Ayala Gate. Under-Secretary General for Community
Oxford University is, on many levels, a very strange place. It is full of bizarre traditions, eccentric tutors and creepy buildings. How does this all fit into a regular student’s experience, and how does one make the most of Oxford’s quirks while maintaining a sense of normalcy in day-to-day life? I’m going to answer this question by taking you through a day in my life as a student studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford.
09:00:
I wake up slowly as I was up late last night finishing an essay for my tutorial this afternoon (students call this an ‘essay crisis’ and it happens far more frequently than I would like). Despite the sleep deprivation, I’m feeling good this morning as I think my tutor will be happy with the essay. I get dressed and have a quick breakfast in my room before heading downstairs to meet my friends.
10:00:
We walk together to Exam Schools, where our Economics lecture takes place. Luckily, it’s only a 5 minute walk from our College (where we live) so we get there just on time. Our lecturer flicks through slides with incredible speed, speaking at an equally insane pace, all while managing to make terrible (but funny) Economics jokes. We’re not sure how, but by the end we feel like we have a decent grasp of the content. A successful lecture!
11:00:
We head back to College and find seats in the Library. Although some of my friends can’t stand the building (it is always either too hot or too cold), it’s one of my favourite places in College because it feels so still. It’s an escape from the hectic outside world, where I can just focus on what’s in front of me - in this case, a few articles about populism for my next Politics essay.
13:00:
After two hours of mostly productive studying, my friends and I make our way to the Great Hall for lunch. I still remember the first time I ate in this hall and the feeling of disbelief I had while sitting and casually eating lunch in such a beautiful and historic building. That surreal feeling never left, but now the space has a warmth and familiarity to it that takes the edge of the intimidation. I eat my pasta while my best friend tells me stories about her labs this morning.
14:00:
The time has come for my tutorial (or ‘tute’, as students call it)! These are meetings with a Tutor and two or three other students, where we share our essays and discuss the topic in more depth than in the lectures. I’m particularly excited for this Tutorial as it is with one of my favourite tutors (a very old, very intense professor) about one of my favourite topics (the concept of Justice). As we enter his office and take our place on the sofa, our Tutor waves hello and settles into the armchair opposite us, in front of a bookshelf crammed full of what seems like every philosophical text ever written. I read out my essay; he likes it. He then asks me a series of questions that bend my mind backwards and make me question everything I thought I knew about the topic. Yay!
15:00
I walk out of the tutorial a little dazed and confused, with many new ideas to process and digest. Trying to channel this academic energy, I head back to the library to continue reading in preparation for my Politics essay which is due in a few days.
19:00
Packing up my things, I’m excited to leave the library as I am going to Formal Hall tonight! This is my favourite Oxford tradition - a fancy 3-course dinner in the candlelit Great Hall, where everyone can get dressed up, spend time with each other and dedicate some time away from studying. At my college it’s compulsory to wear gowns to Formal Hall, which look a bit weird but make the whole experience more fun in my opinion. The meal starts with the bang of a gavel (another weird tradition) and we have a great time, finishing the night in the college bar playing darts.