Lifestyle

Acts of time, physical giving, and words of touch

Ask someone their love language, and they’ll probably have an answer. They might even pull out online test results.

Cooking for friends: An apology, served hot

“It’s probably a bit bland,” my friend said tentatively in the first week of living out of college, just after they had put down a delicious plate of fish and rice.

Beyond the Rad Cam: My quest to visit all 22 Bodleian Libraries

Between March 2025 and October 2026, I visited all 22 Bodleian libraries, from the reading rooms of central Oxford to the obscure medical libraries.

The art of reaching out to old friends

Coming to university, I realised that the stable, effortless reliability of my friends from home was, all of a sudden, precarious and difficult to maintain.

John Evelyn: 0th Week, Hilary Term 2022

Much like John Evelyn, the union has decided that, after a long spell of messy and toxic matchups, this term it’s time to branch...

Words of Wisdom from Rusty Kate: 0th Week, Hilary Term 2022

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

The joys of online cooking

Learning how to cook has been a great source of pride for me. But becoming a chef whose lentil ragu brings tears to people’s...

Parting Words of Wisdom: Rusty Kate 7th Week

CW: This is a mildly comedic column written by a drag queen agony aunt. It is not for the faint hearted, and contains sensitive...

Words of Wisdom: Rusty Kate 5th Week

CW: This is a mildly comedic column written by a drag queen agony aunt. It is not for the faint hearted, and contains sensitive...

Words of Wisdom: Rusty Kate 3rd Week

CW: This is a mildly comedic column written by a drag queen agony aunt. It is not for the faint hearted, and contains sensitive...

Words of Wisdom: Rusty Kate 1st Week

CW: This is a mildly comedic column written by a drag queen agony aunt. It is not for the faint hearted, and contains sensitive...

Introducing Cherwell’s Dragony Aunt: Rusty Kate 0th Week

CW: This is a mildly comedic column written by a drag queen agony aunt. It is not for the faint hearted, and contains sensitive...

Bouncer’s rejection: it’s not you, it’s him.

But can you imagine sobbing uncontrollably like a Ninento-ridden child in front of 500 people? Christ. Could never be me…

Carbon-footprint Culinary: the Future of Menus?

COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference currently underway in Glasgow, is providing catering that prioritises locally sourced and seasonal food ‘to minimise mileage...

Pret A Manger or Pret A Danger

Rumplestiltskin top-hatted men have permeated many of the daily accounts of my fellow female students.

How my Hot Girl Summer landed me in therapy

I think I pretty much accepted the fact that my summer had been somewhat unhealthy when my mother sat me down and asked me...

French connection: My first two months in Paris

I have been shocked by how different I feel to those around me due to aspects of my appearance

Tinder Troubles: A cautionary tale of a match gone awry

Ronan* was sitting cross-legged on the pavement outside the pub, engrossed by his Kindle. As a first-time Tinder user standing anxiously at what I imagined to be the vanguard of online dating, I had been naively endeared by his suggestion that we skip the virtual small talk and just get to know each other in person. He stood up to greet me. “Ah, that was a lovely hug.” It dawned on me that this may have been a mistake. 

Traditions

Bop A bop is a ‘Big Open Party’, a fancy dress party organised by your JCR for your college. Bops normally happen 2 or 3...

Creative Pursuits

Drama Oxford student drama is probably pretty different from drama at school — there’s a really exciting atmosphere, you can try new things, and there...

Pubs (and Kebabs)

You should not fall into the trap of thinking drinking is an essential part of university life; however, for many of you it will...

Date Spots

Given how many people you’re likely to meet in your first few weeks at Oxford, don’t be surprised if you make a romantic connection...

Coffee Culcher

Oxford has a historic and beloved café culture — in fact, the UK’s first coffeehouse opened in Oxford in the 17th century! Today, drinking...

The 101 of Oxford’s Libraries

There are genuinely more than 100 libraries in Oxford, making it the biggest library system in the UK! So, here’s the 101 on a...

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