Anyone gone to Oxford Uni or had their child go?

[piffle]

Have ummed and ahhed about posting this
ds is only 11, shows every sign of attaining very high grades if previous and predicted scores have any relevance.
Anyway he has mentioed that he may think about Oxford if his marks are good - 4 boys from his grammar got in last yr so he is quite keen.
I am not sure what "Oxford" entails, ie: financial implications, whether it is a larger drain than any other uni.
I know he may not want to even get there, but I need to get it in my head now, just incase as if he did, I would not want lack of resources to stop him IYKWIM.
Sorry am not bragging mother etc am genuinely curious.
TIA

[Janh]

All I know is that accommodation is (thus far) dirt cheap compared with "ordinary" unis, that terms are only 8 weeks long and that part-time jobs are frowned on.

Where tuition is concerned, goodness knows what it'll be by the time he goes but atm AFAIK it's just (just! ha!) c£3k pa, added to student loan, repayable as and when.

[hovely]

can't really add much of help, I was there over 20 yrs ago so much has changed, but just to say it is a unique place and a great experience academically due to the one-to-one(or few) tutoring system. Good luck to piffleboy.
Financially speaking, IIRC the terms are shorter than many other universities, so the money doesn't have to stretch so far; it is a fairly expensive town but the colleges own quite a lot of accommodation themselves so 'living in' is not so dear; it is not obligatory to do any of the flashy things which many people might associate with 'Oxford' (ie lots of pictures of people in dinner jackets, drinking champagne, etc etc); the central students' union typically plays less of a part in people's lives than it would in a campus uni so things like cheap gigs, cheap stationery, cheap coffee etc are less in evidence, though the colleges themselves do some stuff like this through the 'JCR' (means 'junior common room').
There are probably some blogs or websites about which coudl give you more up-to-date info.

[Pruni]

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[foundintranslation]

I went to Oxford, started 10 years ago. Agree with hovely's points about finance, except that I think there stll are quite a lot of cheap things/discounts. Jan is right that they don't like students working in term-time (and in the vacs there are long reading lists, so it won't necessarily be possible to work all through them, although some vac work is certainly possible). However, there are often jobs available within colleges which can be combined with degree work. All the time I was there I worked in the college library, often on evenings when it was quiet and I could get my own work done, so killing 2 birds with 1 stone - pay was the minimum wage. Other typical college jobs are bar work, helping out at events and doing a bit of cleaning.
As far as entrance issues are concerned, they like extra-curricular activities, reading outside of school texts, just generally all signs of an inquisitive and independent mind.
Here's the uni website including a section for prospective students.

[foundintranslation]

sorry, the link isn't going to work. Here it is again:
oxford uni website

[Socci]

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[Pruni]

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[foundintranslation]

Oh, on tbhe actual experience itself, I loved it and now I'm teaching in an underfunded German uni appreciate how lucky I was to have had the luxury of a brilliant professor to myself every week. You have to be extremely self-motivated (especially in arts subjects where lectures are non-compulsory and you are just sent away to produce the goods for the tutorial) but the tutorials give you a great deal of inspiration - my experience of them still influences the way I think and teach. The social side is fantastic too, but can be a bit full-on.

[Blandmum]

At this stage it would be too early to look at costs, accomodation etc. I went to a collage reunion at Oxford earlier this year and the Dean said that Oxford is essentialy becoming 'Private'. I think that funding implications will change drasticaly over the next few years

I loved it there, as did dh. neither of us went to private or garmmer schools, and neither of us come from a 'posh' family.

[maddiemosthorrid]

Dss left Oxford two years ago, thoroughly enjoyed it, especially social side.

He did bar work in holiday and we all chipped in fiancially. Good opportunities and not as snobby as we expected.

[yoyo]

I went but a long time ago so don't think it would be relevant. I don't think anyone can predict what the financial situation for any university will be like in 7 years' time so I would save as normal if this is what you were intending to do.

It is worth bearing in mind that everyone who applies has attained and will continue to attain high grades. The colleges therefore have to look at the whole individual and what makes him stand out. The usual things - music, sport, voluntary work, work experience if appropriate, wider reading, etc. I have known many very able students who have failed to attain a place but have gone elsewhere and done extremely well. I have read many personal statements on UCAS forms and it is surprising how little thought some students give to their choice of course. Many don't seem to know why they want to go to university in the first place.

[OldieMum]

I went to Oxford and now teach in a non-Oxbridge uni. There are lots of good reasons to go to Oxford. You get much more attention than you ever would get elsewhere, because of the tutorial system. It's being watered down, because other demands on tutors' time mean that they increasingly teach in classes, but students still get a lot more face-to-face time with tutors than they do elsewhere. The workload is intense - I did two essays per week for all but my final term - and this teaches you how to get to the heart of a subject quickly and to write well. The libraries are wonderful. Between departmental libraries, the university library (the Bodleian) and my college library, I had five at my disposal. I contrast this with students elsewhere, spending long periods queueing at the short-loans desk of the university library.

On the question of cost, I have it on good authority that it doesn't cost any more to send a child to Oxford than to other universities.

I'm very, very glad that I went there.

[RTKangaMummy]

DH went there many many many years ago

And one of the children I was a nanny to is there at the moment - he is not from a snobby family - just a very clever happy normal young man - he got a 1st from last years exams and so has been given a scholarship for this year.

So go for it piffle

[baka]

I went (same college as yoyo)-- but I think 11 is a bit young to be thinking about it to be honest. It didn't occur to me until I was 17, so I don' t think years of build up are really necessary.

Lots more in college accomodation than most universities. Agree that no-one really had a term time job (although plenty had holiday jobs- myself included).

I went when there was full grant, so no idea what the situation is like now. Presumably banks etc are going to be more than happy to lend as they expect big pay packets on graduation (unfortunately we seem to have broken that mould, well not unforunately we made different choices- but probably 75% of college friends earn 6 figures )

[compo]

It doesn't cost any more. The only difference IIRC is that the workload is harder in that 10/12 weeks are squeezed into 8 weeks. In my uni we had to do a presentation once or twice a term. My b/f went to Oxford and every weekly essay she wrote she had to read out to her seminar group EVERY week!! Having said all that alot can happen btw 11 and 18, after all you've still got adolescence to get through (hope that doesn't sound patronising)

[Ellbell]

Piffle, congratulations on having such a keen ds. I didn't go to Oxford (applied but didn't get in!), but have taught there (on a part-time basis, covering for people on leave... I used to teach in another university not far away). I also external examine in Cambridge, so have seen a bit of how things work there too.

I would encourage your ds... it's good that he's thinking about this now and that he's so motivated. However, I would also encourage him not to get too hung up about going specifically to Oxford. If he builds it up too much at this stage, he could talk himself to a point where he feels it would be 'failing' somehow if he decided later that he didn't want to go there any more (if that makes sense). Encourage him to keep his options open. Once he gets into the sixth form he'll be able to visit a whole range of universities to see which ones suit him. FWIW, I think that tuition in Oxford can be slightly patchy (at least in my area - an Arts subject). The university lecturers are obviously top-flight. But lectures are optional and tutorials are in the hands of the colleges. College lecturers are not necessarily brilliant (most university lecturers also hold a college post, but when there are not enough university lecturers to go around in a particular subject, colleges may appoint less... um... distinguished (?) people as college lecturers). Certainly it has happened that, when I taught there (lectures), students have come to me about comments that their college lecturer has made in tutorials which range from ill-informed to plain loopy-fruit barking mad! It will also depend a bit on your ds's personality. I was actually relieved in the end that I didn't get in (yes, really... not just saying that to cover for the fact that I had to make do with a second-rate institution!) because I was worried that I wouldn't cope socially and that academically I'd thrive better being one of the brightest in an institution with a broader range of abilities than stuggling to keep up in that sort of 'hot house' atmosphere. I have no idea how I really would have coped (and it has to be said that I was pretty insecure at that stage, which your ds probably isn't) but I certainly do still believe that Oxbridge doesn't suit everyone. For example, I hadn't been to a particularly 'academic' school (again, obviously unlike your ds) so I felt that I needed more 'teaching', more guidance on everything, rather than just being dumped in at the deep end and left to write an essay and discuss it at a tutorial. Just read that back and it doesn't sound right. I don't mean that you don't get 'proper teaching' at Oxford, but you need to be more independent.

I am definitely not trying to be negative at all. I'd be very happy if (in ...um... 15 or so years' time!) my dds wanted to apply there. But I'd tell them what I've just told you. It's really fab for some people, the best educational opportunity you can get (I know lots of people - friends and children of colleagues - who've gone and loved it). But it doesn't suit everyone. And also (I should say in defence of those of us who work outside of Oxbridge) there are some very very good universities out there, doing world-class research (when not wasting time on MN ), producing very well-educated students who go on to get good jobs, do PhDs or whatever...

I don't know how the funding situation is going to go in the next 7 years. I am fairly sure that I've heard that the VC of Oxford is quite right-wing and in favour of it becoming more and more like a private institution. But one presumes that he won't be around forever... And I can't believe that it is in the interests of Oxford and Cambridge to price themselves out of the market of 'ordinary folks'.

Anyway, sorry for the long ramble. Good luck to Piffleboy.

[Pruni]

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[tamum]

I was going to say the same thing- a lot of academics in my field have been recruited as professors but only do research, so it is often very junior people who actually do the tutorials. I also agree with Ellbell that although it is an exciting prospect I would be very concerned about thinking about it too much at this stage. Every year there are loads of straight A students who don't get in and if you've been building up to it for 7 years it could be pretty devastating.

[philippat]

if it's anything like Cambridge, costs can be quite different depending upon which college you go to. Needs research. Tee hee to vac reading lists (what you were supposed to read the books as well as the list?! ).

The short terms and the small colleges and tutorials, not to mention the beautiful but slightly over-awing infrastructure (my college still had no electric light in the hall), does give a Oxbridge life a certain intensity. Worth some visits to make sure that's a good fit for DS.

[Pruni]

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[philippat]

oh and you have to face begging letters from your college's charitable foundation for the rest of your life... they seem to manage to find you however often you move

[tamum]

I wonder Pruni- maybe I already have

[frogs]

As others have said, it's a bit early to start making plans or encouraging him towards a particular destination. BUT it is a fantastic place for people who are suited to it: bright (obviously), are enthusiastic about their topic (the work-load is far higher than in other places, eg. 3 essays a fortnight rather than two a term), self-motivated and happy to work by themselves (although you do get more one-to-one attention than at most universities, the actual hours of teaching received (in a non-laboratory subject) are much less, and may only be 2-3 hours per week).

I was there with a few people who it definitely didn't suit, and not because they weren't bright enough. They were just happier in a structured environment. Whereas square pegs who were never quite suited to school can have the time of their lives in whatever way seems good to them. The encouragement you get from lecturers and fellow-students to really see what your brain can do for you is second to none.

At the moment I don't think there are particular cost implications -- on the contrary, some of the individual colleges have fat endowments which they do spend on supporting students as well as stocking the dons' wine cellar. But IIRC there used to be implications for the LEA, as O&C charged a 'college' fee as well as the standard university fee charged by all universities. This used to be picked up by the LEA but is now being phased out, which will have implications for the university and college resources.