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

But at Oxford you're also paying for the one on one / two on one weekly tutorials, where you get intense feedback and have an intense debate on your essay.

For Arts subjects, lectures really are just a supplement to your own reading (where you've had access to potentially every book published in the UK) and tutorials.

Fair point but in (some) universities, they have also what they called consultation hours where you meet the lecturer and discuss/get feedback of your work; but obviously this is not compulsory and it's different than the Oxford system.

But my point is that, it shouldn't stop the lecturer(s) to just give a 'guideline' of what is being taught; it should be as good as possible. Some educators tend to make this as an excuse for themselves such as; "Ah, well, the students can just ask the tutor. I'll just skim through the slides or just read it. If they don't understand, they should read it on their own. Who cares." kind of mentality which I really despise. Then when the student(s) went to the tutor and ask for help, the tutor would say; "didn't you cover this in your lecture?".

I don't think you can really understand what an Oxford tutorial is like until you've been in one... I didn't really get it until I had my first one. But the amount I learn when I walk out, and the way it's stretched my understanding and perspective on the subject, always surprises me. Obviously this requires a good tutor, but I've never had anything but excellent tutors.

To me the lectures set out the framework of each subject/topic. From there you fill in the frame with reading and tutes, and probably add an extension on as well.

I've been to some really good lectures, I've been to some weaker ones. Most lecturers are also tutors, so few have the sentiments of "who cares". They are all so passionate, have probably written some vital works on the topic, and often are the ones who write the exam papers. But they all recognise the limits of lectures and their role in the life of an Oxford, Arts UG. I've never had a tutor say "didn't you cover this in the lecture", they are more likely to say "how did you miss this in the reading".

At Oxford you 'read' for a degree, and that basically sums the whole process up. It's down to independent study, with the support and debate tutes give, and the lectures are there to supplement. If you go to every lecture, class and tutorial the number of contact hours is considerable. Especially with the low ratio in tutes of students to tutors.

All I say is relevant to the arts subjects, sciences are different I think.

Fair point but in (some) universities, they have also what they called consultation hours where you meet the lecturer and discuss/get feedback of your work; but obviously this is not compulsory and it's different than the Oxford system.

But my point is that, it shouldn't stop the lecturer(s) to just give a 'guideline' of what is being taught; it should be as good as possible. Some educators tend to make this as an excuse for themselves such as; "Ah, well, the students can just ask the tutor. I'll just skim through the slides or just read it. If they don't understand, they should read it on their own. Who cares." kind of mentality which I really despise. Then when the student(s) went to the tutor and ask for help, the tutor would say; "didn't you cover this in your lecture?".