When you think of university social life, many students would think of crew dates, BOPs and nights out at the club. For many Muslims at Oxford, we think of late night hang outs in the prayer room (PR), hitting the good halal food shops in Cowley, and mocktail nights with the Islamic Society (ISOC).

Being a Muslim student feels like having to explain myself for everything I do. Explain why I don’t drink. Explain why I need to excuse myself to pray. Explain why I don’t go to crew dates. Just a whole lot of explaining, apologising, awkward laughter – you get the gist. To be fair, the recipient of my over-explaining probably would not have even thought twice about my reservations, but there’s always that little voice in my head telling me I need to justify why I’m different.

Being a Muslim student means not fitting in. And honestly? That’s okay. The Oxford social scene often revolves around pubs and drinking, and that means many of us naturally carve out our own spaces where we feel seen. I can probably count the number of times I’ve been to the JCR on one hand. Some Muslim students don’t engage much with their college. Not because they don’t want to, but because their sense of belonging is found elsewhere! —in ISOC, in the prayer room, in the friendships formed outside of club nights and pub crawls.

But being a Muslim student here also means finding a second family in the most unexpected places. It’s the quiet nod of recognition seeing another hijabi on your walk to Westgate. It’s the unexpected late night conversations in the PR with someone you just met. It’s the warmth of Jummah prayers on a Friday, where no matter how stressful the week has been, you find peace and somehow the khutbah (sermon) always gives you the right advice when you need it the most.

Right now it’s Ramadan which, for Muslims, is our holiest month. It’s a month of blessings, forgiveness and, honestly, what we look forward to every year. We fast from sunrise to sunset, and really focus on the community. This is my first Ramadan away from home, but it’s nice to have a supportive community I can break my fast with, a home away from home when everything else feels so unstable.

It’s not always easy, and there are moments of isolation, but there are also moments of immense joy, deep connection, and an unwavering sense of purpose. Oxford is challenging, but so is being Muslim in a world that doesn’t always understand you. Somehow, balancing both makes the experience even more meaningful.