Oxford (1 Viewer)

[stella8h8chang]

Hiya, I'm not sure if this is the right place to put this, but I'd like some help on achieving my dream. My dream is to go to Oxford to study Classics for four years, then return to Sydney and do postgrad Medicine. See bottom of post for reasoning.

Barriers:
1. Grades. As far as I know, they want three A's from A-Levels. Anyone know what kind of UAI that would equate to? I think I am fairly strong at Latin, English and Chemistry (I'm in year eleven). I am OK at maths (am planning to do 4-unit), and SDD (accelerated). I would also like to do a distinction course next year, but this will of course depend on what happens this year with SDD.

2. Parents. There is no way they would let me go overseas, particularly as moved from Malaysia to Australia to give me a better education. This leads into to my next problem.

3. Money. It costs something to the tune of over A$20000 a year to do a classics degree at Oxford. Now even with my parents, this would be hard; without would be even more difficult. And so, I would need a scholarship to go overseas.

4. Coming back. Having done nothing but classics essays/languages for four years, I don't know what will happen to my sciences. I will do Chemistry for my HSC. I have also completed roughly half the Physics prelim course (decided to drop it). I'm also doing SDD but that's not strictly a science. So I'm a bit worried about coming back and doing Medicine because I might be a lousy Med student, having done no real science.

So yeah...if someone could give me some advice with overcoming these barriers, that would be appreciated.


Reasons: Classics is one of my passions. However, I want to do Medicine and then go off with MSF and help people in war-torn countries. Just I'm not really mature enough to be a good doctor at the moment...and the moment you emerge with a medical degree you're expected to go out and work as a doctor, leaving no time to break off and do something else until you decide to retire. If anyone can come up with anything better, I'm pretty open to criticism and suggestions.

 

[babez_hamp]

for the money part, it'll cost more like $40000-$50000 a year including living expenses etc. plus there's no way you'll be able to get a work visa and a student visa so there'll be no way for you to make any money over there either. scholarships are extremely hard to get because there are only a couple and you're basically competing with everyone else who lives in a commonwealth country. check oxford's international student website for financial information......they may not offer anything for students coming from australia. also, check the 'study in the uk' website and it should have everything regarding money issues. and remember, oxford is the top university in the uk (although some will say cambridge) so their first priority is providing assistance to students from the uk; then student from the E.U.; and then everyone else. there are plenty of people who have the money to go to oxford as an international student (especially from the States) so you're marks will need to be unbelievably good to even get a chance at entry let alone a scholarship.
hope this helps....and good luck to you !

 

[margaret_gn]

Ok during my HSC I was planning to go to Cambridge for uni and had the same problems, but I also considered Oxford and contacted them at some stage so hopefully I can be of some help:

1. with grades, you have to basically get over 99 UAI to be considered, not necessarily to be guaranteed a place. (I read about this UAI cut-off from one of the brochures they sent me)

2. same here with parents... they insisted that I should go to uni in australia to take advantage of being able to defer HECS. but parents should be the last of your worry, because if you get in, as if they'd let the chance of saying 'my daughter's going to Oxford!' slip! and they really shouldn't be worried about 'better education' since it goes without saying that Oxford is better then any australian unis. if they're concerned about letting you go by yourself, tell them that the colleges are perfectly safe etc etc as i'm sure you know

3. the cost IS unbelievably high, and I didn't think the benefits of graduating with a Cambridge degree really outweigh the money I have to spend there. Scholarships are virtually impossible unless you're from a 3rd world country. what i'd suggest is get enough money for 1 year (at max $50000 AU) and work your butt off to get a scholarship in 2nd year (they'll be more available then than in 1st year.

4. IMO having made all these sacrifices to get in and graduate etc and then not using the degree is a bit of a waste, but that's your choice, cos workload at uni is really tough and the subjects that are taught go into so much details and depth that it's really impossible to maintain your science if that's not the subject taht you do at uni.

Have you looked at their website/decided on a college? cos i've got most of the colleges' prospectuses for 2005 entry as well as some info on their fees/cut-off etc and i'm willing to lend them to you if you want. PM me for more details. or if you prefer you can just e-mail them and request the info but it might take a while.

Hope that helps,
Margaret

 

[sugared plum]

you need to get a british/EU passport. it makes it much easier. were either of yr parents born in england etc? otherwise marry someone.

also you can get a scholarship with music but not have to do music, just play orchestra, sing choir. you don't have to be full singer, just sight sing, in tune, accurate and turn up to church shit. at some colleges i can't remember where though exactly. you just have to search each college...

and don't worry about not being ready for med after. you might have total new plans after oxford, if you go.
and there are always bridging courses etc etc

 

[stella8h8chang]

for the money part, it'll cost more like $40000-$50000 a year including living expenses etc. plus there's no way you'll be able to get a work visa and a student visa so there'll be no way for you to make any money over there either. scholarships are extremely hard to get because there are only a couple and you're basically competing with everyone else who lives in a commonwealth country. check oxford's international student website for financial information......they may not offer anything for students coming from australia. also, check the 'study in the uk' website and it should have everything regarding money issues. and remember, oxford is the top university in the uk (although some will say cambridge) so their first priority is providing assistance to students from the uk; then student from the E.U.; and then everyone else. there are plenty of people who have the money to go to oxford as an international student (especially from the States) so you're marks will need to be unbelievably good to even get a chance at entry let alone a scholarship.
hope this helps....and good luck to you !

Thankyou! I have checked the sites; they all seem to agree it's 7000+ pounds, plus more for living costs....not looking good...although this may give me impetus to aim for the highest, and reap greater rewards.

2. same here with parents... they insisted that I should go to uni in australia to take advantage of being able to defer HECS. but parents should be the last of your worry, because if you get in, as if they'd let the chance of saying 'my daughter's going to Oxford!' slip! and they really shouldn't be worried about 'better education' since it goes without saying that Oxford is better then any australian unis. if they're concerned about letting you go by yourself, tell them that the colleges are perfectly safe etc etc as i'm sure you know

Thankyou too! My latest case is that the standards of Australian universities are dropping...unfortunately they don't have complete trust in the SMH front pages. And about my future; Classics could be applied to any parts of my life - and I really want to learn Classical Greek (they have a course for post-A-level-Latin and beginners Greek together)

also you can get a scholarship with music but not have to do music, just play orchestra, sing choir. you don't have to be full singer, just sight sing, in tune, accurate and turn up to church shit. at some colleges i can't remember where though exactly. you just have to search each college...

Yes! I play AMus-level piano! Well I did, until my parents terminated my lessons this year thus rendering me unable to sit the exam. I also sing in my school's selective choir, and went to Europe less than a month ago on a school tour to play the violin and sing. More details, please?

 

[withoutaface]

Reasons: Classics is one of my passions. However, I want to do Medicine and then go off with MSF and help people in war-torn countries.

Good to see such idealism in this day and age, let's hope it lasts through 7+ years of uni

 

[iamsickofyear12]

You're pretty fucking screwed. I suggest you give up on your dream.

 

[babez_hamp]

you need to get a british/EU passport. it makes it much easier. were either of yr parents born in england etc? otherwise marry someone.

that is kinda true....if you have a british passport then you're still considered an international student until you have been living over there for at least 3 years. i tried to get around this but there's no way.......unless one of your parents is in the army or something like that, or a foreign dignatory.

 

[mervvyn]

The consideration with science and doing graduate med at sydney is pretty important if you wanted to keep going on that path (although your plans may easily change in the next few years). You should probably read up on entry to sydney med, eg GAMSAT, which sort of assumes a reasonable level of scientific knowledge (quite probably beyond high school level).

 

[doe]

i know a guy who got a TER of 500 (equiv to UAI of 100) and got a scholarship to cambridge.

it can be done. i forget what he studied.

 

[Lexicographer]

Why don't you study classics here and Medicine there? It is very strongly argued that the standard of Medical education in the UK (particularly Cambridge) is at LEAST equal if not easily better than here in Australia.

 

[Shuter]

You will end up waitressing in a local cafe for the rest of your life.

 

[sugared plum]

Yes! I play AMus-level piano! Well I did, until my parents terminated my lessons this year thus rendering me unable to sit the exam. I also sing in my school's selective choir, and went to Europe less than a month ago on a school tour to play the violin and sing. More details, please?

hmm piano is not overly useful for them - they want organists, choir people, or orchestra players. so learn the organ it is exciting. to get more details you have to go to the list of colleges at the oxford website, and check them out, one by one. i cannot be bothered doing that for you. :angry: :sniper: :cop: :grinshak: :giddy: :torch: man none of these are right what the fuck they come up as x-es and none are smile faces. fuck
i didn't know you had to have a teacher to sit exam? just enter under your own code. or someone else's. when i did my amus i hadn't been to lessons with my teacher but it didn't matter, i just did it under my mum's code.

 

[withoutaface]

i know a guy who got a TER of 500 (equiv to UAI of 100) and got a scholarship to cambridge.

it can be done. i forget what he studied.

Undegrad scholarships to the big unis in England would be about as (if not more) scarce than Rhodes scholarships methinks.

 

[Shuter]

I know my cousin has a scholarship at Camebridge, in pure Maths. His UAI was over 99 I think.

 

[stella8h8chang]

Wow!

Thankyou everyone! I will definitely be following up all the stuff you've mentioned.

 

[ameh]

well seeing you go to PLC then you're dream is brighter than those that go to a shitty govt.

 

[White Rabbit]

I realise it doesn't have the prestige of Oxford (or the awesome social life of Oxford city, I'm told), but you might want to look at ANU for a backup. They have a pretty good classics program. Theres always USYD, but ANU apparently has a better rep. I dunno, back up plans I guess

 

[Templar]

I realise it doesn't have the prestige of Oxford (or the awesome social life of Oxford city, I'm told), but you might want to look at ANU for a backup. They have a pretty good classics program. Theres always USYD, but ANU apparently has a better rep. I dunno, back up plans I guess

ANU also has 2 exchange spots for Oxford each year.

 

[velox]

Undegrad scholarships to the big unis in England would be about as (if not more) scarce than Rhodes scholarships methinks.

Kings have a scholarship on offer, to either Oxford or cambridge.

I'm probably applying for uk uni's aswell, but i have free accomodation and living expenses there, so i dont really care about cost.