Lifestyle

Reflections on the perils of overthinking

here is a lot to be said for blind positivity. On a good day, I’m a manifester, a big believer in my ability to speak things into existence. During my English A-Level, I had complete confidence that the crystals hidden in my bra would provide enough luck to snag me an A*. Today, I put great faith in words, relying on the same ‘I can do it’ that gets Olympic athletes across the finish line, to help me through difficult situations.

The fourth year: Oxford after your year abroad

I’m now in my fourth year, and as such, must grapple with the reality of my Oxford days drawing to a close. Granted, this is something that every student must contend with, and I watched on as most of my friends bade a fond farewell to this city where our friendships began when they graduated last summer. Yet there is something about the fourth year that I’m certain makes the final year even more strange: a sense of something already lost, of living in a moment that has already passed.

An evening at Pierre Victoire: French bistro dining at its best

Pierre Victoire has been here on Little Clarendon Street for decades – one of...

Being Cupid isn’t easy: What I learned from a term of running Cherpse

Now, having exhausted myself with these relentless pursuits, the job has been passed on to a new bright-eyed Cupid, and in my retirement I’ve become fondly reflective, and decided to curate my insights into this list: 

The World According to Rusty… Week 5

This mildly comedic column has been written by a drag queen agony aunt. It is not for the faint hearted and contains sensitive topics...

Wilde at heart: In Conversation with members of the Lincoln Drama Society

It’s practically a cliché to say that with such short and busy terms, there are more events happening in Oxford than any person could...

Living an exam-‘free’ Trinity

The Biology faculty decided finals in first week made sense, so now I am a free bird without many fellow free finalists to fly...

The World According to Rusty… Week 3

This mildly comedic column has been written by a drag queen agony aunt. It is not for the faint hearted and contains sensitive topics...

A love letter to Marseille

450 miles south of Paris and the same distance across the Mediterranean from Algiers, a mere afternoon’s drive to the Spanish and Italian borders,...

In Conversation with Dr Luke Evans MP

CW: eating disorders, body image issues, dysmorphia I interviewed Dr Luke Evans, the Member of Parliament for Bosworth, on a cold London morning via Zoom....

Breaking Bridge

CW: Sexual assault. Women want to be able to look and feel good when going on a night out and not be sexually assaulted. Fun...

The life of a birth child

CW: abuse, trauma, fostering. Sitting at my first dinner in the Oxford interview process of December 2019, I began to feel my eyes rolling. I’m...

Student cooking doesn’t have to be a recipe for disaster

A larder full of spices. A bread-bin stuffed with comestibles. A fruit bowl brimming with produce. At home I have at my disposal the...

The World According to Rusty… Week 1

This mildly comedic column has been written by a drag queen agony aunt. It is not for the faint hearted and contains sensitive topics...

Stepping into the unknown: anxieties about the year abroad

The Year Abroad – exciting and ominous words which all students of Modern Languages are faced with from the moment they begin university. Echoes...

Trinity Term expectations: Oxford at its finest?

Trinity Term seems to have some sort of mythical status. Its mention in the presence of older years is met with sighs of yearning and assertions of how splendid it is. After the cold gloom of Hilary term and the months when darkness settled over the city at 4PM, I sure am looking forward to experiencing Oxford in all its sunny glory.

Setting the bar high: On running the college bar

Nestled behind the dreaming spires, cobbled streets and well-kept quads are some of the most beloved, and most frequented, spots in Oxford - college...

John Evelyn: 7th Week, Hilary Term 2022

Run. Hide. Lock the door. The hacks are upon us.  With the LMH enforcer and the Anti-Politician each loved up with their own newspaper, the...

Overthinking dating: Am I more in my head than he’s into me?

It went well with Isaac. It went well when he asked if I’d had a tour of the house; when we stood alone in...

Lentil and Carrot Stew Recipe

I know, I know, lentil and carrot stew doesn’t sound like the most exciting recipe in the world. But trust me, this is one...

It all begins with breakfast

It has long been said that breakfast constitutes one of the most important meals of the day. Really, there is nothing more refreshing than...

John Evelyn: 5th Week, Hilary Term 2022

John Evelyn can confirm that with the assemblage of Union hacks and student journalism we are now officially at the very centre of hell.

New habits die fast: Tales from the gym

Yes, I recently started going to the gym. No, I did not start going on a ‘new year, new me’ whim. No, I would...

Go get that bread: Tips for navigating the job market

Applying for jobs can be daunting and stressful. Below you can find some bearings, ideas and starting points to help you to navigate this...