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.

Several changes — large and small — have been made in the movie adaptation of Julia Whelan's 'My Oxford Year' now streaming on Netflix.

My Oxford Year's Sofia Carson and Corey Mylchreest explain the movie's tragic ending, which is significantly different from Julia Whelan's novel.