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Work during holidays at Oxford

Just a quick question: Much is made of the somewhat heavy Oxford workload but how far does this apply to how much work you have to do in the holidays? Since things like collections happen after holidays, does this mean that students have to spend large amounts of their "time off" revising or is it more of a case of reading a book or two and writing a quick essay to get your brain back into shape after a month and a half of lazing about?

Reply 1

Coltrane

It means crammin for ages n still failin collections, but they dont count so its awite......

Reply 2

Drogue

19

Yes, there is a lot of work. Our tutors, who admittedly are harsh, expect us to take about 2 of a 5 1/2 weeks off, and spend the rest doing work. At least a week or two's revision is generally needed to do well in collections, if you care about them, plus many colleges/subjects will set an essay or two as holiday work, so that's another couple of days to a week.

Reply 3

Kalypso

1

it's fairly possible not to do that much work over the vac and get away with it. you will probably regret it and wish that you had worked more (i do, at the start of every term!) but with some hard work immediately before term starts it's possible to get just about enough done.

Reply 4

elpaw

15

some heavy pre-collection last minute revision will sort you out. but its not advisable (in the long term you'll forget it quicker than if you had spent a few weeks revising little by little)

Reply 5

London Prophet

17

In all honesty, most people i know (including myself) did little or no work during their holidays, got back to Oxford a couple of days early and crammed, and did fine in collections.

Reply 6

Brown Patrick Bateman

10

Tom Holder

In all honesty, most people i know (including myself) did little or no work during their holidays, got back to Oxford a couple of days early and crammed, and did fine in collections.

Same. As usual the answer to this thread entirely depends on your subject/college combination. If you're doing an arts subject you may get just 1 vacation essay to do, if not nothing at all, and day-before revision is sufficient for a 2.1. Though later on a dissertation / "extended essays" can take up a large part of the vacation if you don't do them during termtime.

Reply 7

Elles

17

Jools

Same. As usual the answer to this thread entirely depends on your subject/college combination.

to illustrate this.. & make myself sound completely geeky :creep:

(Medicine)

i do a fair amount of work in the holidays out of necessity i.e. timetabled Christmas eve -> new year's day off. & otherwise did some pretty much everyday.
we generally don't actually have any essays set - but during term time i don't even get a chance to read through all my lecture notes. hence vacation time is the chance i get to consolidate & make notes etc.
especially useful because we have exams each year & only get ~2weeks study leave for these. so it's worth putting some long term preparation in, or it becomes a mad cramming session & most people seem to become academically undone, or emotionally!

but saying that, over the summer i did precisely no academic work. & this easter i plan to just go on holiday..whooo! :biggrin:

Reply 8

aleko

OP

Hmm, OK looking at what everybody's said, there looks to be quite a wide range of variables which determine how much work you do. Seeing as I (grades willing) will be doing History and Politics at Corpus, an arts subject it looks like I may get some rest but it depends on how strict my tutors are. However Drogue, you do E&M don't you? That is also Arts so perhaps I wont!

Another question, seeing as a lot of people say that you need to do a considerable amount of work in the vac's, how easy is it to be allowed to come back to Oxford a week or two early? I heard that they like you to be out for at least until a couple of days before term starts.

Reply 9

oxymoron

7

aleko

Another question, seeing as a lot of people say that you need to do a considerable amount of work in the vac's, how easy is it to be allowed to come back to Oxford a week or two early? I heard that they like you to be out for at least until a couple of days before term starts.

Depends on the college entirely. Often colleges let out rooms to conference guests during the vac, which is why you have to leave. Lincoln for example doesn't like you coming back until the thursday before term starts. If you want to come back earlier however you can request it - and usually they will say yes (especially to international students who need to get flights etc).

I also know people who requested staying on a bit late after the end of term and most were denied (because they needed all the rooms for interview candidates).

Some colleges however let you keep your room throughout the vac.

Reply 10

Drogue

19

aleko

Hmm, OK looking at what everybody's said, there looks to be quite a wide range of variables which determine how much work you do. Seeing as I (grades willing) will be doing History and Politics at Corpus, an arts subject it looks like I may get some rest but it depends on how strict my tutors are. However Drogue, you do E&M don't you? That is also Arts so perhaps I wont!

I do, but I'm at Univ. Pick another (non-Merton) college and you'll find a week or so revision is fine, thus you get the same length holiday as every other uni (at least).

aleko

Another question, seeing as a lot of people say that you need to do a considerable amount of work in the vac's, how easy is it to be allowed to come back to Oxford a week or two early? I heard that they like you to be out for at least until a couple of days before term starts.

At Univ, you have to be back on the Thursday, our term's are officially 8 weeks and 3 days, but we can come back pretty much when we want. I could stay right over Christmas if I wanted, though you pay for it.

Reply 11

ThePants999

14

Have you tested that out yet Will? That particular theory often falls down, unless Univ's doing a crap job of selling itself to conference organisers. No college in its right mind gives that much freedom to students living in college, since by doing so it loses so much conference money.

As Jools said, it's all down to college and subject. A Balliol PPE first-year I knew had six essays to do over the vac. As a Lincoln E&Mist I've never had more than one, typically have none, and even with collections never do any work from 9th week to -1st week. 0th week cramming is fine.

Reply 12

Drogue

19

ThePants999

Have you tested that out yet Will? That particular theory often falls down, unless Univ's doing a crap job of selling itself to conference organisers. No college in its right mind gives that much freedom to students living in college, since by doing so it loses so much conference money.
Well, we were told "you can stay when you want, just fill in the form" type thing, and my room wasn't used over the vacation. I doubt rooms where mine is get's used often for conferences, but I could be wrong.

Reply 13

oxymoron

7

Drogue

Well, we were told "you can stay when you want, just fill in the form" type thing, and my room wasn't used over the vacation. I doubt rooms where mine is get's used often for conferences, but I could be wrong.

We were also told to fill in a form - and lots of people did and were refused (mainly because they needed rooms for interview candidates - How do you know you're room wasn't used, what did they do for interviewees then?)

Reply 14

ThePants999

14

Yes, I do wonder how you know your room wasn't used...?

Reply 15

Drogue

19

Things I left in my room still in the same place, obviously hadn't been cleaned, that sort of thing.

Reply 16

Brown Patrick Bateman

10

ThePants999

A Balliol PPE first-year I knew had six essays to do over the vac.

What??

Well I once had 5 essays to do in the vac. Though that's because I'd managed a whopping 3 out of 8 during termtime...

Reply 17

Clodagh

Did you get in lots of trouble each week?!? :s-smilie:

Reply 18

ThePants999

14

Drogue

Things I left in my room still in the same place, obviously hadn't been cleaned, that sort of thing.

Not really evidence. I once left a couple of things in my room - they were still there, even though the room had been used in the meantime. As for "obviously hadn't been cleaned" - it might just have been that it hadn't been cleaned since the last conference guest :wink:

Jools - quality! I never managed fewer than 4 out of 8, and I thought that was bad enough, so you impress me :biggrin:

Reply 19

Drogue

19

ThePants999

Not really evidence. I once left a couple of things in my room - they were still there, even though the room had been used in the meantime. As for "obviously hadn't been cleaned" - it might just have been that it hadn't been cleaned since the last conference guest :wink:

True, but I mean in the same place. Like I left a pad of paper on the bed, that was still there, at the top of the bed, when I got back in. I don't see how it could have been used and that happened :wink:

ThePants999

Jools - quality! I never managed fewer than 4 out of 8, and I thought that was bad enough, so you impress me :biggrin:

We only get 4.... :redface:

*runs and hides*

Edit: At leats only 4 essays. Our econ tutors like problem sheets.

Work during holidays at Oxford

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