Was Oxford University worth it?

This is an honest review of my Oxford University experience as a law student at St. Catz College. I will discuss whether or not Oxford University was worth it as an undergraduate and which pitfalls I personally experienced during my time there studying for a law degree.

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[iangame]

Can I just mention that the UK has a very strong class structure. I would bet that the majority of your cohorts were from what we call ‘public schools’ but are as you say from monied backgrounds. Even Brits coming from state schools have a hard time fitting in. However it was a major achievement to get into Oxford. Fascinating videos you are producing. Good work.

[jarrodsio]

Hello from Cambridge! I agree with so many of your points. 1. Like you, I noticed how my friends would make a sport out of identifying accents. For reasons I still cannot fathom, the Birmingham accent received the brunt of the jokes. This is an extension of the very palpable class consciousness, of course. 2. I've friends whose family had attended both Oxford and Cambridge for generations. So, being at Cams was an entirely banal affair for them. 3. I mingled with a good cross section of students, staff and faculty member; so I didn't just hang out with public school graduates as I suspect you did. I'm sorry that you felt alienated, but the posh folks I hung with were actually self-effacing and quite nice. Perhaps it's noblesse oblige, I don't know. 4. Perhaps the postgraduate experience differs from that of an undergrad's. I had a great time overall. 5. I went up to Cams as a working adult, so I did have some money for social events like formals and May Balls. I do get your point about the costs of socialising. My experience would've been limited as well if I'd gone to Oxbridge right out of secondary school, like you did. 6. People regularly sneaked into Cambridge Union debates. No membership required, actually. haha. Good vid!

[rohthwz]

thank you so much for sharing your experience. first year here who's just survived their first term at oxford. so much of what you talked about resonates. thank you for articulating it so well and authentically.
could i ask if you ever found any techniques for the reading? it's so true that reading lists are crazy. i wouldnt mind, but what pains me is that tutors tend to expect students to be able to navigate both the difficulty and quantity of this reading without it being too much of a challenge. and i hate to say it, but im convinced that people from better (/private) schools are far better equipped to manage that. you can definitely see that kids who have had more opportunities, more resources, more support in a private education are generally better trained for the workload/environment/culture of oxford than state school kids. it's incredibly frustrating- i admit i feel the class difference more indirectly as a difference in academic experience. private school folk just seem to have a kind of confidence about them as a result from that experience. not to say of course there aren't things like study skill workshops and of course, the 'well, you got in' argument to try bridge the gap and encourage those feeling uncertain and alienated being in such an incredibly different environment to which those from private schools seem to be so effortlessly at ease in- but man, there's a gap alright. [not to demonize/victimize parties on either side of it, but just to affirm that the classist gap is in fact there- in my experience at least].
also, SO much respect for you moving to another country at 18, going through that whole process by yourself, dealing with all the difficulties you faced... incredibly inspiring. thank you again for sharing 🙏

[TheImpartialCorrespondent]

Very good video! I'm a student in the United States at Western Illinois University, I've had professors tell me I should go to Oxford for my PH.D., but I'm not too sure if it's the right fit for me. I appreciate the transparency you bring with regards to the realities of Oxford.

[themask]

Hallo Katja. Thank you for making this video, very concise and straight to the point (you may not have followed a law career but you’re certainly making good use of the speaking skills that u gained, as this video shows, haha). I think making videos like these are important, bc it’s so easy for impressionable teenagers to fall into the trap of "dreaming to go to Oxbridge, " which was my case. Oxbridge, to me, was the quintessential learning environment: old architecture, small town vibe, vintage Harry Potter dining halls with candle-lit libraries and cafes. Now, after watching multiple videos on the Oxbridge experience, I now know it was not for me. The biggest struggle for me would definitely have been the insane amount of workload in such a short amount of time. I attend one of the best universities in Canada and even here the workload is insane. Now, if I find stressful here, I can only imagine it would have been so much more stressful for me at Oxbridge, to the point that it would severely have impacted my mental health. So, yeah, Oxbridge, not for me. Also, the breadth approach to education suits me more than the depth approach in England. So, I guess it worked out well for me in the end. However, even if I know that Oxbridge is not for me, there’s still a niggling voice in the back of my head that wished that attended Oxbridge somehow. I still love the idea of walking past ancient buildings and passing through where its many famous alumni have passed through and made so many discoveries and changes throughout the course of history. I would love see more videos on Oxford, if you’d like, on what was the dining experience or what was it like of joining a club, your daily routine, essentially. I would also love to see more videos on photography.

[gabrielasofia]

thank you for sharing your experience! Many of us have difficult experiences when trying to ahchieve our dreams.

[corner]

If you had attended as a postgrad your experience would have been MUCH different. Your cohort would have likely been much more international and in a different stage of life than undergrads. Sorry your experience wasn't a good one. But if you decide to go back to Oxbridge for a postgrad course, I think you'll come back with a more positive outlook on it.

[lpm]

Very valid points people don't always think about.

[nicole_holding]

Some of these issues are not unique to Oxford. The costs involved would be the same at any uni if you lived in; long reading lists are like that for most unis—usually students are told to read what you can and the rest on the list are provided to students who have a particular interest in the topic or for future reference—you need to learn to gut or skim read articles/chapters.

Classism is a big thing in England; we don't have that problem in Australia

[europhile]

Good video! I moved to the US for a few years so I appreciate your comments about context. Did you do your year in German Law ? that must have been easier.

[strabbie]

I guess the grass is always greener on the other side! Having been to a "low ranked" university, there are definitely cons with underfunding, group projects with people who don't care at all, and a degree where not much is expected of you to pass. Perhaps it's because you didn't end up wanting to get into law, but being taught by the leading professionals of a field is something not to take for granted. I would've loved to have that experience in my undergrad, were it not for the costs being too high.

[caracolcaracolito]

I don't understand why people would put some emphasis on Germany vs English cultures or different accent (like someone mentioned in the comments).

I feel like international so I am always happy 😊 as a puppy when I get an intelligent 🧠 discussion with a fellow clever human being...

So...I am more...for the interaction...😊 It is difficult to pin point in a few phrases in a comment section...

[GeologyDude]

Oxford is highly regarded, but obviously it may not be the best academic/cultural fit for everyone. I had a similar experience. If bad experiences occur--no matter where it is, if you decide to leave, you can do it with your head held high. It's probably not worth it to study for years in a unhealthy place/atmosphere. .

[byuzandajaryan]

thank you Katja, very informative and interesting

[p-nhhn]

Sorry, but I need to clarify something because we were at Oxford at the same time. I was also a foreigner on a student visa and the amount of work allowed is dictated by the Home Office for all student visas, NOT the uni. Student Visas then (and I believe still) allowed up to 20 hours for work. Nor was the type of work restricted. I worked as both a tutor in my department and as a research assistant. That you found you did not have enough time to work is a personal restriction. But Oxford University placed no restrictions on work beyond those associated with the Visa.

Also, beyond the short trimester terms of Oxbridge, much of what you identify as challenging would be the same in any university (long reading lists, written assignments, individual responsibility, cliques, etc). I think what may happen to many overachievers who are admitted to Oxbridge is the pressure we can place on ourselves to live up to our expectations of what (we think) the quality of work here SHOULD Be. But again this would be a personal expectation ...So, I question how much of your experience can really be attributed specifically to Oxford?

[zongdufu]

Think twice before you apply to St Catherine’s at Oxford if you are (East & Southeast) Asian. At least two of the porters at the lodge are highly suspected to be racist. Speaking from the experience of my own and other people’s experiences.

[sgroadie]

Could you give an idea on the total cost of a year in Oxford? Fees, books, living, food etc.

[-ghqi]

А какова же была причина того, что вы поехали изучать право в Оксфорд? Ведь что-то же вы написали в заявлении, обосновывая своё желание там учиться, и приёмная комиссия признала эту причину весомой!

[MIZRAIM]

But did you dance Timba at Oxford though? :)

[thecrankster]

Since public schools have for many centuries prepared students for Oxford and continue to educate students to be able to cope with the standards of Oxford, why shouldn't they expect to be setting the culture of Oxford? Working class people only started attending Oxford in the last maybe 40 years. They don't get to swap out the culture that built Oxford for their culture. No. When you go to Oxford, you accept that you change for Oxford, if you are different. If you don't like it, go to a place where working class culture is the norm, like a pub or a football game. It's an upper middle class institution. This might be grounds for feeling depressed (as you do) but only because you haven't come to terms with the fact that elite education comes with elite people. If you had accepted that elite people exist and just let them flow around you, you would have been fine.