Hey, I’m Saarah! I am a second year medical student at St Hilda’s College. When I was initially thinking about applying to Oxford, I found the college system quite confusing and difficult to understand, so I did a lot of research about each college. The main things I wanted out of my college were higher levels of diversity, halal food options and supportive and understanding tutors, and St Hilda’s mostly accommodates all of this. I applied directly to St Hilda’s because of these reasons, even though it isn’t one of the more well-known colleges and doesn’t have the stereotypical grand appearance expected of an Oxford college.
St Hilda’s has some unique qualities compared to other Oxford colleges, such as having round tables in the dining hall, as opposed to the long tables with benches. This is one of my favourite things about St Hilda’s because it gives the dining hall a very inclusive and welcoming atmosphere, to match the rest of the college grounds. The dining hall caters to lots of dietary requirements and there are always vegetarian and vegan options for every meal. Some of my fondest memories in college are in the dining hall, particularly at brunch on Saturday’s, where it’s almost guaranteed you’ll get to see lots of other members of college as it’s such a social space. Along with the dining hall, the JCR (undergraduate) space is another big social area, where bops (college parties) and other events are hosted, and students can use this area at any time to play pool or just to relax and socialise. St Hilda’s was also the last college to become mixed in 2008, previously being a women’s only college. This explains our extensive library collection as women weren’t allowed to access the other mixed libraries.
One thing I was not looking forward to when starting at St Hilda’s was the long walk into the city centre as it is known for being one of the far away colleges on the outskirts of the university bubble in Oxford. However, I discovered that St Hilda’s is actually not that far from the centre and all of the central Oxford amenities are still very much accessible to St Hilda’s students via an approximately 20 minute walk or a short 5 minute bike ride. Another benefit of being slightly further away from the centre of Oxford is the close proximity to Cowley Road, which is a very lively road, full of restaurants of different cuisines and local residents of Oxford. The close proximity to this whole other part of Oxford makes the experience of being a St Hilda’s student very different from some students from other colleges and it can be so enriching to see the different sides of Oxford while being a student here.
First years at St Hilda’s are all housed onsite, mainly split across three buildings, with approximately 14 students on each floor. Living in first year accommodation is so much fun because all of the other freshers are so close, which makes it really easy to make friends and get to know people. The rooms are all quite a good size and have sinks in them, which is so useful when the bathrooms are shared. In second year, students have to live out, usually in Cowley, which is a very different experience that comes with its own unique set of challenges, but overall, it is a lot of fun because you get to experience something completely new and similar to what students at other universities will experience. However, St Hilda’s is currently undertaking some building projects which mean that in future, more second year students will be able to live onsite. For final year, most students choose to move back into college and our new Boundary building that has opened this year is available for these students to live in. All of the rooms in this building and in various others are ensuite and there are nice, spacious kitchens too.
St Hilda’s is a great college with a very active student body and JCR committee that puts on loads of events generally and some that are catered specifically for different groups, such as BAME, international students, people who identify as LGBTQ+ and lots more. With COVID, these events have mostly moved online but are still happening and the best thing about St Hilda’s students is the community spirit. Everyone is so passionate and always shows up. Almost the whole fresher population and more came out to support the St Hilda’s football team in the Cuppers (inter-college tournament) final against Pembroke last year and
it was a night that went down in St Hilda’s history. Overall, St Hilda’s is a really lively and progressive college, with supportive tutors and a very involved community of students. If you want to be part of this, I would definitely recommend applying!
Visit the St Hilda’s website for more details!