Williams-Exeter Programme at Oxford
For now, the website is probably your best bet.
Contents
Oxford City
Exeter College
Simply the best. A haven of light and of happiness in the centre of Oxford. Must see: Bat colony, quad mice, beautiful Chapel.
It's also bigger than Jesus. And better at rowing.
The Programme
It's not bad. Sometimes the Director gives you porridge. And if you're lucky, a piece of bread. But only when you do your work. And that work will probably be making shoes. Know how to use an awl?
Housing
Dormitory-style, 10 beds per room.
Field Trips
When the finished products get shipped down to London, some students get to ride with the cargo trucks. In the cargo hold, of course. Also once a year the more productive students get to go to Portsmouth to watch the container ships leave.
Student Government
There is a "GovCom" (governance committee), chosen from the students, who serve as foremen for the factory floor.
Subsidies, Mobile Phones, Etc.
I think the program(me) is getting new cell phones for the students next year.
Academics
There's a library so in your free time you can read books.
Tutorial System
Oxford is run on a tutorial system. That means you, one partner, and someone with a doctorate or close to it. Sometimes you have no partner. For a full tutorial, you meet one hour a week for eight weeks, with an essay prepared for class. For a half tutorial, it's every other week, four meetings total. Both types culminate in a final exam, essay, or presentation.
Grading at Oxford
Oxford students don't get grades. Williams students studying at Oxford do get grades...usually better grades than they would have gotten had they stayed at Williams.
Courses of Study
Alumni: let's try to get sections for as many subjects as we've taken, and comment on them. This is the most important part, probably.
American Studies
Anthropology
Anthropologists do it with culture.
Arabic
Art History
Artists do it by design.
Asian Studies
Chinese
Classics (Greek, Latin, Biblical Hebrew)
Comparative Literature
Computer Science
Computer Scientists do it bit by bit.
Economics
Economists do it with models.
Economists do it with interest.
English
English majors do it with an accent.
French
German
History
Historians do it for old times' sake.
Japanese
Lab Sciences
Lab scientists do it with accuracy.
Literary Studies
Mathematics & Statistics
Mathematicians do it discretely.
Music
Musicians do it with rhythm.
Philosophy
Although Joe Cruz may try to convince you not to come (if what you are seeking is preparation for philosophy graduate study in the US), studying philosophy at Oxford makes you a more intellectually independent thinker. You probably won't get reading lists, and you might not even get a topic. Get ready for some quality hours slugging out in the Merton Street philo library. You'll have access to every philosophy book or article ever written -- a far better collection than Williams -- and access to the best lecturers in the world. Have fun!
Philosophers can't prove they do it.
Political Science
Psychology
Psychologists do it on the couch.
Religion (Theology)
Russian
Sociology
Spanish
Theatre
Actors do it on cue.
Women's and Gender Studies
Current Participants
- Bill Bernsen
- Michael Biblowit
- Matt Britton
- Henry Burton
- Sara Carian
- Sandesh Dhungana
- Andrew Douglas
- Katie Edgerton
- Scotford Garthwaite
- Max Gutman
- Steph Hsiung
- Will Jacobson
- Deborah Kang
- Faaiza Lalji
- Haydee Lindo
- Lindsay Long-Waldor
- Carynne McIver
- Steve Melis
- Prasanna Raman
- Jason Ren
- Michael Reynolds
- Anne Royston
- Sara Siegmann
- Ben Springwater
- Terry Tamm
- Betsy Todd