Before My Oxford Year was a book or a movie, Whelan was originally hired to work on a screenplay that Burnett had started. However, as she began assisting on the screenplay, Whelan thought the story needed a longer version, so she transitioned from writing a script to writing the novel.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for My Oxford Year.My Oxford Year makes some significant deviations from the source material as an adaptation, from minor details to major elements affecting the very foundation of the narrative.