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.
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.
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:
CW: Mentions of alcoholism
In many respects, Britain and excessive alcohol consumption have become synonymous. Our ‘drinking culture’ is something that is regularly brought up...
The sense of achievement I’ve felt making these recipes massively outweighs my actual creations – mostly ten-seconds-in-a-blender things – but I feel great about them.
The custom of using chopsticks differs across cultures, across countries, even across households. But wherever you are, using chopsticks takes practice, patience and perseverance.
Making the effort to get dressed up and treat yourself to some good food isn’t something we always feel like doing when we’re exhausted, but it's something I believe we should make the effort to do more often.
For students who are endlessly in essay crises, balancing too many things or frankly just feeding their caffeine addiction, the subscription service was inevitably going to be a hit.
It goes without saying that the significance of identity is fundamental to biography. Yet this is perhaps one thing in the analogue times past—but in an age of unique self-representation, the role of social media as a tool of pretence and unchecked self-aggrandisement casts a shadow on the biographies of coming years.
"With the season of love (or loathing) already upon us, here are some of my more accessible, go-to cocktail creations with a Valentine’s Day twist. Perfect for enjoying with your pals, lover(s), even on your own (dare I say it!)."
It’s unsurprising that when the temperature drops, we crave piping hot dinners, whether it be Vietnamese pho, Swiss fondue, or throat-tingling curries laden with fragrant spices.
Haggis is hardly something to get excited about - when you hear dinner’s going to be offal stuffed into a sheep’s stomach, your mouth doesn’t exactly start watering. But as soon as you dare take your first bite, the divisive delicacy wins you over.
Are my 10 lectures, 6 hours of labs and 24 hours of imposter syndrome worth it for a fancy gown that’s only going to make those friends think ‘god they’re a prick’?