Arriving in Oxford

I am finally here in Oxford, about to embark on what will undoubtedly be the biggest academic challenge of my life thus far. The more I think of all I will get to learn, the more excited I am to begin the term. But before I talk about the academics of Oxford, I'll give a brief update on my travels and arrival here.

Travels
On January 1st, I flew from California to London with my roommates Jen and Renee, and our roommate Julia joined us the day after our arrival. We had a day and a half to explore London, so we visited the city's parks, museums, and theater. We began our day on January 3rd by going to a morning communion service at St. Paul's Cathedral, which was just across the street from our hostel. We spent the rest of the morning making our way around the city by tube and foot. The gardens are not quite as lively as they will be in a few months, but still lovely. We concluded the day with a trip to the Queen's Theater to see Les Miserables live on stage, which is something I've wanted to do for a very long time. We were seated up on the very top balcony (we got tickets to suit our budgets), so we practically had bird's-eye view of the stage. It was a very wonderful production.

Arriving in Oxford
On the morning of the 4th, we left the hostel with all luggage in tow (containing 3.5 months worth of stuff), and hauled our bags to the tube station, off and on the various tube trains and stations - detours included - and a very long walk from the tube station to the bus stop. Finally, we got on the bus and headed for Oxford. Or next form of transportation was taxi, which we took to the house where we are living for the semester. We were met by the Junior Dean of the house (whose role is like that of a Resident Director or Resident Assistant), and promptly began moving in. Most of the girls from Biola live on the bottom floor of the house, so it is easy to get settled in to this new living place.

Academics at Oxford
Classes at Oxford are run differently than they are at most colleges in America. The main component of an Oxford term is the tutorial, in which students write as essay each week addressing a particular question within the scope of the tutorial, and then meet with a tutor to discuss and defend the arguments in their essay. The essays are required to give a thorough and critical answer to the question at hand, considering both historic and contemporary scholarship pertaining to question, but not merely summarizing what others have said about it. This process entails extensive research of primary and secondary sources, which students must analyze on several levels in order to incorporate into a well crafted argument. This pedagogical setup differs from schools in America in that students don't acquire information through lectures, but through their own research and thought. As the handbook puts it, "The tutorial is intended to be challenging, not formulaic, and your tutor is there to stimulate you to ask interesting questions, not to provide you with safe answers." Learning through research is facilitated by the expansive Bodleian Library, which houses more than 6 million pieces of writing, and grows by 3 miles of shelf space every year. I will be spending a good deal of time there this term...

As I anticipate this new course of study, I know that there are two different mindsets with which I could approach it, and I believe these mindsets are applicable to all new challenges we face. The first is that of fear and selfish ambition, and the second is that of faith and love. If I adopt the first approach, my self-centered fear of failure and desire for glory will drive me to become overwhelmed by the magnitude of my project, and I will despair of ever finding fulfillment in my striving after accomplishment. If I have learned anything in my lifetime, it is that I lose all joy in a task when my purpose in doing it is selfish. Having a focus of my own gain - whether it be accolades, accomplishments, or competence - obscures my vision of both myself and my task, making me unable to enjoy either. If greed is my motivation for action, I will never be satisfied, because greed continually grows. If, on the other hand, my mindset is one of faith and love, I will be able to pursue learning for the love of the material I am studying, and I will trust that God is using my efforts for His glory and to help me grow as He intends for me to. It is only in this case that I can delight in my work and apply myself to my studies with the humility and eagerness necessary to real learning.