Hi, I’m Sophie and I study Theology and Religion at St Peter’s College. I didn’t actually apply to St Peter’s but like essentially every other student who is pooled, I now can’t see myself anywhere else. As Theology is quite a small course, I didn’t have much choice with colleges, with about fourteen to choose from. Immediately, though, I ruled many of these out purely based on how intimidating they felt. Applying to Oxford was daunting enough without the prospect of living at an old, rich college with towering buildings and not many other state-school students. This led to my decision to apply to Mansfield, a small, welcoming college with the highest percentage of state-school students out of all Oxford colleges. I’d also looked round Mansfield on a summer school, and I liked how they admitted quite a few Theology students. I was interviewed at both Mansfield and St Peter’s, and was finally offered a place from St Peter’s.
Ironically, a lot of the things I liked about Mansfield are also the things I like the most about St Peter’s now. Both colleges are pretty, but not in the traditional Oxford way, progressive, and are made up of a small and friendly community. This brings me to my favourite thing about St Peter’s. Even though my first year was very much defined by COVID restrictions and lockdowns, I still felt as though I was part of a community. Everyone I have met is kind and friendly – it’s impossible to leave college without bumping into someone you know and having a quick chat with them – and I’ve found that most people have similar values and want both college and Oxford to be as progressive and equal a place as possible. If you want a college that balances social life and workload and a place that will enable you to meet like-minded individuals, St Peter’s is definitely worth considering.
At the heart of social life at St Peter’s is the college bar. Though all colleges have bars, the atmosphere at ours is what I think makes it stand out. Some of my best memories in Trinity are from nights at the bar with my friends. The nostalgic music playing at the bar, combined with knowing everyone there and the incredibly cheap drinks, particularly the iconic (and lethal) ‘Cross Key’, creates such a fun vibe. In a normal year, there are also themed bops in both the bar and JCR.
Though I may have made it sound that way, I can’t pretend that St Peter’s is perfect. The small community also has its downsides, and the college can occasionally feel quite claustrophobic. Like most Oxford colleges, St Peter’s can be quite gossipy. I love a bit of gossip, but it does travel quickly, especially as everyone knows everyone. Another thing that isn’t ideal is the fact that you have to live out in second year. Whilst most colleges have guaranteed accommodation for three years, St Peter’s doesn’t. Living out is very expensive and it was quite stressful finding a place to live and the right people to live with, particularly so early in the year. However, college are currently working to overcome this problem, with the Castle Hill House Project aiming to build on-site second year accommodation by 2023, which is really exciting and will improve college life massively.
Speaking of accommodation, I’ll now talk about what to expect at St Peter’s. All Freshers live on-site in one of two main accommodation buildings, called New Building and Matthews. Opposite New is a smaller accommodation, with about eight rooms, which was recently renovated – they have mezzanine beds and are very modern. I lived in New, which I was very happy with because each room is almost split into two, with a brick archway separating the desk area from the actual bedroom. Matthews rooms don’t have an archway but the rooms are much bigger, and both accommodation blocks are similar in terms of facilities. You also have the opportunity to live on-site in third year too.
Sometimes I find myself envying bigger colleges, with their beautiful, old buildings and acres of gardens but realistically, I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. Though different colleges offer different things, I would encourage anyone, regardless of who they are, to consider applying to St Peter’s. I think that people define a college, and the people at St Peter’s really can’t be faulted.
Visit the St Peter’s College website for more details!