What you wish you'd been told before coming to Oxford

Can I ask how the exam system works for English students? I've heard of 'Collections': are they just at the start of Michaelmas or at the start of every term? What are 'Prelims'? And what's the format for summer exams?

Can I ask how the exam system works for English students? I've heard of 'Collections': are they just at the start of Michaelmas or at the start of every term? What are 'Prelims'? And what's the format for summer exams?

Can I ask how the exam system works for English students? I've heard of 'Collections': are they just at the start of Michaelmas or at the start of every term? What are 'Prelims'? And what's the format for summer exams?

Should be pretty much the same across the board, but I'm not an English student.

Collections = at the start of every term. You won't do any when you first come up to Oxford, but every term in which you learnt something new but weren't examined on it should warrant a collection at the beginning of the following term. If that makes sense.

Prelims (although they may well be Mods for English students?) are at the end of your first year. They're central university exams, whereas Collections are just set by your college. You have to pass them to get back in, although failing English will be difficult and what you get has no effect on your final grade. There is also little correlation between Prelims results and finals.

Finals are at the end of third year. English have already finished - they finished on Tuesday of 5th week this year. My housemate finished before I started, the **** An English-er may help with subject-specific stuff, but I think that's pretty much it.

Collections are at the start of every term - they're essentially a mock of the paper you did last term, to make sure you understood it/did some work over the holidays. They don't set them if you were examined the previous term, for obvious reasons. it's a good way to know where you stand on a particular topic in exam conditions and get feedback, but they don't matter too much in most colleges other than you'll get what-for from your tutors if you fail. Prelims (or 'Mods' in some subjects) are your first year exams, which determine whether you continue into second year but otherwise don't count towards your degree. Finals are the ones that matter, and they can either be spread out over the next two years or all in your third year, according to subject. I can't say for sure what the structure of English papers are but most essay-based exams tend to be three hours long - you'll be given all the relevant information well in advance, don't worry.

Hope that helps!

Collections are sat at the start of every term (except Michaelmas when you first come up, and usually any terms following on from when you've sat more formal exams). Prelims are the exams most students sit in Trinity of their first year (although Classicists and Lawyers sit Mods at different times). I couldn't comment on the specific structure of the exams, nor how many you do.

it's more difficult to meet people from other colleges than i had anticipated, i guess
the food in most colleges leaves a lot to be desired
i'll try to think of some more

might depend on the subject, but people in lectures have never seemed approachable to me, they tend to sit in blocks according to their college and type away on their macbooks. then again i only go to a lecture a week on average

yeah, i'm friends with both musicians in my year at pembroke, and they have loads of friends outside college, clearly historians are just antisocial people

yeah, i'm friends with both musicians in my year at pembroke, and they have loads of friends outside college, clearly historians are just antisocial people

There are far too many of you, that's why. Music is nice and small

i've signed up to loads of societies but never go. which ones are you a member of, incarnadine?

To all current Oxonians: what did you wish you had been told about time management and society commitments?
On a second note: does anyone have experience with juggling a language course through the language center next to their degree?


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Hi
Just wanted to ask about the essay for 0 Week (English Lit and Lang). I have no idea how long it's supposed to be

Hi
Just wanted to ask about the essay for 0 Week (English Lit and Lang). I have no idea how long it's supposed to be

clearly historians are just antisocial people

I want an essay for 0th week... What college are you coming up to?

You might want to double check with your tutors (they won't bite) because different ones will expect different lengths of work, at least in history. I have found that in general 2500 words is the standard essay size, but some will ask for 1500 - usually if you're going to be reading it out in the tute. So yeah, double check, but around 2000 words is fairly safe either way.