My time in Oxford has been truly special. Being able to study at one of the oldest universities in the world while also studying under its unique tutorial system has been a huge culture shock.
My primary tutorial on hedge funds and their application in markets has been very interesting, especially whilst learning how many funds are different in Europe. My tutor Nicholas Horsewood has tailored more aspects of finance into my tutorial, such as portfolio management and market performance, to help me better understand my results while evaluating hedge funds. The tutorial system is very interactive, and I greatly enjoy the one-on-one aspect of learning with debates where I defend my views or counter them against my tutor’s view. Additionally, having this personal aspect of tutorials has made me more interested in different areas of finance.
My secondary tutorial is starting this week and should be very interesting as it focuses on the inaccuracies World War II films and media depict and the confusion these inaccuracies create in how we remember the war on the Western front. This tutorial should be extra interesting after my recent trip to the D-Day beaches.
Apart from my academic time at Oxford and its many libraries, I explore the many areas Oxford has to offer. There is a local coffee shop I frequent where the owner is very nice and remembered me and my order from day one. Additionally, I joined the Oxford Finance Society, which has many speakers who come from huge finance firms and talk about their experiences in the industry and provide career advice. This club has allowed me to make friends with full-time Oxford students while learning more about finance from a global perspective and its major differences. Lastly, I joined the Polo club, which is something I could never imagine being able to do in America. In the few lessons I have attended, I have learned to ride a horse and play the basics of polo, and along the way, I found appreciation for a new hobby.
With only one month left in the term, the time has flown by, especially with one of my roommates. I feel extremely likely to have one of the few non-U.S. students in OSAP as my flat roommate. In the short time I have had with my roommate Giulio, he has started to feel like a brother to me. He has taught me so much about Europe, and I plan on keeping in contact with him.
Finally, I want to sincerely thank the UT Honors program and its faculty for making this opportunity possible. Additionally, I want to give a special thank you to my parents and friends for believing in me and for their continued support in my personal and academic journey. I look forward to making the most of this last month while at Oxford and sharing my experience when I return to Tampa this upcoming fall semester.
Sincerely,
Ian Ertl