After a leisurely morning and breakfast, we started our day trip off to Oxford. Taking the Tube to a proper train station, we enjoyed a one hour train ride. The views of the English countryside were a change from the bustling streets of London that we had quickly grown accustomed to. From rolling green hills to grazing farm animals, we were able to see the beauty of the country.
Once we arrived in Oxford, we walked to the center of town, the world famous High Street. From there we broke up into groups of four and more to explore the covered market and adjacent streets that included sights like old university buildings and popular chains like Nando’s. Students enjoyed the freedom of roaming around the town at their own pace and getting to eat at the many restaurants and eateries of the city.
After three hours of independent time, we met back up to begin our historic tour of Oxford University. Splitting up into two groups (separated by grade level), we saw sights like the Radcliffe Camera and the quad where scenes from Harry Potter were filmed. Our tour guides were incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the University and its many notable alumni including J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher Wren. We also learned about the application process for the University and the many differences between an Oxbridge-style education and an American one.
After our tour of Oxford concluded, we met up with current Oxford student and ABF 2018 alumnus, David (Zi Xuan) Ni. We got a special tour of his school, Jesus College of Oxford, learning about its unique history. After, along with two of his fellow students, David answered our questions about Oxford, regarding everything from academics to student life. We wrapped up our day at Oxford with a delicious dinner in the dining hall, decorated with ornate paintings and intricate carvings.
Finally, despite experiencing a few delays, we took the train home... On to the next day!
- IS & SP