By Bethan Hearne
Oxford wasn’t even on my radar until 6 days before the application date closed. My teacher pulled me aside in my sixth form college and asked if I had considered it and suggested that I should apply. I honestly laughed (probably a bit too hard) in her face. Oxford!? Me!? I hadn’t even really thought much about university by that point, let alone Oxford.
She made me promise to think about it and I eventually decided to work on my application to see if I could get it done in time. I saw it merely as an opportunity to get personal statement writing and university applications out of the way and didn’t really even think about getting an actual interview. I somehow managed to piece together a personal statement and get all of my references within the 6 days that I had. So I decided to send off my UCAS form with Oxford University as my first choice :O
It was only after I had sent in the application that I found out I would have to sit an entrance exam to get into Oxford. I couldn’t even sit it at my college because they didn’t run them. I found a place where I could sit it and went in seeing it merely as examination practice than anything else. I left and didn’t think any more of it.
I didn’t even realise interview results were due to be released on the day I received my invitation until I had a text from my mum that a letter was at home. Utter shock doesn’t even describe it. I honesty saw applying as a joke - I wouldn’t be able to get into a place like that, I was certain of it.
I was heavily considering not going to interviews, honestly just getting one was enough for me. I’d proved to myself I looked good on paper but I knew that I wasn’t smart enough to actually get past the interview stages. Yet somehow, I was convinced and came to this beautiful city when it was covered in snow for my interviews.
I actually enjoyed my interviews. I wasn’t nervous because I was so set on the fact that I wasn’t going to get in that I had put no pressure on myself. But somehow, I am now here in my second year studying Psychology. If anything, the application process taught me that no matter how much I doubt myself - I must always at least try, and sometimes I might even surprise myself. And that’s what I’ve been doing ever since :)