If you are considering applying to the Oxford MBA program but are intimidated about surviving the year with a family, fear not!  It turns out that Oxford is a fantastic place to raise a family AND learn a little about business at the same time (probably even have a little fun too).  There are several reasons I am convinced that this is the best business school in the world for parents to study at:

• The 1 year MBA:  Lets face it… you have a family to support and taking two years to study for an MBA is just not practical.
• The Students:  The average age at SBS is a few years older than most other b-schools.  While there are still probably only another dozen or so students with children, there is definitely a sense of maturity amongst the rest of the class.  I get the impression that people are genuinely interested in how we’re doing and have always been accommodating when working out team schedules.
• The School:  From day 1 the School has made a point to include families in almost every major event.  With even the first hint of a conflict due to a family obligation, the staff has always bent over backwards to work out a resolution.
• The city:  While Oxford is an hour train ride to the city, there is really no reason to head into London unless you are up for some sightseeing.  Oxford has anything a young family could possibly want – parks, libraries, walking trails, playgrounds, beautiful architecture, you name it.  You get all this and don’t have to worry about the noise and crowds of a big city… what more could you ask for
• Europe:  Living only an hour from the airport makes our 3 week breaks all the more enjoyable.  The cultural and educational opportunities of living in Europe cannot be matched in North America.

I would go on but I have my monthly appointment at the pub with the “Old Men and Daddies Club.”

sub fusc - of a dark/dusky colour, refers to the clothes worn with full academic dress in Oxford. Generally, this means, for men: a gown, cap, and white bow tie (for men) or black ribbon (for women).

matriculation in Oxford - one of the many occasions to dress up in “sub fusc” and parade through the streets to to entertain the tourists!

This weekend was the formal matriculation ceremony and one of the many old traditions that are only really done at Oxford and that other lesser known British University to the North of here.  Back in the old days, students were required to sit for an intensive exam in Latin to prove that they were worthy of being admitted to the University.  Luckily, that tradition has been retired, but all students are still required to “matriculate.”  Starting at about 8am, each college marched down the High Street, past Radcliffe Camera, and up to the Sheldonian where all of the freshers were presented to the Vice Chancellor.  The details of what happened next are highly secretive and I could tell you, but then I’d have to, well you know…

I am really a member of 3 entities here:
1.  Saïd Business School - I have all of my classes here.  They teach the MBA programme and are responsible for everything related to teaching and supporting our learning.
2.  University of Oxford - The University as a whole basically just watches over everyone.  They review the departments (including the Saïd business school) to make sure the programs being taught are the best in the world.  They also oversee anything related to grading.  For instance, they proctor our final exams and make sure we are dressed in the traditional sub fusc (tux with white tie for men with a cap and gown) for all University events, deal with disciplinary stuff, etc.
3.  Oriel College - Every MBA student applies separately to a college after they are accepted to SBS.  I got into Oriel, one of the older and  prettiest colleges (I may of course be biased).   The college is responsible for housing of most students – basically dorms (we chose to get private accommodation instead), social events, sports teams, and most importantly, they are the ones who give us a degree when/if we graduate!

This week I had induction and introductory events at the Business School.  It was mainly “meet and greet” today and a chance to learn more about the year to come and meet as many classmates as possible.  I was blown away by our group…… not as much by their backgrounds which were impressive themselves, but more that everyone was so welcoming and excited to meet new people.  I think it may be the fact that 95% of us come from countries outside the UK and need to find new friends quick, but either way I already feel a sense of camaraderie building in the group.  I can already tell I will have a lot of new friends at the end of the program.  So far I’ve met a handful of bankers, a few entrepreneurs, consultants, accountants, LOTS of social entrepreneurs/charity workers, and a professional football player from the Canadian football league (Canada has American football?) to name a few.  Our group has 240 students from 48 different countries.  Most people have heard of Kansas but don’t know much about it – amazingly I have only had one Wizard of Oz reference and nobody has said “You’re not in KS anymore.”

SBS also hosted a family luncheon this week.  It was a great chance to finally meet everyone’s spouses and children.  The SBS wive’s club have already claimed the name “Ladies of Leisure,” and have begun planning outings around Oxford and more importantly, trips to IKEA to make our new accommodations feel a bit more like home.  Hosting the event was a really nice touch to end off the week.  I think most of us will sleep better at night knowing that our loved ones are enjoying their time here as much as we are.