it's not as if you've got a free holiday, either.

Reply 2

weeksz09

Thanks for your reply. Its very helpful. I'm just trying to work out if I can go see me family abroad during christmas or if that's not really an option.

Reply 3

Plagioclase

Original post by weeksz09

Thanks for your reply. Its very helpful. I'm just trying to work out if I can go see me family abroad during christmas or if that's not really an option.

Oh you definitely can, what I mean is that you do still need to get work done over the holidays. But as long as seeing family abroad doesn't mean not working for a month, that's fine.

Reply 4

weeksz09

Awesome thanks :smile:

Reply 5

mishieru07

Original post by weeksz09

Thanks for your reply. Its very helpful. I'm just trying to work out if I can go see me family abroad during christmas or if that's not really an option.

Definitely possible! I used to go travelling over the Christmas and Easter vacations, so going to see your family is absolutely an option.

Personally, I think taking some time off Oxford altogether during the holidays (ie do no/ very minimal academic work) is important; Oxford terms are very intense, and you really do need the downtime to rest and recover.

That being said, I do not endorse doing no work at all because of Collections. Not sure how it works for Scientists, but as an Arts student, my rule of thumb was 7-10 days of revision per Collection, and it worked out fine.

Reply 6

weeksz09

Thanks for your answer. Its really helpful advice. I really appreciate it.

Reply 7

KombatWombat

mishieru’s rule of thumb was about right for me - I think typically though scientists will be set more work to do - rather than having to do more self guided revision. I’m a chemist - typically we’d get a piece of work to do from each subject (inorganic, physical, organic and maths (1st year only)) which would probably take a day or two each, then some revision on top of that (ideally!). It’s tutor dependent though - your tutor might leave you to it. Our tutors had mixed approaches - sometimes the work they set would itself be revision, sometimes it’d be new stuff in preparation for tutorials next term.

The only time I’ve felt I wouldn’t have been able to go away for a couple of weeks was this easter (finals revision!) but that is the only exception.