Oxford uni questions

[questioner123]

Hi all!

My DD is thinking of applying to Oxford uni for law. We have some questions though which hopefully you all help answer for us:

1. My DD is thinking of Pembroke, Oriel and Keble college, do any of you or your DC’s have any experiences of these colleges?

2. This may be a bit of a stupid question, but DD would like the option of being able to come home if she is having a bad day or just missing home, especially being able to come home some weekends if she wants too. Are the students allowed to do this at Oxford University?

3. My DD is worried at the smaller colleges that it may be cliquey or ‘gossipy’ like school, could/is this the case or are the smaller colleges more friendly and closer overall than the larger colleges?

4. What is the workload and pressures like?

5. How strict are the colleges on rules and regulations compared to other universities?

Many thanks

No-one has though I don't think. Of course getting behind will drive the issue but if a particular tutor has no time for a student then the not keeping term can be the clincher.

Formal Hall at my college cost the same as informal but I believe for the cost of wearing a gown over whatever grotty clothes you had on, you got: an extra course, and waitress service to the table (rather than collecting on a tray), oh and you did have to stand for Grace.
There is a lot of gossip at all colleges but it doesn't tend to be malicious, just that people get to recognise others and "notice" what they're doing.
People did regularly go away, lots of popping down to London, but full term is pretty intense. My college allowed jobs in all vacations just not term time (unless it was writing a newspaper column).

questioner Try not to get derailed by talk of pigeon hole rules. Your DD really should not worry about this. Please don't fixate on it. The terms are so short and the pace so fast that I really don't think your DD will want or need to come home frequently.

Yes Oxford is harder work than most other unis, but that is one reason for the different admissions process. It is partly designed to identify students who have sufficient interest in their subject and the academic ability to cope. Essentially, if you're good enough to get in, you will almost certainly be capable of dealing with the workload. If ALL you want to do at uni is get pissed and swan around, then Oxford is not the place for you. Believe me there should still be plenty of time for socialising and other non academic activities.
Is it all worth it? Absolutely. There's a reason Oxford is rated one of the top universities in the world and its graduates held in high esteem.
However, there are many other excellent unis out there. Oxford is not the be all and end all.

If you are performing ok, engaging with the system etc, then there is absolutely no risk of being sent down for not checking your pigeonhole every day.

I only checked mine once a week throughout second year and it was never an issue at all.

questioner123 the workload at Oxford (and Cambridge for that matter) is significantly higher than at other universities. In freshers week you will be given essays to write for the first week of term - being given a reading list before you’ve been shown where the faculty libraries are is an entertaining experience that I recommend to all.

Is it worth it? This is utterly subjective. For me, without question. The opportunities I have had since leaving university stem in large part from my ability to say I have a degree from Oxford. But I’m not going to tell you that without Oxford I couldn’t have achieved half as much, because that’s not true. Plenty of people have achieved much more than me and went to non Oxbridge universities, and doubtless there are some unfortunate people out there who had a miserable time at Oxford (who completed their degree I mean) and would say it was not worth the anguish.

No one here is going to be able to tell you definitely whether or not it is worth it. Employment statistics can be quoted, average starting salaries, student satisfaction scores, but it is going to come down to the individual. If your DD is bright enough and has already expressed an interest in attending, then I’m sure she will find it worth it.

She should check out University College for law. I have lots of law friends, they’re all a talented bunch and hugely enjoyed their time there, so it must have been a pretty good experience (declaring my interest here, I am a Univ alum.)

That should have said definitively, not definitely.

Classic mods used to be the longest set of exams, but they were in the second year. I think it was 12 papers, but they reputably were the longest set of exams except for a Chinese accountancy. Don't know if that last was true though.

In my day it was '... except for Chinese civil service exams.' Strangely enough I have no memories of mods whatsoever, though I presumably passed. There only was one person in my year who got sent down (not in my subject group) and that was because of a poor performance in mods. I never heard of anyone else being sent down in my four years at Magdalen, though the threat of it was so common it lost all force. I'm not surprised about Christ Church though.

No College will worry about being away from Oxford for the occasional night; but really, the terms are so short and the life so intense that she is unlikely to want to come home often.

The workload is heavy and tends to be squeezed in around a lot of fun, so everyone burns the candle at both ends during term and crashes and burns for a few days at the end. The important thing is that she be really interested in the subject, then it doesn't feel nearly as bad. This is especially true of law, which requires an enormous volume of cases to be read and digested. It is no good doing it just because one fancies a career in law: to survive without being miserable ones need a genuine and deep interest in law as a purely academic subject

Lots and lots of rustications though, with a return the following year - all for health reasons. I think there's been a very marked shift towards the latter.

Yes, I've been surprised at how many rustications dd has mentioned in the last 3 years (mostly for health/social reasons). I only remember one at my college, and that was a "go and pull your socks up and come back when you've done that" type affair. The rules seem to have changed too - now if you rusticate you still have full access to libraries, etc, which I don't remember being the case (could be wrong).

OP, please don't worry about pigeonhole checking! All the weird little traditions will very quickly become second nature. Tutorials are an amazing way to study and learn.

Questioner: you ask if it’s worth it. Absolutely. Law at Oxford opens all doors. If you get a 2:2, it may not because most grad training schemes require a 2:1. Oxford probably won’t override that requirement, but employers really like Oxbridge law grads. Employers know what grads have done to get the degree, that they are quick learners and are used to hard work. If they work out what area of law suits their personality, they should be successful in their chosen area of law.

However, if the pace, academic law and the hard work don’t appeal, then look elsewhere. Do be aware that law is very competitive and the cream rises to the top but. for very many law grads, there is disappointment when they don’t get the jobs/careers they want. Always go for the best university if you can.

Thank you everyone for your interesting and helpful responses

DD is going to give it a go and apply!

Awesome news! Get yourself over to the Oxbridge applicants 2019 thread, there's some good stuff in there to help.