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Fun Trivia: U : UK Universities

Special Sub-Topic: Oxford University


Which of these isn't an Oxford college?

    King's. Oxford and Cambridge both have colleges with the above names except for King's; there is no King's College in Oxford, only Cambridge.

Slightly harder now - when was New College actually founded?
    1379. Don't be misled by its name - New College is in fact one of the university's oldest colleges.

Which of these Oxford colleges has a famous deer park?
    Magdalen. Other Magdalen feaures include the singing of madrigals from the college tower on May the first... at dawn!

If you were standing on Catte Street, which college would you be looking at?
    Hertford. Hertford's landmarks include the famous 'Bridge of Sighs'. Also to be found on Catte Street is the old part of the Bodleian Library.

Occasionally described in nearby giant Christ Church as 'the coalshed', which of these is the smallest college in Oxford?
    Corpus Christi. Corpus Christi is a tiny college just south of the High Street.

Unique to Oxford University, what is 'sub fusc'?
    academic dress. Sub fusc is the university's official academic clothing, worn for matriculation, graduation and all examinations. Men wear a black suit with a white shirt, bow tie and the appropriate gown. Women wear black skirts and tights, a white shirt, a black ribbon around their necks plus their gowns.

Priscilla is about to apply to Oxford University to take an undergraduate degree. Which of these colleges can't she put down on her application form?
    All Souls. All Souls is one of the most exclusive academic communities in the world, being a research college that admits no undergraduate members.

In 1998, Archibald was about to apply to Oxford University to take a graduate degree. Which of these colleges could he not put down on his application form?
    St Hilda's. St Hilda's was the only Oxford college to admit women exclusively, so Archibald couldn't apply there.

Another bit of Oxford lingo for you: if you saw a 'scout' crossing the quad, what would you be looking at?
    a college cleaner. Scouts are the wonderful people who clean undergraduate rooms and empty their bins each day.

What is the name of the huge bookshop associated with Oxford?
    Blackwell & Blackwells & Blackwell's. Blackwells is spread along Broad Street, with several separate shops for different categories including music, art and childrens' books.

What is the motto of Oxford University, found on the University Arms?
    Dominus illuminatio mea. The motto asks for God's enlightenment!

And what is the main colour on the heraldic arms?
    dark blue. The background of the arms is dark blue (the Oxford colour - Cambridge is light blue), behind the book with 'Dominus illuminatio mea' written on it.

As an undergraduate at Oxford you can be a scholar if you do well in exams. What are you if you aren't a scholar?
    a commoner. Commoners and scholars are separated in appearance by their gowns; scholars wear a longer garment with a gathered yoke and billowing sleeves. Commoners wear a shorter gown with tassels that looks more like a waistcoat.

'Henrietta has just completed a doctorate at Oxford University and has received a certificate stating she has a PhD!' Is this statement true or false?
    f. Oxford University doesn't give out PhDs to its students, it gives out DPhils. It just has to be different.

Which university was founded by Oxford scholars fleeing one of the 'Town versus Gown' riots that erupted in Oxford in the thirteenth century?
    Cambridge. The University of Cambridge was actually founded by Oxford men. They were trying to get away from the infamous 'Town and Gown' riots, the first of which took place in 1209.


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