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Higher education

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Original poster

Any oxford tutors around for an urgent question?

46 replies

Carriemac · 09/10/2017 21:21

Help-any advice for DD who feels she has picked the wrong course (law) st oxford and wants to change to English? Is that ever possible, what to,do? She's sobbing in her room when. I FaceTimed her earlier, loves her college and oxford but feels she has made the wrong choice? I'm really worried about her.

OP posts:
sadusername2 · 09/10/2017 21:47

You could try asking on The Student Room. If you add in @Brasenose somebody from the college pops up. I checked the website and it didn't look like you could easily, but I am sure that be to try and prevent students swopping from a course that was less competitive to something like law.
Hope you can sort this out.

Original poster
Carriemac · 09/10/2017 21:49

Thank you. I'm in despair she sounds so unhappy

OP posts:
Dancinggoat · 09/10/2017 21:54

She should go to student support tomorrow they'll give her all the support she needs.

Slightlydizzydaily · 09/10/2017 21:56

Carrie, I'm not an Oxford tutor but I think many people who do your dd's course don't enjoy it and want to swap - most people I know who did it regret it. I know almost no one who regrets an English degree.

I would try to get her to concentrate on the positives at the moment - she has great A level grades, an Oxford place and a smart head on her shoulders. Much better to decide now that it isn't right than two years on.

Although I know nothing about Oxford there is hopefully some way to sort this, even if she has to do law for a year and then restart in English or some other fix. She could ask to chat in confidence to pastoral/senior tutor type figure at her college about the options?

SchnitzelVonKrumm · 09/10/2017 21:58

Yes it's possible.

Bekabeech · 09/10/2017 21:58

I know when I was at Oxford at least one person swapped course (to theology). But she needs to talk to tutors for n college and get advice.

virelai · 09/10/2017 22:01

Oxford English tutor here. I don't think it's impossible, but it is very infrequent. It's good that she likes Oxford and her college. Term has only just started: perhaps she can be encouraged to stick at it for two or three weeks to see how she feels after she has some tutorials and essays under her belt? She should talk to the college Welfare Team to get support (there should be on-site Welfare leads, as well as peer supporters perhaps). The key person to talk to would be the Tutor for Undergraduates: she or he would be a good neutral person to talk to in order to find out whether there is any possibility of asking to be considered by the English tutors.

Can she explain what it is about her current subject that feels wrong? She might have a college 'mum' or 'dad' (a student in the year above) who can help talk her through some of the worries of starting the course?

AnAcademic · 09/10/2017 22:01

Hi Carrie - I have sent you a PM. She should definitely speak to her tutor as this is not an unusual worry at all. It is the first day of term so she might well change her mind when she has been there for longer!
It is possible to swap but it is not as simple as just electing to change, the English tutors would have to assess her and decide whether they would be willing to take her.
The tutors will have had loads of students with similar worries at the start of the course over the years and they will not be remotely offended if she goes to see them to talk this over.

Original poster
Carriemac · 09/10/2017 22:07

will the tutor for undergraduates be in her college? We have of course told her early days, give it a go etc but she is adamant she has made th wrong choice and is vey stressed. She has a welfare appointment for Wednesday.

OP posts:
TheClacksAreDown · 09/10/2017 22:09

Why is she so convinced she has made the wrong choice? Why is she so convinced that English will be better?

fucksakefay · 09/10/2017 22:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fucksakefay · 09/10/2017 22:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

virelai · 09/10/2017 22:15

Yes: there will be a Tutor for Undergraduates (or some equivalent title) in her college who is responsible for things like this. The College Office might be a good place to start: there will be an Academic Administrator (or some similar job title) who will be able to point her in the right direction. But the best thing for now is to see the Welfare Team, who will be very experienced in supporting students who feel like this.

As mentioned above, if she were my student I would want her to come and see me - I wouldn't be offended or think any less of her. She should have a Lead or Organising Tutor with pastoral responsibility who she could email for a meeting.

goodbyestranger · 09/10/2017 22:17

It's the first day of term so essays won't be it.

Is it Roman Law that's the problem Carriemac?

Very, very early days. I don't quite see how she's so decided so early. It sounds more like she's rattled by something she thinks she can't handle, but almost certainly can.

AnAcademic · 09/10/2017 22:17

It is the first day of term fey - I doubt she has had an essay yet

OP - Virelai doesn't mean the faculty's Tutor for Undergrads, she means the college's. The name might be different as colleges have different names for these things. It might be 'Senior Tutor' or 'Academic Dean' or similar but essentially you want the person in college who has overall responsibility for academic matters for undergrads. This person will be able to tell you the college's own policy and procedure if people do want to switch as this will vary between them.

AnAcademic · 09/10/2017 22:18

sorry cross post with others!

Original poster
Carriemac · 09/10/2017 22:22

Thanks for the pm, I'm so addled I've forgotten my password so bear with me.
No bad mark for an essay or anything, her friend is doing English and she has realised that she is really inyetested in his subjects and that law is just not for her. It's so unlike her to have a wobble, she is so laid back normally. She did get fantastic English A level results, and an excellent LNAT. I've never seen her in tears , not since she was three.

OP posts:
Original poster
Carriemac · 09/10/2017 22:26

She says she knows she can do the work for law, but can't bear the thought of spending 3 years doing something she doesn't enjoy. She is normally so rational, it's terrible to see her so stressed out. I've offered to go and see her, but she says not.

OP posts:
goodbyestranger · 09/10/2017 22:28

Carriemac the tutors will quite rightly want to know why there's a sudden access of interest in English on Day 1 of Term 1 and a sudden loss of interest in Law. Freshers week leaves quite a fog in its wake and decisions taken at the end of it may not be the best considered. Act in haste etc.

AnAcademic · 09/10/2017 22:29

There's no point in her doing 3 years of something that makes her miserable but the different papers are all very different. Has she started off on Roman law? That is often quite a shock. Criminal is usually easier to get interested in.

AnAcademic · 09/10/2017 22:30

and I very much agree with goodbyestranger.

goodbyestranger · 09/10/2017 22:34

I suspect Roman is at the bottom of this. Tell her it will pass - honestly it will and she'll never have to revisit it after exams next term.

traininthedistance · 09/10/2017 22:42

Yes this is possible in most colleges - and students do do it though it's infrequent. Your DD needs to get to her pastoral tutor tomorrow to discuss it, who may refer her on to the senior tutor. If she does want to go ahead, she may need to have an interview with the tutors in the destination subject, who will decide if she will be accepted into the new subject. She shouldn't worry too much, but just explore the options. I've had students change in and out of my subject soon after admission - not many but it does happen and colleges will normally take it in their stride.

GeorgeTheHamster · 09/10/2017 22:42

It's day one of lectures and they are all knackered from freshers week. Give this some time, she will already know who can help. I strongly suspect what she needs most is a couple of good nights sleep. She can see how she feels after a few more days lectures, she needn't fly off the handle now.

Slightlydizzydaily · 10/10/2017 06:12

I would think this is acmore common experience with subjects like law that most people don't study at school so don't have a completely clear idea of what they are like. I'm glad to see people who know saying it might be possible, so hopefully your dd can be reassured and make a decision once she knows the options.