This last week is relatively easy. With our papers turned in, the pressure is off, except for the stress of waiting for our grades. As previously reported, our Oxford tutors said they are grading us according to Oxford standards and will use the Oxford grading system which is designed to keep students humble. Only Shakespeare gets 100% and it would be preposterous for a student to aspire to touch the hem of his doublet. And then of course there are lesser beings like Austen, Tolkien, Lewis, Carroll, Joyce, Wolff, etc etc. to occupy the 80’s and 90’s. Sooooooo
70 and above is the equivalent of an A.
65-69 is an A-.
60-64 is a B+.
55-59 is a B.
Etc.
The irony is that for most of us here this summer, the grades don’t matter. About a quarter of the students are seeking credit for their work here from their home institutions. The rest of us are doing this for personal enrichment. But we do care about the grades. A whole lot. Stay tuned.
Fun fact: JK Rowling applied to Oxford and didn’t get in. But in 2014 they made her an honorary fellow.
So we still have lectures, in-class exercises, and discussions this week, but we also have plenty of time for shopping, last minute sight-seeing and sadly, preparations for departure. In one of my first posts, I wrote about the rough time I had with baggage upon arrival. The thought of dealing with two unwieldy bags again has been giving me heartburn. Sooooo . . .
Ticket to Oxford Botanical Gardens 8 pounds
Oxford University Sweatshirt 30 pounds
One less suitcase to carry home Priceless!
Dragged this thing .6 miles to the Oxford Pack and Send. Bye Bye Bag!
Chapter Three 