Structure of Oxford and Cambridge explained!

You can follow me on twitter! / simonoxfphys
Because so many people have asked me questions about how the college and department structure works in Oxford (/Cambridge) I thought I would answer such questions in a video. Please let me know in the comments if anything is still unclear.
Map copyright - Google Maps.
If you are interested in support available in making an application to Oxbridge, here are some links that you may find useful. I have nothing to do with either of these organisations, for full disclosure.
www.oxbridgeinterviews.co.uk/o...
www.oxbridgeapplications.com/o...
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I am Simon, a fourth year physics student at St. Peter's College, University of Oxford. I try my best to help applicants to Oxbridge with answers from the other side of the fence and, where possible, make videos that people will find useful.
/ spcoxford
www.spc.ox.ac.uk

[@AlexCowan2]

When explaining this, I usually use the analogy of a family: a family is a coherent unit made up of multiple people - there is no physical object that is 'the family', it just exists as a group that binds individuals together. That's basically the relationship between the colleges & the University. Within any family, you'll have a maternal & paternal lineage, which equates to the college/department divide.

[@soumyakanti17]

Thank you so much for making this video. I have been searching for something like this for years. Clears all my doubts!

[@samiraclex]

Oh, a Simon video! I've missed these.

[@umangasarathchandra717]

glad to see you again

[@experiencebg]

Great video ! Hope I can study at Oxbridge one day.

[@sebastiangil2680]

Thank you. This was concise and useful. Do you have any information for how the structure of teaching changes at the masters level?

[@amerkiller1995]

Thanks, fantastic video

[@TheBeesKneess]

hey simon, you should do a video showing your wall behind you and all its posters.

[@ellasalt8996]

thanks for this video!

[@joselitojaldo7647]

Now I have a bit knowledge about the education system of oxbridge. Can you please show some graphics that show how it works or go. Thank you

[@malv4935]

Thanks, all that I needed.

[@Alarmedy8]

Hi Simon can you do more similar videos

[@mengrupu4042]

THANKS!!

[@calumjohn3]

Just wondering whether Biological sciences is an essay based course, which I would assume. Thanks :D

[@iamziano]

Oxford's structure is so different from the educational system here in the Philippines. Here, a university is composed of colleges. And these colleges are composed of different departments. One good example is my college, College of Arts and Sciences, and under it, there are four different departments: Department of Languages and Mass Communication, Dept of Social Sciences and Humanities, dept of Biological Sciences, and dept Physical Sciences. But, I definitely agree that Oxford is the best university! hahaha!

[@kamlakshivats140]

I am coming there

[@ksnmmmm11]

Do you get to choose which collage you want to be in, in Cambridge?

[@SimonClark]

Yes you can choose a college or submit an open application where a college is chosen for you at random

[@tuvsho2076]

wish all university colleges have oxford university standard learning systems

[@idraote]

It was all very clear when you said college and department were two separate entities, one housing you and the other teaching you. You - not you, really, the system - lost me when you said that tutorials were not organised by the department but by the college.

[@KiatHuang]

It can happen either way - the lines are a little blurred because each tutoring academic has their own college and are very keen to ensure their students have suitable tutorials.

[@millieeved]

No no, there are no requirements about religion or political affiliation or anything personal like that :) there are several colleges of Oxford that are named after saints (e.g. St. Catherine's, St. Anne's, St. Edmund's Hall, St. Hilda's) but you don't have to be religious to go to them. The only requirement is the grades you need for the course, then of course they use the interview system to see who's most suited to the course :)

[@Lara-fx4ex]

XD

[@o11y217]

no, your application will be based solely on academic merit wherever you apply. you dont need to be religious to go to a college named after a saint (or any other college for that matter) the requirements are the same at every college and they are pretty damn simple. be good at your subject.

[@katheriness4277]

I’m in Oxford uni!!!!

[@MattWebb1000]

How much easier are A-levels compared to degrees?

[@beastkaybyt2865]

Matthew Webb a levels are generally harder than degrees

[@TheRuinedUniverse]

Matthew Webb Depends on the uni and course, but this is a three year old comment so it hardly matters nowadays.

[@MattWebb1000]

I can confirm that degrees are harder than a levels

[@pierzing.glint1sh76]

beastkay byt if you want to get a 2:1 or 1:1 then degrees are harder...much harder. If you just want to pass then it’s probably slightly easier than getting an A at a level

[@johnmartin2813]

The biggest jump I ever made was from 'O' level to 'A' level, not from 'A' level to degree. In many ways the first year of a degree is a recapitulation of 'A' level anyway. But this may not be so true of Oxbridge. Where as I understand it the bachelor's degree is the equivalent of a master's everywhere else. All this was true some years ago and may not be quite so true now.

[@Menosaverus]

Can I ask which Christian sect each University follows.

[@alexbenfield3374]

@TheMLGForcer Do you go to Oxford?

[@GGE415]

This would get more views if you kept on saying “object of influence…the best in the world” LMAO

[@alexibrailey9529]

Erm... No, Cambridge natsci and Peterhouse are best

[@ravidoad5253]

hello I am from India

[@inyourgame6131]

Let's everyone take a moment to appriciate his bias opinion on oxford's ranking hahha

[@alisonmckay9291]

Interesting video with helpful information but you speak SOOOOOO so fast, heaps of people won't be able to understand you. It'd be better to go a little slower. but thanks anyway, it was useful.

[@PauloConstantino167]

Nah he is actually slow.