My first term at Oxford University – a phrase my sixteen-year-old self would never have believed I could one day write. Oxbridge was not something my high school ever really talked about - even the mere thought of applying never crossed my mind. Fast-forward two years, Michaelmas[1] is completed and I’m back in West Yorkshire counting down the days until my second term begins.
It’s difficult to even know where to begin in recalling the experience of the last nine weeks. It has been a truly transformative, bizarre and wonderful thing. Just as I thought that I was accustomed to Oxford life, a moment would hit me and all of a sudden everything would feel surreal. The first of these moments happened during my very first week, at Freshers’ Dinner.[2] Nobody could have prepared me for drinking red wine in a professor’s office, or trying to politely eat bruschetta (which I’m certain can’t be done!) next to an academic who would be reading my essays for the next two months. But, aside from all that kind of thing, I was most surprised by the people here. As someone who has never been overly sociable, or had a very big group of friends, the prospect of meeting new people and finding my place was my biggest worry before arriving in Oxford. I’m also not too keen on clubbing, and I did worry that I wouldn’t fit in without engaging with the stereotypical fresher’s culture. However, after nine weeks, I still haven’t been to a club, and have found myself to be a part of a big, wonderful group of friends.
Some highlights from this term have been spent with these new friends, who have come to feel like a family away from home. On Sunday evenings, when informal hall[3] isn’t held, we began the tradition of Takeaway Sunday, which involved a few drinks and Dominos in someone’s room. It really amazed me how quickly this group seemed to fall together, and it all began at the Matriculation Ball[4] – another of my fondest Michaelmas memories. It was here that I got engaged to my two college wives[5], ever so romantically, while the band played Teenage Dirtbag. By the end of the term, I found myself to be performing at another such ball with the college jazz band, the Jazznostrils – something I don’t think I would’ve considered without the encouragement of the amazing people around me here at Brasenose.
But, as with anything, the first term brought its challenges. I struggled at first to find a way to use my time effectively, as history is a degree with minimal contact hours. To be entirely truthful, I’m still learning how to learn here at Oxford, because it’s so different to anything I’ve known before. The tutorial[6] system is one of my favourite things about this unique way of learning, and I’ve found that I really have thrived with them. Particularly as a historian, the abundance of libraries in Oxford is truly a blessing, as this is where most of my working hours are spent when not in the weekly tutorial or lectures. Next term, I’m looking forward to exploring these libraries further, going beyond my comfort zone of the (incredibly nice) college library where I spent the majority of my studies last term. I’m also going to make a more conscious effort to get to know Oxford better, and dedicate time to wandering around the shops and going for walks as well-needed rests from the academic side of things.
I can’t wait to see what Hilary[7] term brings!
By Olivia, First Year History, formerly studied at New College Pontefract.
[1] Autumn term (October – December)
[2] A dinner in our College Hall to welcome all first-year students
[3] Affordable meals offered by the College, which we eat in our Dining Hall
[4] A party to celebrate us becoming members of the University
[5] College families are a key part of Oxford life! We have ‘college parents’, who are students in the year above who study similar subjects, and ‘college siblings’, who are students in our year studying similar subjects. Once people start at Oxford, people get ‘college married’, ready to adopt ‘college children’ from the cohort who start the year after us. It’s all really good fun and suffice to say, we don’t actually get married!
[6] Small group teaching, where we meet our tutor and one or two other classmates to discuss a piece of work, like a problem sheet or an essay.
[7] Spring term (January – March)