A Visit to Oxford

Screen Shot 2015-08-17 at 14.51.07Today CSI offered us to visit York, Brighton or Oxford.
I chose Oxford. It is a rarely seen occurrence that Cambridge students visit Oxford and the other way round. The rivalry is great. Students in Cambridge call Oxford: “the other place.”

CSI introduced us to the story behind the walls of the grand old city of academic excellence.

Oxford is a city of change and openness. More than 60% of the total graduate student body are from outside of the UK, representing over 140 countries. A multinational academic inspiration.
Oxford offers also the largest single room selling books according to Guinness Book of Records. In 1966, the Norrington Room was opened, named after Sir Arthur Norrington, by the President of Trinity College. It boasts three miles (5 km) of shelving and at 10,000 square feet (930 m2).

The greatest difference between Oxford and Cambridge is not an academic one. The colleges in Cambridge are closer together; in Oxford they have a greater distance between each other. Hence, Cambridge seems like a city built around a university, whereas Oxford is more a city with a university.

A nice graduate of the faculty of music accompanied our group. She introduced us to the admission process for undergraduates and graduate students. She talked about how her interviews and application process worked and why she was asked if an elephant could really forget? The most inspiring thing about the teaching at Cambridge is the tutoring according to the graduate. Small group supervisions (or tutorials at Oxford) teach students how to think critically about their subject and develop new ideas. A challenging experience that makes the masterminds of both cities even better. This was a beneficial talk. The insight on the inner life of the admission process and student life through the perspective of a graduate is a highly enriching experience CSI offered.

Both Oxford and Cambridge plant a seed in the heart of visitors and cultivate a desire to remain in the city for as long as possible.

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Although Cambridge Summer Institute is not being offered this year, we'd still love to invite you to our sister programme, Summer Institute at Oriel College, Oxford!

This is an exclusive academic study abroad programme offered by Oriel College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford!

Visit Summer Institute at Oriel College Website