Degree
Modern Languages (French sole)
Hometown
Weirdly enough, I actually come from Oxford! So not very far at all. I definitely had something of an advantage in knowing my way around the city before I came to college: I think my friends saw me as a bit of a tour guide for the first few days of Freshers’ Week. But my experience of growing up in Oxford versus coming to university here is very different. It can sometimes seem like two completely separate places. One of my favourite things about my first year was discovering lots of libraries, parks and gardens with my university card I had never had the chance to visit before I came here. It is almost impossible to get bored in the city — there is so much to do as a student.
Whether you are 9 minutes’ or 9 hours’ drive away, coming to university is a big step for everybody and it can take some time to adjust. But the city is so beautiful and fairly small, so it doesn’t take long to get your bearings. I hope you will come to love it as much as I do!
What do you enjoy the most about LMH?
My favourite thing about LMH is what a peaceful environment it is to work and relax in. When I come back into college after spending the morning in a busy town centre, I am always struck by what an oasis of calm LMH is.
The beautiful gardens are particularly special in spring and summer — endless picnics, punting, barbecues, and garden parties! I love to go and read my book by the river or go for a walk in the grounds with one of my friends. Even in the autumn we have the amazing Fireworks’ Display. It’s always lovely to be able to take a break from essays or revision and get outside so easily. The grounds are definitely a big part of what makes LMH, LMH for me!
What has studying at Oxford been like so far?
A lot of fun. There’s no getting around the fact that studying at Oxford is a huge amount of work. In Languages, we are often having to finish multiple essays and translations in a week, so things can be a bit chaotic.
But the degree is incredibly rewarding, and definitely manageable. There’s nothing like the feeling of finishing all your work for the week and being able to take time off to relax with your friends.
And the support you are given in managing the workload is truly exceptional. Not only do you have your amazing tutors, but LMH has a very well-stocked library and there is always support on hand from the college’s Study Skills’ team. All that makes writing those essays so much easier.
What do you enjoy most about your course?
Probably the range in the course. French is quite a literature-heavy subject, and that is something I really love. But within and beyond the books we read, we get to look at history, philosophy, politics and history of art. Even my rather abysmal geographical knowledge has improved a bit!
Part of what distinguishes the Languages’ degree from other universities is the range of periods you have the opportunity to look at as well. I arrived in Oxford thinking I was very allergic to anything medieval, but that has turned out to be one of my favourite parts of the course. Very few people come to university having read more than one or two French texts at A-Level, but the degree allows you to discover so much French literature in such a short space of time. And you are always encouraged to read your own books both related to and going beyond the course.
In terms of the language side of the degree, we do drill down on the fundamentals of grammar. But translation and speaking classes aren’t all conjugations and syntax. I never thought I would be translating extracts from The Celebrity Traitors or trying my hand at dubbing! The language tutors are always happy to give you recommendations for French TV shows to watch, podcasts to listen to and news sources to consult. Their classes are a real highlight of the week for me.
And I genuinely believe that there is no better college to study Languages at than LMH. Not only do we have one of the biggest Modern Languages cohorts in Oxford,
but LMH Language students are given opportunities other colleges simply don’t have. This term, I got the chance to do a module on French True Crime, which was a bit niche, but was probably my favourite topic I have done all year. And in our first year, college even gave us the money to publish our own anthology of translated poems — I definitely didn’t hear about any other Language students at other colleges doing that!
What’s your best advice for a prospective applicant?
Try to come down on one of the Open Days, because you will get a feel for a college very quickly. If a college you thought you were going to love turns out not to be for you, there are 29 other ones that might be!
And whether you are preparing your UCAS application or for interview, read books that you are genuinely interested in. Not only will it make the process a lot more fun, but you are probably going to do much better than you would otherwise. There is no point trying to mindread and guess what the tutors want you to talk about in interview. They want to hear from you and about what you are interested in.
Maybe it is easier said than done but do try and enjoy the application process as much as you can. If nothing else, your knowledge of the subject you want to study is going to massively improve, whether you get a place here or not.