Oxford 2014 Freshers Chat Thread

I just know ill remember something halfway to Oxford...

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Just got sent an email with loads of work to be completed by Friday, looks like I'm going to have a fun freshers week is it bad that I'm already questioning why I'm going to Oxford?

Wait until second week, you'll question why you started moaning before term had even begun

q1) how am I expected to eat during freshers week since no loan will arrive? Do the college provide breakfast lunch and dinner for that one week until lectures start? Or must I bring my own money for that week?

q2) Can you give an overview of what a Maths student's day is like? giving time specifics. e.g at 10am etc. If it's variable for different students-what's yours?

q3) I am told by many that maths at uni is very tough and is nothing like school. I also hear that any maths student can get a first as long as they WORK HARD. I do remember you saying both in fact. Could you please explain how both can be true- I am a little confused.

q4) Say I am lazy and cannot be bothered to go lectures- I am a very lazy young lad in fact. Can I put video recorders in the theatres and stream them to my laptop? Is this legal or will I be kicked out of Oxford for doing this?

4) No, most of the lecture rooms in the new institute already have cameras set up and professional recording 'suites' at the back - they just don't record the standard lectures and from what I understand have no intention of starting to record them (so no, you wouldn't be allowed to do it.

Surprisingly (to my mind) the university seems reasonably willing to start recording lectures. It is being trialled in a couple of courses apparently. Apparently there are other UK universities where they started filming everything and lecture attendance rates did but significantly drop. (Whether Oxford is the same, I don't know!)

Also not sure what facilities the Maths Institute does have. I went to an event where they (slightly awkwardly) had a couple of cameras setup in one of the rows.

Surprisingly (to my mind) the university seems reasonably willing to start recording lectures. It is being trialled in a couple of courses apparently. Apparently there are other UK universities where they started filming everything and lecture attendance rates did but significantly drop. (Whether Oxford is the same, I don't know!)

Also not sure what facilities the Maths Institute does have. I went to an event where they (slightly awkwardly) had a couple of cameras setup in one of the rows.

Wait until second week, you'll question why you started moaning before term had even begun

I was kind of just hoping to have freshers week without any work, I can deal with the prospect of having to actually study after that!!

Also, I don't know if you've noticed but we both joined in the same month over 6 years ago and we also both have a practically identical post count

q1)

q2) Can you give an overview of what a Maths student's day is like? giving time specifics. e.g at 10am etc. If it's variable for different students-what's yours?

Also, the departments are pretty independent (if you ask me, too independent) so I wouldn't be surprised if one department is all for it, while another absolutely refuses to let it happen.

My son is going to do Maths - his college parent told him that this term he should expect lectures 9 - 11 every day, 5 problem sheets a week and then 2 - 3 tutorials, and should plan to work for 40 hours a week...

Any idea how formal a freshers dinner is likely to be? I'm thinking more likely smart than smart casual but all I know is that we have to wear our gowns (needed for Formal Hall every night at Keble).

Any idea how formal a freshers dinner is likely to be? I'm thinking more likely smart than smart casual but all I know is that we have to wear our gowns (needed for Formal Hall every night at Keble).

We've been told for our freshers' dinner at Hertford we just need a shirt and trousers

Described as 'suits or equivalent' at Jesus

Well I've got both those possibilities covered so hopefully I'll be alright - it can't really be anything else apart from those two can it. I spent 4 hours trying to tie a bow tie last night - I can just about do it now.

I've got some dresses, though I don't really do smart too well!

Yeah I got a couple of new dresses too

Posted from TSR Mobile

1) Contact university finance and ask the same thing, they may advance you some money until your student finance arrives.

2) It becomes more and more variable as the years go on, in first year you all do the same courses/lectures, but different tutors and tutorial times obviously. Here is the MT lecture timetable for Prelims:

https://www1.maths.ox.ac.uk/system/files/attachments/Prelims%20MT%2014.pdf

You will then have 2-3 tutorials a week (length is tutor dependent) most of which will fall in the 1100-1600 time period (although some may be after 5pm - again, this is tutor dependent).

For most maths students I know, lectures and tutorials/classes form about half of the working day, the rest of the time you'd be independently studying.

3) While there may be an exception for the bottom 10-20% of students, pretty much anyone at Oxford has the ability to get a first if they put in the hours. For some people this may mean working an average of 40 hours a week, for others it may require closer to 80 hours - but still, it's possible for the majority of people.

4) No, most of the lecture rooms in the new institute already have cameras set up and professional recording 'suites' at the back - they just don't record the standard lectures and from what I understand have no intention of starting to record them (so no, you wouldn't be allowed to do it). If you're lazy, you're going to want to start trying to change that because a lazy student studying a science subject at Oxford is a very good recipe for ending up with a 2:2 or below.

Surprisingly (to my mind) the university seems reasonably willing to start recording lectures. It is being trialled in a couple of courses apparently. Apparently there are other UK universities where they started filming everything and lecture attendance rates did but significantly drop. (Whether Oxford is the same, I don't know!)

Also not sure what facilities the Maths Institute does have. I went to an event where they (slightly awkwardly) had a couple of cameras setup in one of the rows.

Are you and fluteflute ever seen in the same place at the same time?



My son is going to do Maths - his college parent told him that this term he should expect lectures 9 - 11 every day, 5 problem sheets a week and then 2 - 3 tutorials, and should plan to work for 40 hours a week...