Oxford 2011 Freshers Chat Thread

I hope everyone at Oxford has awesome names like Constantine Louloudis

It depends. Does Balliol have banded accommodation or do you pay the same regardless of what room you get? If it's the latter you will probably just be allocated a room for your first year. If there are price bands then I would imagine you will be given the chance to choose which one you would like. There's no hurry, though, so don't worry about not having heard anything!

Just posted eight pictures of my beautiful face ()to the Christ Church admissions office, on top of the six that Hertford asked for pre-interview. I'm half expecting to visit Oxford and find pictures of myself on every street corner

Wow! Another Exonian, doing German! I think we should shake hands on camaraderie We'll be seeing plenty of each other in the next for years.



I agree This makes me extra pleased that we'll both be oging to Exeter! So -- Hullo you What's your name and whence have you came?


Woah! More Exonians! It's great to have a 1st year on the forum with us


And more! Exeter is clearly the place to be.



Let me introduce myself. I'm Fiona and I'm on a gap year. It happened like this -- the day the results came out and I realised I got in and therefore would have to go to Oxford, I panicked, decided I needed a year to work through depression and to decide if I even wanted to go to University, never mind Oxford. My fellow (who cob007 has maybe met in the German interview?) was really understanding and I'm happy that it was the right decision to make

It's taken me a good 12 months to come round to the fact that I'll be studying at Oxford (it started at "oh no, do I have to, why doesn't Edinburgh want me?" and worked its way through "oh all right then", "well, I do like the city..." to now almost looking forward to it :P). I realise it's a bit unorthodox not to have hoped and dreamed for years about Oxford, but I'll take it as it comes and won't knock it till I've tried it.

What about you? What's your Oxford story - how did the interview go? Do you have any reservations? What are you most looking forward to? And most importantly, did you see the garden? :O

Edit: I'm worried I've come off ungrateful above. Just to clarify: I'm upbeat and chipper! Not grouchy and petulant. You understand how the internet can mess these things up.

What about you guys?

Hey Fiona!

I am Susie and I am on a gap year too! I failed to get in when I applied to Oxford for the first time. I decided that I really wanted to go to Oxford, so applied this year and got into Exeter for Maths! So I didnt plan to take a gap year originally, but I would do anything to go to OXFORD!!! I am really excited!! Exeter is beautiful!!

One of my interviews was really scary. One interviewer basically shouted and sighed at me... for not being able to use any of the hints he gave me. I hope I dont get the top floor when I go to Exeter, because I had such a hard time going up and down the stairs. haha

Cannot wait to see you when I get there!! xx

Let me introduce myself. I'm Fiona and I'm on a gap year. It happened like this -- the day the results came out and I realised I got in and therefore would have to go to Oxford, I panicked, decided I needed a year to work through depression and to decide if I even wanted to go to University, never mind Oxford. My fellow (who cob007 has maybe met in the German interview?) was really understanding and I'm happy that it was the right decision to make

It's taken me a good 12 months to come round to the fact that I'll be studying at Oxford (it started at "oh no, do I have to, why doesn't Edinburgh want me?" and worked its way through "oh all right then", "well, I do like the city..." to now almost looking forward to it :P). I realise it's a bit unorthodox not to have hoped and dreamed for years about Oxford, but I'll take it as it comes and won't knock it till I've tried it.

What about you? What's your Oxford story - how did the interview go? Do you have any reservations? What are you most looking forward to? And most importantly, did you see the garden? :O

Edit: I'm worried I've come off ungrateful above. Just to clarify: I'm upbeat and chipper! Not grouchy and petulant. You understand how the internet can mess these things up.

What about you guys?

Hey Fiona I am also someone who hasn't been, as it were, dreaming about Oxford for years!

I'm 19, doing an art foundation at the moment. Applying to Oxford had never even crossed my mind until mid September (believe it or not). For a start, I didn't think my IB Diploma score would even be Oxbridge standard until results day!

But mainly, I was unsure about what kind of degree I wanted to do - that's why I applied to do foundation course. I had always been pretty set on doing some kind of design course - particularly theatre design.

But a few weeks into the foundation, I realised how much I loved fine art. I had always avoided considering it before because I had this view that it would be a bit of a pointless degree - I wanted to come out of university having done something that would make me employable. But I remember having this momentary epiphany, literally just thinking 'hang on, why don't I just try and do what I love? and if it doesn't work out, so what?'

So, I was pretty unsure about applying to Oxford - because I felt like I was taking a risk, jumping at it without having enough time to really consider it. I had actually missed all the open days by the time I first looked at the course! I was also really unsure as I found it quite unfathomable that Oxford could possibly think that I was good enough.

But I just went for it, in a disgustingly last minute manner, making the final decision just days before oct 15th!

But having sent the application, and having visited a few times since (and of course having been offered a place - at Catz) I am completely and utterly certain that it was the right choice. I felt so comfortable, happy and at home during the interview period, I met such amazing people, and just loved everything about it!

I am incredibly indebted to my tutor, for having boosted my self confidence and been so certain that I had a chance, and basically encouraging me to apply!

Anyway, I am ridiculously excited about it now! Sorry for the long post, and I really hope that I haven't angered people with my rambling about lack of confidence and my last minute application...

I emailed my best friend the admissions tutor asking for a reading list and she forwarded my email on to someone who told me it hadn't been written up yet... mahuuusive pain as I'm going travelling soon so probably won't get reading till I get back :s

I got rejected by Durham today...! But at least I can FINALLY firm Oxford! What is everyone else putting for their insurance (if you don't have an unconditional)?

I got rejected by Durham today...! But at least I can FINALLY firm Oxford! What is everyone else putting for their insurance (if you don't have an unconditional)?

I'm thinking St Andrew's as my insurance which is also AAB... it's a tough choice though especially since it doesn't look like I'm going to make the Oxford offer at the moment

I got rejected by Durham today...! But at least I can FINALLY firm Oxford! What is everyone else putting for their insurance (if you don't have an unconditional)?

Finally got my rejection from LSE today but totally firmed Oxford (E&M at Balliol) Woooooo

Perhaps spending less time on TSR and more time revising will mean that it doesn't matter where we pick as an insurance! Haha