Oxford University
Oxford is a beautiful town on the river Thames about fifty miles from London. Some people say it is more beautiful than any other city in England. Oxford University was founded in the 12th century as an aristocratic university and has remained so to the present day. The University consists of 32 colleges – 27 colleges for men and 5 colleges for women. There are 16 faculties there. Each college is completely autonomous body, governed by its own laws. A large collage has about 500 students, a small one – about a hundred. Several colleges say they are the oldest, but no college is as old as Merton, which began in 1264. The term of studies lasts for 10 weeks. There are three terms in the Oxford academic year. Within the first week the freshman meets his tutor who tells the student about his plans, the lectures which he must take, about the requirements for the examination which he will take, about the course of reading for him. Attendance at lectures is not compulsory. Once every week each undergraduate goes to his tutor’s room to read out an essay which he has written and discuss this essay with the tutor. At the beginning or end of each term the progress of the students is tested by the college examination. They pay great attention to athletics at the University. The students are engaged in different kinds of sports, take part in competitions between Oxford and Cambridge Universities. This is how a student spends his day. His working hours are from 9 to 1. At 9 o’clock he sees his tutor or goes to the library, or attends lectures. From 2 to 5 he is engaged in sports and all kinds of exercise. From 5 to 7 he works in the library or laboratory. At 7 o’clock they have dinner-time. After dinner the students have club activities. By 10 o’clock the students must be in the college, as most of students live in the college, only some of them live in lodgings in the town. The doors of Oxford University are not open to all. The majority of the students are graduates of private schools, so Oxford University remains an aristocratic university to the present day.
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