why are oxbridge terms so short & without a break?

I'm a second year Lawyer at Cambridge. I found last year very tough, but somehow managed to get a 2.1, like most people. It is difficult, there is way too much to learn and we do get set far too much work. I'm the worst person in the world to give "advice" since I can't really cope myself, but the best thing to remember is that everyone is in the same boat, feeling the same pressure - so it's easy to call on people for support. Preparing for supervisions takes the most time for me, since I like to go in feeling prepared (overwise I'm a nervous wreck) - you'll find your own way to deal with it. You study four papers in the first year (criminal/constitutional/civil/tort) and have 2-3 supervisions per week. If you work well under pressure, you'll be fine.

Some people work all the hours possible others get by on a lot less. With a lot of subjects there is always something else you could have read and thus you can never 'complete' the work.
However lots of people manage pretty impressive extracurricular things. Rowing for a 1st VIII will require 5-12 training sessions a week depending on the college. Others spend a lot of time editing or writing for papers and others spend most evenings in the theater or doing music

I think he was referring to "collections" at Oxford.

The semester structure without a break in the middle is far from unique to Oxbridge.

which might be important for postgraduates, but not really for undergraduates

What makes you think that? It is important for undergraduates, too, to be taught by people who are at the forefront of research in the area. It even forms part of most university ranking tables.

*cough* That doesn't automatically mean it's important, though, does it?

To be fair, undergraduates will mostly be taught the more or less basic stuff, so even if their tutor does happen to be at the forefront of research, it probably won't usually have much of an impact on undergraduate teaching (except perhaps in the final year, when people get a bit more specialised).

which might be important for postgraduates, but not really for undergraduates

well-written and logical, yes, but i dont think they really care whether it's innovative. you're not doing research

Thank you jcb914! Yeah, what you've said makes sense, I guess I won't know how tough it is unless I actually experience it myself. Quick questions though - I come from a North American system - when you say 2.1 are you talking about GPA like out of 4.0? (I probably sound like an idiot right now..)

Apologies for all these questions!

Hehe True. It can be important to understand the research set-up, especially in science departments, before picking your course as it can strongly affect the modules you are offered.

I would have thought innovation is an integral part writing good essays- their whole ethos seemed to be that they want their students to think for themselves.

Seriously, if I had only one essay a week, I'd be ecstatic! Generally I have 2-3 a week, plus instrumental practise and harmony work. In fact, I'm pretty sure there was one week in February or something where I had 4 essays in one week

If only I had one essay a week...

I only have one essay a week all year, I think, except for three weeks (two this term, one next) where I have two.

I have no words

Well, I assume I only have one a week. Definitely do this term, but next term I might get taught in-college for a paper and it's plausible that my tutor will be mean and set more...but I think I'm going back out of college in the third term so I'll be free of Merton workload insanity again.

Lol at Surrey our first semester is 14 weeks long with no breaks unless you do a course which needs a reading week, weeks 13 and 14 are for exams and revision though we have mid semester tests too!