Oxford Applicants for 2012 Entry

WHAT! You went to Cambridge?! How dare you show your face here after that...

Haha joking. That's odd though, as Cambridge is usually the one that's more 'posh' - at least, that's how it's perceived. As you said, you didn't visit the colleges - just like Oxford I'm sure Cambridge has very nice and not-nice colleges. Or at least college applicants.

Actually, I think Oxford's supposed to be more posh, as Cambridge is the more traditionally anti-establishment one (being the centre of Cromwell's campaign), whereas Oxford's pro-establishment (playing host to Charles in the Civil War) - however, this is rather an old stereotype (if you look at the alumni, they're relatively balanced in terms of prominent posh people)

Anyone else go to Brasenose today? I really liked the college and the law talk was very helpful Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to look around any of the other colleges!

So, I visted Oxford today. More specifically I visited Balliol, Brasenose, Exeter and Hertford. I liked the first 2, the latter not so much I had to admit. Exeter was alright, nothing special for me really although the chapel was nice. Hertford looked nice on the outside but the Library just wasn't as nice as Balliol's or Brasenose's, as was the accomodation. It had a very institutionalised look about it on the inside too, like a school or something.

So yeah, on to more positive things, Balliol looks like a heck of a lot of fun
It looked nice too, had decent rooms. I got to speak to a couple of tutors at Brasenose about applying for languages (for anyone doing French they recommended Annie Ernaux and Voltaire's short stories as good things to read to prepare). They were nice, if not a teensy bit intimidating!Then my wonderful mummy bought me some booooooks at Blackwells! And we ate lunch at Wagamama! I love Wagamama!

So yeah, all in all a great day. And I got a free pen and pencil out of Hertford, get in!

WHAT! You went to Cambridge?! How dare you show your face here after that...

Haha joking. That's odd though, as Cambridge is usually the one that's more 'posh' - at least, that's how it's perceived. As you said, you didn't visit the colleges - just like Oxford I'm sure Cambridge has very nice and not-nice colleges. Or at least college applicants.

By the way, we have a Facebook group now! Do join us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/oxford2012entry

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The history tutors today were so transparent that it put me off slightly, they literally don't care about the personal statement, getting an interview is completely based on the HAT. To get an offer its 30% HAT 30% interview and 30% GCSEs, stupidly I forgot what the other 10 is but it still really shows where their priorities lie.

I am now definitely going Wadham its truly awesome Worcester, Balliol and Univ all seem quite dull, although of those Balliol is the best, just because it has a giant Connect 4 set.

Not to be creepy, but your username makes sense now! In fact, quite a few people's names make sense now that I can see your real ones...

My thoughts have been on Oxford these days... My doodles in class today:


Yeah there have been progressively more doodles over more pages of notes...

5 hours of Chemistry, 7 days a week, with only a 20-minute break each day gets a bit dull sometimes...

You do FIVE hours of chem EVERY DAY??????? =O

My thoughts have been on Oxford these days... My doodles in class today:


Yeah there have been progressively more doodles over more pages of notes...

5 hours of Chemistry, 7 days a week, with only a 20-minute break each day gets a bit dull sometimes...

Summer course, yeah. >_<

Last year's course was fun since it was a law course - really relaxed, we all had our laptops connected to the school's (not my regular one) free wi-fi... Basically we did a bit of learning and work each day, the rest of the day was spent talking/playing games on our laptops.

This year is a lot more... academic. Test every day too.

Summer course, yeah. >_<

Last year's course was fun since it was a law course - really relaxed, we all had our laptops connected to the school's (not my regular one) free wi-fi... Basically we did a bit of learning and work each day, the rest of the day was spent talking/playing games on our laptops.

This year is a lot more... academic. Test every day too.

Ah,

lol I've never of anyone doing a summer course. Is it like in your normal school, or is it a special summer school thing?

They're voluntary.



Well... the curriculum is the same as 'day school', we still have exams and everything... the marks are just like regular school (though some Canadian unis don't accept core courses done during the summer). The only thing that is different is that the course is longer (usually we have 4 periods + 1 period of lunch in day school, each being 75 minutes), but the day is shorter (ends at 1:30 rather than 2:50). Also, obviously, the term is shorter as we only have a month to go through 5 months' worth of material... >_>

The plus side is that you only have one course, so it's easy to focus, and you're not exactly stressed. Also, you can get a course over with in one month, if you're not really fond of it, or the teachers at your normal school for that subject are bad. As well, people love taking summer school so they can have more courses. Usually the maximum courses per school year is 8, so people who want to take a lot of different courses like to take summer school. The downside is you lose part of your summer and it's very boring at times.

Yeah. Since the physics teacher is really bad at my school there are *A LOT* of people at my school taking physics this semester. Then they're taking the rest of... okay this sounds silly but we call it the asian 6-pack of Chem, Physics, Bio, Advanced Functions, Calculus and Vectors, and Data Management (Statistics)... then the required course of English. Then they have either a spare or they take something they actually like...

Yep. XD That was a long explanation.

I got to speak to a couple of tutors at Brasenose about applying for languages (for anyone doing French they recommended Annie Ernaux and Voltaire's short stories as good things to read to prepare). They were nice, if not a teensy bit intimidating!Then my wonderful mummy bought me some booooooks at Blackwells! And we ate lunch at Wagamama! I love Wagamama!

They're voluntary.



Well... the curriculum is the same as 'day school', we still have exams and everything... the marks are just like regular school (though some Canadian unis don't accept core courses done during the summer). The only thing that is different is that the course is longer (usually we have 4 periods + 1 period of lunch in day school, each being 75 minutes), but the day is shorter (ends at 1:30 rather than 2:50). Also, obviously, the term is shorter as we only have a month to go through 5 months' worth of material... >_>

The plus side is that you only have one course, so it's easy to focus, and you're not exactly stressed. Also, you can get a course over with in one month, if you're not really fond of it, or the teachers at your normal school for that subject are bad. As well, people love taking summer school so they can have more courses. Usually the maximum courses per school year is 8, so people who want to take a lot of different courses like to take summer school. The downside is you lose part of your summer and it's very boring at times.

Yeah. Since the physics teacher is really bad at my school there are *A LOT* of people at my school taking physics this semester. Then they're taking the rest of... okay this sounds silly but we call it 'the Asian 6-pack' of Chem, Physics, Bio, Advanced Functions, Calculus and Vectors, and Data Management (Statistics)... then the required course of English. The last spot they either take a spare (free period = less coursework = less stress) or they take something they actually like.

Yep. XD That was a long explanation.

right, anyone applying to Oxford, I went today and really liked it, but, I'm not keen on the catered aspects of colleges, I know some still have some kitchen facilities for if you dont wanna eat with everyone else, but how realistic is it that I could do sort of a semi self catered semi catered mix?

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I laughed at the Asian six-pack thing: politically incorrect but true!

Lol, required English is the bane of sciencey medicine wannabes at my school. We do five subjects in Scotland and you need 5 As to get into medicine. So they do Chem, Phys, Bio, Maths and obligatory English Lit. The result: despite 4 As in science/maths, loads of them have to give up on the dream after choking on Hamlet critical essay exams!

I'm pretty sure most colleges in Oxford are 'pay-as-you-go'. So when you feel like eating in the halls, you can. If you don't feel like it, you can skip a meal, eat out, or cook yourself. Your choice, really.

I think a lot of students skip breakfast actually. XD

Ahh, guess what guys! Today I found out that I've been awarded an OFFICIAL TITLE by the German Foreign Office!! I am now an official Ambassador For The German Language For Great Britain. OH. MY. GOD. I have a TITLE. We're having a super cool event in September to celebrate our partnership with the Goethe Institut, and the embassy will come, Michael Gove will come (as not only is he Education Secretary, but also our MP...yes, we got Govey....), we'll do a little presentation about our scholarship trip, there'll be posh German cakes ordered in from Richmond St in London .... I'm SO excited. Personal statement, here I come!

On that note, we have UCAS day tomorrow. FUN TIMES.