"One of the main highlights of the course for me has been the tutorials. They’re usually very small — often just two students — which makes learning much easier and more informative because the tutor can really focus on you. That level of attention has been especially helpful in law, where the content can become complex quite quickly. It makes a big difference when you can make sure you fully understand what you’re being taught.
At the start of term, the biggest challenge was simply getting accustomed to everything: the essay-writing, the reading lists, and staying on top of the workload. At Oxford, time management has to be a top priority. It was challenging at first, but that’s natural when you begin university. The workload can feel overwhelming and intense, but once I established a routine and paced myself properly, it made a huge difference to my performance.
Lawyers are always learning and staying informed, and as a law student I had to adapt to that quickly. Being able to read large amounts of information efficiently became essential for answering questions and writing essays. Over time, that developed into a really powerful skill for my studies, and honing it has made a significant difference.
To manage my studies alongside free time, I space out my work by setting myself achievable daily tasks rather than overwhelming ones. For essays, I’ll dedicate one day to researching and drafting, and another to writing. Breaking it up makes the work feel manageable, and it’s satisfying to finish knowing you can properly relax afterwards. Burnout is very easy to run into at university, so having a system and routine in place makes the course much more sustainable. If you try to do everything at once or leave it until the last day, it becomes far more difficult to manage — so once I’d settled into my college, building a routine was a priority.
Outside of my studies, the first few weeks were about getting to know the Astrophoria Foundation Year cohort and settling into Keble College. Fresher’s Fair was definitely a highlight because you’re introduced to so many clubs and societies, many of which run taster sessions. I’d really recommend trying them out — especially the sports clubs like powerlifting and archery — as it’s a great way to meet people from different colleges.
The Astrophoria Foundation Year also attends a range of Society & Culture events that help familiarise us with Oxford, such as Union debates and requiems. One event I attended this term was a Mozart Requiem at Merton College, which was a memorable experience.
I enjoy Oxford a lot because it reminds me of my hometown. Its small size makes it easy to walk everywhere rather than needing a bus or car. Being close to everything makes it simple to meet friends or grab food, and it feels relatively safe. There’s so much history here, and experiencing it as a student is a rare privilege — especially moments like matriculation at the Sheldonian Theatre.
Keble is a great college and, in my opinion, one of the best-looking, with its chapel and dining hall. It’s designed in a way that really emphasises community, and you feel that once you settle in. My only advice would be to hope you get into Keble — although I admit I’m biased.
Next term, I’m most looking forward to continuing to learn more about law. I took a gap year after sixth form to wind down after exams, and it only strengthened my desire to pursue law. Getting back into the Oxford routine of tutorials, foundation year sessions, and the powerlifting club are the main things I’m excited for."
