Going to lectures outside your course?

for no reason

Are you allowed to go to lectures at other departments totally unrelated to your course?

Reply 1

Joinedup

Who's gonna stop you?

Reply 2

GodspeedGehenna

Yeah, but I would ask permission first. I've been to quite a few of my gf's lectures.

Reply 3

UniLad11

Unless they have an attendance list, it's a really small class, or you don't mind putting up with possible funny looks of people who are on the course, I don't see why not.

I have always wanted to do this...

Reply 4

dotty_but_good

I was led to believe you can't for medicine because they don't want you thinking you can do stuff you can't, but otherwise yes.

Reply 5

Don'tNod

Two degrees for the price of one, why not? :awesome:

Reply 6

PercyChatsworth

Yes. Invariably lectures in other divisions seem far more interesting than your own.

Reply 7

Zottula

Loads of my mates do this. If it's a big enough lecture then people aren't going to notice.

Reply 8

refref

Specifically related to oxford, I think all lectures are for everyone, so yes.

Reply 9

ohmygoshxo

I envy you if you find the time, I barely have time to go to my own

Reply 10

nexttime

Original post by for no reason

Are you allowed to go to lectures at other departments totally unrelated to your course?

Yes, with possible exception of lectures in the zoology building as it requires special permission to get in (secure location). They might just let you in if you have id and ask nicely though.

In addition, various societies will hold talks and special evening lectures and talks about a huge range of topics. The Oxford Global Health Group is one i am particularly interested in.

Original post by dotty_but_good

I was led to believe you can't for medicine because they don't want you thinking you can do stuff you can't, but otherwise yes.

Yes all that dangerous knowledge us medics are taught. No one else can possibly handle it.

You could come if you wanted, its fine

Reply 11

for no reason

Oh goody

How do you find out the times?

Reply 12

LancashireLass

http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/pubs/lectures/ but they aren't doing it next year for some reason..

Reply 13

Budgie

Definitely. It is not the case that you need to ask permission to go to lectures on other courses, or worry about people 'noticing'. In Oxford, all lectures are for any student.

Reply 14

nexttime

Original post by for no reason

Oh goody

How do you find out the times?

Get the lecture timetable from Weblearn? You get an account when you arrive.

With regards to the society lectures, you should just join the society at Freshers Fair and the mailing list will tell you the activity of the group. Not all societies hold lectures though - for instance, the OGHG one has a lecture every couple of weeks or so, whereas Medsoc held maybe two the entire year and for them to do any is unusual. That's why you ask around at freshers fair!

Reply 15

Shroob

One of my part time jobs is note taking for a university - I have been asked to attend lectures and seminars, ranging from medicine to philosophy, from creative writing to international politics. Only once have I been asked who I was (it was a small seminar with 6 people, 2nd year course). ALL other times I have simply sat down, taken out my note pad and listened to the seminar/lecture.

Reply 16

JoMo1

Do you want to go to some of my lectures for me? Go on, I'm sure you'll enjoy some 3rd year mathematics when you turn up.

On a slightly more serious note: if there's nothing directly to stop you (keypad doors etc.) then no one is going to care if you turn up to a lecture that you're not doing the course for. Some departments will however have security that you won't have access to, for example as a maths student I have access to the stats building, which most people don't.

Reply 17

braceface

Of course you can. I'm almost certain that all lectures are open to all students who wish to attend.

Reply 18

Bezzler

I had planned to do this when I came up, and have heard of many others who had, but then never anyone who's actually done it. I've always wanted to go to the music lectures, but musicians all seem to know each other better than in most other subjects, so I'd feel a bit weird. I've not known most of the people in my Philosophy lectures (even when there's been five or six of us) and the lecturer certainly hasn't known many of us, so there'd be nothing weird about that. However, getting into the Philosophy faculty isn't possible without a Philosophy bod card, so you'd have to sneak in behind somebody.