Oxford 2011 Freshers Chat Thread

Hey, guys! I was an offer holder until about a week ago, when I got my exam results... Now I'm just a plain old boring Oxford Student

So, anyone else going to Lincoln?

where is everyone coming from out of interest?

I've learnt to say "about an hour or so north of London" just because it's easier Northamptonshire has almost nothing to make anyone have heard of it.

I'm coming from Ireland . Strangely, I spend an awful lot of time in Lancashire!

I'm coming from Ireland . Strangely, I spend an awful lot of time in Lancashire!



Matt Smith is from Northamptonshire! That is the only thing I know about it, though... Well, that and my Geography teacher told us it was the end of the South and the beginning of the Midlands.

which bit of lancashire you go to?

Your from Belfast? I'm in Bangor

I usually spend a bit of time in Preston but stay with my relatives in a wee hamlet close to a village called Gosenargh or Gusnargh or something (Can't remember!). I've been to Lancaster and some villages in the north of the county

My mum's from Bangor! She's currently trying to convince my dad to move to Bangor... he's not having it, haha. Are you a Glenlola girl or did you escape to Sullivan/Friends? What are you going to be studying/which college?

I'm coming from Ireland .

...

Haha. Yep I'm a Glenlola girl! What about you? Hopefully will be at Somerville studying chemistry Yourself?

Yeh i know where goosnargh is, whats the hamlet called?

Haha, my mum was a Glenlola girl too! She never really got over me going to an all girl's school as well - I'm a Bloomfield Collegiate girl. History at Univ Best of luck with results! Are you on CCEA? The Chemistry paper last year was awful - it made me glad I'd failed my AS level, haha!



I'm pretty sure it's Cumeragh

I don't know if you'll need it, but the above person can potentially offer some advice on the Norn Iron - Oxford transition. I'm sure he won't mind me bringing him to your attention

Haha, my mum was a Glenlola girl too! She never really got over me going to an all girl's school as well - I'm a Bloomfield Collegiate girl. History at Univ Best of luck with results! Are you on CCEA? The Chemistry paper last year was awful - it made me glad I'd failed my AS level, haha!

Haha, thank you very much! Congratulations on remembering Norn Iron, the true name for our fair province . You've practically earned a free piece of toast. I probably will need help transitioning... but these riots have made me think that England might feel a bit more like home . Btw, I notice you're a historian - would you mind if I annoyed you with a few naive questions?

Haha, small world! Know anyone else from NI heading to Oxford? Good luck to you! I'm getting very nervous! Yep I'm ccea, are you getting results online? This years one was worse I thought!

Haha, I can't really forget it, lessthan0 has drilled me thouroughly in various bits of slang for the last year... Here's a tip, don't go round telling people they're "melters" without telling them what it means, they'll be quite cross (understatement) when they find out. Yes, we've been living quite the Belfast life recently (I jest, of course).

And of course! That's what I'm here for. So you're a historian too? Which college? There seems to be a veritable crop of us at the moment, it's very exciting!!!

Haha, small world! Know anyone else from NI heading to Oxford? Good luck to you! I'm getting very nervous! Yep I'm ccea, are you getting results online? This years one was worse I thought!

Why, what did they think melter meant?! It's quite obviously the name for somebody who melts yer head! I have friends at uni in England who are driven mad by their friends not understanding our beautiful and noble dialect (or our angry accent and funny sland) I don't think I can live without "'Bout ye!", "Eejit" or beginning every sentence with "Aye", "Och" or "Sure". I'm barely even the most stereotypical person I know

I am indeed a historian - Univ College . There are two of us from Univ hanging about TSR atm. Just wondering whether your first tutorial was heavily based on your introductory reading list or not? Frankly, I'm mildly baffled by my reading list, atm - I sort of understand it but I'm really only understanding the big themes of the topics but not the little arguments of the authors . I think I might understand the arguments of other authors but only because I have a bit of a grounding in the subject matter. Sorry, that's a very garbled question!

No, I know one person going to Cambridge, though! I do have a friend from here who goes to Oxford already but she's going to be in Germany this year. Do you know any going over? I met a bloke from NI who was going on a bus back from a trip there - he's spent five years in England though. Are there any other offer holders in your school?

I actually decided to apply to university after getting my A level results so I have an unconditional - I was going to check my results online but I lost the envelope with the password in it, hunted for it for half an hour, then gave up and went into school to get them . Eugh, I HATED CCEA Chemistry, worst exams of my life. I got 30 percent in my AS level which was a miracle in my opinion. You'll be grand, though, you obviously understand it much more than me!

I thought it meant something bad from the way he he said it, but still, veiled insults like that are just not cricket. Or hurling. Or whatever. You will most probably get teased about your accent, but don't worry, it's all in good fun (plus I'm pretty sure you can give as good as you get).

No, no, I understand perfectly To be honest my first tute wasn't based on the summer reading at all - I feverishly stockpiled books and tried to grapple with the concepts in them, only to be given an entirely different set for my first essay! I think the reading list is only ever meant to give you an outline of what's happening, the basic timeline/arguments, rather than a detailed understanding of the topic - that's what tutes are for! So don't bother looking into it too thouroughly, it's only really useful for that and for revision. I didn't read any books from my Hilary reading list at all and got on just fine

You'll be given much more specific books - and lots of them! - for your essays, but remember that you never have to read all of them. I think in my first tutes I was given a list of 20-40 books, of which I read 10 and got the main points of my argument from less than 5. And to be honest 10 is a lot, most tutors will request 5-6 books read per essay. Oh, and take notes in your tutes! I didn't know you had to and cursed my idiocy come exams

Any other questions, I'm glad to help

There's only one other girl in my school going to Oxford, for law I think. And I don't know of anyone else. Oh lucky you! I have to keep checking to make sure I haven't lost the pin. I don't think I can face driving into school without knowing them, online results opens at 7am I think. Yeah they can be pretty awful sometimes! That's the one I'm most worried about!

Thanks so much, that's a relief! I've been panicking about Medieval stuff because this is the first time I've ever done it so I'm just trying to get a basic idea as best as I can! I'll deffo take notes in my tutes .

Ehm, I have many that I can't remember right now... (you may regret offering to answer these, btw ) I can think of one, extremely stupid, questions...

1. An acquaintance of mine did History and basically told me, point blank, not to bother with lectures. Obviously this varies from module to module and I'm not planning on doing so (initially at least ), but he said that I shouldn't go to lectures at all. I was just wondering if I could have your take on this?

Yeah, I went over to visit a friend and had a good taster of the accent teasing ... I expect I'll get used to it.