The Student Room Group

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Reply 1
what?!! Reading lists?!! How exciting (ahem). Have you given total confirmation that you're going to accept the oxbridge place? I wonder if all candidates are getting them?
Reply 2
Thedarkone
what?!! Reading lists?!! How exciting (ahem). Have you given total confirmation that you're going to accept the oxbridge place?


nope. tis rather harsh.

"When you come up in October, you will be expected to have read everything on the core reading list, and to have read widely on the general reading list...tutorials operate on Nabokov's principle that 'a good reader, a major reader, an active and creative reader is a re-reader". mmmm
Eek! That sounds scary! I have received a reading list for NatSci but the books on it were only suggestions..phew!
Grifter
nope. tis rather harsh.

"When you come up in October, you will be expected to have read everything on the core reading list, and to have read widely on the general reading list...tutorials operate on Nabokov's principle that 'a good reader, a major reader, an active and creative reader is a re-reader". mmmm

Oh my gods. Are you sure you're not going to Merton? :p: :p: :p:

I plan to ignore everything until October. They are not making me do extra work, hmph.
Reply 5
deianra
I plan to ignore everything until October. They are not making me do extra work, hmph.


Mmmmmmm... that'll make for an interesting time in your first few weeks.... do you plan to sleep at all?
Reply 6
deianra
Oh my gods. Are you sure you're not going to Merton? :p: :p: :p:

I plan to ignore everything until October. They are not making me do extra work, hmph.



You go, girl :p: That is the attitude I would take :cool:
Reply 7
~Raphael~
You go, girl :p: That is the attitude I would take :cool:

Fair enough. But you'd end up being incredibly behind when they try and teach you.

It's not unreasonable that they expect you to have done something. My reading list was 50 books, but it specified that I should pick and choose the stuff I was weaker in, so I read about 2 properly and flicked through a few more. If I hadn't, I'd have been at a serious disadvantage.
Reply 8
deianra
:p: Current goal is to become national standard in debating, as want desperately to debate for Oxford. It's all good... :biggrin: I started debating er, one week ago! Yes.

Me? Not do work? C'mon, I applied to Merton. You all know I'll sit in the corner fervently reading everything they throw at me, even if it's 500 books long...


Dude, you don't half set your targets high...Though, you've met them all thus far, so umm...You go girl! :biggrin:

And in answer to the other peoples, I might take said attitude but who said I've only got one personality :p:
:rolleyes:
~Raphael~
You go, girl :p: That is the attitude I would take :cool:

:p: Current goal is to ignore all work and instead, become national standard in debating, as want desperately to debate for Oxford. It's all good... :biggrin: I started debating er, one week ago! Yes. So current plan goes: Go to Oxford Schools Finals' Day, somehow manage to break, catch eye of Debates Select Committee and live happily ever after, woo! :smile:

Me? Not do work? C'mon, I applied to Merton, and I did know what I was letting myself in for. You all know I'll sit in the corner fervently reading everything they throw at me, repeatedly, even if it's 500 books long...
Reply 10
I don't know why everyone's shocked; I was adviced to read all the core texts on my reading list too. Naturally, it's the applicants choice what they do or don't do, but I would certainly advocate making an effort to cover at least a few core texts. Doing nothin' just seems foolish to me.
Reply 11
Seconded. However there's reading them and then there's READING them really closely, critically etc. Not everyone will have time to do that with each book- so it can seem like a bit much. I think they probably expect that everyone reads them whilst relatively alert, so as to have a backdrop upon which the main picture can be painted when you get to Oxford.

What kind of books were on the list Grifter?..out of interest for someone also going up to do English.
I want a reading list. :frown:
Reply 13
wow, a reading list so soon. Cool. I'm planning to do all my reading after the exams, cos before them I will be doing extra reading for them.
I have a reading list and I really planned on not reading any till after the exams in May. However, I had already read some, boughtsome others and I've almost finished the first one that I bought.... :rolleyes:
Reply 15
Ah all you early holders of reading lists, be you from Cambridge? I too thought Oxford send them out a bit later. *Hmm*
Reply 16
I remember this time last year people were talking about reading lists and I was worried because I never got one.. mine was sent out in July a few weeks after A-level exams finished!
You people don't know your living. I've applied for modern languages, and because I obviously dont' speak French and German fluently, I;ll have to read them (a) in the language and (b) in translation, to make sure I understood it! And on top of literary criticisms and grammar etc!

NB I haven't yet received any lists, nor any formal contact from them since my offer letter/int. feedback, but they did recommend a grammar textbook and workbook to me for both langs that would help "bring me up to the required standard" by October (which set me back £65, i might add!!)

But the idea of a reading list does sound very Harry Potter.
Reply 18
Thank God for theology, quite literaly... I think we can all guess what my core text is going to be, at least i know it in the english, so its just the greek to contend with.

My delightul DOS told me 'not to work to hard, and get distressed', that and thta my reading list won't come till August... woo bloody hoo.

Unfourtunately wehave a holiday booked for the first two weeks of September... not a goo time for oxbridge candidates to be away... but hey.

anyone else interested in establishing the voluntry apathy society?
Reply 19
Nice to see all you guys getting some good practice in the core activities of a large majority of Oxford student - moaning about work, and the closely related delaying work. Good job.

Grifter: Your instructions sound like an absolute loads of *******s to me. Sure, reading's useful, but re-reading stuff? I'd've thought your tutors would've more respect for you than that. Reading around beforehand can be useful, but it's not necessary. It just depends on how little time you want to spend on work once you get here. e.g. atm I'm writing some essays off little or no reading. Coz I just know the stuff. But I'm seriously depraved and a very bad example. So do a bit of reading, then just work hard when you get here.