by John "Jack" Winton Butler '09

On June 30, seven Hampden-Sydney men, James Hoffman '10, Joe Stiles '10, Richard Rake '09, Zack Cambell '10, Tim Fisher '11, Parker McConnel '09, and I arrived in Oxford, England, for six weeks of study at St. Anne’s College with the Virginia Program at Oxford. We were accompanied by groups of students from surrounding Virginia Colleges including Sweet Briar, Washington & Lee, Virginia Military Institute, and Roanoke College.  I arrived slightly anxious, given that it was the first time I had ever been out of the country and not knowing what to expect.

Although England is practically America’s sister country, the cultural and environmental differences are vast and were immediately evident to me.  The streets are narrower, the cars smaller, and they drive on the opposite side of the road.  Within a week I could easily differentiate between other Americans and the English.  Bright colored shirts, khakis, or shorts were immediate indications that they were American.  One Brit even asked my friend, David Reid '09, who was also in England at the time, “Hey, where did you find those short trousers?”

The students in the Virginia Program were split up and housed in small brick cottages on campus in single rooms, complete with a Scout who made your bed every other morning and tidied up your room.  The day after moving into our rooms, we went as a group to the Bodleian Library (left) to sign the Library’s pledge and to receive our library access card.  We listened to the librarian, draped in a black gown, who informed us that we must vow to never steal, burn, or sabotage the books or the library in any way.  After we signed the pledge, we were granted access to all parts of the library which included over eight million items on 117 miles of shelving.

During the program we studied under the Oxford tutorial system, which is very different from the American collegiate system. In this system students are split into groups of two or three and then paired with one English and one history professor for their weekly tutorial. We were assigned to write one five- to seven- page paper each week alternating between English and History. On Friday, you present your paper to your group and professor.  The tutorial system was slightly intimidating at first, but I was able to adjust fairly quickly. Monday through Thursday, we attended lectures on topics relating to British history and literature by some of the most renowned and respected experts in their field. After the lectures, students are invited to further discuss the topics with the lecturer over tea.  Studying under the tutorial system was a new challenge, but very intellectually rewarding.

Although I spent much of my time writing papers and preparing for tutorials, the program allowed enough time to go out and to explore the city and some of the rest of England.  On the first weekend, the program paid for all of the students to take a trip to visit Hampton Court outside of London.  We also attended, as a group, Midsummer’s Night’s Dream at the Globe Theatre in London as well as The Taming of the Shrew and Hamlet in Stratford-upon Avon.  There was a  four-day weekend in the middle of the semester.  Most students took advantage of this to travel.  Some decided to venture to places like Amsterdam, Paris, Ireland, and Rome.  However, my buddy James Hoffman (left) and I decided to stay in England and to attend the British Open at the Royal Birkdale Country Club in Southport, England.  I was glad we did because the play and weather on the final day was superb as were the fresh fish and chips we ate for lunch.

During weekdays and nights when we got tired of studying, there were countless things to do in the city of Oxford.  There are over 50 historic pubs in Oxford.  One of the most famous is the Eagle and Child, down the street from St. Anne’s, which is home to the place where Tolkien and J.K. Rowling frequently met to discuss their books.  The pub experience is something completely different than any bar I have been to in the states.  The beer, served at room temperature, tastes better and may be consumed outside on the street.  The pubs are all extremely old and each one has a unique and interesting history.  They are scattered throughout Oxford, and some real gems are found off the beaten path down and around dark corners of the cobblestone alley ways.

Studying at Oxford was one of the most memorable experiences I have had while at Hampden-Sydney. I was able to study at the most historic and renowned university in the world with the top scholars in their field. The tutorial system improved my ability to read through a vast amount of information and to make sense of it all. It improved both my oratorical and writing skills. I strongly recommend the Virginia Program at Oxford to any student at Hampden-Sydney who wants to go abroad, but does not want to be in an environment that is completely foreign and different. The program was very challenging for me, but I had a lot of fun at the same time. If there was one piece of advice I would give to students going to Oxford, it would be to bring your own ranch dressing. Not only do they not know what it is, it can’t even be bought at the market.