Visitors are often surprised to learn that Oxford doesn’t have autumn, spring and summer terms. Instead, the academic year is divided into Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity Terms — names that sound more like church festivals than university terms.
That’s no accident, the calendar is shaped by religion
Oxford is oldest university in the English-speaking world, and for centuries its rhythm was shaped by the Christian calendar. Teaching, holidays and ceremonies were all organised around major religious festivals — long before modern academic timetables existed.
The term names we still use today reflect that medieval world.
Michaelmas Term (October–December)
Michaelmas takes its name from Michaelmas Day, the Feast of St Michael and All Angels, celebrated on 29 September.
Traditionally, Michaelmas marked the start of the agricultural year and the settling of rents and contracts. For the students at Oxford, it is the beginning of new work and study at the beginning of the academic year.
New students arrive, gowns are dusted off, and the city feels energetic and busy again after the summer.
Hilary Term (January–March)
Hilary Term is named after St Hilary of Poitiers, a 4th-century theologian whose feast day falls on 13 January.
This is Oxford’s winter term - often cold, sometimes misty and atmospheric. Historically, it was a quieter, more inward-looking period, devoted to serious study rather than ceremony.
If you visit Oxford at the beginning of term time, you might well spot students walking across quads wearing gowns and carrying papers, probably looking quite serious! This is because they may well be heading to do their exams, known as Collections - a type of exam that is uniquely Oxford.
Collections are college-based examinations, usually taken at the start of each term. Their purpose is to test how well students have understood the work from the previous term.
They look back, not forward, are set by the college rather than the central university and help tutors assess progress and give feedback
The name “Collections” comes from the idea of collecting together what has been learned so far.
Most students also sit collections at the beginning of the Trinity Term.
Trinity Term (April–June)
Trinity Term takes its name from Trinity Sunday, a major feast in the Christian calendar celebrating the Holy Trinity. This year it falls on Sunday 31st May.
As well as collections and for some, finals, this term is associated with warmer weather and the chance to go punting! You can also see some of Oxford’s most spectacular ceremonies during Trinity Term, such as Encaenia, when the University awards honorary degrees to distinguished men and women and commemorates its benefactors. It is held annually on the Wednesday of ninth week during Trinity Term.
