Oxbridge
Should I apply?
Geography at Oxbridge is intense. There are many fantastic opportunities at these two collegiate universities, but you must decide whether you would thrive in a more pressurized, academic environment. This isn't to say other universities do not provide very difficult and demanding courses, they do, however due to the sort length of Oxbridge terms students find the amount of work quite a shock at first.
The benefits an Oxbridge education can offer are numerous. Firstly you will have a degree from one of the most respected universities in the world. This undoubtedly opens doors for you, especially in the first few years in the world of work. Secondly, whilst at Oxbridge you will be surrounded by some of the best and brightest students of your generation, who will be useful contacts and great friends by the end of your three years. Similarly, in intimate settings, you will hold frequent meetings, know as tutorials, with geographers at the pinnacle of their particular field. The experiences you will have in this environment are second to none, and explain why competition for the (roughly) 6200 Oxbridge spaces each years is fierce.
At this point it is important to give a note of caution. Oxbridge is not for everyone. Some may find the short, intense terms very stressful and unsatisfying. University is not entirely all about work and if you cannot reach enough enjoyment from your studies then Oxbridge levels of subject dedication may not be for you. Also if you don't like the idea of being a member of a college community for three years, and would rather enjoy a year in halls and then move out with friends into a student house, then many other universities may suit you better*.
*Please note that at some colleges students have the option to 'live out' rather than spend 3 years in college.
The requirements
If you have decided that you would like to go to Oxbridge you need to fit a number of criteria. Firstly you must have excellent grades in you school exams. The overall criteria varies between Oxford and Cambridge but in general you need to have a high proportion of A*'s at GCSE and need to achieve at least A grades in A-Levels. To find out specifically you need to achieve, given your study format (A-Level, IB etc) the best thing to do is look on the university geography website and find the undergraduate admissions page. If you're still unsure ring the department or the general university admissions page.
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, you must have subject passion. This is a slippery concept to define, but in my view it means you must have a genuine and almost natural fascination in your geography. Rather than just being 'work' and an exam do you see geography as a genuine hobby or interest? Are you constantly applying what you have read in text books and heard in lessons to real life settings outside the classroom? Or does work stop when the book closes? The bottom line is that lots of people get fantastic GCSE's and around 40,000 people a year get
AAA at A-Level. Therefore to separate out the best from an already strong field, application managers and tutors are looking for something extra special. They want to see if you are thinking and engaging with your subject beyond the classroom, whether you hold interesting opinions on geographical issues, and whether you are applying things you are learning and reading beyond geography to and geographical setting.
The application process
Oxford and Cambridge have slightly different application processes. Oxford require you to submit written work and sit a number of examinations. These matters should be discussed with your academic staff but my advice is to make sure the essay you submit is your very best work, on both the human and physical sides, and have a clear idea of when you will write both pieces. For the thinking skills assessment (TSA) there are a number of fantastic books (see below) that can help prepare you for the type of questions you will need to answer. The TSA occurs in examination conditions, so you will need to find a school or college which is running the exam and register to come and sit it.
Cambridge does not require these additional steps but does, like Oxford, conduct the infamous interviews. In my experience, these interviews really are not that bad, and you really do find them awful and not enjoyable, then chances are Oxbridge is not for you anyway. Interviews are a way of tutors assessing whether students are the real deal. On paper a student may appear fantastic, but at interviews if they can't talk about their thoughts, ideas and interests, as well as adapt well to unusual and different material, then they will probably not get an offer. Here are some standard tests geography students are set in interviews:
- Student is shown a picture and asked what a geographer can infer from it and why.
- Student it given an academic article to read for a period beforehand and then asked to explain what it is about.
- Student is given a newspaper article to read and discuss in a geographical context.
- Student is asked questions about the academic side of their personal statement.
- Student is given an academic article and asked to write a summary of it.
I will go into detail later on how to prepare for these tests, but in general the key thing to do is to expose yourself to as much material as possible. Read books that interest you (see some ones I recommend below), read newspaper articles (I particularly recommend the Economist), watch geographical shows on Iplayre, 4OD, NatGeo extra. In the heat of the interview just a word may spring off a connection in your head which can unleash a torrent of great ideas and facts that you can link together to show the tutors how much you know and think about geography.
Geography at Oxbridge is intense. There are many fantastic opportunities at these two collegiate universities, but you must decide whether you would thrive in a more pressurized, academic environment. This isn't to say other universities do not provide very difficult and demanding courses, they do, however due to the sort length of Oxbridge terms students find the amount of work quite a shock at first.
The benefits an Oxbridge education can offer are numerous. Firstly you will have a degree from one of the most respected universities in the world. This undoubtedly opens doors for you, especially in the first few years in the world of work. Secondly, whilst at Oxbridge you will be surrounded by some of the best and brightest students of your generation, who will be useful contacts and great friends by the end of your three years. Similarly, in intimate settings, you will hold frequent meetings, know as tutorials, with geographers at the pinnacle of their particular field. The experiences you will have in this environment are second to none, and explain why competition for the (roughly) 6200 Oxbridge spaces each years is fierce.
At this point it is important to give a note of caution. Oxbridge is not for everyone. Some may find the short, intense terms very stressful and unsatisfying. University is not entirely all about work and if you cannot reach enough enjoyment from your studies then Oxbridge levels of subject dedication may not be for you. Also if you don't like the idea of being a member of a college community for three years, and would rather enjoy a year in halls and then move out with friends into a student house, then many other universities may suit you better*.
*Please note that at some colleges students have the option to 'live out' rather than spend 3 years in college.
The requirements
If you have decided that you would like to go to Oxbridge you need to fit a number of criteria. Firstly you must have excellent grades in you school exams. The overall criteria varies between Oxford and Cambridge but in general you need to have a high proportion of A*'s at GCSE and need to achieve at least A grades in A-Levels. To find out specifically you need to achieve, given your study format (A-Level, IB etc) the best thing to do is look on the university geography website and find the undergraduate admissions page. If you're still unsure ring the department or the general university admissions page.
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, you must have subject passion. This is a slippery concept to define, but in my view it means you must have a genuine and almost natural fascination in your geography. Rather than just being 'work' and an exam do you see geography as a genuine hobby or interest? Are you constantly applying what you have read in text books and heard in lessons to real life settings outside the classroom? Or does work stop when the book closes? The bottom line is that lots of people get fantastic GCSE's and around 40,000 people a year get
AAA at A-Level. Therefore to separate out the best from an already strong field, application managers and tutors are looking for something extra special. They want to see if you are thinking and engaging with your subject beyond the classroom, whether you hold interesting opinions on geographical issues, and whether you are applying things you are learning and reading beyond geography to and geographical setting.
The application process
Oxford and Cambridge have slightly different application processes. Oxford require you to submit written work and sit a number of examinations. These matters should be discussed with your academic staff but my advice is to make sure the essay you submit is your very best work, on both the human and physical sides, and have a clear idea of when you will write both pieces. For the thinking skills assessment (TSA) there are a number of fantastic books (see below) that can help prepare you for the type of questions you will need to answer. The TSA occurs in examination conditions, so you will need to find a school or college which is running the exam and register to come and sit it.
Cambridge does not require these additional steps but does, like Oxford, conduct the infamous interviews. In my experience, these interviews really are not that bad, and you really do find them awful and not enjoyable, then chances are Oxbridge is not for you anyway. Interviews are a way of tutors assessing whether students are the real deal. On paper a student may appear fantastic, but at interviews if they can't talk about their thoughts, ideas and interests, as well as adapt well to unusual and different material, then they will probably not get an offer. Here are some standard tests geography students are set in interviews:
- Student is shown a picture and asked what a geographer can infer from it and why.
- Student it given an academic article to read for a period beforehand and then asked to explain what it is about.
- Student is given a newspaper article to read and discuss in a geographical context.
- Student is asked questions about the academic side of their personal statement.
- Student is given an academic article and asked to write a summary of it.
I will go into detail later on how to prepare for these tests, but in general the key thing to do is to expose yourself to as much material as possible. Read books that interest you (see some ones I recommend below), read newspaper articles (I particularly recommend the Economist), watch geographical shows on Iplayre, 4OD, NatGeo extra. In the heat of the interview just a word may spring off a connection in your head which can unleash a torrent of great ideas and facts that you can link together to show the tutors how much you know and think about geography.