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A defence of students’ reliance on AI (and how to fix it)

Unless my friends are particularly fiendish, I’m pretty certain that “I’m just going to ChatGPT this essay” is a phrase we have all heard. I would like to posit...

The last tutorial: Let the nostalgia – and the anxiety – sink in

Many of us have heard the dreaded ‘So… any idea what you’re doing next?’. It makes me a little irate, anxious, and on the verge of a minor breakdown, as you can probably tell. Two years of my undergraduate degree have somehow disappeared with the blink of an eye – I am older but seem to be none the wiser.

Good soup: India’s sauciest secret 

I associate with soup, the fiery plains of eastern Rajasthan, the smokiness of coal roasted jeera in a Kadai pan, and the creators of a warm, comforting dish full of love, compassion, unity and humility.

Abolish the high table

There’s something that makes the high table feel a bit off. Maybe it’s because the hierarchy of academia it represents hits a bit too close to home. A bit too close to the bitter sentiment in British society towards class domination.

The Breakfast Club: Bringing the mid to midday

Brunch is a particular love of mine. Between the poached eggs at Brasenose brunch, the coconut pancakes at The Handle Bar Cafe, and huevos rancheros at the Oxford Brunch Bar, there is no shortage of weekend brunch options in Oxford. The Breakfast Club could have been a perfect addition to this lovely list - alas, it did not make the cut.

To all the pubs we’ve loved before: Crown Vs. Turf

Today we are putting two classic favourites, the Crown and Turf Tavern, head-to-head. Turf is arguably the most famous pub in Oxford. It was...

Flapping wings: taking the chicken scene by storm

There are two KFCs in central Oxford – one on Cowley Road and the other on Cornmarket – and until a few years ago...

How to have a Hot Girl Hilary

Hilary is grey. It drizzles, it’s cold, and all the trees are bare. Caught between the post-Christmas blues and the happy warmth of Trinity,...

The patience of ordinary things

"A different perspective exposes something new in Oxford’s tangle of streets and colleges; from afar, students on bikes and tourist groups and traffic disputes stop feeling like a nuisance, revealing instead a quiet, understated sort of loveliness."

New Year’s Resolutions: pointless or powerful?

New Year’s resolutions: Are they truly transformative or just a setup for disappointment? January 1st arrives amid lingering holiday indulgence, often leaving us with...

1st week: Is there mushroom for failure?

Like many returning students, I have spent the past week either bitterly cold (apologies to those who gave me concerned looks on the high...

In defence of living out

"All things considered, then, I’d still choose to live out. Maybe it isn’t perfect, but living out has been a staple of Oxford student life for decades, and it’s one of the only similarities it has to the typical student experience at any other university."

To all the pubs we’ve loved before

We are Réka and Suzy, two law finalists on a mission to find the best pubs in Oxford. We will begin our journey by reviewing our clear favourite...

A fresh(er’s) perspective on Michaelmas term

"My approach to Michaelmas term was that it was a trial run for the rest of my university experience."

The Patience of Ordinary Things

"How truly can we say that our past selves are gone, when there they are, right now - pressed between the pages of an old diary..."

0th Week: ‘Dough(nut) trust strangers!

Thursday evening. Eighth week. My head has finally stopped spinning after a tumultuous Park End (I think). A crinkled pastry bag is tucked under...

New Year’s Resolutions: Why are we so bad at keeping them?

New year, new start. It is a terrible cliché. But the fact is, as another year ticks by, it’s a good opportunity to close...

‘Home is where the heart is.’

"It can feel like a bit of a conflict - the home where I grew up now feels like a waiting room before I get back to my ‘real life’ at Oxford."

Wild swimming in Oxford: ready to take the plunge?

"Swimming in Oxford offers a chance to leave behind the stress of the Radcam rat race. While it certainly isn’t a cure-all, I have found it helps me balance my student life."

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