Matriculation!

And we matriculated last weekend!

Students become official members of the university at the matriculation ceremony.

Afternoon 1pm! Nostalgic undergrad days...

Mood was jubilant all around the town with hundreds of fresher students on the street donning the gowns.

Famous words from our Vice Chancellor in the solemn and quite hall (except for few coughing students) where the ceremony was being held:
"...you are continuing the tradition of many who have come before you, many who have coughed in the same way..."

He might have shared few other jokes, but I missed those, as part of the speech was in Latin!

Until 100yrs ago, there used to be a Latin test, mandatory for admission into the university. 'am I glad they discontinued with that practice!

Easy there...

Tried out rowing for the first time!

A great sport, and a wonderful experience actually getting into the isis and rowing in a team.

Good thing that I had met the team's cox before as he was kind enough to give a personal guidance on the techniques. Once on the river, it is easy to panic and lose rhythm with the other guys.

Learnt also that the people who are sitting on the boat and not rowing actually have a big role to play in keeping the boat balanced. "Easy there" was the cue from the cox for us to stop doing anything and try balance the boat!

I guess same concept applies to business, many people contribute by not doing anything ;)

Isis river, near the longbridge boat house. It was drizzling, and chilly, but we forgot about weather once the rowing started and the captain started shouting instructions

Like other sports, there are lot of terminologies here... bow and stroke sides, catch and drive, blades, riggers, wingnuts etc. "Hold it" is a signal that you have to keep your blade vertical in the water in order to brake, and "Feathering your blade" is keeping it parallel to water.

The classes are running in full-swing.

In addition to syllabus, everyday is some new learning...

For instance, did you know that Gillette spent 750mm$ in R&D costs of it's 3-blade razor (when it's 2-blade razor was already a success in the market), followed by ~1bb$ (this one is market estimate) for it's fusion series of razors!!

Does make one think whether it was innovation or mismanagement ;)

Was it only yesterday!

Feels like it!!

The classes started this week and it took off like a jet does from an aircraft carrier.

Weekend is here, where most of saturday is already dedicated to matriculation ceremony (unique about this place are these traditions, we dress up in robes and go in a procession of our respective colleges to get matriculated -- get official membership in the University.)

And then before Sunday need to wrap up a Marketing case study and catch up on a bunch of pre-reading for the coming week. After a macabre Friday, was it advisable to wine and dine with a group of social-anthropologists, development DPhil students? But that is Oxford, bask in those moments, float with the tides, then swim against them, get stronger! At least that's what I feel for now.

Adding to the "floating with the tides", 'attended Oxford university Japan society, played ping pong with some university champs, and attended the A-Z BOP (bop is a party with varying themes, heard it is short for "Big Open Party" -- one of those parties which is open to other college students.)

There is a huge checklist to be covered though! Some pictures from around...

Radcliffe Observatory, Tower of the winds. In Green Templeton College.

Stairs inside of Radcliffe Observatory

chess in the lawn of the college

 All souls college

Saïd Business School

The Bodleian library is one of the only 7 libraries entitled to receive a copy of every book published in UK. 7 million volumes in 110miles of shelving!
They don't lend, even King Charles l was refused permission to borrow a book!

It recently ran out of space!! We definitely are living in fast & changing times :)

Well, more as it happens... few light moments from the classes in first week:

A successful social entrepreneur quoting on humility:

"You can sit in the loftiest throne in the world,

but you are still sitting in your own rump!"

A professor:

"Insider trading like adultry, is a sin, not a crime;

condemned only by people who can't participate"

Fellow student:

"Economics is study of... irrational assumptions by rational people"

Tomorrow we don our dark suits, white bows, the sub-fuscs, the mortar-hats, and walk the 800 year old streets to get matriculated. When the big wooden doors shut, and while the tourists stand outside marveling on the proceedings inside, the cohort take their oaths...