Oxford University is different from other universities. The city and the university are integrated, and the streets pass through the campus. The university not only has no gates and walls, but also no official signboard. The spiers of the building are looming in the mist and rain, the high stone walls are covered with old vines, and red flowers are blooming among the sparse green leaves. The small town looks simple and elegant. The buildings in Oxford are antique and belong to different architectural schools of different historical eras. Isn’t walking on the streets of Oxford like stepping back into history? This charming building, this campus with flying clouds and waves, this colorful culture accumulated over hundreds of years. The British regard Oxford as a tradition, a symbol, a nostalgia and a pursuit. There you can recall the good old days and relive the glory of the past. The city has the Saxon tower of St. Michael's Church, the Norman fortress and city wall ruins, etc., which give people a sense of historical depth. No wonder there is a British proverb: "Passing through Oxford is like entering history." There are riverside walks on the rivers Zilvey and Isis (the city is named after the Thames). You can also rent a punt and spend a leisurely afternoon on the Zilvey.
Quadrads:
Oxford’s colleges contain many medieval architectural treasures and are clustered around the city centre. Both sides of the street are lined with medieval quadrangles, each of which is a college. Since academics were the exclusive preserve of the church at that time, the colleges were designed with monastery-style buildings, but they were often surrounded by beautiful gardens. Although most colleges have changed over the years, they still incorporate many original features. Each college has its glorious history, mythical architectural remains, and various interesting historical facts that can be depicted. When you first arrive in Oxford, you will all have the same impression that each college is like those dilapidated ancient temples across China. As soon as you enter, you will feel lonely and desolate. Because each college looks exactly like a medieval monastery, this also reflects the strong nostalgia of Oxford people. There are many tower-like buildings in the city, so it is also named "Tacheng". The medieval towers are antique and the Renaissance-style buildings are filled with romance; the library in the People's Quad, built in 1371, is the oldest library in England; the University Botanical Garden, built in 1621, is the earliest teaching institution in the UK. Botanical Garden; the winding, deep and long Queen's Lane, which is almost 700 years old. The stone benches on the roadside are covered with moss, which reminds people of the beginning of Oxford. The wooden stool on which Wilde sat and the bookshelf on which Bernard Shaw leaned remained unchanged. The outside environment is like this, and walking inside the building makes people feel the weight of history even more. In the Duke Humphrey Library, the oldest library in the school, time seems to stand still, and silence fills this temple of books. From the floor to the roof, there are manuscripts and unpublished materials, which are like a treasure trove waiting to be exploited by later generations.
Squares, churches, theaters:
Radicliffe Square is the center where the university holds celebrations and various cultural activities. It is the center of the entire ancient city. Away from the hustle and bustle of the main street. In the nearby Brasenose Lane with its red brick floor, there are three or two people walking in the lane, and the green trees cover the sky, making people feel relaxed and relaxed. St. Mary’s Church is located on the south side of the square. Before the seventeenth century, the school’s main celebrations and concerts were held here. On the west side of the square is Brasenose College, which was built in 1509. The college got its name because there was a copper "lion's nose knocker" on the door when the school was founded. There is a sapphire blue sundial clock in the heaven at the main entrance of the college. However, due to the hazy weather unique to England, the sun's shadow on the clock was not seen several times in one summer. Some people say: "Britain only has climate, not weather." It is not an exaggeration. It is very common to see snow, rain, and even sunshine in one day.
The west corner of the square is the Divinity School built in the 15th century. The Redcliffe Building with its classical dome is a very special building in Oxford. It is the original building of the library.
In the early days, it was used as a seminar classroom of the university, and was changed to the reading room of the Bodlien Library of the university.
Crest Church is affectionately called "The House" by Oxford people. All Souls College is the only college among the many colleges in Oxford that does not have undergraduate students. Because there are only graduate students in the college, it is regarded as one of the most academically authoritative higher education institutions in the world. The castle of Magdalen College in the east of the city is called "frozen music" and is indeed very beautiful. The bell tower is built with large bluestones and points toward the sky. It is said that there are ten iron bells hanging in the building. When they ring one after another, it is like a majestic symphony!
The Sheldonian Theater, built in the seventeenth century, was the first building designed by Len and is the venue for the traditional degree-granting ceremony of Oxford University. Every summer, at the end of the semester, students wearing black robes and square hats will line up through the street and enter the theater, where they will receive the honor of being awarded their degrees.
The requirement that undergraduates be affiliated with the Church of England was abolished in 1871. Before 1920, knowledge of ancient Greece was required. Before 1960, you needed to know Latin. Women were not able to obtain Oxford degrees until after 1920.
The Bridge of Sighs is beautiful. This beautiful landmark was built in 1914. It is a replica of the steep arch bridge in Venice and connects Hertford College.
Our Lady's Church: It is said that this university church is the most visited parish church in England. The ancient part including the tower was built in the early 14th century. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery from the top of the tower. The church is where the three Oxford Martyrs were called heretics in 1555. The most distinctive feature of the building is the Baroque south porch built in 1637.
Lincoln College: one of the best preserved medieval colleges. The schoolhouse still retains its early roof, including cracks used to disperse smoke.
Magdalen College: It is a typical and beautiful Oxford college. Its 15th-century quadrangle style contrasts with the park on the River Chilwe, spanned by the Magdalen Bridge.
The most valuable thing is that the library contains many manuscripts of articles and music by famous writers. These manuscripts are placed in exquisite glass cases for viewing. But after each visitor saw it, the management staff immediately covered it with black velvet cloth, which clearly shows their cherishment and preservation of antiquities.
Theatre and bookstore:
The Sheldonian Theater, the main venue for university celebrations, is located due north of the square. Around the seventeenth century, due to the clergy of St. Mary's Church, too many protests were held in the church, which affected the church's renovation. So in 1669, Archbishop Sheldonian, the then president of the university, raised funds to build the theater. Opposite the theater is the Blackwell Bookstore, the second largest bookstore in the world, where you can buy or mail-order books from all over the world.
There are almost as many bookstores in Oxford as libraries, with more than 100 large and small. There is Blackwell, the largest academic bookstore in the world, as well as many very small but rich second-hand bookstores. The century-old Blackwell's store was founded in 1897 and is located opposite the Bodleian Library. While selling books, it is also engaged in publishing. From the outside, this bookstore only has three small stores, but the three floors of the bookstore are connected to the basement. There is also a second-hand bookstore on the top floor. The number and types of books are so large that you must use signage to find books. The famous wooden sign that has been in the bookstore since its opening is mounted on the wall. The sign still contains the happy words from when it opened more than a hundred years ago: "No one will come to ask you what you want. You can browse any book you want, just feel free to do it. If you need it, the store staff will be there for you at any time." Service. Whether customers come to read or buy books, they will receive the same welcome. "It has 78 chain stores in the UK, and there are more than 10 branches in Oxford alone, which deal with books and audio-visual materials in categories such as art and literature. In addition, there are many branches in other countries.
Through the Internet, readers can quickly search, order and purchase books, and enjoy first-class international services. On June 8, 1994, U.S. President Clinton returned to his alma mater, Oxford University, to attend the awarding ceremony for honorary academicians, and even went to this bookstore to buy books. And bookstalls can be found everywhere.
Studying in Oxford:
The British higher education regulations generally do not require an entrance exam to enter university. You can enter with high school graduation scores; but to enter Oxford and Cambridge, you need to Sign up individually. According to the situation in recent years, the procedure is generally as follows: First, middle school students who want to register need to be recommended by the middle school teacher and principal to register one year before enrolling. Therefore, students with excellent academic performance usually sign up. Then Oxford and Cambridge select primary schools among registered middle school students, usually 3-5 times the enrollment quota. Some engineering majors may be lower, while other majors such as medicine may be more than 10 times higher.
Admission to Oxford University requires the consent of both the university department and the college. Students initially admitted to Oxford will take examinations at Oxford colleges at the end of the year. The exam usually lasts three days and includes a written test and several interviews (oral exams). Students who pass this time can get conditional admission, and the condition is the student's high school graduation exam results next year. The general requirement is that all three major courses are A's. But for less popular majors or students who want it very much, it may also be very low. If students who receive this admission get the required scores in the national examination in June of the following year, they can prepare to enroll after a pleasant vacation.
When Oxford University was founded, there was no unified campus planned. At that time, students and teachers rented in different places in the city. Later, for the convenience of management, the method of jointly running schools by independent colleges was adopted, and colleges were gradually established. This tradition is still maintained today. Oxford colleges and their institutions are scattered throughout Oxford. Each college is composed of 300-500 teachers and students, engaged in teaching and scientific research in different disciplines, with basically complete liberal arts, sciences and engineering. The buildings of the university are basically composed of each college. The colleges are composed of quadrangles composed of green lawns and surrounded by medieval earth-yellow Gothic buildings. And most colleges have colleges within colleges. Some colleges even have rivers, lakes, flowers, grass, insects, fish, birds and animals. The English word college is translated as "college" in Chinese, which probably comes from the four "colleges" of Oxford and Cambridge. Although Oxford looks very old from the outside of the building, it is very modern from the inside. In the university science area, you can see advanced equipment in various fields such as engineering science, nuclear physics, biology, etc.
The oldest college in Oxford University is said to be Merton College, built in 1264, and the youngest is called St. Catherine's College, built in 1963. The two colleges are seven centuries apart. In addition to taking care of students' food and accommodation, the college also arranges various sports and group social activities, and is responsible for assigning tutors to take care of students. Due to the different financial status of each college, some colleges are very wealthy, have vast venues and good equipment or benefits, such as guest rooms, libraries, and research laboratories. The role played by the university is mainly to represent each college to the outside world, arrange lectures and seminars for the entire school, and issue diplomas in a unified manner. Judging from the actual situation, the relationship between students and their colleges far exceeds that of the university.
The names of colleges sound strange. In fact, many colleges are named by accident. For example, Christ Church College is because the oldest cathedral in Oxford is located within the college; All Souls College is to commemorate the spirits of those who died in the Hundred Years War; Oriel College is because when it was first established, the college bought a The house named "Orill" (meaning yellow warbler). There is also a college called "Brasnoz". This word evolved from the English word "brass nose" because the copper knocker on the college door looks like a nose, and it is still used in the college's cafeteria. The colleges are not divided according to majors, but in the process of development, each college gradually formed its own characteristics. For example, Christ Church College is known for its strong aristocratic atmosphere; Merton College has produced many poets; St. Edmund Hall College particularly likes to recruit athletes; Oriel College focuses on training priests; Magdalen College has many rowing masters. .
These colleges are equal to each other and students can study in any college until graduation.
Qian Zhongshu graduated from Exeter College, just opposite Jesus College. You can find Clayton Alley next to nearby Walton Street, after which Qian named Clayton University.
The school’s management is very strict. Every 10-student school is assigned a school janitor to take care of students, make their beds, and clean their rooms. In addition, they are also responsible for waking up students who have slept in in the morning and checking whether students are going to class. School janitors have such dual responsibilities, so they have a very special name called "reconnaissance."
The biggest feature of Oxford teaching is the "tutor system". The tutors of the students are researchers. Most of them are scholars with excellent academic performance and outstanding achievements in certain fields. The tutoring system requires students to meet with their tutors once a week and read to their tutors the papers they have researched and written during the week. In addition, there are many lectures. In every lecture, both tutors and students, seniors and juniors, can speak freely and discuss on an equal footing. The broad-based discussion is very attractive, but after the discussion, you have to hand in your homework. Meet with the tutor alone and read out the thesis researched and written within a week. The tutor needs to comment and ask questions. If the quality of the paper is not good or the defense is not good, it will affect your grades and graduation. It should be noted that once a week, no delay is allowed, and week after week, how can there be so many new insights and new ideas? However, the instructor did not believe the explanation. This learning method does drive and inspire students to think independently, and encourages and urges students to make progress. However, this weekly pressure makes it difficult for young students to relax.
I hope it will be helpful to you and hope you will adopt it, thank you!