University of Oxford

 

Oxford university

The University of Oxford was ranked first in the Times Higher Education's international university rankings. Founded in 1096 or even earlier, Oxford is certainly one of the oldest universities in the world, as well as one of the most prestigious and selective.

Located less than two hours from London, the historic city of Oxford, nicknamed "the city of dreamy spires", is home to 24,000 students, half of whom are undergraduates. Oxford University is often associated with its historical rival, Cambridge University, to the point where the two institutions are referred to as "Oxbridge"

Among Oxford's most famous graduates are no less than 27 British Prime Ministers, including Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and Theresa May. We can also mention personalities such as Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein, Oscar Wilde and J.R.R. Tolkien, dozens of Nobel Prize laureates who came to Oxford to study or teach, as well as a Rhodes Scholar who later became very famous: President William J. Clinton. With such a history, the Oxford campus has no shortage of stories to tell: from the two fauns decorating the door of the office where C.S. Lewis (the author of The World of Narnia) worked, to the lawns accessible only to Ph.D.'s, to the impressive Radcliffe Camera, a spherical library, to the Bridge of Sighs, reminiscent of its Venetian namesake, or the nearby Turf Tavern, Oxford is never short of illustrious places to discover!

STUDENT LIFE

However, students do not devote all their time to work! The organization in colleges encourages friendships between students of different nationalities and backgrounds, as well as the study of a variety of subjects. The range of activities offered by the institution is very broad, from traditional debates and lectures given by leading figures (politicians, leading academics, civil society and business personalities) to the practice of team sports. In this field, the best players have the opportunity to wear the Oxford colors in inter-university tournaments. Rowing is particularly popular within the institution, both at the college and university levels.

The city of Oxford also offers its visitors many old and picturesque buildings and libraries, a wide range of restaurants, cafes and bars, large green spaces and several major museums, such as the Ashmolean Museum of art and archaeology, the Natural History Museum and the Pitt Rivers Museum of Anthropology. With a city of this size and a university of this nature, it's impossible to get bored! At the same time, Oxford remains a city on a human scale, home to an authentic and close-knit community.

SCOLARITY

At Oxford, the semesters actually correspond to 3 blocks of 8 weeks, a shorter duration than in most universities, which explains why the work is particularly intensive during the school period. Students spend most of their time on academic work and most often have to hand in an essay or solve a series of problems each week. In addition to the courses, Oxford University offers an original method, which is only practiced by this institution and the one in Cambridge. This is called "tutoring", small teaching groups (usually between 1 and 5 people) led by a tutor, usually a world-renowned expert in the field studied. When preparing their essays, students may be required to work on books written by their own teachers or tutors! Mastery of the week's topic is therefore absolutely essential, since students will be asked to formulate their ideas, but also to work on new ideas. Finally, the results of the 3rd year exams are the only ones that count towards the awarding of the diploma.