10:03 here: I wrote long essays back home, too. But some of the content was expected to be original, which wasn't the case in England.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a particular reason your child wants to go to Oxford or Cambridge? I did a junior year at one of them, and for the humanities, it's significantly different from (or different to, if you want to be British about it) the approach at American colleges & universities.

How so?

At least when I was there, there were lectures (you chose which you wanted to go to, and some of them were excellent) and tutorials, generally one or two students and a don. You'd be given an assignment and spend a week researching existing criticism, write what was basically a summary of what other people had said, then go to your tutorial, read your essay/rehash, and discuss it (meaning answer questions about what other people had said). There wasn't a lot of discussion or original thought. Also, there was a set curriculum for the first two years; if that wasn't what you were interested in, too bad. Romantics are it.

I'm not sorry I went; I loved being there, and the volume of literature I covered was nice in a "here are the facts" way. But in terms of improving my writing and critical thinking, it didn't do that.

My friends doing other courses seemed happy, and although I think someone mentioned not being able to change, I know one student who changed from engineering to physics and some who started in medicine but ended up doing something else (they changed after I left and I don't remember what). And in other ways, it's like getting a liberal arts degree here: One friend studying modern languages ended up as an investment banker.

OP here. It's a shame about Brexit, though! Would have simplified many things.

Anonymous wrote:Is there a particular reason your child wants to go to Oxford or Cambridge? I did a junior year at one of them, and for the humanities, it's significantly different from (or different to, if you want to be British about it) the approach at American colleges & universities.

How so?