Oxford Demystified- Classical Archaeology and Ancient History
@Oxford Mum
When most people ask me what I am going to be studying at university and I respond with ‘classical archaeology and ancient history’ I normally get a puzzled look. Just to clarify, it is a 3 year course offered by Oxford which combines the study of the physical and written sources from the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. There is no requirement to have studied any of this before so it really is open to any one who has an interest in the subject.
Why did you want to study your subject?
Funnily enough my classics teacher asked me this question once. I was completely stumped. I knew I loved the subject, but it felt impossible to put into words exactly why it fascinated me so much. She did reassure me that this was quite normal, and said that she didn't really figure it out until she was doing her masters, but she also warned me that if I wanted to apply to Oxford I was going to need to be able to answer that question.
My earliest memory of studying classics was when my parents came back from a trip to Rome, and they had brought me a book which was a children's guide to visiting ancient Rome. I can remember spending hours pouring over the book late at night. You can imagine my excitement then, when I was told that we were going to be studying Latin at school. Despite my enthusiasm, Latin didn't really come naturally to me. Although I did continue with Latin for a couple more years, not really understanding what was going on most of the time knocked my interest.
At a GCSE options day a teacher at my school managed to convince me to take GCSE classical civilisation, which has no language element. Despite my hesitance I found I really enjoyed the subject and did well in my GCSE. It was the one subject that I knew I had to take at A-level.
Part way through my A-levels the classics department at my school organised a lecture by John Taylor (who is basically a god in the classics world). This was the first time I had really heard someone talk about classics in an academic manor. I left that room feeling like my mind had been blown, but also knowing that I absolutely had to study classics at uni.
So that brought me to sitting in front of my classics teacher with her asking me why I wanted to study classics. If she were to ask me now I would simply say that being able to connect to something that happened thousands of years ago is a joy that I simply cannot replicate anywhere else. I have so many questions about how people lived in the ancient world that I have to explore and try to find some answers.
Why Oxford?
I was fortunate to have heard about Oxford when I was in year 10. I remember hearing about the teaching style and thinking that it sounded like a really cool way to learn. I also remember hearing about how impossible it was to get in and up until that point I didn't really have a very strong academic past.
It wasn't until I got my GCSE results that Oxford felt like a possibility. I knew then that regardless of how impossible it seemed, I was definitely going to at least apply. I liked the course at Oxford because it allows me to take options in archaeology, ancient history and languages ( although you don't have to take a language).
Did any of your teachers inspire you? Or any other expert (TV presenter etc)
I have to give credit to my classics teachers at school, who were always very supportive of my application. Although my school didn't send many people to Oxbridge, they gave me as much help as they could. I remember the careers adviser at my school telling me that it was important to remember that people do manage to get into Oxford every year. Although it's difficult, it's not impossible. Her advice reminded me to not count myself out before the admissions tutors have even seen my application.
Which resources did you use (please name as many as possible) Which books/journals did you read? Which did you like best, and why? What did they teach you?
BOOKs
Greek plays- these are really short and the tragedies are pretty easy to pick up so they're an easy place to start. My favourites are probably Medea and Oedipus Rex but there are loads and they are normally easy to find second hand. They also tend to have a lot of online resources including academic articles since they are pretty well known plays. I found sometimes it was also helpful to read an online summary of the play beforehand so that when you are reading it is easier to follow the plot.
‘A short introduction to…’ These are a series of books which are a great place to start if you are thinking of studying something new. I read the Archaeology one since I had never studied it before but there are so many on lots of different topics.
Stephen Fry ‘Mythos’ and ‘Heroes’ /Mary Beard ‘SPQR’ - these books are great as they are designed to be read by people who don't have a baseline knowledge on classics so they are really accessible. Stephen Fry's books are really great for understanding the myths that often appear in many different classics texts, and as someone who has mostly studied ancient Greece I found SPQR really helped me understand Roman history.
‘The trojan war’ Barry Strauss / ‘Parthenon’ David Stuttard- these are two books which I read which combine both history and archaeology. These books were useful to me because they were on topics that I enjoyed but whatever you find interests you I would recommend finding books that talk about both ancient history and archaeology in combination.
‘The Archaeology Coursebook’ - whilst I didn't read this book from start to finish I did find it was helpful to explain different archaeological terms wherever I came across them in other reading.
The Iliad/ Aeneid/ Odyssey- these three texts are seen as the foundation of classics and they do cover a lot of the key themes that often reappear in other works. If you are reading them for the first time I would recommend either having a commentary or reading a summary of the different books online as this makes it much easier to follow them, particularly as stories are not written in chronological order which can make it pretty confusing. Since these are very well known there should be lots of resources available online.
A-level textbooks- I studied classical civilisation A-level, but this is definitely not a requirement. However you can get the textbooks for the course on Amazon and these can be quite useful since they are written for A-level students so they are a lot more accessible then academic journals.
Catullus and Lucretious- these are two roman poets. They aren't quite as accessible but I did really enjoy reading them and if you have some background in studying classics then they are interesting reads.
Herodotus- I read the first two books of Herodotus and I would recommend reading some kind of historian since it can give you a good idea of the resources available from the ancient world. I did find it took me a long time to read and understand what he was actually writing so I would definitely recommend looking for a commentary or online summary to make it easier to follow.
One of the joys about classics is the breath of material you can find to read, and I would say reading is probably one of the best things you can do for your application. There really isn't a set list of texts you have to read. I have always found Waterstones often have a really interesting collection of books on a range of topics, or the British museum gift shop also had some more unusual books. It really is just often a case of having a browse and finding something that interests you and following that.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Google Scholar- this is a great resource for finding academic journals which I found to be very useful for thinking about a text after I had read it. I would recommend typing in the name of a text you have just read or a topic that interests you to see what academic discussions come up.
Cambridge/ Oxford classics open day- the classics departments run a lot of open days and taster sessions, including language taster sessions and lectures which are designed specifically for A-level students. I would really recommend keeping an eye on the website to see what events they have coming up as these can be a really good way to find out more about what classics is actually like at uni. I also found the admissions tutors at the colleges really helpful and if you have any questions about the application process I would really recommend contacting them.
Artefact collections- museums often list photos of items they have online. Whilst nothing beats seeing the object in person, it can still be really helpful to have a look online. I found this was particularly useful for preparing for interviews as I would look up a completely random object and then spend a few minutes making notes on my thoughts before cross checking with any information that they had.
LEARNING LATIN
Learning a language is not required for the course, but you can pick up Latin or ancient Greek from beginner. I ended up self teaching myself Latin, and these are the resources I used:
‘Cambridge Latin Course Book 1’- there is an online version which is free and they also have additional resources on their website. I found this much easier then some other Latin textbooks because it starts off very simple and it doesn't overwhelm you with grammar too early on.
I have heard very good things about ‘Lingua Latina’, and John Taylors ‘Latin to GCSE’ series I have been told is a little boring, but it is used by many schools for teaching Latin GCSE.
Did you attend any lectures, or take part in any competitions? If so, would you recommend them, and why?
In year 12 I decided that if I was going to study classics at uni I would give Latin another shot so I looked into Latin summer schools. The jcat Latin summer school is really great but at £850+ they seemed like an expensive way to find out if I wanted to study Latin again. I ended up attending one at UCL which was £150 for 2 weeks. It was really great and we sat a foundation GCSE paper at the end. This gave me the confidence I needed to continue studying Latin. It is worth saying that summer schools do have some bursary schemes and are keen to encourage everyone to be able to access ancient languages. If you qualify for UNIQ I have heard only positive things about it and would definitely recommend checking them out.
During the UCL summer school they held lectures after the classes which I went to. I also attended the taster lectures at the Cambridge and Oxford open day. These turned out to be very useful, especially for my personal statement and the tutors asked me about these lectures during my interviews.
There are a few essay competitions held every year that are run by different colleges at both Cambridge and Oxford. I found out about them too late to enter, but I wish I had done as I think I would have really enjoyed them and they can be great for your personal statement.
Did you have any work experience? If so, how did you find it?
I currently volunteer at the Churchill War Rooms. Whilst this isn't ancient history related, I have really enjoyed my volunteering and it has helped me overall to develop the skills I use when studying ancient history.
I would also really recommend trying to find any archaeological sites near you. I often dragged my family around ones I could find whenever we travelled anywhere, and there are loads of archaeological sites in the UK so it's worth looking into this.
Work experience definitely isn't necessary and I have more time available since I'm on a gap year so don't worry if you can't get any.
Did you have a specialist subject/EPQ? What was it? How did you go about your research?
During year 12 I did an EPQ. At this time I was planning on studying Law so I decided to research the use of non-jury trials in Northern Ireland during the troubles. Although I’m not sure how much it helped my application since it wasn't related to my subject, I still think it was one of the most useful things I did. I learnt a lot about academic research, and this helped me when I was looking to find academic journals on topics that were related to classics. It was also very useful to learn how to reference and plan a much longer essay then one that I was used to writing at A-level. I would recommend doing an EPQ for the skills I learnt alone.
What did you mention in your personal statement and why?
I essentially split my personal statement into an introduction and then 3 sections. In the first I talked about ancient history and literary sources. In the second I talked about physical sources and then in the third I used an example to show how combining the studying of literary and physical sources is the most effective way to study the ancient world. I used examples throughout of the books I had read and physical sources I had seen, and I talked about what I learnt from volunteering at the war rooms and the lectures I had been to.
I don't think there is any magic formula for a personal statement, but given that it is a combination degree between two subjects I would recommend including something about why you want to study archaeology and ancient history together.
How did you choose your college? Did you go to an open day and if so, did it help you to decide?
There were two things I was looking for in a college, that it was old and had accommodation for all 3 years. I then looked at the videos for the online open day and listened to the classics tutors to see which ones seemed nice. I also used the student union resource which saved me having to search through the different college websites to find information to compare them.
Generally I would say that there is far more similarity between the colleges than differences. It is always worth keeping in the back of your mind that you can very easily be reallocated either before or after the interview so it's definitely worth keeping an open mind.
How did you find the interview process?
I had 3 interviews in total. The first two were at the college I had applied to and the third was at a different college, although I ended up with an offer from the original college so it just goes to show you can't read into it too much.
My first interview was an ancient history interview. I didn't have any pre-reading but they gave me a piece of text in the interview. Overall I enjoyed the interview and although it was challenging the tutors were very friendly and encouraging.
My second interview was archaeology based and they gave me a source to look at in the interview. Whilst the tutors weren't unfriendly they definitely weren't quite as encouraging and the source was really complicated so I found this interview much harder. It definitely felt more like a grilling then the first one.
My third interview was a combination interview, with half the interview based on some pre reading and the other half looking at some physical sources. The tutors were genuinely lovely and I found this interview much more relaxing. I also found having a pre reading gave me a bit more time to prepare rather than thinking of everything on the spot and it helped my nerves before the interview.
Any interview tips?
Breathe- it sounds simple but taking a few minutes before to slow down your breathing can really help calm your nerves
Don't worry about formality- I was nervous about the little things, like if I was supposed to shake their hands or introduce myself or sit a certain way. These things do not matter and I found it was easiest to just take the tutors lead and follow what they did.
Take a minute to think, then say anything you're thinking off. The reason why I found my second interview so hard was because the source was really weird so even though I thought my ideas were really weird it turns out it was just the source. The chances are if you are thinking of a point it's probably along the right line. Even if it isn't you should still say it because then they know what you're thinking and they can help guide you. The only ‘mistake’ you can make in an interview is to not say what you are thinking.
In terms of preparing for interviews I would really recommend thinking about the subject as much as possible. It doesn't really matter what it is you have read or studied. I found that just asking as many questions as you can about it really helps in an interview when essentially that's what the tutors will be doing. I was also really worried that they would ask me to date something of to know lots of things but it isn't a quiz and the tutors won't assume you have any prior knowlage.
I would really recommend thinking of interviews as an academic discussion between you and some really cool academics, and to not focus on the fact that it is used as part of an admissions decision. If you remove that from it then they can actually be an enjoyable experience.
How did you feel after the interviews?
After the interviews I felt ok, but I just mostly tried to put them out of my mind. It's pretty impossible not to overthink them and the chances are you won't really know how well you've done. I really wasn't sure what to think since I had been called for a second interview, but it turns out this didn't really mean anything since I was given an offer from my first college.
Where were you when you got your offer? How did you react?
I was at home in an online lesson and I was pretty shocked, since I didn't think Oxford would give me an offer since I'm retaking one of my A-levels. But it just goes to show that there is no Oxford type and just because you don't have a perfect academic record it doesn't mean it isn't worth applying.
Are you looking forward to coming up to Oxford?
I’m really excited to have something to look forward to, and to get to meet everyone else. I also haven't seen my college yet since the open days were online so it will be nice to be able to see it in person.
When most people ask me what I am going to be studying at university and I respond with ‘classical archaeology and ancient history’ I normally get a puzzled look. Just to clarify, it is a 3 year course offered by Oxford which combines the study of the physical and written sources from the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. There is no requirement to have studied any of this before so it really is open to any one who has an interest in the subject.
Why did you want to study your subject?
Funnily enough my classics teacher asked me this question once. I was completely stumped. I knew I loved the subject, but it felt impossible to put into words exactly why it fascinated me so much. She did reassure me that this was quite normal, and said that she didn't really figure it out until she was doing her masters, but she also warned me that if I wanted to apply to Oxford I was going to need to be able to answer that question.
My earliest memory of studying classics was when my parents came back from a trip to Rome, and they had brought me a book which was a children's guide to visiting ancient Rome. I can remember spending hours pouring over the book late at night. You can imagine my excitement then, when I was told that we were going to be studying Latin at school. Despite my enthusiasm, Latin didn't really come naturally to me. Although I did continue with Latin for a couple more years, not really understanding what was going on most of the time knocked my interest.
At a GCSE options day a teacher at my school managed to convince me to take GCSE classical civilisation, which has no language element. Despite my hesitance I found I really enjoyed the subject and did well in my GCSE. It was the one subject that I knew I had to take at A-level.
Part way through my A-levels the classics department at my school organised a lecture by John Taylor (who is basically a god in the classics world). This was the first time I had really heard someone talk about classics in an academic manor. I left that room feeling like my mind had been blown, but also knowing that I absolutely had to study classics at uni.
So that brought me to sitting in front of my classics teacher with her asking me why I wanted to study classics. If she were to ask me now I would simply say that being able to connect to something that happened thousands of years ago is a joy that I simply cannot replicate anywhere else. I have so many questions about how people lived in the ancient world that I have to explore and try to find some answers.
Why Oxford?
I was fortunate to have heard about Oxford when I was in year 10. I remember hearing about the teaching style and thinking that it sounded like a really cool way to learn. I also remember hearing about how impossible it was to get in and up until that point I didn't really have a very strong academic past.
It wasn't until I got my GCSE results that Oxford felt like a possibility. I knew then that regardless of how impossible it seemed, I was definitely going to at least apply. I liked the course at Oxford because it allows me to take options in archaeology, ancient history and languages ( although you don't have to take a language).
Did any of your teachers inspire you? Or any other expert (TV presenter etc)
I have to give credit to my classics teachers at school, who were always very supportive of my application. Although my school didn't send many people to Oxbridge, they gave me as much help as they could. I remember the careers adviser at my school telling me that it was important to remember that people do manage to get into Oxford every year. Although it's difficult, it's not impossible. Her advice reminded me to not count myself out before the admissions tutors have even seen my application.
Which resources did you use (please name as many as possible) Which books/journals did you read? Which did you like best, and why? What did they teach you?
BOOKs
Greek plays- these are really short and the tragedies are pretty easy to pick up so they're an easy place to start. My favourites are probably Medea and Oedipus Rex but there are loads and they are normally easy to find second hand. They also tend to have a lot of online resources including academic articles since they are pretty well known plays. I found sometimes it was also helpful to read an online summary of the play beforehand so that when you are reading it is easier to follow the plot.
‘A short introduction to…’ These are a series of books which are a great place to start if you are thinking of studying something new. I read the Archaeology one since I had never studied it before but there are so many on lots of different topics.
Stephen Fry ‘Mythos’ and ‘Heroes’ /Mary Beard ‘SPQR’ - these books are great as they are designed to be read by people who don't have a baseline knowledge on classics so they are really accessible. Stephen Fry's books are really great for understanding the myths that often appear in many different classics texts, and as someone who has mostly studied ancient Greece I found SPQR really helped me understand Roman history.
‘The trojan war’ Barry Strauss / ‘Parthenon’ David Stuttard- these are two books which I read which combine both history and archaeology. These books were useful to me because they were on topics that I enjoyed but whatever you find interests you I would recommend finding books that talk about both ancient history and archaeology in combination.
‘The Archaeology Coursebook’ - whilst I didn't read this book from start to finish I did find it was helpful to explain different archaeological terms wherever I came across them in other reading.
The Iliad/ Aeneid/ Odyssey- these three texts are seen as the foundation of classics and they do cover a lot of the key themes that often reappear in other works. If you are reading them for the first time I would recommend either having a commentary or reading a summary of the different books online as this makes it much easier to follow them, particularly as stories are not written in chronological order which can make it pretty confusing. Since these are very well known there should be lots of resources available online.
A-level textbooks- I studied classical civilisation A-level, but this is definitely not a requirement. However you can get the textbooks for the course on Amazon and these can be quite useful since they are written for A-level students so they are a lot more accessible then academic journals.
Catullus and Lucretious- these are two roman poets. They aren't quite as accessible but I did really enjoy reading them and if you have some background in studying classics then they are interesting reads.
Herodotus- I read the first two books of Herodotus and I would recommend reading some kind of historian since it can give you a good idea of the resources available from the ancient world. I did find it took me a long time to read and understand what he was actually writing so I would definitely recommend looking for a commentary or online summary to make it easier to follow.
One of the joys about classics is the breath of material you can find to read, and I would say reading is probably one of the best things you can do for your application. There really isn't a set list of texts you have to read. I have always found Waterstones often have a really interesting collection of books on a range of topics, or the British museum gift shop also had some more unusual books. It really is just often a case of having a browse and finding something that interests you and following that.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Google Scholar- this is a great resource for finding academic journals which I found to be very useful for thinking about a text after I had read it. I would recommend typing in the name of a text you have just read or a topic that interests you to see what academic discussions come up.
Cambridge/ Oxford classics open day- the classics departments run a lot of open days and taster sessions, including language taster sessions and lectures which are designed specifically for A-level students. I would really recommend keeping an eye on the website to see what events they have coming up as these can be a really good way to find out more about what classics is actually like at uni. I also found the admissions tutors at the colleges really helpful and if you have any questions about the application process I would really recommend contacting them.
Artefact collections- museums often list photos of items they have online. Whilst nothing beats seeing the object in person, it can still be really helpful to have a look online. I found this was particularly useful for preparing for interviews as I would look up a completely random object and then spend a few minutes making notes on my thoughts before cross checking with any information that they had.
LEARNING LATIN
Learning a language is not required for the course, but you can pick up Latin or ancient Greek from beginner. I ended up self teaching myself Latin, and these are the resources I used:
‘Cambridge Latin Course Book 1’- there is an online version which is free and they also have additional resources on their website. I found this much easier then some other Latin textbooks because it starts off very simple and it doesn't overwhelm you with grammar too early on.
I have heard very good things about ‘Lingua Latina’, and John Taylors ‘Latin to GCSE’ series I have been told is a little boring, but it is used by many schools for teaching Latin GCSE.
Did you attend any lectures, or take part in any competitions? If so, would you recommend them, and why?
In year 12 I decided that if I was going to study classics at uni I would give Latin another shot so I looked into Latin summer schools. The jcat Latin summer school is really great but at £850+ they seemed like an expensive way to find out if I wanted to study Latin again. I ended up attending one at UCL which was £150 for 2 weeks. It was really great and we sat a foundation GCSE paper at the end. This gave me the confidence I needed to continue studying Latin. It is worth saying that summer schools do have some bursary schemes and are keen to encourage everyone to be able to access ancient languages. If you qualify for UNIQ I have heard only positive things about it and would definitely recommend checking them out.
During the UCL summer school they held lectures after the classes which I went to. I also attended the taster lectures at the Cambridge and Oxford open day. These turned out to be very useful, especially for my personal statement and the tutors asked me about these lectures during my interviews.
There are a few essay competitions held every year that are run by different colleges at both Cambridge and Oxford. I found out about them too late to enter, but I wish I had done as I think I would have really enjoyed them and they can be great for your personal statement.
Did you have any work experience? If so, how did you find it?
I currently volunteer at the Churchill War Rooms. Whilst this isn't ancient history related, I have really enjoyed my volunteering and it has helped me overall to develop the skills I use when studying ancient history.
I would also really recommend trying to find any archaeological sites near you. I often dragged my family around ones I could find whenever we travelled anywhere, and there are loads of archaeological sites in the UK so it's worth looking into this.
Work experience definitely isn't necessary and I have more time available since I'm on a gap year so don't worry if you can't get any.
Did you have a specialist subject/EPQ? What was it? How did you go about your research?
During year 12 I did an EPQ. At this time I was planning on studying Law so I decided to research the use of non-jury trials in Northern Ireland during the troubles. Although I’m not sure how much it helped my application since it wasn't related to my subject, I still think it was one of the most useful things I did. I learnt a lot about academic research, and this helped me when I was looking to find academic journals on topics that were related to classics. It was also very useful to learn how to reference and plan a much longer essay then one that I was used to writing at A-level. I would recommend doing an EPQ for the skills I learnt alone.
What did you mention in your personal statement and why?
I essentially split my personal statement into an introduction and then 3 sections. In the first I talked about ancient history and literary sources. In the second I talked about physical sources and then in the third I used an example to show how combining the studying of literary and physical sources is the most effective way to study the ancient world. I used examples throughout of the books I had read and physical sources I had seen, and I talked about what I learnt from volunteering at the war rooms and the lectures I had been to.
I don't think there is any magic formula for a personal statement, but given that it is a combination degree between two subjects I would recommend including something about why you want to study archaeology and ancient history together.
How did you choose your college? Did you go to an open day and if so, did it help you to decide?
There were two things I was looking for in a college, that it was old and had accommodation for all 3 years. I then looked at the videos for the online open day and listened to the classics tutors to see which ones seemed nice. I also used the student union resource which saved me having to search through the different college websites to find information to compare them.
Generally I would say that there is far more similarity between the colleges than differences. It is always worth keeping in the back of your mind that you can very easily be reallocated either before or after the interview so it's definitely worth keeping an open mind.
How did you find the interview process?
I had 3 interviews in total. The first two were at the college I had applied to and the third was at a different college, although I ended up with an offer from the original college so it just goes to show you can't read into it too much.
My first interview was an ancient history interview. I didn't have any pre-reading but they gave me a piece of text in the interview. Overall I enjoyed the interview and although it was challenging the tutors were very friendly and encouraging.
My second interview was archaeology based and they gave me a source to look at in the interview. Whilst the tutors weren't unfriendly they definitely weren't quite as encouraging and the source was really complicated so I found this interview much harder. It definitely felt more like a grilling then the first one.
My third interview was a combination interview, with half the interview based on some pre reading and the other half looking at some physical sources. The tutors were genuinely lovely and I found this interview much more relaxing. I also found having a pre reading gave me a bit more time to prepare rather than thinking of everything on the spot and it helped my nerves before the interview.
Any interview tips?
Breathe- it sounds simple but taking a few minutes before to slow down your breathing can really help calm your nerves
Don't worry about formality- I was nervous about the little things, like if I was supposed to shake their hands or introduce myself or sit a certain way. These things do not matter and I found it was easiest to just take the tutors lead and follow what they did.
Take a minute to think, then say anything you're thinking off. The reason why I found my second interview so hard was because the source was really weird so even though I thought my ideas were really weird it turns out it was just the source. The chances are if you are thinking of a point it's probably along the right line. Even if it isn't you should still say it because then they know what you're thinking and they can help guide you. The only ‘mistake’ you can make in an interview is to not say what you are thinking.
In terms of preparing for interviews I would really recommend thinking about the subject as much as possible. It doesn't really matter what it is you have read or studied. I found that just asking as many questions as you can about it really helps in an interview when essentially that's what the tutors will be doing. I was also really worried that they would ask me to date something of to know lots of things but it isn't a quiz and the tutors won't assume you have any prior knowlage.
I would really recommend thinking of interviews as an academic discussion between you and some really cool academics, and to not focus on the fact that it is used as part of an admissions decision. If you remove that from it then they can actually be an enjoyable experience.
How did you feel after the interviews?
After the interviews I felt ok, but I just mostly tried to put them out of my mind. It's pretty impossible not to overthink them and the chances are you won't really know how well you've done. I really wasn't sure what to think since I had been called for a second interview, but it turns out this didn't really mean anything since I was given an offer from my first college.
Where were you when you got your offer? How did you react?
I was at home in an online lesson and I was pretty shocked, since I didn't think Oxford would give me an offer since I'm retaking one of my A-levels. But it just goes to show that there is no Oxford type and just because you don't have a perfect academic record it doesn't mean it isn't worth applying.
Are you looking forward to coming up to Oxford?
I’m really excited to have something to look forward to, and to get to meet everyone else. I also haven't seen my college yet since the open days were online so it will be nice to be able to see it in person.
@olivia.b02
Your description of your parents going on holiday to Rome, reminds me of a T-shirt my friend once had: My parents went to Barbados and all I got was this t-shirt...
I felt exactly the same when my parents went to Paris when I was 7. They bought me an exquisite little doll dressed as Madame Pompadour, but I had already started learning French and I just longed to be there with them. I also ended up studying the subject as a degree!
When we went to Rome, I bought younger son a pictorial guide book. It show illustrations of all the ruins, but there was a transparent page in front of it, showing what the same scene would have looked like originally. He took it everywhere and stood right at the front, next to the guide, poring over this book.
Isn't it amazing that one little holiday (which you didn't even go on) could spark all that interest and propel you on a trajectory towards Oxford...
Classical civilisation... ahhh the memories! I studied Class Civ as a module at university, and absolutely loved it! I particularly loved reading Homer.
It will be absolutely amazing digging in the ground somewhere and finding something from thousands of years and ago, that someone had worn or used to do their cooking. You can imagine so many back stories.
Your description of your parents going on holiday to Rome, reminds me of a T-shirt my friend once had: My parents went to Barbados and all I got was this t-shirt...
I felt exactly the same when my parents went to Paris when I was 7. They bought me an exquisite little doll dressed as Madame Pompadour, but I had already started learning French and I just longed to be there with them. I also ended up studying the subject as a degree!
When we went to Rome, I bought younger son a pictorial guide book. It show illustrations of all the ruins, but there was a transparent page in front of it, showing what the same scene would have looked like originally. He took it everywhere and stood right at the front, next to the guide, poring over this book.
Isn't it amazing that one little holiday (which you didn't even go on) could spark all that interest and propel you on a trajectory towards Oxford...
Classical civilisation... ahhh the memories! I studied Class Civ as a module at university, and absolutely loved it! I particularly loved reading Homer.
It will be absolutely amazing digging in the ground somewhere and finding something from thousands of years and ago, that someone had worn or used to do their cooking. You can imagine so many back stories.
I love how you thought it seemed impossible to get into Oxford (yet here you are!) I am very grateful that your careers teacher reminded you that yes, people get in every year..
I am very surprised by the number of people who praise the short introduction books to the skies. These little critters are so small, but are packed with useful info and are often written by some very eminent experts!
Of course, where would we be without Mary Beard? We first saw her on TV, and she really opened our eyes to what life in Ancient Rome was really like.
There are some great resources you listed here. I would have never thought of looking at artefact collections of museums online. Wait til you get to Oxford and wrap your eyes around the glorious exhibits in the Ashmolean museum
https://artuk.org/visit/venues/the-ashmolean-museum-of-art-and-archaeology-5990
My elder son studied Latin at AS level. How we loved those Cambridge Latin course books! It was fantastic that they used a family, so it all felt so much more relatable. How we absolutely rocked with laughter, when we saw an episode of Doctor Who called Fires of Pompei, and up rocked Caecilius and his family!!!! Here's a clip of the episode in question - ironically the person who played Caecilius ended up being the Doctor himself...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-ERgS_sSMA
It turned out that script writer, Russell T Davies, learned Latin from the same text book and decided to bring Caecilius to life.
I am very surprised by the number of people who praise the short introduction books to the skies. These little critters are so small, but are packed with useful info and are often written by some very eminent experts!
Of course, where would we be without Mary Beard? We first saw her on TV, and she really opened our eyes to what life in Ancient Rome was really like.
There are some great resources you listed here. I would have never thought of looking at artefact collections of museums online. Wait til you get to Oxford and wrap your eyes around the glorious exhibits in the Ashmolean museum
https://artuk.org/visit/venues/the-ashmolean-museum-of-art-and-archaeology-5990
My elder son studied Latin at AS level. How we loved those Cambridge Latin course books! It was fantastic that they used a family, so it all felt so much more relatable. How we absolutely rocked with laughter, when we saw an episode of Doctor Who called Fires of Pompei, and up rocked Caecilius and his family!!!! Here's a clip of the episode in question - ironically the person who played Caecilius ended up being the Doctor himself...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-ERgS_sSMA
It turned out that script writer, Russell T Davies, learned Latin from the same text book and decided to bring Caecilius to life.
I see you are already interested in archeological sites. I have a work colleague who was an archeologist. He participated in a dig in Newark. He and some friends found a Saxon hill fort and there is a plaque in the castle grounds to comemmorate the fact. He also studied ancient history, and hates everything that comes after the Roman times!
I hope your archeology takes you round the UK and also around the world. Let's get Covid out of the way first!
Working in the Churchill War Rooms is not exactly Ancient Rome, but it still brings you into close contact with history and makes you feel a part of it.
I love how you organised your personal statement, starting with the books, moving on to actual physical sources, e.g. artefacts, and then combining the two. It sounds like you are painting a fascinating vista for the reader (here, the tutors) and I can almost feel myself being transported into your amazing world. No wonder they couldn't resist!
I hope your archeology takes you round the UK and also around the world. Let's get Covid out of the way first!
Working in the Churchill War Rooms is not exactly Ancient Rome, but it still brings you into close contact with history and makes you feel a part of it.
I love how you organised your personal statement, starting with the books, moving on to actual physical sources, e.g. artefacts, and then combining the two. It sounds like you are painting a fascinating vista for the reader (here, the tutors) and I can almost feel myself being transported into your amazing world. No wonder they couldn't resist!
I think it really helps that you are thinking of the interviewers as "really cool" academics, rather some scary ogres who are there to catch you out. I often wonder what it must be like to speak to someone who has devoted nearly all their lives to becoming a world expert in something - anything. I can't even start to fathom how amazing it must be to be able to speak to someone like that.
And now those same cool people are going to teach you. That thought alone is mind blowing, isn't it?
I know it's a shame you won't get to see your college yet because of the pandemic, however it will make it all the more sweet when you walk through those heavy college doors and know you are finally home...
And now those same cool people are going to teach you. That thought alone is mind blowing, isn't it?
I know it's a shame you won't get to see your college yet because of the pandemic, however it will make it all the more sweet when you walk through those heavy college doors and know you are finally home...
Sample interview questions
https://sites.google.com/site/oxbridgeinterviewquestions/arcaeology
https://www.oxfordinterviewquestions.com/questions/archaeology-and-anthropology/
http://apply.oxfordsu.org/courses/caah/
https://www.classics.ox.ac.uk/faqs
One of the most famous (and fabulous) recent Oxford graduates did your course as well! Here is her magical YouTube account of her interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLvt3UMn2r0
https://sites.google.com/site/oxbridgeinterviewquestions/arcaeology
https://www.oxfordinterviewquestions.com/questions/archaeology-and-anthropology/
http://apply.oxfordsu.org/courses/caah/
https://www.classics.ox.ac.uk/faqs
One of the most famous (and fabulous) recent Oxford graduates did your course as well! Here is her magical YouTube account of her interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLvt3UMn2r0
what were your GCSES and A level results?
Original post by olivia.b02
@Oxford Mum
When most people ask me what I am going to be studying at university and I respond with ‘classical archaeology and ancient history’ I normally get a puzzled look. Just to clarify, it is a 3 year course offered by Oxford which combines the study of the physical and written sources from the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. There is no requirement to have studied any of this before so it really is open to any one who has an interest in the subject.
Why did you want to study your subject?
Funnily enough my classics teacher asked me this question once. I was completely stumped. I knew I loved the subject, but it felt impossible to put into words exactly why it fascinated me so much. She did reassure me that this was quite normal, and said that she didn't really figure it out until she was doing her masters, but she also warned me that if I wanted to apply to Oxford I was going to need to be able to answer that question.
My earliest memory of studying classics was when my parents came back from a trip to Rome, and they had brought me a book which was a children's guide to visiting ancient Rome. I can remember spending hours pouring over the book late at night. You can imagine my excitement then, when I was told that we were going to be studying Latin at school. Despite my enthusiasm, Latin didn't really come naturally to me. Although I did continue with Latin for a couple more years, not really understanding what was going on most of the time knocked my interest.
At a GCSE options day a teacher at my school managed to convince me to take GCSE classical civilisation, which has no language element. Despite my hesitance I found I really enjoyed the subject and did well in my GCSE. It was the one subject that I knew I had to take at A-level.
Part way through my A-levels the classics department at my school organised a lecture by John Taylor (who is basically a god in the classics world). This was the first time I had really heard someone talk about classics in an academic manor. I left that room feeling like my mind had been blown, but also knowing that I absolutely had to study classics at uni.
So that brought me to sitting in front of my classics teacher with her asking me why I wanted to study classics. If she were to ask me now I would simply say that being able to connect to something that happened thousands of years ago is a joy that I simply cannot replicate anywhere else. I have so many questions about how people lived in the ancient world that I have to explore and try to find some answers.
Why Oxford?
I was fortunate to have heard about Oxford when I was in year 10. I remember hearing about the teaching style and thinking that it sounded like a really cool way to learn. I also remember hearing about how impossible it was to get in and up until that point I didn't really have a very strong academic past.
It wasn't until I got my GCSE results that Oxford felt like a possibility. I knew then that regardless of how impossible it seemed, I was definitely going to at least apply. I liked the course at Oxford because it allows me to take options in archaeology, ancient history and languages ( although you don't have to take a language).
Did any of your teachers inspire you? Or any other expert (TV presenter etc)
I have to give credit to my classics teachers at school, who were always very supportive of my application. Although my school didn't send many people to Oxbridge, they gave me as much help as they could. I remember the careers adviser at my school telling me that it was important to remember that people do manage to get into Oxford every year. Although it's difficult, it's not impossible. Her advice reminded me to not count myself out before the admissions tutors have even seen my application.
Which resources did you use (please name as many as possible) Which books/journals did you read? Which did you like best, and why? What did they teach you?
BOOKs
Greek plays- these are really short and the tragedies are pretty easy to pick up so they're an easy place to start. My favourites are probably Medea and Oedipus Rex but there are loads and they are normally easy to find second hand. They also tend to have a lot of online resources including academic articles since they are pretty well known plays. I found sometimes it was also helpful to read an online summary of the play beforehand so that when you are reading it is easier to follow the plot.
‘A short introduction to…’ These are a series of books which are a great place to start if you are thinking of studying something new. I read the Archaeology one since I had never studied it before but there are so many on lots of different topics.
Stephen Fry ‘Mythos’ and ‘Heroes’ /Mary Beard ‘SPQR’ - these books are great as they are designed to be read by people who don't have a baseline knowledge on classics so they are really accessible. Stephen Fry's books are really great for understanding the myths that often appear in many different classics texts, and as someone who has mostly studied ancient Greece I found SPQR really helped me understand Roman history.
‘The trojan war’ Barry Strauss / ‘Parthenon’ David Stuttard- these are two books which I read which combine both history and archaeology. These books were useful to me because they were on topics that I enjoyed but whatever you find interests you I would recommend finding books that talk about both ancient history and archaeology in combination.
‘The Archaeology Coursebook’ - whilst I didn't read this book from start to finish I did find it was helpful to explain different archaeological terms wherever I came across them in other reading.
The Iliad/ Aeneid/ Odyssey- these three texts are seen as the foundation of classics and they do cover a lot of the key themes that often reappear in other works. If you are reading them for the first time I would recommend either having a commentary or reading a summary of the different books online as this makes it much easier to follow them, particularly as stories are not written in chronological order which can make it pretty confusing. Since these are very well known there should be lots of resources available online.
A-level textbooks- I studied classical civilisation A-level, but this is definitely not a requirement. However you can get the textbooks for the course on Amazon and these can be quite useful since they are written for A-level students so they are a lot more accessible then academic journals.
Catullus and Lucretious- these are two roman poets. They aren't quite as accessible but I did really enjoy reading them and if you have some background in studying classics then they are interesting reads.
Herodotus- I read the first two books of Herodotus and I would recommend reading some kind of historian since it can give you a good idea of the resources available from the ancient world. I did find it took me a long time to read and understand what he was actually writing so I would definitely recommend looking for a commentary or online summary to make it easier to follow.
One of the joys about classics is the breath of material you can find to read, and I would say reading is probably one of the best things you can do for your application. There really isn't a set list of texts you have to read. I have always found Waterstones often have a really interesting collection of books on a range of topics, or the British museum gift shop also had some more unusual books. It really is just often a case of having a browse and finding something that interests you and following that.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Google Scholar- this is a great resource for finding academic journals which I found to be very useful for thinking about a text after I had read it. I would recommend typing in the name of a text you have just read or a topic that interests you to see what academic discussions come up.
Cambridge/ Oxford classics open day- the classics departments run a lot of open days and taster sessions, including language taster sessions and lectures which are designed specifically for A-level students. I would really recommend keeping an eye on the website to see what events they have coming up as these can be a really good way to find out more about what classics is actually like at uni. I also found the admissions tutors at the colleges really helpful and if you have any questions about the application process I would really recommend contacting them.
Artefact collections- museums often list photos of items they have online. Whilst nothing beats seeing the object in person, it can still be really helpful to have a look online. I found this was particularly useful for preparing for interviews as I would look up a completely random object and then spend a few minutes making notes on my thoughts before cross checking with any information that they had.
LEARNING LATIN
Learning a language is not required for the course, but you can pick up Latin or ancient Greek from beginner. I ended up self teaching myself Latin, and these are the resources I used:
‘Cambridge Latin Course Book 1’- there is an online version which is free and they also have additional resources on their website. I found this much easier then some other Latin textbooks because it starts off very simple and it doesn't overwhelm you with grammar too early on.
I have heard very good things about ‘Lingua Latina’, and John Taylors ‘Latin to GCSE’ series I have been told is a little boring, but it is used by many schools for teaching Latin GCSE.
Did you attend any lectures, or take part in any competitions? If so, would you recommend them, and why?
In year 12 I decided that if I was going to study classics at uni I would give Latin another shot so I looked into Latin summer schools. The jcat Latin summer school is really great but at £850+ they seemed like an expensive way to find out if I wanted to study Latin again. I ended up attending one at UCL which was £150 for 2 weeks. It was really great and we sat a foundation GCSE paper at the end. This gave me the confidence I needed to continue studying Latin. It is worth saying that summer schools do have some bursary schemes and are keen to encourage everyone to be able to access ancient languages. If you qualify for UNIQ I have heard only positive things about it and would definitely recommend checking them out.
During the UCL summer school they held lectures after the classes which I went to. I also attended the taster lectures at the Cambridge and Oxford open day. These turned out to be very useful, especially for my personal statement and the tutors asked me about these lectures during my interviews.
There are a few essay competitions held every year that are run by different colleges at both Cambridge and Oxford. I found out about them too late to enter, but I wish I had done as I think I would have really enjoyed them and they can be great for your personal statement.
Did you have any work experience? If so, how did you find it?
I currently volunteer at the Churchill War Rooms. Whilst this isn't ancient history related, I have really enjoyed my volunteering and it has helped me overall to develop the skills I use when studying ancient history.
I would also really recommend trying to find any archaeological sites near you. I often dragged my family around ones I could find whenever we travelled anywhere, and there are loads of archaeological sites in the UK so it's worth looking into this.
Work experience definitely isn't necessary and I have more time available since I'm on a gap year so don't worry if you can't get any.
Did you have a specialist subject/EPQ? What was it? How did you go about your research?
During year 12 I did an EPQ. At this time I was planning on studying Law so I decided to research the use of non-jury trials in Northern Ireland during the troubles. Although I’m not sure how much it helped my application since it wasn't related to my subject, I still think it was one of the most useful things I did. I learnt a lot about academic research, and this helped me when I was looking to find academic journals on topics that were related to classics. It was also very useful to learn how to reference and plan a much longer essay then one that I was used to writing at A-level. I would recommend doing an EPQ for the skills I learnt alone.
What did you mention in your personal statement and why?
I essentially split my personal statement into an introduction and then 3 sections. In the first I talked about ancient history and literary sources. In the second I talked about physical sources and then in the third I used an example to show how combining the studying of literary and physical sources is the most effective way to study the ancient world. I used examples throughout of the books I had read and physical sources I had seen, and I talked about what I learnt from volunteering at the war rooms and the lectures I had been to.
I don't think there is any magic formula for a personal statement, but given that it is a combination degree between two subjects I would recommend including something about why you want to study archaeology and ancient history together.
How did you choose your college? Did you go to an open day and if so, did it help you to decide?
There were two things I was looking for in a college, that it was old and had accommodation for all 3 years. I then looked at the videos for the online open day and listened to the classics tutors to see which ones seemed nice. I also used the student union resource which saved me having to search through the different college websites to find information to compare them.
Generally I would say that there is far more similarity between the colleges than differences. It is always worth keeping in the back of your mind that you can very easily be reallocated either before or after the interview so it's definitely worth keeping an open mind.
How did you find the interview process?
I had 3 interviews in total. The first two were at the college I had applied to and the third was at a different college, although I ended up with an offer from the original college so it just goes to show you can't read into it too much.
My first interview was an ancient history interview. I didn't have any pre-reading but they gave me a piece of text in the interview. Overall I enjoyed the interview and although it was challenging the tutors were very friendly and encouraging.
My second interview was archaeology based and they gave me a source to look at in the interview. Whilst the tutors weren't unfriendly they definitely weren't quite as encouraging and the source was really complicated so I found this interview much harder. It definitely felt more like a grilling then the first one.
My third interview was a combination interview, with half the interview based on some pre reading and the other half looking at some physical sources. The tutors were genuinely lovely and I found this interview much more relaxing. I also found having a pre reading gave me a bit more time to prepare rather than thinking of everything on the spot and it helped my nerves before the interview.
Any interview tips?
Breathe- it sounds simple but taking a few minutes before to slow down your breathing can really help calm your nerves
Don't worry about formality- I was nervous about the little things, like if I was supposed to shake their hands or introduce myself or sit a certain way. These things do not matter and I found it was easiest to just take the tutors lead and follow what they did.
Take a minute to think, then say anything you're thinking off. The reason why I found my second interview so hard was because the source was really weird so even though I thought my ideas were really weird it turns out it was just the source. The chances are if you are thinking of a point it's probably along the right line. Even if it isn't you should still say it because then they know what you're thinking and they can help guide you. The only ‘mistake’ you can make in an interview is to not say what you are thinking.
In terms of preparing for interviews I would really recommend thinking about the subject as much as possible. It doesn't really matter what it is you have read or studied. I found that just asking as many questions as you can about it really helps in an interview when essentially that's what the tutors will be doing. I was also really worried that they would ask me to date something of to know lots of things but it isn't a quiz and the tutors won't assume you have any prior knowlage.
I would really recommend thinking of interviews as an academic discussion between you and some really cool academics, and to not focus on the fact that it is used as part of an admissions decision. If you remove that from it then they can actually be an enjoyable experience.
How did you feel after the interviews?
After the interviews I felt ok, but I just mostly tried to put them out of my mind. It's pretty impossible not to overthink them and the chances are you won't really know how well you've done. I really wasn't sure what to think since I had been called for a second interview, but it turns out this didn't really mean anything since I was given an offer from my first college.
Where were you when you got your offer? How did you react?
I was at home in an online lesson and I was pretty shocked, since I didn't think Oxford would give me an offer since I'm retaking one of my A-levels. But it just goes to show that there is no Oxford type and just because you don't have a perfect academic record it doesn't mean it isn't worth applying.
Are you looking forward to coming up to Oxford?
I’m really excited to have something to look forward to, and to get to meet everyone else. I also haven't seen my college yet since the open days were online so it will be nice to be able to see it in person.
When most people ask me what I am going to be studying at university and I respond with ‘classical archaeology and ancient history’ I normally get a puzzled look. Just to clarify, it is a 3 year course offered by Oxford which combines the study of the physical and written sources from the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. There is no requirement to have studied any of this before so it really is open to any one who has an interest in the subject.
Why did you want to study your subject?
Funnily enough my classics teacher asked me this question once. I was completely stumped. I knew I loved the subject, but it felt impossible to put into words exactly why it fascinated me so much. She did reassure me that this was quite normal, and said that she didn't really figure it out until she was doing her masters, but she also warned me that if I wanted to apply to Oxford I was going to need to be able to answer that question.
My earliest memory of studying classics was when my parents came back from a trip to Rome, and they had brought me a book which was a children's guide to visiting ancient Rome. I can remember spending hours pouring over the book late at night. You can imagine my excitement then, when I was told that we were going to be studying Latin at school. Despite my enthusiasm, Latin didn't really come naturally to me. Although I did continue with Latin for a couple more years, not really understanding what was going on most of the time knocked my interest.
At a GCSE options day a teacher at my school managed to convince me to take GCSE classical civilisation, which has no language element. Despite my hesitance I found I really enjoyed the subject and did well in my GCSE. It was the one subject that I knew I had to take at A-level.
Part way through my A-levels the classics department at my school organised a lecture by John Taylor (who is basically a god in the classics world). This was the first time I had really heard someone talk about classics in an academic manor. I left that room feeling like my mind had been blown, but also knowing that I absolutely had to study classics at uni.
So that brought me to sitting in front of my classics teacher with her asking me why I wanted to study classics. If she were to ask me now I would simply say that being able to connect to something that happened thousands of years ago is a joy that I simply cannot replicate anywhere else. I have so many questions about how people lived in the ancient world that I have to explore and try to find some answers.
Why Oxford?
I was fortunate to have heard about Oxford when I was in year 10. I remember hearing about the teaching style and thinking that it sounded like a really cool way to learn. I also remember hearing about how impossible it was to get in and up until that point I didn't really have a very strong academic past.
It wasn't until I got my GCSE results that Oxford felt like a possibility. I knew then that regardless of how impossible it seemed, I was definitely going to at least apply. I liked the course at Oxford because it allows me to take options in archaeology, ancient history and languages ( although you don't have to take a language).
Did any of your teachers inspire you? Or any other expert (TV presenter etc)
I have to give credit to my classics teachers at school, who were always very supportive of my application. Although my school didn't send many people to Oxbridge, they gave me as much help as they could. I remember the careers adviser at my school telling me that it was important to remember that people do manage to get into Oxford every year. Although it's difficult, it's not impossible. Her advice reminded me to not count myself out before the admissions tutors have even seen my application.
Which resources did you use (please name as many as possible) Which books/journals did you read? Which did you like best, and why? What did they teach you?
BOOKs
Greek plays- these are really short and the tragedies are pretty easy to pick up so they're an easy place to start. My favourites are probably Medea and Oedipus Rex but there are loads and they are normally easy to find second hand. They also tend to have a lot of online resources including academic articles since they are pretty well known plays. I found sometimes it was also helpful to read an online summary of the play beforehand so that when you are reading it is easier to follow the plot.
‘A short introduction to…’ These are a series of books which are a great place to start if you are thinking of studying something new. I read the Archaeology one since I had never studied it before but there are so many on lots of different topics.
Stephen Fry ‘Mythos’ and ‘Heroes’ /Mary Beard ‘SPQR’ - these books are great as they are designed to be read by people who don't have a baseline knowledge on classics so they are really accessible. Stephen Fry's books are really great for understanding the myths that often appear in many different classics texts, and as someone who has mostly studied ancient Greece I found SPQR really helped me understand Roman history.
‘The trojan war’ Barry Strauss / ‘Parthenon’ David Stuttard- these are two books which I read which combine both history and archaeology. These books were useful to me because they were on topics that I enjoyed but whatever you find interests you I would recommend finding books that talk about both ancient history and archaeology in combination.
‘The Archaeology Coursebook’ - whilst I didn't read this book from start to finish I did find it was helpful to explain different archaeological terms wherever I came across them in other reading.
The Iliad/ Aeneid/ Odyssey- these three texts are seen as the foundation of classics and they do cover a lot of the key themes that often reappear in other works. If you are reading them for the first time I would recommend either having a commentary or reading a summary of the different books online as this makes it much easier to follow them, particularly as stories are not written in chronological order which can make it pretty confusing. Since these are very well known there should be lots of resources available online.
A-level textbooks- I studied classical civilisation A-level, but this is definitely not a requirement. However you can get the textbooks for the course on Amazon and these can be quite useful since they are written for A-level students so they are a lot more accessible then academic journals.
Catullus and Lucretious- these are two roman poets. They aren't quite as accessible but I did really enjoy reading them and if you have some background in studying classics then they are interesting reads.
Herodotus- I read the first two books of Herodotus and I would recommend reading some kind of historian since it can give you a good idea of the resources available from the ancient world. I did find it took me a long time to read and understand what he was actually writing so I would definitely recommend looking for a commentary or online summary to make it easier to follow.
One of the joys about classics is the breath of material you can find to read, and I would say reading is probably one of the best things you can do for your application. There really isn't a set list of texts you have to read. I have always found Waterstones often have a really interesting collection of books on a range of topics, or the British museum gift shop also had some more unusual books. It really is just often a case of having a browse and finding something that interests you and following that.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Google Scholar- this is a great resource for finding academic journals which I found to be very useful for thinking about a text after I had read it. I would recommend typing in the name of a text you have just read or a topic that interests you to see what academic discussions come up.
Cambridge/ Oxford classics open day- the classics departments run a lot of open days and taster sessions, including language taster sessions and lectures which are designed specifically for A-level students. I would really recommend keeping an eye on the website to see what events they have coming up as these can be a really good way to find out more about what classics is actually like at uni. I also found the admissions tutors at the colleges really helpful and if you have any questions about the application process I would really recommend contacting them.
Artefact collections- museums often list photos of items they have online. Whilst nothing beats seeing the object in person, it can still be really helpful to have a look online. I found this was particularly useful for preparing for interviews as I would look up a completely random object and then spend a few minutes making notes on my thoughts before cross checking with any information that they had.
LEARNING LATIN
Learning a language is not required for the course, but you can pick up Latin or ancient Greek from beginner. I ended up self teaching myself Latin, and these are the resources I used:
‘Cambridge Latin Course Book 1’- there is an online version which is free and they also have additional resources on their website. I found this much easier then some other Latin textbooks because it starts off very simple and it doesn't overwhelm you with grammar too early on.
I have heard very good things about ‘Lingua Latina’, and John Taylors ‘Latin to GCSE’ series I have been told is a little boring, but it is used by many schools for teaching Latin GCSE.
Did you attend any lectures, or take part in any competitions? If so, would you recommend them, and why?
In year 12 I decided that if I was going to study classics at uni I would give Latin another shot so I looked into Latin summer schools. The jcat Latin summer school is really great but at £850+ they seemed like an expensive way to find out if I wanted to study Latin again. I ended up attending one at UCL which was £150 for 2 weeks. It was really great and we sat a foundation GCSE paper at the end. This gave me the confidence I needed to continue studying Latin. It is worth saying that summer schools do have some bursary schemes and are keen to encourage everyone to be able to access ancient languages. If you qualify for UNIQ I have heard only positive things about it and would definitely recommend checking them out.
During the UCL summer school they held lectures after the classes which I went to. I also attended the taster lectures at the Cambridge and Oxford open day. These turned out to be very useful, especially for my personal statement and the tutors asked me about these lectures during my interviews.
There are a few essay competitions held every year that are run by different colleges at both Cambridge and Oxford. I found out about them too late to enter, but I wish I had done as I think I would have really enjoyed them and they can be great for your personal statement.
Did you have any work experience? If so, how did you find it?
I currently volunteer at the Churchill War Rooms. Whilst this isn't ancient history related, I have really enjoyed my volunteering and it has helped me overall to develop the skills I use when studying ancient history.
I would also really recommend trying to find any archaeological sites near you. I often dragged my family around ones I could find whenever we travelled anywhere, and there are loads of archaeological sites in the UK so it's worth looking into this.
Work experience definitely isn't necessary and I have more time available since I'm on a gap year so don't worry if you can't get any.
Did you have a specialist subject/EPQ? What was it? How did you go about your research?
During year 12 I did an EPQ. At this time I was planning on studying Law so I decided to research the use of non-jury trials in Northern Ireland during the troubles. Although I’m not sure how much it helped my application since it wasn't related to my subject, I still think it was one of the most useful things I did. I learnt a lot about academic research, and this helped me when I was looking to find academic journals on topics that were related to classics. It was also very useful to learn how to reference and plan a much longer essay then one that I was used to writing at A-level. I would recommend doing an EPQ for the skills I learnt alone.
What did you mention in your personal statement and why?
I essentially split my personal statement into an introduction and then 3 sections. In the first I talked about ancient history and literary sources. In the second I talked about physical sources and then in the third I used an example to show how combining the studying of literary and physical sources is the most effective way to study the ancient world. I used examples throughout of the books I had read and physical sources I had seen, and I talked about what I learnt from volunteering at the war rooms and the lectures I had been to.
I don't think there is any magic formula for a personal statement, but given that it is a combination degree between two subjects I would recommend including something about why you want to study archaeology and ancient history together.
How did you choose your college? Did you go to an open day and if so, did it help you to decide?
There were two things I was looking for in a college, that it was old and had accommodation for all 3 years. I then looked at the videos for the online open day and listened to the classics tutors to see which ones seemed nice. I also used the student union resource which saved me having to search through the different college websites to find information to compare them.
Generally I would say that there is far more similarity between the colleges than differences. It is always worth keeping in the back of your mind that you can very easily be reallocated either before or after the interview so it's definitely worth keeping an open mind.
How did you find the interview process?
I had 3 interviews in total. The first two were at the college I had applied to and the third was at a different college, although I ended up with an offer from the original college so it just goes to show you can't read into it too much.
My first interview was an ancient history interview. I didn't have any pre-reading but they gave me a piece of text in the interview. Overall I enjoyed the interview and although it was challenging the tutors were very friendly and encouraging.
My second interview was archaeology based and they gave me a source to look at in the interview. Whilst the tutors weren't unfriendly they definitely weren't quite as encouraging and the source was really complicated so I found this interview much harder. It definitely felt more like a grilling then the first one.
My third interview was a combination interview, with half the interview based on some pre reading and the other half looking at some physical sources. The tutors were genuinely lovely and I found this interview much more relaxing. I also found having a pre reading gave me a bit more time to prepare rather than thinking of everything on the spot and it helped my nerves before the interview.
Any interview tips?
Breathe- it sounds simple but taking a few minutes before to slow down your breathing can really help calm your nerves
Don't worry about formality- I was nervous about the little things, like if I was supposed to shake their hands or introduce myself or sit a certain way. These things do not matter and I found it was easiest to just take the tutors lead and follow what they did.
Take a minute to think, then say anything you're thinking off. The reason why I found my second interview so hard was because the source was really weird so even though I thought my ideas were really weird it turns out it was just the source. The chances are if you are thinking of a point it's probably along the right line. Even if it isn't you should still say it because then they know what you're thinking and they can help guide you. The only ‘mistake’ you can make in an interview is to not say what you are thinking.
In terms of preparing for interviews I would really recommend thinking about the subject as much as possible. It doesn't really matter what it is you have read or studied. I found that just asking as many questions as you can about it really helps in an interview when essentially that's what the tutors will be doing. I was also really worried that they would ask me to date something of to know lots of things but it isn't a quiz and the tutors won't assume you have any prior knowlage.
I would really recommend thinking of interviews as an academic discussion between you and some really cool academics, and to not focus on the fact that it is used as part of an admissions decision. If you remove that from it then they can actually be an enjoyable experience.
How did you feel after the interviews?
After the interviews I felt ok, but I just mostly tried to put them out of my mind. It's pretty impossible not to overthink them and the chances are you won't really know how well you've done. I really wasn't sure what to think since I had been called for a second interview, but it turns out this didn't really mean anything since I was given an offer from my first college.
Where were you when you got your offer? How did you react?
I was at home in an online lesson and I was pretty shocked, since I didn't think Oxford would give me an offer since I'm retaking one of my A-levels. But it just goes to show that there is no Oxford type and just because you don't have a perfect academic record it doesn't mean it isn't worth applying.
Are you looking forward to coming up to Oxford?
I’m really excited to have something to look forward to, and to get to meet everyone else. I also haven't seen my college yet since the open days were online so it will be nice to be able to see it in person.
Hello! I'm considering applying for CAAH to Oxford. And I just wonder that what A levels did you take or some a levels that will be really helpful or necessity or any recommend a levels you may consider for CAAH. Thanks, so much mate!
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