The morning journal-courier., 1908-03-02

system, as a man is thus developed through all stages of training, and is also veteran of several races by the time he makes his first eight, which gives confidence as well as skill and strength.
 The educational method is another great difference. There are no class es, no recitations, no prescribed amount of work to be done. Each student has a tutor, who sees him once in a while, sometimes as often
 as once a week, and advises him as
 to his work. The student may do it,
 or may not, as he wishes. I know
 men in our own body who have not
 been to see a tutor in over year. The terms of Oxford are of but eight weeks so that most of the students do little
 work here, but study as hard as pos sible in vacation times. Just as long
 as the students bills are paid he may study, or may not. At the end of a
 certain time, in our ease two years, he may take his degree if he can; at
 the end of another stated time he
 must take it if he can. This is the only
 rule which governs the amount of study, each man being left to his own discretion in the matter. There are
 no reports sent home, in fact no
 marks of any kind. and each man
 must work out his own salvation NThe change in the social life is the rl,;a off n ;,, first terms The variety of pleasures and relaxations which are to be found
 at home is entirely lacking here. Each day is the same as the one be-
 fore, with the exception of an occa- sional visit to the theater. or an invi- tation to dinner. Fortunately the
 terms are short; it is rather monoton- ous as it is. Our main diversions are
 our athletics and the socials gather ings at breakfast and tea, and l often think that it is rather poor substitute i for the happy life at home. The Eng fish students of course, go home in
 their vacations, and get their social l life there, but we are denied that ] chance, and miss if rather keenly. I i don't believe the students in our own colleges can realize the enormous ad
 vantages that they have in this re- l spect.
 These are the main points which I can make in d short letter. Books [ might be written, and have been, on ] the differences and relative merits of l the English and American colleges. ] All the little differences in manners, l in speech, in dress, in outlook upon l life in class distinction which con i tribute greatly to form our opinions.
 can only be felt and appreciated by
 those who have been over here them 1 selves.
 The question of the benefit to be l derived from a Rhodes scholarship
 seems to me to be rather a matter of i the individual than of the class. Ger
 tain great advantages are ours, and 1 certain accompanying disadvantages.
 The opportunity for travel for the ac- l quistion of a broader outlook upon 1 people and affairs, is the one great | advantage in my estimation. I do not 1 believe that the grade of instruction
 at Oxford Is higher than in American l institutions and, in fact, in some
 branches not nearly so high. And i there are special temptations which l go with the easy nature of the life and
 with the necessarily free expenditure
 of money which make the scholarship not an unmiXed blessing In conclu- 1 sion l may say that 1t seems the gen
 eral impression among all Americans
 who have seen the system, that the Rhodes scholars from America have 1 benefited Oxford fully as much as OK i ford has benefited them--and I be- 1 lieve this was what decided Cecil
 Rhodes to award the scholarship to
 Americans, rather than any particular l idea of beneflting America.
 I trust that this short account of
 our life here, and few of my first ! impressions of Oxford will interest
 you and all my friends. It is neces-
 sarily incomplete and hasty. but per- i haps all the better for its very rough
 ness. One thing stands out above all
 others in my thoughts of Oxford and | that Is it cannot take my heart from i Florida; and I shall be glad when | l can get back.