Friday, March 21, 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: 

Love Oxland: ‘I was surprised when Fred turned on a puppy and aggressively kicked it’

Izzy Agerbak and Fred Dimbleby find animal rights an obstacle to romance

A day in the life: thesp

'Jesus Christ, we need to sell more tickets': Callum Coghlan recalls a day in the life of a thesp

Life Divided: JCR meetings

Julia Routledge and Abby Ridsdill-Smith go head to head on the topic of college democracy

Finding national identity at the corner shop

Jaleh Brazell reflects on family, fish and chips, and having a name no one can pronounce

The alternative guide to Oxford

You’ve been told where to go for coffee, clothes and clubbing – but what about the real student essentials? Julia Routledge and Abby Ridsdill-Smith are here to lend a helping hand

Life Divided: Matriculation

Rachel Craig-McFeely and Anna Elliott discuss the highs and lows of Matriculation

Love Oxland: “If she were a true fan of Rick and Morty, she would be able to quote it verbatim.”

Claire Castle and Samuel Juniper go from cartilage piercings to piercing gazes during a cocktail-fuelled evening of philosophical musing

Exiled from Oxford but learning from the city

Mundie Lawrance reflects on a year of living in Oxford as a suspended student.

Life Divided: Cycling

Charlie Cheesman and Bessie Yuill consider the pleasures and perils of cycling

A fresh and quirky take on the brasserie

New “modern British brasserie” No. 1 Ship Street sails past the competition, writes Ryan Mamun

Love Oxland: “I’d say her spirit animal is a lemon beer.”

Becky Todd and James Coates hit it off on a quiet Monday night despite James' poor time management

Cautionary tales of fresher fails

Former freshers tell all about the good, the bad, and the ugly experiences from THAT week

Snapshot: A Night in Nerja

Pre-drinks, a party bus and just being polite: Josh Travers samples the delights of a night out in Nerja

How to survive a bop

Abby Ridsdill-Smith guides freshers through her tried-and-tested bop survival techniques

My town and my gown: chickpeas and televised murder

Nicola Dwornik illuminates some surprising similarities and differences between urban Oxford and bucolic Buckinghamshire

University Challenge – the insider’s story

Maxim Parr-Reid shines light on his experiences on this year's University Challenge

My town and my gown: fruit-picking in the south of France

Emma Leech considers how her Oxford experiences prepared her for a month on a French farm

An ode to the breakfast burrito

Joe Inwood recounts an unexpected summer love affair

Town versus Gown versus Tourists

Katharine Siân looks at the three clashing groups that make up Oxford

So, you got into Oxford? Here’s what to expect

After the A level results joy subsides, here's what to expect if you're coming to Oxford in a few short months

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