Kaylee Liu
Features Editor
So tell us about yourself.
I’m Brendan Dufty ’22, a math-philosophy double major, writing tutor and Resident Assistant from Northern Vermont.
How’d you end up majoring in math and philosophy?
I took a philosophy class my junior year of high school and it was really enjoyable. For math, I’ve always been conceptually good at it but mechanically struggled. I did take a bunch of advanced math classes so I was able to start on multivariate calculus and I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to like this, but I’ll start here.’ After taking some philosophy classes, I knew this was something I both enjoyed and was partially successful at. After taking transitions to advanced mathematics, I thought, ‘Man, I really like this whole proofs thing, so maybe I should major in it.’ I thought I was going to be a philosophy major and an English minor when I started, but at the end of sophomore year, I realized, ‘This math thing is pretty great,’ so I became a philosophy-math double major.
I hear you’re studying abroad right now. Care to elaborate?
So I was supposed to spend this whole year abroad. In November, I learned I wouldn’t be able to go to England, which wasn’t a surprise. As I was planning over break, I realized I was not confident that Wooster would have consistent in-person classes. However, if I was able to make it through a semester of in-person classes at Wooster, I would be disappointed that I wasn’t taking Oxford courses.
But I also knew that I wanted to be somewhere in person so I could see friends and wouldn’t be cooped up in my house. So I talked to the administration and I managed to get this weird, hybrid thing where I’m living at Wooster and doing all my normal Wooster things like being an RA but also doing my Oxford courses online. So in terms of my abroad experience, it’s just the classes, which is the reason I applied to Oxford anyway and it’s certainly a lot of pressure. I’m having to take both Oxford and Wooster courses due to some scheduling issues I didn’t foresee happening. I also have to take Junior I.S. this semester. And since the Oxford courses are meant to be a full-time commitment, adding any additional time is stressful. But they’re unbelievably engaging, immensely intellectually challenging and fulfilling since there’s a high expectation of buy-in from both the professors and the high work ethic. I’m taking a philosophy course on logic and language which has been incredibly interesting but the expectation is that I read a hundred or so pages of philosophy each week and that I write an essay, which is a lot — at least for me,—especially on top of my work at Wooster. And that’s not including my math class at Oxford. But all things considered and the state of the world, I get a lot of people telling me that I must be bummed not getting to go to Oxford, and of course, I wish I was there too. I’ve heard so many great things about the campus — but also I’m very happy where I am. I’m taking all these unbelievable classes and I’ve managed to work out this solution where I still get to see my friends, go outside, be active, and take courses that I’ve been given a very unique opportunity to take. So while certainly my abroad plans have been disrupted, I’m really happy with how I’ve managed to figure things out, and I’m enjoying the experience.
I’m sure it’s been disappointing. Do you feel like you’re still getting the full academic benefits of your program?
I don’t think I’m getting the full academic experience just because I’m not really interacting with other Oxford students. I’ve found it a lot more difficult to join Oxford programs. I’ve been invited to reading groups and it’s been very hard to make time for those given everything that’s going on. But I would definitely be willing to say that I’ve had as full an Oxford experience as it’s realistic to expect given the circumstances.
What’s your favorite thing about the experience?
Honestly, in a weird way, it’s the high level of expectations and stress that I’m under. I feel far more energized than I normally do for classes just simply because I know that there’s a high expectation of work every day because I can’t take days off. That constant level of pressure and energy makes every day feel fuller. I’m way less sedentary because I have to be consistently doing work. It’s also incredibly fun to be constantly thinking thoughts like “Do I understand this? What are my thoughts on this? How do I synthesize this? How do I write my own paper?” and that sort of thing.
Do you have any free time anymore? ?
I definitely have significantly less free time than usual. I’m taking two courses at Wooster, two courses at Oxford, and I’m working two jobs — I’m certainly very busy. I definitely have free time but often that free time is connected with my work, where I’ll read five pages of a philosophy paper and then I’ll watch a TV show for 20 minutes, then I’ll read five more pages. My hobbies have fallen by the wayside. I read a lot last year and I wanted to continue that trend this year but I definitely haven’t been able to read as much, which has been a bummer for me. Last year I was reading 10 or 12 books a month, and this month I’ve read two. But with a consistent work schedule, I’ve managed. I definitely have less free time for other people this semester because the time I have to take breaks is so linked to doing work.
What motivated you to apply to the program in the first place?
There was someone who graduated last year named Pedro who did his semester abroad. He recommended Oxford as a program I would really like. I looked into how the program worked and talked to him about it then talked to one of the philosophy professors, Garrett Thomson, who had attended Oxford. The teaching style at Oxford, which is the tutorial system in which the student does a lot of work on their own, and then they meet with a professor where they talk through everything seemed appealing to me. The high expectations of learning and the opportunity for asking questions seemed like a perfect system for my style of learning.
I know Oxford has many different colleges. Which college are you at right now?
I applied to two colleges — Hertford and Worchester (pronounced Wooster, but spelled in the way people expect it to be spelled). So I’m attending the College of Worchester at Oxford from the College of Wooster in Ohio.
For students who might want to apply in the future, what’s your advice?
If you’re applying to Oxford, make sure that the specific academic experience of Oxford is one you’re interested in, since I could definitely see even motivated students not particularly enjoying the tutorial system since there’s a lot of having to struggle through things on your own. So far I’ve found it’s somewhat difficult to get consistent answers from professors if you’re confused about something. It’s a lot of trying your best and then having to talk to them. Making sure that’s something you would enjoy is important. As for study abroad in general, if you have friends who have studied abroad, ask them what they liked about their program. There’s a bunch of ways to search in GEO (the Global Engagement Office) for interesting programs. I was able to go to GEO and tell them I really wanted to go to Oxford and they were able to make that happen. If you have something that really appeals to you — not just because it looks fun, but because it looks really interesting to you and you really care about it — feel free to look outside what our College specifically recommends. If you can find a program that’s really important to you and seems legitimate, GEO might be able to help you with that, but I make no guarantees. I would also really recommend trying to have a study abroad program in mind. I know it’s hard to think of that when we’re in the middle of a global pandemic and no one has been able to travel for close to a year now, but even living here at Wooster and taking courses online has been an immense pleasure and I would recommend it for everyone.
That sounds like great advice. I really hope some of our readership will think of that as a possible option. Finally, is there a fun fact you’d like to share?
If you like fantasy or you’re interested in fiction that talks about both family and the way that society can oppress and stereotype minorities, there’s a trilogy by N.K. Jemisin — a novelist I would recommend across the board — called the Broken Earth series. It’s an award-winning futuristic fantasy novel that’s amazing. It’s written in an unusual style but I really loved it.