5 Things You Didn’t Know About Oxford University; Oxford University has been called the oldest university in the English-speaking world, and it’s located in Oxford, England.
But that isn’t everything you should know about this prestigious university, Here are 5 things you didn’t know about Oxford University.
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1) About Oxford University No. of students vs. staff
The ratio of students to staff at Oxford is 7:1, meaning it’s easier to get personal attention.
Also, at 12 percent of its academic staff, you can expect a high number of professors to be full-time faculty.
As opposed to many universities that have moved away from tenure for their faculty, tenure is still in place at The University of Oxford.
This means that you can feel comfortable knowing that your professors are there for life and have every intention of seeing their field through to its endpoint.
With the one-to-one student/professor ratio, the opportunity for close relationships with the people who know best about their subject is readily available, there are over 100 colleges at Oxford, which each come with their library as well.
If you do happen to find yourself struggling with your reading list and need a little help, don’t worry these libraries won’t let you down.
And if you find yourself bored of books altogether, there are plenty of exhibitions on offer, from fine art to geology, nothing is left out when it comes to this institution.
The world’s first dedicated gallery of Natural History was founded here in 1826; today, they house some 50 million specimens.
If you’re looking for an extra boost in your degree or want to add another qualification that you already have then take advantage of their Open University system.
When studying outside of class, students will work individually under the guidance of a tutor or advisor instead.
Uniquely, all graduate degrees are completed by research, so you’ll get hands-on experience while working towards your Ph.D.
As well as focusing heavily on science and humanities subjects, Oxford has also managed to branch out into things like engineering and social sciences.
This university may not have a huge reputation abroad but among British students, it is considered second only to Cambridge.
The college motto is Domus Alba Custos Civium (meaning White House – Keeper of Citizens) which shows the importance placed on equality and education.
In short, the features that make Oxford stand out are those relating to a community feeling amongst its students.
When researching whether or not you would like to study at Oxford, make sure you read up on how prestigious it is internationally and how much support is offered to international students.
2) King Henry VIII founded it
The university, one of England’s most celebrated institutions, owes its beginnings to King Henry VIII.
In his quest to divorce Queen Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn, Henry established two universities (he was also responsible for founding St John’s College in Cambridge) after he split from Rome.
Nowadays, there are 38 Colleges or Halls and 24 Permanent Private Halls at Oxford (the second largest number of colleges behind Cambridge).
Every year about 6,000 students enroll in undergraduate courses and 4,500 in postgraduate courses at Oxford.
It is ranked as the fourth-best university in Europe by QS World Rankings and fifth in the world according to Times Higher Education.
It has been called the world’s leading university because it attracts more than half of the top global talent across all subject areas .
The UK’s top-ranking research institution, Oxford is ranked second globally for medicine, it’s big on internationalism: One-third of the undergraduates come from overseas and half are non-British citizens.
Oxford has educated six British Prime Ministers: Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Macmillan, Edward Heath, Harold Wilson, Margaret Thatcher, and Tony Blair.
Six thousand languages have been studied at Oxford since it was founded with modern languages being added as far back as 1837 when Italian became a compulsory language for study up until 1944 when Russian became compulsory under Soviet rule.
Undergraduates still take three foreign languages but now only two must be taken at A-Level, including one modern language.
Some of the other interesting facts include that Oxford accepts less than 20% of applicants, making it one of the toughest universities to get into; 17% have perfect scores for mathematics; 37% study law; 60% read history and humanities subjects; 66% attend church services each week.
3) Architecture
Oxford is home to two of England’s oldest colleges, University College and Merton, which have been around since 1249 and 1264 respectively.
The rivalry between these colleges is what gave rise to rowing in 1815 when a race was organized between them on The Isis (an area of water near where both colleges are located).
As other Oxbridge colleges caught on, rowing became a thing. To this day, it remains one of Oxford’s most famous pastimes.
It’s not just the college students who row though – members of the public can hire boats at Jesus Lock Boat House and take part too.
Another famous river running through Oxford is The Thames, which passes through Godstow Lock, here, you can hire a boat from The Upper Boat and take a ride up to Northmoor Lock.
Oxford’s medieval architecture also features heavily across the city, with buildings like All Souls College, Balliol College, and Christ Church College standing as examples of some of its finest architectural pieces.
Christ Church has an unusual arrangement for its buildings they form a square enclosing three sides while forming an open space with Tom Tower on the fourth side.
Inside there are many notable architectural features including stained glass windows and ornate ceilings, as well as chapels that date back to the 15th century.
4) Famous alumni
One of Oxford’s most famous alumni is J.R.R. Tolkien, a novelist known for penning The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series.
Other famous alums are Woodrow Wilson, Bob Geldof, Cate Blanchett, Richard Branson, and Emma Watson which means you’re probably in good company.
In addition to high-profile Hollywood stars and rock ‘n’ rollers, many Nobel Prize winners have also been schooled at Oxford.
These notable grads include Benazir Bhutto, Erwin Schrödinger, Robert Maynard Pirsig, and Harold Kroto.
This is just a sampling of the impressive people who have made their mark on the world from this institution.
If you’ve always dreamed of joining their ranks, check out what it takes to apply here, to enroll as an undergraduate, you’ll need three As at A-Level or the equivalent in another subject.
To attend one of the graduate schools (MBA, Law, Social Work) applicants must possess either a 2:1 or a 1st class honors degree plus experience and outstanding written work.
While an English language requirement isn’t mandatory if your first language is English (or if you’re graduating from a school where English is predominantly spoken), international students are required to prove that they can speak English well enough to study there successfully.
International students will be tested during the interview process with audio comprehension tests as well as examinations on spelling and grammar so brush up.
5) One of the oldest libraries in Europe
The Bodleian Library in Oxford houses the world’s largest collection of books and manuscripts and the oldest copy of almost every text in the English language.
Although you won’t find any Harry Potter or Gandalf-sized tomes there, you will find the first edition of Shakespeare’s First Folio from 1623.
If you are into literature or history at all, it is well worth a visit for its contents alone, the Bodleian Library at Oxford is one of the oldest libraries in Europe and part of the university since 1598.
It occupies 12 miles (19 km) of shelving housing some 11 million items including a copy of nearly every book printed in England since 1790 with space for more than 2 million more.
You can take a guided tour and see such gems as original editions of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, Robert Frost’s A Boy’s Will, H.G.
Wells’ War of the Worlds, James Joyce’s Ulysses, Lord Byron’s Don Juan, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories; but if you want to see just one thing when you visit the library, head for Duke Humfrey’s reading room on level 5 where four walls with windows look out over Radcliffe Square.
The room was built by George Gilbert Scott between 1854 and 1857, inspired by Andrea Palladio’s Villa Emo near Vicenza in Italy. Like the Italian villa, it has only one story, raised on a plinth.
At each end is an octagonal pier supporting eight huge columns topped by statues that serve as lamp holders: above them spring eight pairs of classical male heads that form corbels and underline the structure of the building.
Inside, light falls through paired classical arches onto galleries arranged around three sides of an octagonal enclosure lit by glazed panels in wood frames set in cast iron sockets.
In its construction materials and dignified proportions, this amazing space suggests what a rich man’s Renaissance palace might have been like had he also been able to afford Greek columns if indeed there were any moneyed men with such refined tastes back then.
Conclusion
Oxford University is perhaps one of the most important establishments in British history.
Now over 800 years old, Oxford University has had a significant impact on English-speaking culture around the world and has produced some of history’s most well-known figures, including J.R.R Tolkien, Bill Gates, Oscar Wilde, and Steve Jobs.
It’s incredible to think that such an institution could have existed for so long without any noteworthy break or disruption in its lineage.
Yet, this university thrives even today with prestigious academics coming from all over the world to contribute their expertise to an institution that has become internationally known as The Greatest University in the World.
