Hearing the word “Oxford” is prestige at its finest. Oxford University isn’t the Harvard of England, no, Harvard is the Oxford of America. Oxford University is probably one of the most prestigious universities in the world and a lot like our wonderful State College, the town surrounds the university.
Now, here’s an interesting fact about Oxford I didn’t even know. When someone asks you where you went to college, you wouldn’t say, “I went to Oxford;” you would say what specific college you went to, for example, “I went to Christ Church College.” People would know right away you went to Oxford. See, Oxford is comprised of 38 colleges so there’s a reason why you would say what specific college you would go to. And, you would go to that specific college if it had a reputation for what you’re studying or if your family all went there. That’s just a bit of history.
I took a tour of Christ Church College when I arrived and eventually saw the famed hall. The stairs were used when students would first enter Hogwarts in the Harry Potter school, and although the dining hall wasn’t used in filming, the Harry Potter movies made an exact replica of Christ Church’s dining hall for the movies (see the pictures below for proof).
We also saw the Turf Tavern, a pub that many famous people have wandered into, like Ben Kingsley and Elizabeth Taylor and even CS Lewis. And we also saw the inspirations for the Lewis Carroll classic “Alice in Wonderland.” Actually, Wonderland had it’s inspirations from Oxford. Carroll took quite in interest in the Dean’s daughter, Alice Liddell and inspired the character of Alice from her. The Cheshire Cat in the tree was because a tree outside Christ Church College was where the Dean’s cat would hang out many of times. There was a souvenir shop right across the street from the visitor entrance of Christ Church for enthusiasts to grab their Alice gear.
Overall, the town was beautiful and quaint. It’s rich in history and thrives on tradition. It’s also a place of vast knowledge and cobblestone streets. It is a working university town and reminded me of a much older version of State College. It did make me a little bit homesick because it was just like being back at Dear Old State, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Europe in general is rich in history, and that’s why later this week I am traveling to Rome. I’m definitely excited- history was practically invented in Rome. Final thoughts of Oxford: Wow, going here would be crazy- but I would never trade Penn State for this… well… maybe. No… I think I’ll stick with Penn State.
Me in front of Christ Church College
The quad inside Christ Church. In the center is a fountain.
Photo above is of the Turf Tavern, where our tour guide told us Bill Clinton “didn’t inhale.” Lots of famous people entered there for a drink. Below is the dining hall in Christ Church. The inspiration for the dining hall in the Harry Potter movies.
Alice in Wonderland souvenir shop
Location: Oxford, England