Oh dear, what an offensive article. I think it does have some relatively worthwhile points buried deep in there but sadly they are lost in the self-indulgence and the self-justification.
I wasn't massively happy during my undergrad years myself but mainly because I was doing a lot of growing up in a very short space of time, and - on account of being somewhat messed up on my own account - not really have the mechanisms to cope with it. I think most people going to university are like this to a lesser or greater extent, I think it's partly what university at that age is for (whatever university that happens to be): providing a space in which you can shape yourself.
And, so, you take a bunch of highly strung, very intelligent people who have thus far coasted through life and put them all together in one, rather demanding place - yes, they're not going to cope especially well but you can't blame Oxford itself for that and, actually, as you say the scope and depth of pastoral care available is excellent.
The pace of learning, and the pressure, is - as she says - a bit intense ... but she doesn't really address those issues, whic I think require addressing.
I wasn't massively happy during my undergrad years myself but mainly because I was doing a lot of growing up in a very short space of time, and - on account of being somewhat messed up on my own account - not really have the mechanisms to cope with it. I think most people going to university are like this to a lesser or greater extent, I think it's partly what university at that age is for (whatever university that happens to be): providing a space in which you can shape yourself.
And, so, you take a bunch of highly strung, very intelligent people who have thus far coasted through life and put them all together in one, rather demanding place - yes, they're not going to cope especially well but you can't blame Oxford itself for that and, actually, as you say the scope and depth of pastoral care available is excellent.
The pace of learning, and the pressure, is - as she says - a bit intense ... but she doesn't really address those issues, whic I think require addressing.
But God what an annoying article!
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