Hello! My name is Darian, and I’m a History and Politics student at Christ Church. I applied to Christ Church in 2019 for various reasons, such as it being the largest college in the University of Oxford, making sure to find a large community of people with various interests and backgrounds. I also applied to the college because of how it felt to be the living embodiment of my degree – a place where 13 prime ministers had studied, which had been founded by Cardinal Wolsey (someone I had studied for my EPQ), had a Cathedral, and was somewhere that was the palace of Charles I during the Civil Wars. For me, the college felt like my degree written in stone, and certainly reminded me of being part of something bigger than oneself. I also applied because I was aware of the bursaries and grants provided for obtaining books, or travelling for research purposes, and so on. Since coming here, I have not been disappointed in finding the college to be living history itself, while meeting many friends and peers with whom I have gelled with and formed strong connections with.
Had I not applied to Christ Church, I would probably have chosen from among New College, Balliol, or Magdalen, not just for their outstanding beauty (Christ Church, I feel, has always been more grand and imposing than simply beautiful), but also for their reputations as political colleges or even just historic in their foundations and their alumni.
It is undeniable that the past year has been one with many ups and downs, and Covid has definitely made my experience unique compared to those of previous or even future generations of Oxford students. That being said, it has been one that we have all been able to weather by simply getting on with it and enjoying the aspects of university life that have been permitted to us. We certainly shall be more than making up for it in the months and years that lie ahead! My college is a famous one, not just for its history or its social reputation, but also for it being the filming place for the Harry Potter movies, and the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland, among others. My college is quite traditional, and slowly but surely it is moving with the times. Like so many institutions it does not always get things right (then again, who and what does?!), but we are making progress in the right direction. Diversity is increasing, even if it is not at the speed we may like, but I personally have found my college experience to be one that has been immensely enjoyable and have always felt that the right course in life is to be unashamedly myself, living a full and fulfilled life without regret or fear. In that, I believe that university life can push us beyond our boundaries, or even simply test our mettle, whether it be coping with the challenges of independent living (for many, for the first time), or even interacting in the right manner in the melting pot that is university life, where diversity is not just contained in the visual. Melting pots as much reveal the extent of our own prejudices, as it does of the prejudices that might be levelled at ourselves.
Christ Church, as one of the biggest colleges, certainly is one where you might feel lost or you might feel one among a great multitude. But, through venturing out to see what lies beyond that which is immediately in front of us, I have found great friends and colleagues from across the college, and the university, through the experiences of tutorials, university societies, and nights out. As with everything in life, college life is, at the end of the day, what you make of it. My college used to be known as the aristocratic finishing school, with play prioritised over academia – but then again, so was most of Oxbridge at one time or another. It is certainly that no longer. My first year has emphatically taught me that we often forget that Oxford students (regardless of what or where they originated from) are, at the root of all things, (ordinary) people, with their own insecurities, challenges, personality traits, and the rest of it. Self-perception is just as fundamental as how others might perceive us. Bearing this in mind can help to reduce the awe-inspiring discomfort which many may, at first, feel upon matriculating into the university. Remembering that we are all here for a reason is one which should give us confidence, not renewed doubt. I strongly believe that confidence is key, but so is humility, a balance which some may find easier than others. I feel that there is simply no point in living a reduced or unfulfilled life, and that we must be prepared to make the most of the opportunities we’ve been given.
The accommodation at the college is very fair and equitable, in that many are offered the choice of living in college-owned halls of residence for the entirety of their time here at Oxford. Thankfully, the college is also among the wealthier of Oxford colleges, which means that financial support is usually always at hand. This means that living costs are reasonable; that there are less discrepancies in living accommodation between peers; and that one may continue to live in close proximity to one’s friends and peers, and so continue the familial vibe often established in the first year. Living in central Oxford is a boon, especially for ease of travel, access to facilities and shops, and for meeting up with friends, tutors, societies etc.
To those who are ambitious, whether it be to better themselves, their communities, or even the world; and to those who wish to combine hard work with hard play, who wish to make something of their lives, even to leave their mark; but also, to those who are seeking to simply proceed apace with their lives, I most definitely recommend Christ Church as a college to apply to. Like many things, it is not indistinguishable from its caricature, but a college full of people drawn from all walks of life, all trying to make their way and find out who they are themselves. Not only does Christ Church offer enjoyment, but I believe it offers an opportunity, should you so take it, to test your mettle, and remind you that, like it or not, you are a small cog in the wider machinery of history, and it is now down to you to seize the opportunity, and go out into a world beyond the dreaming spires and the college greens, and make of it what you will.
Visit the Christ Church College website for more details!