Oxford Graduate Application 2012/13

haha what did you do??

I can't speak for the whole Humanities but the Classics faculty people are amazing. I had heard that professors and students are snobish, but it's not true AT ALL!!! I love this place more than I have ever loved a place!!!!!!!!!

Well, I asked to have a look around the quadrangle (my first mistake) she said I "couldn't be trusted not to steal something". All the other college porters were lovely though. Especially Balliol.

And funnily enough it's classics that I was looking around! The faculty couldn't have been more welcoming. And I got to meet Chris Pelling! I used about four of his books in my undergrad dissertation!

ah cool so you are applying for Classics? Which college? Where did you do your undergrad?

Pelling is a friend's supervisor, and he is teaching all the graduates research techniques. He is friendly.

I was at St Andrews for my undergrad. I've applied for the MPhil in Greek/Roman history and Corpus Christi is the college I chose.

I'm not sure I'll get a place, but I really liked the university and the faculty were amazingly nice. Have you enjoyed your time there so far?

It's amazing. I am on a bad mood today for unrelated subjects, so I feel like bitching about the Bod being reference only, and the libraries being scattered around the city, instead of having all books at one place, or the Sackler (main library for us) having NO natural light, and in general I don't like the Sackler much cause it's a bit hot, and the light is yellowy and makes me sleepy. But you can always borrow the books you want and go study at your college library. As for the Bod being reference only, that is a big problem (with the advantage that people can't borrow books, so of course this means you will always find what you are looking for)...from what I 've heard library conditions are better in Cambridge. But Oxford is an amazing city, the department is brilliant, and the atmosphere simply perfect!!!!

Try being a law student. We can't borrow from the Law Bod and my college library won't let us borrow law materials either. It's a massive pain in the behind when you don't live in college!

Wooooo! Just submitted my DPhil Physics application :O SCARY STUFF!

It's amazing. I am on a bad mood today for unrelated subjects, so I feel like bitching about the Bod being reference only, and the libraries being scattered around the city, instead of having all books at one place, or the Sackler (main library for us) having NO natural light, and in general I don't like the Sackler much cause it's a bit hot, and the light is yellowy and makes me sleepy. But you can always borrow the books you want and go study at your college library. As for the Bod being reference only, that is a big problem (with the advantage that people can't borrow books, so of course this means you will always find what you are looking for)...from what I 've heard library conditions are better in Cambridge. But Oxford is an amazing city, the department is brilliant, and the atmosphere simply perfect!!!!

A law student told me that a lot of the material is put online though. Isn't it true?

I had a look around the sackler library during the open day. It seemed great, but you're right it was very yellow. Shame about the Bod being reference only, but given the likely age and value of the texts inside it I can't blame the university for keeping them in one place. I'd be excited to see what kind of works they have there! I'm glad to hear that you like it there!

And @knisper @therandomer congrats, best of luck!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Bod also has some very recent books (published even in 2011). None of which you can borrow. I am not crazy, I do not expect them to let me borrow Ovid's manuscript just because I feel like reading some Metamorphoses. I am talking about everyday books, that you will need a lot, and often. It's really a terrible system, but it can't change because Bodley (the guy) when he built the library he said it had to be reference only. And now we are paying for it.

Well, that kinda sucks. But at least like you said, if you can't take it out then nobody else can either. At least you'll always know there's a copy somewhere in the building.

And WOAH, there's an early copy of Ovid's Metamorphoses? That's so cool!

Does anybody know when people that applied for the November 15 deadline can hope to hear from the departments about their applications? I have already been given answers by UCL and LSE, but these universities have no explicit deadlines and consider applications until the course is full.

I'd say around January. Based on the fact that for the January deadline we heard on March. And since the first deadline will probably have less applications, maybe end of December.

Wooooo! Just submitted my DPhil Physics application :O SCARY STUFF!

All latin literature (and most of Greek) has survived because of the existence of manuscripts. In most cases more than one for each poet.

I obviously know that the manuscripts survived, I just didn't know they would be in the Bodleian for students to use.

There is no portal where you can check the status of your application at Oxford right? (like the ones used by Cambridge and UCL)

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Bod also has some very recent books (published even in 2011). None of which you can borrow. I am not crazy, I do not expect them to let me borrow Ovid's manuscript just because I feel like reading some Metamorphoses. I am talking about everyday books, that you will need a lot, and often. It's really a terrible system, but it can't change because Bodley (the guy) when he built the library he said it had to be reference only. And now we are paying for it.