Oxford students complain of having too many essays

‘At that point, you are very much an essay machine’


Complaints from students mean Oxford University may be cracking down on colleges that have a lot of essays. 

Uneven workload complaints were submitted to a members of a review team holding an external check on standards.

Some undergraduates are expected to submit three essays per week, while others only have one.

The review advised the university to publish explicit guidance for students such as expectations for the amount of work and number of contact hours.

A team from the independent Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education found that tutorial essays did not help students develop skills for exams. While students were generally optimistic about essays and support, they protested about a “difference in the workload patterns of students on the same programme in different colleges.”

Oxford SU Officer Cat Jones told Times Higher Education Magazine: “There are instances where students are set three essays in one week; at those levels, that’s clearly at the detriment of rigour, welfare and pedagogy.

“At that point, you are very much an essay machine; you are meeting deadlines rather than having time to learn and to reflect on what you are meant to be learning.”

The University of Oxford said: “We are already at work on the report’s three recommendations, including the provision of more information about the teaching patterns students can expect on each course.

“The QAA commends Oxford on the quality of its student representation on educational matters and we will use these strong links to discuss and respond to workload concerns.”