Oxford 2011 Freshers Chat Thread

I know what you mean. :| Well apparently it's 'vital' I read and know in detail 10 listed books before the course even starts, and I have another 11 or so to buy. Some of them are really rare and are likely to cost quite a lot. However, there's no guarantee I'm going to get in, as my offer's so high, and I'd only get the book grant if I get in. So I'm a bit apprehensive as I don't really want to buy them all. I'm also dreading the length of the Linguistics reading list.

10?? I haven't even got my reading list yet, I just chose Les Liaisons Dangereuses off the Prelims handbook.

Looks like August the 18th onwards will be really busy (if I get the grades)


Yea, 40 on the IB seems a little harsh, as from what my friend tells me, a score like that is considerably harder than 3 As

Well done on the Aberyswyth scholarship exam (I'm assuming you took it?) - someone in my year got an unconditional for Biology and Aber is his top choice so he's been lounging around the 6th form area looking all happy >=(

Good luck on your exams!

Hi! I'm an international and have an unconditional offer. I need a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) to be issued by my college before I can apply for a visa. Should I wait till August too or would the college send me these documents earlier?

When does Oxford's year end? And when does it start?

(Doing Student Finance)

Thanks.

Hmm, I'm almost tempted to email someone and start doing some reading now. Ah, the joys of gap-yearing...

Which college will you be at? It might be different for other colleges.
I know, I have to say I regret it now. I wish I'd have done A Levels.
I got a Merit Award, not a scholarship, but I was chuffed nonetheless. I decided to just take a shot at it as I didn't have anything to lose!
Haha, lucky him! Seems like such a good idea now.
Thank you! Good luck for yours and with Les Liasons Dangereuses...

Ha thanks. I'll be at Trinity (hopefully!)

Noone else from my college has received anything. I suppose with A levels coming up I don't really need another thing to worry about...
Summer can't come too soon

Exactly how I feel - I might as well get started now! What subject are you again? I've found this - http://www.spc.ox.ac.uk/text/330/reading_lists_2009.html - which has given me some good ideas!

Cannot wait for next week to be over... 7 exams in 4 days. Oh well, at least Maths will be over by this Thursday. I'm finished on May 23rd, how about you?

I'm so very very late to this thread, but any biologists/ balliol people floating around?

Cannot wait for next week to be over... 7 exams in 4 days. Oh well, at least Maths will be over by this Thursday. I'm finished on May 23rd, how about you?

Don't be too surprised if you don't hear anything until after the A level results come out. I know it probably seems like a long way away but it's only just over 100 days from now (!).

I'm on a gap year, so I guess I'll be twiddling my thumbs for another 100 days

St. John's has given me the French reading list. It is quite extensive, but they have given me sufficient time to read them. However, I'm still waiting on the Linguistics reading list. Plus the added difficulty of reading texts in a foreign language, and most of the French books are older in terms of the language and structure used as well. My annoyance is that I only hold a conditional offer, which isn't so certain as many of the AAA candidates, and yet we're expected to fork out a considerable amount of money and time on books that we might not be reimbursed on if we fail to make the grade. I'm not so bothered about reading them as they'll be wealthy experience wherever I go, it's just the money aspect. Considering I'm not from the right country, county, race, or religion to be eligible for a scholarship to St. John's, plus I have exams now and my offer is nowhere near a certainty, I'm reluctant to start reading quite yet.

Edit: I have 10 texts to read and understand for French. It's 'vital' that I know them according to the document.

I know what you mean about the texts, but some of them you can probs get out a school library (proust, les liaisons dangereuses, en attendant godot, phedre, baudelaire). Try and find out which texts you study first (it will probably be the short texts (montaigne/graffigny/racine/beckett/baudelaire/cesaire) and make sure you've read them, then worry about the others. Although this tactic might not be working out so well for me now... I didn't really start reading until after exams, and didn't make a real impression on the list until after results and have been fine so far.

And (especially with the long texts) don't feel terrible about reading them in translation first....

Sarah

Hi Oxford procrastinators
I feel really sneaky posting in a thread that technically doesn't pertain to me, but I wanted a first-hand opinion. I'm at a comprehensive college and will be applying for Oxford soon (scarily soon), and I'm generally unfazed (read: fascinated) by the old-fashioned ways of the university. I'm thinking of Magdalen at the moment. However, my German teacher, whose daughter went to Oxford, is advising me to steer clear of the "snobby" colleges like Magdalen, Merton, Brasenose, Balliol and Oriel, because apparently either it'd be more difficult to get an offer as a state school student, or I wouldn't fit in. She suggests I try for the smaller, newer colleges which have a reputation for accepting state school students.
My instinct is that Oxford is running with the times, and that it's not such a minefield for state school students as people believe. Having read this forum and seen so many of you with offers from all different colleges, would you be able to shed some light? Am I right in thinking that the snobbery of past years is long gone, or should I keep what my teacher said in mind?

Sorry for the long post, but I think Magdalen's really pretty and don't particularly want to give up on it