Harris Manchester College (Oxford) Students and Applicants

natural_han

Ohhh the LSE test doesn't sound very fun does it... maybe stick with Oxford then :biggrin:

My offer is unconditional. I don't want to sound stupid, I must stress that I didn't expect to get in at all so it wasn't really brave (read stupid :biggrin:

) to only apply to Oxford...!! It was more like a practise run for next year, to see if I would get an interview, with maybe a tiny little chance of getting an offer! I probably would have applied to York or LSE as well but I don't have to worry about that now :smile:

I have just started the second half of my French OU Certificate which finishes at the end of September. I have already passed the first half but I need to pass this year for it to stand as a proper qualification, otherwise last year will have been a waste of time. Luckily, I have a French boyfriend which is helpful.

It's very funny to think that we will probably get to know each other well in the real world, I imagine that we will get on quite well but it will be funny when we meet. I will be asking people: are you Eve from tsr.......?!

I live in the middle of the Cotswolds, it's very boring. Now stop checking tsr and do your essay :p:

and I will learn some French..! Although it is maybe a bit late now....

I would not say it was stupid of you not to apply anywhere else...You went for the best and you got it :wink:

Once again, well done!

I am sure we will get on well at HMC and I am looking forward to sharing a cup of coffee in JCR together :smile:

I am sure we'll have lots to talk about!

Right, I will get off TSR now, or I will at least try :p:

and hopefully do some work! Have a lovely night and hopefully speak to you again soon!

Reply 62

chris.1

QUESTION to all you Harris Manchester boffins.

I am twenty three and sat my A levels in 2003, I got a very ordinary ABC in Theatre studies, Ancient History and History respectivly. My final year was a bit of a waste as I achieved early admittance to RADA, where i graduated with a BA in Acting (i know) in 2006.

I am looking to apply to Harris' in 2010 to read History and Politics. I have searched the internet for intensive 1 year a level & access to Higher education courses in London and can't discern the good from the bad.

Can anyone share their experience of access courses and concentrated A levels. I would really appreciate some guidance. Thanks.

Reply 63

chris.1

QUESTION to all you Harris Manchester boffins.

I am twenty three and sat my A levels in 2003, I got a very ordinary ABC in Theatre studies, Ancient History and History respectivly. My final year was a bit of a waste as I achieved early admittance to RADA, where i graduated with a BA in Acting (i know) in 2006.

I am looking to apply to Harris' in 2010 to read History and Politics. I have searched the internet for intensive 1 year a level & access to Higher education courses in London and can't discern the good from the bad.

Can anyone share their experience of access courses and concentrated A levels. I would really appreciate some guidance. Thanks.

From my own experience, I would suggest having a look at Birkbeck, UOL. They do Higher Education Introductory Studies (120CATS at Level 4, equivalent to one year of undergraduate study). It is an Access to HE course and you can choose from a number of modules. http://www.bbk.ac.uk/study/ce/accesscourses/awards/UEHINTSTU.html
I study at Birkbeck myself and gained a place at HMC for Law (I am doing a Certificate in Legal Method).

They also do a Certificate of HE in History
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/study/ce/accesscourses/awards/UEHINTSTU.html

and a Certificate of HE in Politics
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/study/ce/politics/awards/UEHPOLHE.html

Your best bet would be to email HMC admissions and refer to the three courses above, and ask which of those would suffice the best.

As for the other colleges, I know that Westminster Kingsway does one year intensive A levels and Access courses, as well as City of Westminster College. City & Islington does Access to Social Science and Humanities, one lasting for a year and one intensive which you can complete in six months.

I don't know much about A levels, but the choices at Wesminster Kingsway seems to be able to provide you with the best preparation for the course you want to apply to.

Hope that helps :smile:

PM me anytime if needed.

Reply 64

chris.1

My final year was a bit of a waste as I achieved early admittance to RADA, where i graduated with a BA in Acting (i know) in 2006.

I don't know anything about A-levels or access courses, being from the U.S., but congrats on the RADA degree! I'm entering Harris Manchester with a BFA in Theatre (Acting) from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, also graduated in 2006. I've been working as an actor since then, and am entering HMC to read Theology.

Reply 65

http://www.facebook.com/wall.php?id=51560462100#/group.php?gid=51560462100&ref=mf

facebook group for incomin students 09/10

Reply 66

eve_22

http://www.facebook.com/wall.php?id=51560462100#/group.php?gid=51560462100&ref=mf

facebook group for incomin students 09/10

Yup, that's me who started it.:-)

Reply 67

I thought I will try to bring this thread alive again :smile:

So who's going to the post offer Open Day in June?

Reply 68

Thanks, Eve!

Wish I could, but I can't financially justify taking off work and buying overseas plane tickets just for one day. But, I will be getting to Oxford about a month before term starts, so I'll have plenty of time to look around.

You have NO IDEA how much I'm looking forward to being in Oxford and not having to work one of my current jobs again next year! (I do touring children's theatre, and it's not a happy company, besides being hard work for little pay.)

Happy Easter!

Reply 69

Surely that's a sensible thing to do :smile:

However, I could PM you after the open day to inform you of everything we have done, if you like?

I am looking forward to being at Oxford too. I will finally get to experience what being at university is actually like! It certainly is going to be quite a change from six years in employment (I worked in a night club as a manager/PA to Director for the past three).

Happy Easter to you too!

Reply 70

Thanks, Eve! Please do PM me if you remember. If you don't, no biggie. Or, you could just post it here - I'm sure there are others who would be interested in hearing about the Open Day.

I'm looking forward to being an undergraduate again. While I enjoyed my first undergraduate experience for the most part, I had some medical issues that got in the way. Now that they are cleared up, I think I'll be able to have more pleasant time.

Reply 71

Well, as I have promised - a short recap of Open Day at HMC.

There were about 15 of us who could make it, so only about one third of the group that is going to start in October (including undergraduates, postgraduates and clinical psychology students). Having arrived at 10am, we all had an hour or so to meet each other and current HMC students, who were very friendly and made is feel at home. After that, there was a talk from the Principal and Senior Tutor, who both were very lovely and delivered highly inspirational speeches. Apparently there were 2000 applications made this year, so we all should be very proud of getting a place! Afterwards the Academic Administrator gave a talk about nuts and bolts of living at HMC, finances and etc. We all got a booklet detailing the rules of the college, as well as accomodation booking forms and etc. to take home with us.
We were then rushed into HMC, where the current JCR president and other members of the comittee talked to us about student life at the college, societies, things they do and etc. It was great fun and I really felt at home.
We then had lunch (great food, by the way!), got back to JCR and then went to met our subject tutors. I was the only law student to attend the open day, so I had a really nice chat with one of the tutors who interviewed me back in December.
It was a great day and I now cannot wait for October to come!

P.S. Academic Administrator will be sending out freshers packs at the end of August, with more information on academic wear, dates and etc.

If anyone got any specific questions about the open day, please ask!

Reply 72

I'm gonna revive this thread, 'cause we're cool like that!

Anyone ever attend chapel services at HMC? What are they like?

I'm currently doing the Theology reading list I discussed with my tutor. Now: The Old Testament World (Davies). Next: The Gospels and Jesus (Stanton). I'm also looking for Catholic daily Mass near HMC that isn't at the exact time as meals in Hall. (Harder than it sounds.) How is everyone else preparing?

Reply 73

ccematson

I'm gonna revive this thread, 'cause we're cool like that!

Anyone ever attend chapel services at HMC? What are they like?

I'm currently doing the Theology reading list I discussed with my tutor. Now: The Old Testament World (Davies). Next: The Gospels and Jesus (Stanton). I'm also looking for Catholic daily Mass near HMC that isn't at the exact time as meals in Hall. (Harder than it sounds.) How is everyone else preparing?

It was just about time to revive the thread, but you got there right before I did :wink:

Nice to see you're enthusiastic about October. I, on the other hand, am taking a little time off of reading law books and am enjoying some good old fiction :redface:

Just finishing Grisham's 'The Rainmaker' at the moment...

I got a few reading suggestions from my soon to be tutor via e-mail the other day and am planning to get right to it once I'm done with reading my current book. In other set of circumstances, I might probably be feeling a little guiltier then I do at the moment though - I just finished my year long law course two weeks ago, so I'm essentially rewarding myself, you might say :smile:

Reply 74

eve_22

Nice to see you're enthusiastic about October. I, on the other hand, am taking a little time off of reading law books and am enjoying some good old fiction :redface:

Just finishing Grisham's 'The Rainmaker' at the moment...

I knew you would respond right away! I must admit, I'm also fitting in some private reading - returning to the Chronicles of Narnia. (Currently on The Silver Chair, which I'm going to pick back up just as soon as I get off this site.)

Reply 75

ccematson

I knew you would respond right away! I must admit, I'm also fitting in some private reading - returning to the Chronicles of Narnia. (Currently on The Silver Chair, which I'm going to pick back up just as soon as I get off this site.)

Yes, I am pretty much a regular on these forums :p:

I loved the Chronicles of Narnia, by the way. Haven't read all seven of them though. There was a great documentary on BBC called something like 'The secret code of Narnia'. Apparently, each book symbolizes and can be connected with a a certain planet. It was pretty interesting stuff.

Reply 76

eve_22

There was a great documentary on BBC called something like 'The secret code of Narnia'. Apparently, each book symbolizes and can be connected with a a certain planet. It was pretty interesting stuff.

Yup, that's Michael Ward's Planet Narnia. I met him last summer, and will be reviewing the book on my blog. Do you know how I can watch the documentary online? iPlayer wasn't an option for me here in the U.S.

Reply 77

ccematson

Yup, that's Michael Ward's Planet Narnia. I met him last summer, and will be reviewing the book on my blog. Do you know how I can watch the documentary online? iPlayer wasn't an option for me here in the U.S.

Unfortunately, I cannot think of anywhere that it could be available, apart from BBC Iplayer and Youtube. I looked at the latter, but only found short clips as opposed to the full documentary.

Reply 78