Oxford (2 Viewers)

[White Rabbit]

Check out Queens in Belfast too, they have a pretty decent name,

 

[xeuyrawp]

1. If you're not the brightest crayon, or your grades are low, there's no way you're getting into Oxon. Classics, although a Latin advantage would help.

2. If you're poor, ditto.

3. Your parents sound like the strict asian type- how could we possibly help you with that.

4. You can set up a studying visa through Oxford, but not only will you have to pay your huge grades outright, but your living expenses also. The post of $50,000 AU a year would be about correct.

5. No way an undergrad foreigner doing Classics would get a scholarship, unless you were already fluent in Greek and Latin.

6. How about you do something like med first, then do classics? That was my initial plan in terms of law- do Law, then do history.

7, You have to go over there for an interview.

 

[stella8h8chang]

1. If you're not the brightest crayon, or your grades are low, there's no way you're getting into Oxon. Classics, although a Latin advantage would help.

2. If you're poor, ditto.

3. Your parents sound like the strict asian type- how could we possibly help you with that.

4. You can set up a studying visa through Oxford, but not only will you have to pay your huge grades outright, but your living expenses also. The post of $50,000 AU a year would be about correct.

5. No way an undergrad foreigner doing Classics would get a scholarship, unless you were already fluent in Greek and Latin.

6. How about you do something like med first, then do classics? That was my initial plan in terms of law- do Law, then do history.

7, You have to go over there for an interview.

OK. Not trying to blow my trumpet, but my average for Latin yearlys has been 100.3% (in years seven and nine I get a bonus mark for knowing a word out of the syllabus). I'd have loved to do Greek but the parents wouldn't let me (Latin was already too unconventional for them)

My parents probably could afford to send me there, but the question is, would they want to? Nope, they said they moved here for my education and they don't want me moving overseas and wasting opportunities....yadayadayada...

If you do med, you kind of get obliged to enter the profession straight after you finish, and keep there until the day you retire, so I'm reluctant about that.

Plus I'm too immature for medicine; I'm on the young side to start with, and secondly I've been sheltered for the psat 16 years of my life by my overprotective parents. I'm still bobbing around babbling, "53 days till Harry Potter!" and dressing up as a Hogwarts student. Up till the end of last year I didn't know what the c-word was. I can say I have been to one moderately "wild" party in all my life, and I will not be allowed to go to Schoolies. I think if you're going to be a good doctor, you need some knowledge of the world around you.

 

[Frigid]

but why would you want to go to Oxon when there's a perfectly good Sydney Uni classics dept (or MacqU)?

if i wanted to do Classical languages in an Arts degree, i rather pay $3000 a year and stay home rather than $50000+ year and go halfway across the world...

it's not like the latin you learn over there is any different, or better, than what you learn here

 

[xeuyrawp]

OK. Not trying to blow my trumpet, but my average for Latin yearlys has been 100.3% (in years seven and nine I get a bonus mark for knowing a word out of the syllabus). I'd have loved to do Greek but the parents wouldn't let me (Latin was already too unconventional for them)

My parents probably could afford to send me there, but the question is, would they want to? Nope, they said they moved here for my education and they don't want me moving overseas and wasting opportunities....yadayadayada...

If you do med, you kind of get obliged to enter the profession straight after you finish, and keep there until the day you retire, so I'm reluctant about that.

Plus I'm too immature for medicine; I'm on the young side to start with, and secondly I've been sheltered for the psat 16 years of my life by my overprotective parents. I'm still bobbing around babbling, "53 days till Harry Potter!" and dressing up as a Hogwarts student. Up till the end of last year I didn't know what the c-word was. I can say I have been to one moderately "wild" party in all my life, and I will not be allowed to go to Schoolies. I think if you're going to be a good doctor, you need some knowledge of the world around you.

Ok, basically, you raised issues such as money, parents, and marks, then when I addressed them, you said they weren't a problem, and raised issues like you're immature. Frankly, if you're immature, you're going to have a hard time moving overseas and meeting new people, let alone going into uni.

What do you want us to say other than that?

I can honestly say that if you want to do history, you can get a really good education at Mac or Sydney- albeit Syd have like 2 first year history subjects + Latin + Greek, whereas you could fill up your entire first year with undergrad subjects at mac, as well as dipping into non-Classics Ancient Subjects.

My Greece lecturer moved from Sydney uni, where he was an Assistant Prof, and he said that he prefers the Ancient History environment at Macquarie more. You seem interested in other things, though , so maybe Mac wouldn't be right.

 

[kimmeh]

I agree with PwarYuex, if you're "immature" then why do you want to do med? I was just talking to someone and they brought up that you are going to have encounter people with amputated limbs, and smashed faces from car accidents, and a screaming 8 year old child with a piece of glass in their eye. Are you up for this? I mean these arent the only things that you come across i can think of a bazillion cases that are worse than those mentioned. I think you need to make realistic goals that CAN be achieved and im sure that they can be answered yourself.

 

[xeuyrawp]

, if you're "immature" then why do you want to do med? I was just talking to someone and they brought up that you are going to have encounter people with amputated limbs, and smashed faces from car accidents, and a screaming 8 year old child with a piece of glass in their eye. Are you up for this? I mean these arent the only things that you come across i can think of a bazillion cases that are worse than those mentioned. I think you need to make realistic goals that CAN be achieved and im sure that they can be answered yourself.

Well said.

I'm pretty bright and mature, IMO, but I'd be no way near mature enough to move overseas by myself and do classics. I'd just miss home too much. New environment- as well as the fact that oxon. is more self-learning than unis here, and the workload would be enormous.

 

[Skillo]

Er. People are allowed to dream but do you just want to go there so you can tell your friends of your graduating class that you're going to Oxford. Err.

Just buy an Oxford university T-shirt online. It's about $49 950 cheaper than a first year at that place.

 

[xeuyrawp]

Er. People are allowed to dream but do you just want to go there so you can tell your friends of your graduating class that you're going to Oxford. Err.

Just buy an Oxford university T-shirt online. It's about $49 950 cheaper than a first year at that place.

Heheh, I have oxford zip-up jumper, it's teh only item of clothing that "says anything" that I wear.

I also don't like dreaming, especially in something as important as chosing a uni. Sure, you could end up chosing the "wrong" uni and move, but I'd prefer to make the wrong decision based on something more than prestige and "I want to go to Oxford, it's cool".

 

[Templar]

What everyone else said is pretty much correct. If you're immature then even moving to Melbourne or Canberra will be a pretty big task.

Seriously consider ANU. They have exchange to Oxford, if you want to spend a year there.

 

[Skywalker]

Newsflash: Oxford is quite possibly overrated. Clinton (a former Rhodes scholar) wrote about it in his autobiography. Don't remember any direct quotes, but it didn't exactly sound like the pinnacle of the academic world.

Plus as you mention, you've lived sheltered for the last 16 years because of your parents. What makes you think you'd be able to hack it in England by yourself without anybody there to look out for you?

 

[Felixxx]

Firstly, to clarify: even if you have a British passport you need to have lived there for around 3 years to be eligible for funding - which is very comprehensive.

Secondly, I suggest Cambridge - the Classics courses are very similar indeed, although Cambridge does get a bad rap for classics - simply because Oxford has stated in the past that they are looking to charge more for overseas students as the university is in finanical decline atm - while Cambridge, although not wholly disimilar in its financial situation, has not expressed similar sentiments viz charging int. students more money.

Thirdly, in regards to money, the cost is around 42000 p/year with the current ex. rate. Compared to Australian uni's (which also come with the possibility of HECS etc, whereas Oxbridge does not) the price for Oxbridge is exorbitant. There are opportunities for limited work around the universities etc., however as the uni will assure you, this income could never pay for your fees entirely but could contribute toward them, nevertheless. Added to this, as someone rightly pointed out, the opportunity for second year scholarships for academic merit after the first year tripos is there and if you were to look for them then I suggest you apply to a wealthy college which would have these bursaries for international students: Christ Church, Oxford - Trinity, Cambridge. First year scholarships for academic merit do not exist - scholarships for Australians do not exist (there are some for Kiwis though, for some reason) - do not get your hopes up about these because you need to be living around a Delta in a hut, in what was once or is now part of the Commonwealth to be considered for any type of bursary for your first year. While cost is the over-riding factor in your decision, you should remember that you only live once - just do it, you most certainly will not be restricted to poverty as a result.

Fourthly, you have plenty of time to decide as applications take place at the end of year 12 and are generally received quite well as I understand it. You should take a few things into account, an important one being that the majority of students at Oxbridge are either being funded by the state or are already quite wealthy (and the international students are usually quite wealthy or incredibly poor anyway) so you may be slightly out of place.

Fifthly, I suggest (although you may have pursued this option) you look into American universities - particularly Ivy League and ''Little Three'' liberal arts colleges: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Williams - these colleges all provide ''needs blind financial aid'' for international students, unlike every other uni. in the states. A paradox emerges here in that the most expensive US unis are the only ones you'll be able to afford! You will have an easier time paying for schooling though, while also receiving an education that many are now claiming is largely better than that of Oxbridge.

Lastly, your maturity and parents is in your control - if you plan things out and prepare yourself for it you should be OK. There are large safety nets within colleges and university itself, so you will be looked after very well as part of the college (quite small: 180 in your grade lets say) and university itself, so don't worry!

I hope that's helpful etc. - for UAI/A-Level parity the British Council site has a conversion table which still leaves some questions unanswered but is helpful regardless. I don't have the link, but you can find it.
30AAA = UAI 98 I think. (Remember you are applying just after trials on an estimated UAI according to your performance throughout the year - these are often notoriously unreliable however - and some offers from colleges are often conditional in that they depend on you achieving a certain mark. Sounds like you'll be OK though with 100.3% average etc.

Anyway, good luck!

 

[mervvyn]

OK. Not trying to blow my trumpet, but my average for Latin yearlys has been 100.3% (in years seven and nine I get a bonus mark for knowing a word out of the syllabus). I'd have loved to do Greek but the parents wouldn't let me (Latin was already too unconventional for them)

My parents probably could afford to send me there, but the question is, would they want to? Nope, they said they moved here for my education and they don't want me moving overseas and wasting opportunities....yadayadayada...

If you do med, you kind of get obliged to enter the profession straight after you finish, and keep there until the day you retire, so I'm reluctant about that.

Plus I'm too immature for medicine; I'm on the young side to start with, and secondly I've been sheltered for the psat 16 years of my life by my overprotective parents. I'm still bobbing around babbling, "53 days till Harry Potter!" and dressing up as a Hogwarts student. Up till the end of last year I didn't know what the c-word was. I can say I have been to one moderately "wild" party in all my life, and I will not be allowed to go to Schoolies. I think if you're going to be a good doctor, you need some knowledge of the world around you.

Don't underestimate the next 18 months as a source of life experience and maturity - a lot will change in that time frame. Ditto your at 4 (potential) years sutdying medicine - you see a lot, learn a lot and experience a lot that changes your perception of the world. Obviously you don't get everything in that time but there's an amazing amount going on to open your eyes.

 

[stella8h8chang]

Don't underestimate the next 18 months as a source of life experience and maturity - a lot will change in that time frame. Ditto your at 4 (potential) years sutdying medicine - you see a lot, learn a lot and experience a lot that changes your perception of the world. Obviously you don't get everything in that time but there's an amazing amount going on to open your eyes.

Sorry guys, I guess I've been taking out my frustration on you...it's not really fair, I know, to constantly bitch about my parents and the way I've been raised.

Anyway...the reason I'd like to do medicine is not because of the money or glamour, but because I want to go and help people in developing countries, like for example do a stint with MSF, and help people in Arnhem Land and such. Don't worry; I'm not afraid of blood; I've got goldfish and I've had to do stuff like scooping corpses out of the pond, dissections when someone dies and you can't figure it out, dosing them with medicines, making a diagnosis based on my fishy encyclopedia... Besides, ever since I could sit up I've watched videos of my dad's operations.

OK, and when I went to Europe on my school's music tour this year, I had the time of my life; I found I coped extremely well with being away from home...I didn't cry until the last performance when I realised it was all over, I didn't lose anything except my retainers (some waitress in Prague nicked them, to cut a long story short), I kept to a budget well, didn't get lost anytime et cetera.

But I might go and check out some stuff about the American universities. I'll also go talk to my careers advisor at our school to see what she could have to say.

 

[Templar]

Don't worry; I'm not afraid of blood; I've got goldfish and I've had to do stuff like scooping corpses out of the pond, dissections when someone dies and you can't figure it out, dosing them with medicines, making a diagnosis based on my fishy encyclopedia... Besides, ever since I could sit up I've watched videos of my dad's operations.

Not to discourage you, but being able to do things with goldfish is different to treating real people. Also while you might be able to watch an operation in progress, while you're in the room yourself and actually operation on someone, your hand covered in blood, it's quite a different environment. In addition working in developing or remote areas you will have less access to supplies and equipment, and more things can go wrong in an operation than say a scheduled one in a big hospital in a capital city, and being able to handle that kind of shock under such pressure is not a skill many people have straight away. So actually prepare yourself for the possible trauma you might face instead of possibly enclosing yourself in a false protective blanket.

Otherwise best of luck in your quest to attend an overseas uni and in the next 18 months.

 

[xeuyrawp]

heh, anyway, have some encouragement! Remember everyone's a dick on forums, you could probably do it.

I wouldn't mind doing a DPhil in oxford.

 

[velox]

be careful 100.3% isnt that good. Even my brother managed 100% in the national latin exam (intro to latin).

It seems like the only reason you want to go to Oxford is the status. No-one really cares these days. My cuz went to cambridge, and said its nothing special except for the free arts degree. Do something useful, and dont waste ~$40k on a useless classics degree, you'll regret it

 

[xeuyrawp]

Do something useful, and dont waste ~$40k on a useless classics degree, you'll regret it

Yeah. Why do something you enjoy? I mean, life's a bitch, you should work hard in a degree, work in a hard job, then die putting up a fight. Psht, why the heck would you want to do something that you'd actually ENJOY?! :rollseyes:

 

[stella8h8chang]

be careful 100.3% isnt that good. Even my brother managed 100% in the national latin exam (intro to latin).

It seems like the only reason you want to go to Oxford is the status. No-one really cares these days. My cuz went to cambridge, and said its nothing special except for the free arts degree. Do something useful, and dont waste ~$40k on a useless classics degree, you'll regret it

Jeez, the International Latin Exam Intro level...we have like 5 kids getting full marks from our school every year in that. Then there are about 2-3 in level 1 and normally one in level 2, and possibly one in level 3. I think. Sorry to be rude. I was actually talking about my school end-of-year exams which aren't multiple choice so I was worried you may have misunderstood me.

Oxford represents an escape for me too, going overseas would be a kind of "stuff you" to my parents which hsa been necessary for the past few years but not the kind of thing I dared to do.

Nevermind **goes off to think** might just do med first up then, and not "waste time" as the 'rents say.

 

[velox]

meh he's 12 anyway.

No offence here, but the way it seems you're parents still have a very asian attitude which means you should go study law or medicine even if you hate it, and make them proud.