A Day in Oxford

Last Friday, we took a day trip to Oxford University. It was an absolutely amazing university. Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. It has no clear date of foundation, but there is evidence of teaching in some form at Oxford as early as 1096. The university developed rapidly after Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Oxford in 1167. I can't believe I got to visit a university with such a rich history. The University of Oxford is considered a city university, so it doesn't really have a main campus. Instead, all the buildings and facilities are scattered throughout the city of Oxford, creating such a unique atmosphere. I loved that although it was spread out, most everything was still within walking distance and easily accessible. We got to visit Christ Church College which serves as a college chapel and a cathedral. We went into the dining hall, which is where they got the inspiration for the dining hall that is used in the Harry Potter movies. It was so cool! The architecture and the structure of this building were just breath taking to me. And the courtyard in the middle of the building was gorgeous. There were living quarters around the quarters and I could only think about how lucky those students are to live on such a beautiful campus. After we visited Christ Church College, we took a walking tour of some of the other buildings throughout the campus. While we were walking, we passed by some girls who were covered in flour and confetti and various other things and were also carrying and drinking bottles of champagne. I didn't know what was going on, but our tour guide explained to us that they had just finished their exams and were celebrating. I thought it was so cool to see students today still attending this university after so many years. After visiting the University of Oxford, it is easy to see how so many famous writers and poets got inspiration and confidence from their years in college there. I will never forget my visit to this university where people such as Tolkien and C.S. Lewis began their years as writers and went on to become so well known.