University of Oxford 2022 Applicants Official Thread

My Politics class is heavily Tory and I struggled so much at the start of the year. I think I've just become more capable of taking comments on the chin now, and even though I would say I'm a fairly tolerant person, I get very emotional very quickly. I am slightly scared that me being emotional will make it difficult at Oxford and in PPE, and that's also the reason my mum isn't supportive of me going Oxford, but I'm hoping that my increasing tolerance will make this manageable. In the taster day with Christ Church they said Oxford has more girls than boys and I think certain colleges like Mansfield have a large proportion of state kids too so that's reassuring. My older sister went King's in London and she did History but she was one of the only POC in her intake. I found that quite shocking as London is really diverse so I thought it wouldn't be so stereotypical. I think I'm a bit afraid it will be worse at Oxford, but the statistics do seem hopeful. My mum and sister are both saying Oxford will be incredibly alienating, and the POC there will be the Priti Patel type. My sister had 2 friends go Oxford and they struggled a lot with both the academic stress and the social stress too. I'm hoping I'll either get them to come around soon or somehow miraculously to be put off of Oxford (highly unlikely) as I don't think it's possible for me to go without their consent. I was going to do Philosophy for A Level but my mum persuaded me to drop it and take Sociology instead, but I'm doing some reading into it and it seems really interesting. I think I'm mostly interested in the Politics side though, I take it for A Level so I'm most aware of this discipline, but I think even if I were to take the others, Politics would still be my favourite. I'm not sure about colleges, I would need one that suits my religious needs but also one that is more state-filled or poc filled. That basically rules out the older colleges and leaves the modern ones. I really love the architecture of the older colleges, especially the libraries (I'm a massive nerd for old stuff in case it isn't obvious) but I need to think a bit practically about how I would fit in more than anything else. I'd probably pick a college with a Mosque nearby or a Muslim community (I checked out ISOC for this and there's surprisingly a few colleges like this). I've just realised how much I've rambled on so I hope you enjoy this little insight into my head

oh wow thank you!!

Thanks Taslima! Funnily enough I just found out about the math club today lol!

Hi everyone!
I'm applying for English and Czech with Slovak at University College.
I'm taking Highers/Advanced Highers: this year, I took Maths, Chemistry, Physics, English and History at Higher, as well as German Advanced Higher a year early. I'll get my results next week (eek!) but I should be getting all As (no A* in Scotland). Next year I'm going to be taking Maths, History, Chemistry and English Advanced Higher, as well as French Higher, maybe Advanced, but we'll see how it goes!
I'm doing a Scottish Baccalaureate for Languages, sort of like an EPQ?
I got 8 x 9s and 1x 8 at GCSE.
Oxford for thousands of reasons! Mainly, probably one of the more common ones, I want to study with people who live and breathe learning, and who love their subjects just as much as I do.
Univ again for many reasons, but they also specialise in Slavonics, so its best for my course.
I went to a grammar school for 5 years, now at a state school

I hope you end up finding the perfect college - maybe visiting a few and getting a feel for the student body might help, that way your family could look around too? Interviews at least would because we get to meet everyone so you then would know whether it’s what you want x

@Wired_1800 Bubbles is also considering engineering @bubbleslemons. Could you please tell her what engineering is like as a career?

Many thanks, as ever!

Ooh a beginner’s language!! If i could do a beginner’s language with my subject I definitely would! what made you choose Czech and Slovak?

Great reasons for going to Oxford, and Univ is a fantastic college! I see you have done your homework on the course too.

Unfortunately I do not have an Oxford Demystified chapter on Czech, maybe you could write one for me if you get in!

Here is a great chapter by someone who is studying an unfamiliar language (in this case, Persian)

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6884716&p=93355864#post93355864

And, of course the English chapter

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?p=88625338&highlight=Oxford%20Demystified%20-%20English

Great idea. We don't know how "open" the colleges will be in summer, but it's good to check with the porters first by phoning the colleges.

I myself will be visiting Oxford in early August with my boyfriend, to see my son and hopefully look round the colleges.

I’m on the way to Oxford as we speak! Just going for a day out really as all of the colleges are closed I contacted the colleges and they all said they are unable to welcome visitors other than St Anne’s, so we’ll head in there for a quick walk around! Other than that just a walk around Westgate

Thank you! And if I get in, I would be glad to 😂 I think all of this is really great!

Of course.

@bubbleslemons I work for an engineering services company that supports different industries. My role, as a project engineer, is within the manufacturing industry where i support active projects by applying technical knowledge to third-party project plans to ensure that projects are being delivered safely, efficiently and according to budget.

As a definition, “Project engineering is typically the management of engineering and technical projects – this includes management of personnel, budget, and scheduling to deliver a successful project outcome that is fit for purpose.”

I have not been working for ages, but so far, the career has been exciting with varied projects working across teams. We get to visit project sites and see the project development through its lifecycle from design to construction. Our teams are also diverse both culturally and by gender.

A typical day would be:

9am: Daily internal team huddle to discuss project status. Each member of a project section would speak on their own area. We discuss issues or concerns with senior team members.

10am: Project site update with Site Manager and team members. This is a wider team meeting with different companies / subcontractors discussing the development of the project and any area of concerns.

11am: If on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, technical design meeting with technical engineers to discuss design plans and assist them with any queries. For Tuesday and Thursdays, I check emails and follow up on actions from Project Managers or senior colleagues.

12pm: Lunch with colleagues whether in the office or project site

1pm: Health and Safety briefing to discuss any current safety issues that have been reported.

2pm: I like to keep 2-3 free to follow up on any emails or actions from senior colleagues

3pm: Commercial meeting with finance team, project planners and other representatives to ensure the Project Manager is updated on the budget and spending requirements.

4pm: Do some personal reading on submitted project plans from the technical design meeting earlier in the day to ensure I am up to date with design, delivery dates, any changes to project expectations or other areas. If there are actions, I note them and send an email to the project team as actions for tomorrow.

6:30pm: Monday to Thursday, head home. Friday, head to the local for a few bevs with colleagues.

The career path for my organisation is:
1. Engineering Intern
2. Graduate Engineer
3. Junior Project Engineer
4. Project Engineer
5. Senior Project Engineer
6. Project Engineering Manager
7. Project Delivery Director.

As a Project Engineer, I have not only participated in different phases of a project, I have had the opportunity to be a part of different types of projects.

What I enjoy most about working in my industry is the people - you work with multiple disciplines who have an array of expertise and backgrounds. From architects and engineers to subcontractors, who are incredible technical resources, to clients with distinctive needs, to our own project managers, there is so much to learn from everyone involved. I like the importance of creating relationships and maintaining those relationships throughout my career. In my industry, each day is a little different and another opportunity to learn something new. So far, it has taught me how to navigate design plans, manage conflict, communicate with team members, take ownership of my responsibilities, I’ve gained confidence and skills (both technical and “soft”) that will benefit me throughout my career. I never know what challenges or “opportunities” will arise, but it is a fantastic learning experience.

Finally, please note that the above is my personal view. Engineering careers and experience might differ. I have enjoyed my time. Good luck with your application and I hope you become an engineer and have a fulfilling career.

I hope this helps. Best.

Hi @Wired_1800 thank you for such a detailed response and to @Oxford Mum for putting us in touch! That definitely seems like something I'm interested in but I'd like to keep my options open so would a physics degree and then an engineering-related masters with some industrial experience be a pathway into Engineering?

Unfortunately, I did not study Physics as a degree, so I am unsure whether that route would result in an engineering career.

Hmm how about the botanical gardens?

@Oxford Mum or anyone, does anyone know any Oxford college gardens or general gardens within the university that you can sit in as a member of the public? I know a lot are closed because of Covid and current exams but thought I might as well ask!