Coe Writing Center Blog: Studying Abroad at the University of Oxford

Hello from Oxford! I am currently on my Easter break from the 12th of March until the 24th of April. I KNOW!!! Isn't it great...

Well, it's not exactly a full break from school. Most students now are studying for their collections (basically their final exams) that take place in their Trinity term. Others (like me) are working in labs and completing larger projects that are required for their course of study.

Here at Oxford, they use an adapted trimester system in which their 3 terms (Michaelmas, Hilary, and Trinity) are only 8 weeks long, with over a month break between them. This means that their terms are short and intense. My experience included a blur of early mornings, all-nighters, and plenty of caffeine to keep the party going.

My course is in chemistry and includes 2 classes in chemistry for each term. The classes emphasize self-learning and very individualized study. The meat of the courses are undertaken in tutorials (students here abbreviate them as tutes), where students meet with their professors (tutors) about the topic of the week. Students spend many hours preparing for each tute, either writing papers or finishing up problem sets. Tutorials can take place all over the campus at different colleges with professors of different colleges as well.

There are 45 different colleges under the University of Oxford. Each is a self-governing institution with its own history and culture. I study at St. Edmund Hall, which we all call teddy (our mascot is a bear!!). We are known for being a small, friendly, and tight-knit community. With under 1000 students, we are one of the smaller colleges with a smaller campus. What teddy lacks in towering buildings and sprawling quads, it makes up in charm. It reminds me much of Coe!

Pictured: St. Edmund Hall library and garden

Pictured: St. Edmund Hall main quad

Pictured: Inside the St. Edmund Hall library

Tutorials vary depending on your tutor who can structure their tutorials in any way they choose. In my case, I completed the weekly problem set and turned it in 24 hours before my tutorial. During tutorial, my tutor and I went over my weaknesses and discussed the topic at hand.

I found similarities between the tutorial system and the consultations that occur at the writing center each and every day. In this case, I am not the consultant but the consultee. I bring my work to my tutor and he/she probes my knowledge to ensure that I have learned what is required. They ask me new questions that did not appear on the problem set and we have open-ended conversations over the given topic, which is exactly what we do as consultants!

There are some differences. First, tutes do not take place between peers, but instead between a student and a professor. The professor is not ONLY trying to get you to refine your own knowledge and express it in your own words; they are also interested in assessing your level of knowledge, which is reflected in your grades (hence why these tutes can be pretty stressful in the moment).

By the end of the 8 weeks of Hilary term, I found that I had learned more than I ever could have imagined. The intense terms mixed with the tutorial system create an environment in which students are capable of intaking large amounts of information efficiently, largely because there is no other choice for the students but to sink or swim. That's not to say that your tutors and college are not immensely helpful and supportive; they are and they do accommodate any of your needs. But the amount and level of work expected from the students just forces students to get down to it, and spend large amounts of time reading and reflecting. Ultimately I found that my knowledge was more refined, as I not only had to be able to write about what I learned, but also have a conversation about it with someone who is a leading expert in their field.

So far I have really enjoyed my time here. I think it is a real privilege to be at Oxford and to study in an environment where the expectations may at times seem too high. From the conversations I've had with other students, this is typical. Sometimes the pressure feels like too much. But in the end, what they say is true...

Pressure makes diamonds.