Hogwarts, Of Sorts

Today was our trip to Oxford University!  So yes, I've been to Hogwarts.  Or, at least the bits of Hogwarts that were filmed on the "campus".  I air-quote "campus" because Oxford is actually composed of 400-plus colleges that are independent microcosms of the university.  They don't really have a campus (like NYU...duh), but there are some more surprising things about the English university system.  For example, at Oxford, they follow the tutorial way of teaching, which means each student is taught by essentially his or her own professor.  Imagine being in a room, alone, with John Halpin learning General Chemistry, instead of sitting in a room of 600!  Then, the tour guide (a retired lecturer herself) told us about the dormitory situation.  (Sounds just like Harry Potter!!)  Undergrads live in a quad and in a staircase (I guess equivalent to Gryffindor Tower, perhaps?) with their tutors (heads of houses?) and scouts/servants (house elves!  The parallels go on and on).  Then, there's the thing about Oxford students.  Apparently, they are genii, but also a bit mad; Oxford has a really high suicide rate, and apparently they have stupid accidents too where students decide to fling themselves in catapults or climb up domes with grappling hooks....  

Some days, I wonder what my life would be like if I went to a university with an actual quad, minus the suicides and idiotic stunts, of course.  Likely, my sister (if you're reading this, SHOUT OUT!  I miss you!  Thinking of you always.) will attend some small liberal arts college with quads and such.  I will have to live vicariously through her, but pray that she won't climb in a catapult.

Good evening from London ♥