August sunshine has given way to September showers and the dreaming spires are beginning to call. It is strange to think that, a year ago, I was struggling through my first-year English degree reading list, turning the pages of my books with nervous apprehension. I had no idea what to expect and had so much fear about not being good enough.
Heading into my second year, I couldn’t feel more different. I am, once again, staring at a reading list that seems a little daunting. However, this time I know what to expect: I know my tutors, my neighbours, my college. Oxford sweeps you up with its excitement, workload and regular late nights so fully that it can feel strange to imagine that you were ever not a part of the city. I traded my country girl lifestyle for a city existence and loved it. Perhaps I missed muddy evening walks and the only sound being the wind in the trees, but the convenience of city life cannot be denied. I never thought that the novelty of walking to get a coffee would become an indispensable part of my routine!
Having had a few months away from mornings spent studying in the Rad Cam and afternoon coffees at Blackwell’s, I feel as though I have had a reset. The heady Oxford feeling has worn off somewhat and I am able to think about the term ahead with some clarity. I am excited to be going back to a city that never sleeps, but this term I have some ‘new academic year’ resolutions that I would like to take with me. Being already a third of the way through my degree, I know that there are countless things I want to experience this year. I have plans to take every opportunity offered and make some of my own. My uncle told me that ‘it is all downhill after Oxford’, so I intend to have the time of my life. As a first year, I was quiet and introverted, which prevented me from getting involved in as much as I would have liked. I have told myself that second-year me will be braver and I have already made plans to that end. I have signed up for the fencing team, have plans to direct a play, and am going to continue my journey in student journalism and theatre to see where they lead. I may even go to a club (no, I have not yet stepped foot inside an Oxford club). If someone were to ask me why I have not been to a club, I am not sure that I would have an answer. I suppose that as a tee-total introvert, the idea just never appealed. Ultimately, after a quiet Michaelmas, a pretty much locked down Hilary and a coursework and exam-filled Trinity, it is time to socialise and make some more friends.
Of course, Oxford is also an educational establishment and an incredibly rigorous one. My system for tackling workloads has proven successful, so I am not someone whose resolutions include writing fewer essays hungover the day they are due! My 5am starts and eight hour working days were pretty consistent last year and left me with almost an entire afternoon free daily. Yes, I know, I am one of those irritatingly organised people, but that’s fine by me. I live in a world of list pads and timetables, where my to-do list has sections and my diary is always in my bag. My academic goals then are merely higher grades and to improve my Latin. Perhaps I should have a resolution to drink less coffee as well, but I am not really sure that is realistic!
It is strange to think how different my goals were last year, and yet how similar. We all know at least one person coming up this Michaelmas (even if they are just a college child) and I am sure that many have advice that they want to pass on. In my own freshers’ guide I only remember one point: ‘don’t blow all your student loan in your first week’. This was not something that I felt I was in danger of doing; however, advice some of my friends may give is: do not get too drunk on your first night! I think the best things to remember are to get involved in as much as possible and to be brave, to try new things but not to go too far outside of your comfort zone. The best thing that I did during Michaelmas was to talk to people—anyone and everyone. No one has to be your best friend, but it is always good to know people around college or your faculty. Academically, I wish I could have seen where I would be by the end of Trinity. I would tell my fresher self not to panic about the state of my essays! I think plenty of people would feel that A Level to university is a tremendous step up, yet that we all improve at an astronomical rate (I looked at my MT21 essay during my Prelims revision and was amazed at how far I have come!). In danger of this becoming a catalogue of advice to incoming freshers, I will bring this to a close with one final sentiment: Oxford will become home.
Looking for more advice for freshers? Or want to re-discover the city of Oxford? Why not check out The Blue’s Freshers Guide? Available here.