Oxford Collections History BA

Hiya, I’ve just finished my first term at Oxford reading History. I had a great time eventually but struggled a lot especially at the start of the term with depression and anxiety and was considering rusticating for a year at one point. That said i managed to keep up with the work decently and by the end of term had created a decent social life for myself. It’s the first week of the vac and I have three essays to write for next term along with collections to revise for. I only have five weeks and (unless i’m really misjudging collections) I have a lot to do so i’m trying to start now so i don’t panic later. Im experiencing terrible burnout and mentally can feel myself getting worse again which worries me.

In terms of the collections I would really appreciate if someone could explain to me (someone who has taken history preferably) how to revise for them. I know people say they aren’t that important and i’m not concerned with doing spectacularly in them i just want to be decent. I’ve had a look at past papers and spoken to my tutor and (unless i’m being really dense) it just seems to me that the essays I have been writing in terms of only cover a tiny proportion of what each topic is about. For example if my essay was on the impacts of Magna Carta I would only read with that question in mind (to save time) which i thought seemed reasonable. But a question in the collections on Magna Carta (a topic i have ostensibly covered) could be on the causes, the document itself, it’s reception, whether it was effective - the list goes on. Do I literally need to go through each topic and read with every possible question in mind. I don’t know if i’m just being lazy but to me that just sounds an insane thing to have to do for 8 topics, for exams that everyone says don’t matter and in my “holiday” after a term that has been so exhausting.

So I just would like someone to tell me honestly what is expected of me. Feeling a bit lost!

Reply 1

Stiffy Byng

19

Collections assist the college is monitoring your progress, and also enable you to practise exam technique. Don't worry about Collections. It would be much better for you to do no prep for Collections than experience burn out over the Christmas vacation.

Five weeks is ample time to complete three essays. For Collections, re-read your essays from last term, and maybe look again at the reading lists for those essays and perhaps read an item that you didn't read first time around. But don't work hard for Collections. Rest and enjoy the vacation.

Oxford takes a broad approach to the study of history, so try not to be too linear or narrow in studying or revising a topic. Any aspect of something like Magna Carta could come up in an exam paper.

Have a good Christmas!

Reply 2

Stiffy Byng

19

I can't recall ever doing any work for Collections when I studied Modern History at Oxford, although that was ages ago. I did well in Schools.

Reply 3

Anonymous #1

OP

Okay thank you that helps a lot. I’m still just a little confused though because if the question could be on any aspect (say of Magna Carta) then how will reading my essay (which is very much focused on a specific question/approach) help me that much? If were to be asked a question about the causes of Magna Carta (which I very likely could) I don’t feel that I would be able to answer it with reference to the preliminary work I did in term time. In my mind it seems that to answer such a question well I would have to essentially do essay prep for every possible essay question for that topic. Again I’m not sure if I just simply haven’t done enough work during term-time but i’ve been working 6-8 hour days almost every day of the week (hence the burn out) and my tutor doesn’t seem to have had any problems with the amount I have been reading.

Reply 4

Stiffy Byng

19

Original post

by Anonymous

Okay thank you that helps a lot. I’m still just a little confused though because if the question could be on any aspect (say of Magna Carta) then how will reading my essay (which is very much focused on a specific question/approach) help me that much? If were to be asked a question about the causes of Magna Carta (which I very likely could) I don’t feel that I would be able to answer it with reference to the preliminary work I did in term time. In my mind it seems that to answer such a question well I would have to essentially do essay prep for every possible essay question for that topic. Again I’m not sure if I just simply haven’t done enough work during term-time but i’ve been working 6-8 hour days almost every day of the week (hence the burn out) and my tutor doesn’t seem to have had any problems with the amount I have been reading.

You appear to be thinking in rather a linear way, and also to be over-thinking. History is all about connections, and you need to look at the sideways view, not just the vertical view. It is impossible to prepare for every possible exam question. The Oxford approach to History allows you to dine à la carte. Read up on the aspects of the course that interest you the most.

But the key advice remains: do not worry about Collections. It would be better to do absolutely no work for Collections than to allow them to disrupt your vacation.

Six to eight hours work a day is normal, and should not lead to burn out. You may be worrying too much in general. Please make sure to rest, socialise, exercise, and engage in non-academic activities. Pursue a sport or hobby. Maybe take up a new thing. I wish you well.

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 5

Anonymous #1

OP

Thank you so much. That makes me feel much better!

Reply 6

Stiffy Byng

19

You're welcome. Chill out, enjoy Christmas. Oxford is intense, and you need to switch off the academic weaponry during vacations. You are allowed to freak out during the vacations in your final year, but you are still a fresher.

Read "1066 And All That" for fun. It is the key to the Oxford Modern History School, and hilarious. One of the two authors had an actual aegrotat!

Have you read this? Mucho info on Oxford and History.

https://academic.oup.com/past/article/261/1/259/7246025

Reply 7

Anonymous #2

what I did was I took evidence from existing essays and made essay plans for as many past paper questions as I can manage to answer. it’s true that you won’t have enough to answer every question but that’s where notes from lectures and books/chapters you haven’t read comes in to fill the gap in your knowledge. Once you’ve planned maybe 3-4 different essays per topic you’ll find planning and answering more questions much easier because there’s usually a few points/paragraphs you can recycle.

Oxford Collections History BA

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Articles for you

How The Student Room is moderated