Classes:
Topics of the week: case studies // statistical controls, the elaboration model, partial tables and partial coefficients // the internet and politics in China // digital copyright
We have to give group presentations for Social Dynamics, and I signed up to present this week. My topic for our presentation was media and censorship in China.
We also had a session to discuss our final papers for Methods and the final exams for Social Dynamics.
I used a book in print form for the first time this term! It was also my first time in the Social Science library, which I discovered is great because 1) sometimes you just want institutional lighting, 2) it's open until 6 on Saturdays and Sundays (the other university libraries, if open, close earlier), and 3) you can openly have a water bottle with you.
I hadn't been in the building that contains this library since OII orientation. The building is quite ugly:
Job Hunting:
Google: I attended a Google marketing workshop on Monday. They organized a competition and gave us ridiculous products to create marketing strategies for using Google products like AdWords.
McKinsey: McKinsey brought me into London on Tuesday afternoon after class to take their Problem Solving Test. It was one hour long and had 26 questions - no calculators allowed. They won't tell me which office I'm being considered for unless I make it to the next round, but I requested London, NYC, or DC. I got to London about 2 hours before it and stayed for about 3 more hours afterwards so I could explore. London will get its own post.
Formal Halls:
I could not go to St. Cross hall this week because I was in London. The theme was Thanksgiving Hall.
On Wednesday, I was invited to MCR Guest Night at St. Hilda's College. MCR stands for Middle Common Room (grad students) -- JCR (junior) is for undergrads, and SCR (senior) is for academics. The theme of this dinner was Bollywood, and many people dressed to the theme. The food was Indian, of course, and the appetizers and entrees were served family style.
After dinner, everybody went to the Cape of Good Hope, a pub a few blocks away. The MCR rented out the top floor, decorated it, and played Bollywood music. Another Indian dessert was served - a pistachio bar with a fudge-type texture.
Check out these cool Bollywood videos: this one was filmed at Oxford, and this one was filmed in Radcliffe Square, at the Bridge of Sighs, and in London.
Thanksgiving:
I celebrated Thanksgiving with a group of my American classmates (plus a Canadian). There were about ten of us, including 2 of the host's European housemates. We all contributed to the meal, which included turkey/stuffing/gravy/cranberry sauce, lentil soup, carrots, mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cookies, carrot cake, and Madeleine cakes. The desserts were store-bought, but everything else was home-cooked. In typical Thanksgiving fashion, the meal was served around 4:30.
I made sweet potatoes with marshmallows. I prepared the mash at my place and brought it over in tupperware on my bike to finish cooking at the host's house. My hallway ended up smelling like sweet potatoes after microwaving 2 bags of the stuff. The first grocery store I went to was out of marshmallows, and the only ones at the next store were overpriced small pink and white ones (meant for things like decorating cupcakes). So yes, I picked the colors apart. The Europeans were totally confused as to why there were marshmallows on the sweet potatoes, and some of the Americans had never seen this either.
Founder's Feast:
Friday night was Founder's Feast, a fancy dinner that celebrates the founding of St. Cross College. The dress code was black tie and our academic gowns.
The feast started with champagne in the common room and checking out the seating chart for dinner. The other OIIers and I requested to sit with each other, but I also ended up across from a friend from South Africa and next to another guy from Canada whom I had recently met.
Christ Church Regatta:
The ChCh Regatta is held annually during Michaelmas term for novice rowers. Races are held from Wednesday - Saturday. Many of my male classmates rowed this term, and one would show up to class in all his spandex rowing gear. I didn't get around to going until Saturday, so I saw the final women's and men's race. I ran into one of my rower friends who had been helping out with that day's races, and he said the environment was much better back when more colleges were still in the competition, and there were way more people around.
Christmas Season:
Sunday evening I attended the service of lessons and carols for Advent and Christmas at the Balliol College Chapel. The college chapel choir was lovely, and the acoustics of the chapel gave the songs a nice feel. There were some carols I had never heard of and some classics like "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" and "The First Noel" (which the Brits spell 'Nowell').
After the service, we went for dinner in the Balliol hall. It was my first time being there when the master of the college enters. As the master and the rest of the people sitting at the high table (for members of the SCR and their guests) entered, all the students started banging on the tables and making noise with silverware until the master was seated.
Topics of the week: case studies // statistical controls, the elaboration model, partial tables and partial coefficients // the internet and politics in China // digital copyright
We have to give group presentations for Social Dynamics, and I signed up to present this week. My topic for our presentation was media and censorship in China.
We also had a session to discuss our final papers for Methods and the final exams for Social Dynamics.
I used a book in print form for the first time this term! It was also my first time in the Social Science library, which I discovered is great because 1) sometimes you just want institutional lighting, 2) it's open until 6 on Saturdays and Sundays (the other university libraries, if open, close earlier), and 3) you can openly have a water bottle with you.
 |
| The SSL has a lot of purple accents. |
Job Hunting:
Google: I attended a Google marketing workshop on Monday. They organized a competition and gave us ridiculous products to create marketing strategies for using Google products like AdWords.
McKinsey: McKinsey brought me into London on Tuesday afternoon after class to take their Problem Solving Test. It was one hour long and had 26 questions - no calculators allowed. They won't tell me which office I'm being considered for unless I make it to the next round, but I requested London, NYC, or DC. I got to London about 2 hours before it and stayed for about 3 more hours afterwards so I could explore. London will get its own post.
 |
| Parliament |
I could not go to St. Cross hall this week because I was in London. The theme was Thanksgiving Hall.
On Wednesday, I was invited to MCR Guest Night at St. Hilda's College. MCR stands for Middle Common Room (grad students) -- JCR (junior) is for undergrads, and SCR (senior) is for academics. The theme of this dinner was Bollywood, and many people dressed to the theme. The food was Indian, of course, and the appetizers and entrees were served family style.
 |
| St. Hilda's hall after dinner |
Check out these cool Bollywood videos: this one was filmed at Oxford, and this one was filmed in Radcliffe Square, at the Bridge of Sighs, and in London.
Thanksgiving:
I celebrated Thanksgiving with a group of my American classmates (plus a Canadian). There were about ten of us, including 2 of the host's European housemates. We all contributed to the meal, which included turkey/stuffing/gravy/cranberry sauce, lentil soup, carrots, mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cookies, carrot cake, and Madeleine cakes. The desserts were store-bought, but everything else was home-cooked. In typical Thanksgiving fashion, the meal was served around 4:30.
I made sweet potatoes with marshmallows. I prepared the mash at my place and brought it over in tupperware on my bike to finish cooking at the host's house. My hallway ended up smelling like sweet potatoes after microwaving 2 bags of the stuff. The first grocery store I went to was out of marshmallows, and the only ones at the next store were overpriced small pink and white ones (meant for things like decorating cupcakes). So yes, I picked the colors apart. The Europeans were totally confused as to why there were marshmallows on the sweet potatoes, and some of the Americans had never seen this either.
Founder's Feast:
Friday night was Founder's Feast, a fancy dinner that celebrates the founding of St. Cross College. The dress code was black tie and our academic gowns.
 |
| OIIers in St. Cross |
 |
| I have a little card that says 'vegetarian' |
At each seat there was a paper detailing the menu and wine pairings.
They weren't kidding when they said Dessert and Cheese. We all got our own mini cheese plate (and by dessert, they meant fruit platters to share).
The feast ended with coffee and petit fours in the common room, and then everybody moved downstairs to hang out in the college bar.
 |
| The robes do look a bit silly over our dresses |
There was an after party about 1 mile away, and since I live on the main site, I went upstairs to change into a short dress and flats before heading over. There was no way I was walking there in a long dress and heels if I could avoid it. I think this was the second house party I've attended in Oxford, and I managed to have a Georgetown-Syracuse basketball conversation with a French kid who studied abroad at 'Cuse. I think this was also the latest I've been out in Oxford - we left the party around 3am. I stayed in and went to bed at midnight the next day.
Christmas Season:
Sunday evening I attended the service of lessons and carols for Advent and Christmas at the Balliol College Chapel. The college chapel choir was lovely, and the acoustics of the chapel gave the songs a nice feel. There were some carols I had never heard of and some classics like "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" and "The First Noel" (which the Brits spell 'Nowell').
 |
| Balliol College Chapel |
 |
| The table along the back is the High Table |
No comments:
Post a Comment