Oxford and Cambridge Universities

Oxford University is the oldest university in the English-speaking world.  There is no clear date for when Oxford was founded, but teaching existed in Oxford in some form in 1096.  Oxford became very popular starting in 1167 when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris. 

There are 38 independent, self-governed colleges at Oxford University and all of them are very hard to get into.  First,  you have to apply to the University.  If you are accepted you then have to apply to one of the 38 colleges in the university.  If they like your application, you are then called in for an interview.  If your interview goes well, then you're in.

A student’s life at Oxford is often very different than it would be if they went to a normal college.  For starters, you have three eight-week terms starting in October and ending in June.  Because the school year is so short, while you’re in school it can get very busy.  You would probably have at LEAST one essay a week.  This also means you will have to work a lot harder and have a lot less free time.  Some parts of Oxford life, however, can be the same as any other college you go to.  You can still join clubs and sports where you can make friends and hang out together.

Cambridge University is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world.  The university grew out of an association that was formed in 1209 when a group of scholars left Oxford after an argument with the town’s people.

Cambridge and Oxford are very similar when it comes to how you are selected, the teaching methods used, and the prestige that goes along with attending.  When it comes to classes however, they can be very different.  For instance, you can do politics, philosophy, and economics at Oxford, but not at Cambridge.

Throughout the years, many famous people have come out of Oxford and Cambridge.  Stephen Hawking (a physicist), David Cameron (the current British Prime Minister), and Dr. Seuss were some students from Oxford.  Winston Churchill (British Prime Minister during World War II), Isaac Newton (who discovered the laws of motion), and  Cockroft and Walton (who split the atom) were some students from Cambridge.

 This is one of the colleges at Oxford.

 Kings College Chapel at Cambridge.

Kings College Chapel is the only place where Queen Anne's initials (RA, Regina Anne) because King Henry VIII had them all removed.

 The tables of the dining hall at Oxford had a certain Harry Potter feel about them...