Starting at Oxford Uni

By Helena Richards

I’ve dreamt of going to Oxford for most of my life. The idea of studying at Hogwarts has always felt like pure magic, and getting in was the most exciting moment ever!

The past year, my sole focus has been making the grades and being able to enter the ‘Dreaming Spires’. This goal has been everything and, in a way, meant that my nerves were pushed to the background. There was no point in being nervous if I didn’t even get in!

Once I received my grades and found out I was ACTUALLY GOING to Oxford University, the sense of ‘imposter syndrome’ started to creep in. The run-up to term felt so busy getting everything ready, but each morning I woke with my stomach churning and a million questions racing through my head. Would I fit in? Would I make friends? Would I be clever enough? What if it wasn’t the dream I had imagined? 

The reading lists came through this summer, and they were so long, the texts were complicated, and I suddenly started to panic. My friends heading to other unis were all chilling out, planning their nights out and outfits, and the vibe felt quite different. What if I couldn’t keep up at Oxford? 

I want you to know that when I arrived and met the other students, I began to realise I certainly wasn’t alone. For a few days of freshers, everyone kind of pretended they had it under control (spoiler alert - no one really does!), but a week in, I bonded with new friends over how scared we actually were, how intense our first tutorials were, and how we were sure our tutors had made some sort of mistake letting us in. We all became so much closer for it, and discussing it with other people really helped me get my head around it all. 

So, my advice is, open up to your new fresher pals. It will be the best thing for all of you!