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How long do Oxford terms last?

As per title :smile:

I'm considering applying for a postgrad course, but I live with my fiancee. The "rules" say that you have to live in the city, and he can't move with me due to work.

So, it's not too much of a hassle if I live in a college, as I hear Oxford have short terms?

Reply 1

CharlotteCoster

soz i said it wrong the first time...its more like 2 months so around 8 weeks

Reply 2

mf2004

14

8 weeks

don't know how it is for postgrads though.

Reply 3

Good bloke

19

http://www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/university_year/dates_of_term.html

Undergraduates (I don't know about postgraduates) have to be in residence by the Thursday before term starts, and exams are sometimes in the ninth week.

Reply 4

JoMo1

12

terms are strictly 8 weeks, but depending on exactly how your course works you could have a week either side of that depending on the term.

My brother currently works and lives in London and his partner is a Phd student at Cambridge. She comes home a lot of the time and is planning on commuting next term. The rules are stated very strictly, but they'll only be enforced if you breaking htem causes a problem.

Reply 5

Scribbles

OP

Thanks everyone :smile:

Yeah, I was going to commute as my lad works in Derby, but the departmental rules state you have to live 25miles of the city.

8 Weeks is pretty good though, I'm currently at Durham and even ours are longer than that i think.

Thanks!

Reply 6

Good bloke

19

Scribbles

8 Weeks is pretty good though, I'm currently at Durham and even ours are longer than that i think.

Don't forget that the Oxford definition of a vacation is that you vacate your room and continue to work elsewhere. It is not intended to mean holiday.

Reply 7

didgeridoo12uk

16

Scribbles

8 Weeks is pretty good though, I'm currently at Durham and even ours are longer than that i think.

i'm pretty confident in saying 90% of students wish the terms were longer with a lower intensity of work. (in cambridge at least)

and holidays suck! i hate being away from all my friends :frown:

Reply 8

probably not

4

the potential downside of this is that if you're registered on a grad course, your college is much more likely to want to give you a 48 week (or october-june, if your course doesn't involve doing a thesis during the summer) rent, rather than the undergraduate standard 3x9week business.

i mean, i don't know if this would affect your decision or anything, but i guess it's probably relevant.

Reply 9

kaf

8 weeks per term, I believe.

Reply 10

Bezzler

1

Grads work completely differently to undergrads - all the ones I know are still in Oxford now, and only have very short holidays. It obviously depends on your course though.

Reply 11

Scribbles

OP

Good bloke

Don't forget that the Oxford definition of a vacation is that you vacate your room and continue to work elsewhere. It is not intended to mean holiday.

I don't think I ever mentioned a "holiday" - merely that I wouldn't be seperated from my fiance-soon-to-be-husband for long stretches of time due to living in college. I would study completely at home, but if you manage to read my first post again, you aren't allowed to do that.

Thanks for the heads up though, very kind of you.

Reply 12

Scribbles

OP

didgeridoo12uk

i'm pretty confident in saying 90% of students wish the terms were longer with a lower intensity of work. (in cambridge at least)

and holidays suck! i hate being away from all my friends :frown:

But I'm guessing 90% of students aren't married with partners working in a different city, and horses to look after, ride and compete.

I'm well aware my situation is different from most, hence why I am asking how long the terms last, so that I can get home to study at home.

If I have to sacrifice more time, then we are both willing to do that, but it would be nice to be aware beforehand, so I don't sound completely clueless when I ring up the department.

Thanks to everyone who answered, though.

Reply 13

nexttime

22

Scribbles

But I'm guessing 90% of students aren't married with partners working in a different city, and horses to look after, ride and compete.

I'm well aware my situation is different from most, hence why I am asking how long the terms last, so that I can get home to study at home.

If I have to sacrifice more time, then we are both willing to do that, but it would be nice to be aware beforehand, so I don't sound completely clueless when I ring up the department.

Thanks to everyone who answered, though.

erm, everyone seems to be ignoring that you would not be an undergraduate. This is not the same term time!

I don't know fully myself. What i do know, though, is that clinical medics have about 48 weeks per year and that graduates are seemingly ALWAYS in residence, even out of term time. Basically, i think it might be more flexible but i think it is much longer than undergraduate terms.

Reply 14

Scribbles

OP

I have emailed the department now, I had a few other questions to ask anyway. If it comes down to it, then I am willing to sacrifice time for living in college, as obviously an offer at Oxford is too good an opportunity to turn down. Plus it will only be for a year, which is hardly a long time.

I'm currently trying to work out the most cost-effective course/college choice...

Thanks everyone, topic closed :smile:

How long do Oxford terms last?

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