In my first year of college, Oxford did not seem a feasible option for me, especially as a Northern, state school student. When my college suggested to me that I should apply for OxNet, an access scheme which aimed to help prospective Oxford applicants, I agreed, thinking it would help to improve my analytical and essay-writing skills. When I first began the programme, I was so excited to receive my first university-style reading list (I had no clue what this looked like beforehand!) and I remember thinking how brilliant it was to have the opportunity to engage with my subject outside of my college classes. We were also able to visit Pembroke College and we received a very warm welcome from Dr Peter Claus, Pembroke’s Access Fellow. Following this, the idea of Oxford started to become a more realistic prospect for me!

After OxNet, I was determined to see it through to the real application. I was quite wary of the interview process, but I actually found that the interview wasn’t as daunting as I’d expected – it was a really good opportunity to talk about my academic interests and what I had studied so far. I then received an offer, which I will admit, took me a while to get my head around! 

I am now in my second year of my degree and have had I am now in my second year of my degree and have had so many amazing opportunities since starting Oxford. OxNet helped me adapt to life as an Oxford student and reduced some of the pressure and uncertainty of my first term.

My main advice to those who feel they don’t match the “typical Oxford student” is to continue to engage with reading on your subject that interests you, and keep pushing yourself. If you can, apply to the outreach support that you have available to you – even if it’s online, it can really help.