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If my tutors ever found out how a typical day in my life went it would be very bad, as they'd know how much time I spend reading and procrastinating on here...and shopping, and generally wasting time! I do get my work done though, and it's not too bad!
I don't think it's possible to giev an account of a typical day, as it will vary so much depending on the person, subject, college, year, attitude to work, and even the options which a particular person is doing. For example, at the moment I am doign 3 options so mostly my days are filled with reading (for work...), libraries, essays and tutes, but it's not alwasy like that (thankfully!) - in fact, I'm a 3rd year now and this is the first time I've had this much work; on the other hamd some classicists in my year and coillege have had this much at other times but not so much now!
I don't think it's possible to giev an account of a typical day, as it will vary so much depending on the person, subject, college, year, attitude to work, and even the options which a particular person is doing. For example, at the moment I am doign 3 options so mostly my days are filled with reading (for work...), libraries, essays and tutes, but it's not alwasy like that (thankfully!) - in fact, I'm a 3rd year now and this is the first time I've had this much work; on the other hamd some classicists in my year and coillege have had this much at other times but not so much now!
che_guevara
There are a few Oxford dons floating around here...could you tell us prospective students what your daily routine is?
Would be MUCH appreciated!
Would be MUCH appreciated!
Im going to assume you mean current students - the dons wouldnt have a clue
Ok so mine isnt really typical. But Im a physicist so my routine goes something like this:
I get up about 8am. I have breakfast in hall about 8.30 having got dressed/ had shower etc etc. I usually have a 9 o'clock lecture across the road in the physics building with the other 180 second year physicists in Oxford. Lectures last an hour each and I usually have 2 or 3 so they finish about 11 or 12. Lectures I just basically write down whats on the board/ read out the lecture handouts.
There are 10 of us 2nd year physicists at Keble and we usually go to lectures together (checking my pidge on the way back from lectures). Get back to my room and switch on my laptop to check emails etc. Either get distracted by computer or do some work - depending on how much I have to do.
Go to lunch with friends in hall at about 12.30pm. Usually a hot meal as had breakfast soooo long ago
That lasts til about 1pm. Then normally go back to my room to do a bit more work. It then depends on the day as to what happens next. Twice a week we have a tutorial with a tutor at Keble. So that is just a class of the 10 of us where we go over the problem sheets we had to hand in. That starts at 2pm and lasts about an hour and a half. We just go over general understanding of the problems and go over things that we all had trouble with. Often it is just our tutor writing on a whiteboard/ explaining. Sometimes though they get one of us up to show how to do something.
Next we have paired tutorials of half hour duration. This is where we go in pairs to the tutors room and discuss specific problems. We always stay with the same person here at Keble. So I get on well with my tutorial partner - he is a genius, so always good to ask for help on stuff
. Clearly we have to take it in turns when we have our tute so we sort out an order. We therefore have a half hour slot somewhere between 3.30 and 6pm. The rest of the time I go back to my room and continue on with the next weeks problems.On days when we don't have a tutorial we spend the afternoon working generally. We often work together (the 10 of us) we are encouraged to work together and help each other and so we do a lot of the problems together. We just meet up in each others rooms and we have a whiteboard to help us write down problems. We communicate a lot and bounce ideas off each other. We do quite a lot of reading too from text books (none of which I have bought - Keble has a very good library which I borrow all my books from). Using that we can normally sort out all the problems we are given.
We normally have 2 tutorial homeworks to do a week and they take about 15 hours of work each. Its really good working together though. Its more fun and it really does help. There is no such thing as cheating at uni (for science - doesnt apply to arts)
Anyway, so around about 7pm I head to hall with friends for evening meal in hall. I have to wear a gown for it but it depends on the college. After dinner tends to be my relaxation time. So I'll watch a DVD in a friends room, I play badminton once a week in the evenings, I meet up with friends, go to the cinema... that kinda thing.
Late evening I end up on here normally. Just to unwind before I go to bed. I usually go to bed some time between 11pm and 1am.
Repeat 56 times a term for 4 years and thats about it. I should also say that as a physicist I also have practical day on Monday and Tuesday of alternate weeks. Thats basically where I am in the labs from 10am til 5pm. Tends to be a bit of a slog as we can be tight for time. We have a script to follow and we do get to play with some cool equipment. We work in pairs which means we can help each other. Its all a bit hectic to be honest and we have to write stuff down in a log book. Ive never failed it yet though... so its not too bad.
Weekends are much more relaxed generally. I tend to go shopping Saturday morning, have a nice relaxing time sunday morning with a lie in etc. Meet up with friends, check out one of the many great museums... or if necessary work (which is surprisingly often).
As you see as a scientist my day is very structured by lectures and tutes. Which I think is good. It gets me up in the morning and gives me a routine. I can fit in the social things that I want so I am happy - + it means no all nighters! I work a lot during the day but I have never worked past 11pm
I think thats about it - any questions?
2 5 +
I read it as wanting the dons to tell what the dons' daily routine is. 
A day in the life of an Oxford don:-
I am awakened by my cat Apollonius jumping onto the bed. His loyal purring warms my breast until I recall that women have the vote. I struggle out of bed, and stumble down to the college hall where I order my traditional English breakfast in traditional Latin. I decide not to make an issue of the fact that my ova are scrambled because the boy serving has yet to master the past participle.
Gloomily I leave the hall and head for Blackwell's but forget what book it was I was looking for and am annoyed to find no member of staff who can tell me - even at the Information Desk! I ask directions to my department but only seem to be able to run into Oriental tourists, who prove unhelpful, no matter how loudly I shout at them. I make it into the department by coffee time. There is a note on my door from a graduate of mine (I think) who wonders where I was at ten. I ask my secretary to print off my emails for me, and spend the remainder of the morning wondering at the etymology of "viagra".
I make it into lunch which is pheasant - again! - and ponder what is happening to food in the college. I leave hall again, but miss my first tutorial as it is overcast and my sundial isn't working. In my second tutorial, the tyke, whose name I forget, has completed the sheet. He is rather smart for the progeny of chimney-sweeps and will no doubt get a first in spite of my best efforts. Darling Imogen, with whom he is paired, giggles delightfully throughout the whole hour. She smiles so sweetly I decide to ignore her more fundamental misunderstandings of basic material and give her an alpha minus.
Dinner at least is uneventful, and merited after such a long day's work. Though I am disappointed to hear that the butler has been granted time off to visit his ailing father. I had thought that Thatcher had broken the power of the unions way back! Instead his son buttles - a poor show as he needs to be reminded to put out the snuff, and can only find two varieties.
Exhausted, I head back to my room and slump comatose into my favourite armchair. My sleep untroubled in the certitude that I will put tomorrow to the same exemplary use.
I do maths. First Year.
Depending on the day, I either have to get up for an early morning tute/class, or only for lectures - if there's a class, I set my alarm for 8am (hideously early), spend about an hour getting out of bed and dressed, and turn up for either
a) Dr. Collins tute at 8:45, which my partner's missed again so I've got an hour of Analysis one on one with him telling me that my proofs are dreadful,
b) Dr Howell's Calculus class at 9am, which is okay - and very useful, as I sleep through every claculus lecture,
c) Dr. Ker's Geometry/Probability class at 9:30 (though I'll probably turn up half an hour early by mistake).
I don't seem to eat breakfast any more.
If it's a day without a morning tute/class, I sleep 'till half ten or thereabouts. And still struggle to get up.
I go to the lodge about 10:40 each day, and hope to bump inot some fellow mathmos for the walk to the museum. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Walk straight Northwards, past the Rad Cam and down to the Natural History museum. Upstairs to the lecture hall, and upstairs to the gallery. I'm a member of the gallery crew on facebook.
Then we get two lectures, lasting from 11am to 1pm. Lectures are:
Calculus. All the notes are on the computer, so you don't write anything. Hence I fall asleep easily. He leaves a break in the middle.
Geometry. Similar problem, but not quite as bad as he leaves gaps in the computer notes for you to fill in. He gives you a break in teh middle, and tells an interesting anecdote after it.
Probability. Quite a new subject - not too bad. Nice teaching style. I write down all the notes despite them being on computer, to prevent sleeping. It's harder to do this for calculus, because he just displays them on the projector...
Analysis. Okay. Like probability really, in that I make notes although they're available.
Linear Algebra. Possible our worst lecturer... She doesn't stop writing for a second! I'm okay, because I'm generally right up to speed with copying down. Her grammar is occasionally a little odd, and she sometimes writes an awful lot where a few words would do. Quite long winded. And always short of breath.
Dynamics. Nice. He often brings a toy with him, which is good. Like a spinning top that flips upside down. Or a rattleback. The notes are pretty comprehensive too.
Then walk back to college, arriving at 1:15pm - with only a quarter of an hour left for lunch. After lunch, work for a while - or read, computer games, internet. It's about this time I'll go inot town, too. Four o' clock I go to the JCR for JCR tea, unless their's a class or tutorial (which there is two days out of five). Tea is served at thruppence a cup, with cakes and sandwiches ninepence apiece. We sit down, chat, watch the end of Countdown and then Deal or No Deal, then Richard and judy, Blue Peter, Newsround, Neighbours, whilst doing Su-Dokus, crosswords and the like. That takes me up to teatime. Recently, I've been leaving halfway through neighbours and bolting my tea as fast as poss. to get back to the JCR and watch the Simpsons. Then to my room, for more work, or going on the internet. I might venture to the college bar, hoping for a game of pool or table football, or go the the JCR to see a movie or Lost. I don't go out. Then back to my room, more wasting time on the internet (like now) before bed at some stupidly late hour like 3am-4:30am. I really must get to bed earlier...
Depending on the day, I either have to get up for an early morning tute/class, or only for lectures - if there's a class, I set my alarm for 8am (hideously early), spend about an hour getting out of bed and dressed, and turn up for either
a) Dr. Collins tute at 8:45, which my partner's missed again so I've got an hour of Analysis one on one with him telling me that my proofs are dreadful,
b) Dr Howell's Calculus class at 9am, which is okay - and very useful, as I sleep through every claculus lecture,
c) Dr. Ker's Geometry/Probability class at 9:30 (though I'll probably turn up half an hour early by mistake).
I don't seem to eat breakfast any more.
If it's a day without a morning tute/class, I sleep 'till half ten or thereabouts. And still struggle to get up.
I go to the lodge about 10:40 each day, and hope to bump inot some fellow mathmos for the walk to the museum. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Walk straight Northwards, past the Rad Cam and down to the Natural History museum. Upstairs to the lecture hall, and upstairs to the gallery. I'm a member of the gallery crew on facebook.
Then we get two lectures, lasting from 11am to 1pm. Lectures are:
Calculus. All the notes are on the computer, so you don't write anything. Hence I fall asleep easily. He leaves a break in the middle.
Geometry. Similar problem, but not quite as bad as he leaves gaps in the computer notes for you to fill in. He gives you a break in teh middle, and tells an interesting anecdote after it.
Probability. Quite a new subject - not too bad. Nice teaching style. I write down all the notes despite them being on computer, to prevent sleeping. It's harder to do this for calculus, because he just displays them on the projector...
Analysis. Okay. Like probability really, in that I make notes although they're available.
Linear Algebra. Possible our worst lecturer... She doesn't stop writing for a second! I'm okay, because I'm generally right up to speed with copying down. Her grammar is occasionally a little odd, and she sometimes writes an awful lot where a few words would do. Quite long winded. And always short of breath.
Dynamics. Nice. He often brings a toy with him, which is good. Like a spinning top that flips upside down. Or a rattleback. The notes are pretty comprehensive too.
Then walk back to college, arriving at 1:15pm - with only a quarter of an hour left for lunch. After lunch, work for a while - or read, computer games, internet. It's about this time I'll go inot town, too. Four o' clock I go to the JCR for JCR tea, unless their's a class or tutorial (which there is two days out of five). Tea is served at thruppence a cup, with cakes and sandwiches ninepence apiece. We sit down, chat, watch the end of Countdown and then Deal or No Deal, then Richard and judy, Blue Peter, Newsround, Neighbours, whilst doing Su-Dokus, crosswords and the like. That takes me up to teatime. Recently, I've been leaving halfway through neighbours and bolting my tea as fast as poss. to get back to the JCR and watch the Simpsons. Then to my room, for more work, or going on the internet. I might venture to the college bar, hoping for a game of pool or table football, or go the the JCR to see a movie or Lost. I don't go out. Then back to my room, more wasting time on the internet (like now) before bed at some stupidly late hour like 3am-4:30am. I really must get to bed earlier...
Clodagh
Best Post Ever......Rep especially for you! Ha, I love it.
Thanks for the rep. I realise now that I should have entitled it "Stereotype #1, in a very long list..."
Showsni
Linear Algebra. Possible our worst lecturer... She doesn't stop writing for a second! I'm okay, because I'm generally right up to speed with copying down. Her grammar is occasionally a little odd, and she sometimes writes an awful lot where a few words would do. Quite long winded. And always short of breath.
Dynamics. Nice. He often brings a toy with him, which is good. Like a spinning top that flips upside down. Or a rattleback. The notes are pretty comprehensive too.
Dynamics. Nice. He often brings a toy with him, which is good. Like a spinning top that flips upside down. Or a rattleback. The notes are pretty comprehensive too.
I know who that lecturer is because we had the same one last year. It took me forever to read through the notes and find out what a basis is. In the end I just looked it up in a book and there is was plain and simple. I'm so glad we don't have her as a lecturer any more. Come to think about it, I don't actually like any of the Algebra lecturers, or maybe I don't like Algebra.
I'm guessing the lecturer for Dynamics is Dr Acheson. He's a legend. He'll play his guitar in the last lecture for you.
Back to the OP
The time I get up depends on whether I'm rowing or not. So when I am then I get up at 5:50am, go to the river, have an outing and come back to college for 8:45. Then its work all the way through to lunch. After that I just mess around until my afternoon lectures. Go to the lectures and come back to do some form of land training (weights or ergs). By the time I've finished, its time for Hall and I usually try to take the evenings off.
If I don't have to row then I usually get up at 9:00 and my day just goes on as above.
A boring week-day in the life of a postgrad was as follows:
Wake up at 0630, have breakfast, cook and pack lunch (for at least 3/5 days), get ready and head to dept (a 35 min walk), reach there by 0845.
0845-1230: might have an option class. If not, work on some readings or revision notes. Usually meet up with friends from other depts at 1030 for tea (popular sites being Darwins or Uni Club).
1230: lunch with friends
1330: relax by means of college hopping
1400: lecture
1600-1900: other seminars/lectures
1900 onwards: very varied having extracurricular activities, dinner, socialising
2300: back home
0100: sleep.
Wake up at 0630, have breakfast, cook and pack lunch (for at least 3/5 days), get ready and head to dept (a 35 min walk), reach there by 0845.
0845-1230: might have an option class. If not, work on some readings or revision notes. Usually meet up with friends from other depts at 1030 for tea (popular sites being Darwins or Uni Club).
1230: lunch with friends
1330: relax by means of college hopping
1400: lecture
1600-1900: other seminars/lectures
1900 onwards: very varied having extracurricular activities, dinner, socialising
2300: back home
0100: sleep.
rep given for neap's post.
Anyway, just to chronical today:
10:00 - Woke up, but decided to lie in bed for awhile.
10:30 - Roused myself, showered and dressed.
11:00 - Messed around on my computer until Lunch time
12:30 - Went to lunch
13:00 - Came back, talked to my mom online until tutorial at 14:00
14:00 - Tutorial
15:00 - Done with tutorial. After finishing, I'll ride my bike to two the two Libraries where the books I need are (other than Nuffield... oh nuffield.
)
15:45 - Get my books. Open one. Close it. Open another. Close it. Continue until 16:00
16:00 - Begin reading in earnest until dinner time
18:15 - Dinner! The line will probably take me 15 minutes to get through and then i'll spend another 45 talking and eating.
19:15 - Read with the door wide open with high hopes for someone to come in and distract me. Continue this until 22:00
22:00 - Wander. Maybe go to the bar.
23:00 - Return to my room. Mess around on the computer while pretending to read
0:00 - Read for an hour
1:00 - Go to bed.
So there you have it. A monday in the life of me. I have no idea if it's typical, but yes. there you are. You have to understand that most people don't live for the typical days but for the atypical ones: The snow ball, anOOTB concert, a fun night out, a spontaneous prank.
Anyway, just to chronical today:
10:00 - Woke up, but decided to lie in bed for awhile.
10:30 - Roused myself, showered and dressed.
11:00 - Messed around on my computer until Lunch time
12:30 - Went to lunch
13:00 - Came back, talked to my mom online until tutorial at 14:00
14:00 - Tutorial
15:00 - Done with tutorial. After finishing, I'll ride my bike to two the two Libraries where the books I need are (other than Nuffield... oh nuffield.
)15:45 - Get my books. Open one. Close it. Open another. Close it. Continue until 16:00
16:00 - Begin reading in earnest until dinner time
18:15 - Dinner! The line will probably take me 15 minutes to get through and then i'll spend another 45 talking and eating.
19:15 - Read with the door wide open with high hopes for someone to come in and distract me. Continue this until 22:00
22:00 - Wander. Maybe go to the bar.
23:00 - Return to my room. Mess around on the computer while pretending to read
0:00 - Read for an hour
1:00 - Go to bed.
So there you have it. A monday in the life of me. I have no idea if it's typical, but yes. there you are. You have to understand that most people don't live for the typical days but for the atypical ones: The snow ball, anOOTB concert, a fun night out, a spontaneous prank.
sanjiv
Thanks for the insight guys. It'd be interesting for someone studying an arts subject to state his/her schedule.
That lazy zoraster sounds like an arts student to me. Up at 10.30
Oxford really is the best hotel in the world 
I'm an arts student, but I posted above saying that it's difficult to give my typical day because it varies so much. Maybe I'm just being arts student lazy, but on the other hand atm I have 3 options on at the same time, therefore 3 tutes and essays/essay-type things a week, so there is much more work, much more staying up ridiculously late and much less shopping than usual. But it really is hard to give a 'typical day' account - maybe you should ask a more organised arts student!
arts subject:
today I had a language lesson at 9am-10. I then spent an hour working on the homework for the next lesson tomorrow, and went to a lecture at 11. I had to pop into town for a few bits after that, and then i came back to my room, finished off the homework and am about to pick up where i left off yesterday with my essay reading. it's a really long list, has taken ages so far and finishing the relevant stuff will easily take up the rest of the day. I also need to find time to fit in some language revision for small tests this week. tomorrow will be pretty much the same, except there are no lectures on tuesdays this term related to topics i'm doing, so i'll be free after the class in the morning. have an essay deadline tomorrow, so will spend the day writing that and the evening revising for a lang. test on wed. wed after the morning class i have nothing until my tute in the afternoon, for which the essay has (hopefully) already been submitted. if i'm feeling uber-studious i might read a few of the things on the list i haven't had time for, but more likely i'll do domesticated things like shopping and laundry and chill. Thursday - will have next essay to do, so will spend a fair bit of time tracking down and gathering all the books i need. otherwise classs, lecture and reading. ditto friday. sat and sun - no lectures, so work in a chilled out half hearted way. Don't usually go into town if I can help it because it's packed at the weekend. Apart from monday and tues when i'm inevitably behind in work because my deadlines are all concentrated towards tues/wed, i rarely work in the evenings past 9ish, although if i've taken time out in the afternoon then i might.
today I had a language lesson at 9am-10. I then spent an hour working on the homework for the next lesson tomorrow, and went to a lecture at 11. I had to pop into town for a few bits after that, and then i came back to my room, finished off the homework and am about to pick up where i left off yesterday with my essay reading. it's a really long list, has taken ages so far and finishing the relevant stuff will easily take up the rest of the day. I also need to find time to fit in some language revision for small tests this week. tomorrow will be pretty much the same, except there are no lectures on tuesdays this term related to topics i'm doing, so i'll be free after the class in the morning. have an essay deadline tomorrow, so will spend the day writing that and the evening revising for a lang. test on wed. wed after the morning class i have nothing until my tute in the afternoon, for which the essay has (hopefully) already been submitted. if i'm feeling uber-studious i might read a few of the things on the list i haven't had time for, but more likely i'll do domesticated things like shopping and laundry and chill. Thursday - will have next essay to do, so will spend a fair bit of time tracking down and gathering all the books i need. otherwise classs, lecture and reading. ditto friday. sat and sun - no lectures, so work in a chilled out half hearted way. Don't usually go into town if I can help it because it's packed at the weekend. Apart from monday and tues when i'm inevitably behind in work because my deadlines are all concentrated towards tues/wed, i rarely work in the evenings past 9ish, although if i've taken time out in the afternoon then i might.
Very hard to say for E&M, because each day is so different...but generalisation of an E&M boatie
A typical weekday
0550: Get up, get down to the river/Godstow, row.
0830: Frantically run/cycle back in bid to get changed before some commitment at 0900
0900: Tute/meeting/something/sleep
1100: Lecture/skip lecture to do work
1245: Lunch
1400: Some other lecture/skip lecture because it's at the business school = middle of nowhere
1500: Society stuff/sorting out life stuff/apply for stuff
1830: Landtraining session for rowing/dinner
2000: Meeting for some society/lounge around JCR/bar/other colleges/see friends
2200: Start working
2300: Become hungry as result of skipped dinner. Poke friends from Merton St colleges into going to Ahmed's
0000: Do more work
0200: Possibly sleep
Depending on how much work I have to do and whether there is more rowing, will either not sleep until rowing at 0600 or go to bed at about 0200. Or power nap for an hour and do more work.
I find it really hard to work during the day because there's so much other stuff to do. I also try to avoid libraries as much as possible because books depress me. It all depends on what you do outside of work.
A typical weekday
0550: Get up, get down to the river/Godstow, row.
0830: Frantically run/cycle back in bid to get changed before some commitment at 0900
0900: Tute/meeting/something/sleep
1100: Lecture/skip lecture to do work
1245: Lunch
1400: Some other lecture/skip lecture because it's at the business school = middle of nowhere
1500: Society stuff/sorting out life stuff/apply for stuff
1830: Landtraining session for rowing/dinner
2000: Meeting for some society/lounge around JCR/bar/other colleges/see friends
2200: Start working
2300: Become hungry as result of skipped dinner. Poke friends from Merton St colleges into going to Ahmed's
0000: Do more work
0200: Possibly sleep
Depending on how much work I have to do and whether there is more rowing, will either not sleep until rowing at 0600 or go to bed at about 0200. Or power nap for an hour and do more work.
I find it really hard to work during the day because there's so much other stuff to do. I also try to avoid libraries as much as possible because books depress me. It all depends on what you do outside of work.
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