Oxford FAQ, Part 1: Academics

The University of Oxford is a famous but confusing place. There’s a reason I was given several freshers’ guides with pages and pages of Oxford-speak to English translations. The tutorial system makes things even more confusing, plus there’s just random traditions from centuries ago that still impact things today. 

To hopefully demystify the Oxford University system for future visiting students, I have compiled this list of “frequently asked questions”. These were some of my biggest questions about Oxford, many of which I couldn’t find satisfactory answers to until I arrived. I’m not going to cover Oxford lingo because there are tons of good videos and articles about the ridiculous amount of odd terms used at Oxford. I’m also going to assume you know vaguely what the tutorial system is (basically, small-group instruction is a core element of teaching here). I hope this helps!

Academics FAQ

Q: How often do you meet with your tutors? 

A: For each course, I have a tutorial or class every other week. For other subjects you might have a main tutorial in which you meet every week. Also, be aware that, at least in math, the standard due date is two working days (weekdays) ahead of the tutorial time, unless you’re told otherwise. People will just assume you know this, and turning in work late seems to be a bigger issue in the U.K. than the U.S., so it’s best to ask about due dates if you’re unsure. 

Q: How many people will be in my tutorials? 

A: Probably 1-3 (including you). Classes are bigger, as I’ll explain below.

Q: Will I be doing problem sets or writing essays? 

A: In math(s), you do problem sets. In a lot of other subjects, you write essays.

Q: Can I choose literally any subject I want for a tutorial?

A: Not exactly, at least for math. You can find on the Maths Institute website a list of topics, and I chose from those when I gave my initial preferences. In May, IES Abroad told me what tutorials I would take at Oxford, and then they asked me to pick a third from a list since apparently math students take three. There were certain of my preferences not available in Michaelmas (fall) term, such as Topology. You can guide discussion in tutorials in different directions depending on your interests.

Q: Is there a syllabus or can I get one? 

A: There is not exactly a syllabus for most Oxford tutorials, as hard as it is to get your university to believe it. For math though, when I was told what my tutorials would be, I was sent a website that had enough of a course description that my university counted it as a syllabus.  

Q: Are there lectures? 

A: Yes, in a lot of subjects, but it’s a little different from the American system. You’re not required to go to lectures, and there are fewer than in the States (for example, I have about two lectures a week for each approximately 3-credit hour course). Maths Institute lectures are available to watch online both live and recorded, and almost all of my courses posted full lecture notes online at the beginning of term. Past courses are also available to us, so I’ve accessed lecture notes, recordings, and problem sheets from previous iterations of my courses. 

Some people have fewer lectures or none. Some have a few more, such as in Physics. They also may not match up exactly with the timeline of what you’re doing in your tutorials, but my tutors/teachers have been good about trying to make sure we’ve seen the material in a lecture before we’re expected to do a problem sheet on it. You can also go to any lectures in any subject you want. 

Q: When will I know what tutorials I am taking? 

A: I heard May 1st. It was later than I wanted but still early enough to get them approved before the semester ended. I did not hear about my IES Abroad tutorial in London until July or August. I did not get my timetable for lectures until freshers week, a.k.a 0th week, a.k.a the week before classes start.

Tutorials was a lot slower - I think I finally heard from my tutors about setting up tutorials by 2nd week. I had my first class in 2nd week and my first tutorial in 3rd week. Also, for math and possibly other subjects, you don’t have tutorials in third year courses (“B” courses for math), you have intercollegiate classes. Basically they’re larger group tutorials of up to 15 or so students. Mine have been comparable to recitation sessions at home. The focus has been reviewing, discussing, and sometimes presenting (if you had a good proof), the solutions to the problem sheet. 

Q: How do the libraries work? Can you just go in to any one?

A: Each college has its own library, and you can only use your college’s library (which is a bit unfortunate, since at the moment half of Catz, including its library, is blocked off due to concrete issues). But the university’s Bodleian Libraries system is huge, like, a library for each subject pretty much, and you can use any of those. The famous “Bodleian Library” is technically “The Old Bodleian Library”, and it, along with the iconic Radcliffe Camera, is a part of the Bodleian Libraries system. You just have to scan your “Bod card” (ID card) to get in and sometimes out of these libraries. 

If you’re a prospective student, I hope this answered at least some of your questions. Otherwise, I hope it gave you an insight into the complicated world of Oxford University.