Monday, March 10, 2025

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: 

In Conversation With Dr. Robert Lefkowitz

Eight-year-old Robert Lefkowitz was a man (well, boy) with a plan. Inspired by his family physician, Dr Feibush, he knew he wanted to become...

Student Profile: Ellie Redpath

“I guess the one thing that comes to mind is that change is a lot harder to make than you originally think it is going to be – which isn’t the most inspiring thing for me to say.”

The not-so-definitive ranking of Oxford study spots

I won’t lie, I’m not really one for libraries, I find them too quiet (I am well aware they are supposed to be quiet) and too formal; I usually spend the majority of my time on my phone and the rest of the time wondering if the person sat behind me is judging me for being on my phone.

Nickrophelia — my lockdown cardboard companion

Stripped of social interaction, structure and variety, lockdown-living is a lonely and oppressively drab state of existence. We all have our own way of combating...

In Conversation with Matthew Slotover

Anyone who knows even a little about the London art market will know Frieze. Founded in 1991 as a contemporary art magazine by Oxford...

How to find the ‘good’ in ‘goodbye’: moving on and breaking up

We choose who we trust. Sometimes, we just pick wrong. We kiss the wrong people, hold the wrong hands. When you realise you aren’t...

All kinds of vulnerable: reflections on the past year

While the worst some could imagine was a life without pubs, the worst I could imagine was the loss of my three closest family...

Looking a right punt

Punting is one of those things that I had always associated with Oxford in the abstract. I can still remember walking around Christ Church...

In Conversation With Mae Martin

There’s something slightly surreal about emailing someone whose comedy routines regularly pop up on your Facebook feed, whose new hit comedy ‘Feel Good’ got...

Think Pink

I could sit here and leave you in awe with cancer statistics and scare you half out of your mind with story upon story...

Student Profile: Zac Lumley

I joined my Zoom call with Zac on a warm afternoon in the middle of March. The first time I came across Zac’s name...

Sipping in the sun

Though I’ve lived in England for most of my life, when I was but a small child my father had a mid-life crisis and...

Why the feminists in my college still call me a whore

CW: rape Last month, as the United Kingdom reeled from the murder of Sarah Everard, we found ourselves realising once again what it means to...

Don’t just do something, sit there

For those readers who have not heard anything about mindfulness, this may only be because you have surrounded yourself with people respectful enough, that...

I know which side my bread is buttered!

There is a web of social implications behind the pat sitting in the top shelf of your fridge door. That is, if you have butter at all, and not marge, a whole other bag of historical worms.

Oat-so-lovely: exploring the overnight craze

If you follow any food blogs or channels on social media, you may have noticed the breakfast trend sweeping Instagram and Tiktok: overnight oats....

Is the drinks industry chugging sustainability initiatives?

In February 2020, the drinks industry scored a poor 4.8 out of 10 for sustainability in the inaugural Drinks Industry Sustainability Index Trends Report...

Student Profile: Luke Bateman

Joining this zoom call, Luke is sat in his childhood bedroom with a bookcase overflowing in the background. Luke immediately starts chatting and smiling,...

Beyond the 9-to-5: In Conversation with Chelsea Fagan

Chelsea Fagan’s videos are credited for making me finally understand stocks — no small feat, since both economics teachers and my dear parents had...

Colour me this: a personal perspective on racism across cultures

It’s true, no one is born a racist but the cruelty of a racist system is that the moment you inhale, you become a...

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