A year in my life as a Visiting Student at Pembroke

Ellia Sweeney was a Visiting Student at Pembroke in 2023-24 from Brown University, Rhode Island. She shares below about her time at Pembroke, where she studied Politics and Philosophy, rowed in the Boat Club, attended meals and social events, and experienced life in Oxford with students from all over the world.

Applications are open for Visiting Students for 2026-27. If you are interested in spending a year as a student at Pembroke, please find more information about the programme, eligibility and applications here. 

Before coming to Pembroke, I had never left the U.S. I grew up in the little state of Rhode Island, even attending college there. Travelling abroad was just not something that my family did. I had long wanted to explore the world beyond the States, but I arrived at Pembroke with anxious excitement, not knowing quite what awaited me at the other side of the beautiful gates. 

When choosing which Oxford college to apply to, I did not fully comprehend the college system; how this incredible university is really 43 different little worlds with distinct identities and events happening all at once, right near one another. I try to explain it to people by saying, “Picture 43 mini versions of Brown (my home university), each with their own speakers, professors, and students who operate independently, but also welcome and collaborate with each other.” That is Oxford to me. Looking back, I still don’t think you can fully envision this magical city unless you have had the pleasure of visiting or have benefitted from a very thorough explanation from someone who holds the university dear. I am so glad that I chose Pembroke. 

Pembroke lived up to and far surpassed its reputation as the friendliest college. I was immediately struck by how kind everyone here was - from the Porters and the dining and wellbeing staff, to the students and faculty. I instantly felt welcome and at ease. Beyond that, it was surreal to have the opportunity to fully immerse myself in the tutorial system and converse weekly with scholars whose work I had read back in the States. I was at once awestruck by those I was learning from, and so grateful for the chance to participate in my learning in such an active and intimate way, a unique characteristic of the Oxford system. 

Here, you are called upon to defend your ideas alongside your tutors (professors) in the classroom, but you will also find yourself doing so in the variety of social situations and traditions you are thrown into. You will get to know your fellow students over informal lunches and dinners in Hall, taking the time to pause and ask what is going on in each other's lives. A to-go meal is rare, and laptops are not out when people sit in Hall. Rather, intentional conversations are had, and this is where so much of the learning at Pembroke really takes place. There are also black-tie formal dinners each week, and I truly feel that I learned something new at every one of these. I found myself discussing philosophy with a professor at one subject dinner, among a table of economists at another, learning about physics at a Rowing Formal from a teammate, and being invited for coffee by a human rights professor visiting Pembroke for its 400th anniversary. 

People connect differently here, and there are so many wonderful opportunities to strengthen those connections. I encourage you to take advantage of these: get to know your tutors, nurture the relationships you form with other students, attend formal exchanges and activities with other colleges, and don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone.

The Visiting Student experience is a remarkable opportunity to reflect upon who you want to be and what areas of study and change-making you are most passionate about. It offers the chance to step away from a day-to-day life you may have always known and see the world differently. It connects you to people studying such niche topics from so many different departments and parts of the world, and if you let it, it can expose you to new hobbies and parts of yourself that you never even imagined. 

There are also so many fun sports clubs and societies you can take part in! Being part of Pembroke College Boat Club (PCBC) has been one of the highlights of my time here, helping me form friendships with students from all different years - undergraduates and graduates alike. The tradition of rowing at Oxford is special, and there is nothing like seeing Boathouse Island alive with crowds of people during bumps racing - when all the Oxford college rowing teams compete against each other for the coveted Headship title. I also loved getting to run Oxford’s Town and Gown 10k race with our college’s group and participate in weekly yoga sessions led by Pembroke’s wellness team. Aside from athletic endeavors, the arts are alive here. I have so enjoyed visiting Pembroke’s own art gallery, which puts on new exhibitions each term, and supporting my friends in the college’s production of Grease. 

The global perspective that you gain here cannot be understated. It has been so interesting to learn about the politics of my own country from the vantage point of my international friends and colleagues. To some, I became a sort of cultural ambassador, explaining how their perceptions resonated or contrasted with my own experiences, and my friends helped to broaden my own views. I had the opportunity to learn about the legal systems of countries like China, France, Germany, and the Netherlands just by sitting around the dinner table, and I was challenged on certain policies of my country. I reevaluated some of my own views, and my friends did the same. 

After my year in Oxford, I have developed the confidence to know that I can start up in another part of the world and build a life for myself. It is amazing how much your life really can change in a year. Pembroke has revealed to me pieces of myself that I never knew existed, and has given me clarity on how I want to live my life and the areas in which I would most like to make change. For all of this and more, I will be forever grateful for the home that I have found in Pembroke. This has been one of my most difficult “See you laters,” and I look forward to returning to the United Kingdom for further study or professional opportunities - a part of my heart will always be here.

I recognize that a lot of this probably sounds like a dream, but you have to understand that really, so much of my time at Pembroke has felt like that. I cannot recommend this program enough. If you have the chance to partake, please take it!