Hometown & Region: Nottingham
Degree: Engineering Science
A levels: Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry
When I’m not working I’m…
...Involved in:
- Netball
- Korfball
- Oxford Millennium Orchestra
- Oxford University Wind Orchestra
- Running
- Dinner parties
- Pub trips
- Nights out
- Drinking Tea
- Trips to G n D’s
What made you choose to study at Brasenose and/or Oxford?
Friendly college with a great community and numerous opportunities. Brasenose has many sports teams and is also very active on the arts/music scene. Brasenose is very central and even the annexe for 2nd/3rd/4th years is located in the centre of town and therefore only a 5 minute walk from college.
Is life in Oxford different to what you expected it to be?
In some ways yes. There is a lot of work as I expected; the terms are very short and as a consequence there is a lot to fit in and there is a large quantity of work to do during the Christmas/Easter holidays. However, people are very good at managing their time and therefore fitting in hobbies, socialising and lots of fun around the work!
The way material is taught also changes; at A-level you expect to be able to do 100% of a subject and any work set. However, at Oxford you have to accept that there will be a lot of things you won’t be able to do initially and it will take time to work through.
There are many extracurricular opportunities which can be participated in with a varying degree of commitment. People are very proactive in getting involved with different activities and the nights out are a lot of fun!
What do you like most about studying in Brasenose?
Brasenose is a medium sized college which therefore has a diverse community full of people with many different talents and interests. However, it is still small enough to have a real community feeling and to allow you to know everyone in your year.
A quality you think is important for someone looking to study at Oxford?
Time efficiency/time management. There is lots to do in very short terms! However, there is no ‘typical type of person’ in Oxford so just have an open mind.
What are the perks of your degree?
General Engineering can only be studied at a few Universities in the country and the course means you do not have to choose the Engineering route you would like to follow until you have been exposed to all the different areas. It is also advantageous to have a general background in a broad range of engineering disciplines before specialising since the different areas of engineering are often related.
In addition, General Engineering at Oxford has a fair level of contact time based in the department between lectures and labs. It is therefore easy to get to know other Engineers from different colleges.