An Education: Oxford Style

As many of you know, the reason I applied to be a visiting student at Oxford University was the rigor of their academic programs and their unique style of study.  What I don't think many of you are aware of, however, is what makes Oxford-style education such a contrast to a college education in the U.S.  Consider this post a description of what I'll be going through for the next few months.  After reading, you decide whether I'm a glutton for punishment or not.

Here at Oxford, the centerpiece of the education is the tutorial, not the classroom period.  Courses are organized under broad themes (i.e. British History, 1500-1700) and within that field, students are free to study and explore whatever topics they choose under the guidance of their tutors.  Students meet with their tutors once a week for their primary tutorial and every other week for their secondary tutorial. Each session runs about an hour long and is typically one-on-one.  In that way, it's somewhat like an independent study at an American institution.

That's where the similarities end, however.  In that tutorial, the student reads aloud to the tutor an essay (approximately 2000-2500 words, or 6-8 pages, in length) that the student has written in advance.  The essay is argumentative, seeking to answer a specific question that the tutor poses and is based upon the assigned reading list for that week.  Reading lists for history students can be about 5-10 books per week and from what I can tell so far, seem to focus on the historiography of a field.  (For all those who aren't historians reading this, that refers to the range of historical interpretations of a particular event or time period.)  No one reads everything on the list, just what's relevant to answering the essay question.  That's still a lot of reading, but it's great prep for graduate school!

Since the tutorial is so important here, lectures are secondary.  They are entirely optional; no attendance is taken.  Tutors don't necessarily recommend students attend unless the topics pertain to the tutorial topic for the week, either.  Unless specifically stated, though, lectures are open to anyone in the Oxford University community.  So, even though students only take two courses per term, you could attend nearly any lecture in any discipline if the topic appeals to you.  They only last 50 minutes, though, so not too much information can be covered in them.

So, the structure of an Oxford education is quite different from college in the states.  It's too early to say which I prefer, but the change of style should be a good challenge!