Saturday, March 29, 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: 

Let’s talk about chlamydia

Stigmas, STIs and sconces: an exploration of sexual morality in Oxford

My town and my gown: Gloucester

Sam Sheppard discusses the differences between his life in Oxford and in Gloucester.

Life Divided: Summer Clothing

Aidan Balfe and Rachel Craig-McFeely get heated as they debate the merits of summer clothing

A Taste of the Incas

Ryan Mamun explores whether Peruvian cuisine could soon be appealing to the masses

We’ve all been mugged off for someone who looks better in a bikini

Susannah Goldsbrough argues that Love Island is far from fantasy

My town and my gown: from the Land of Green Ginger to the Broad

Molly Greenwood celebrates the spirit of her home town whilst making some surprising comparisons with Oxford

Life Divided: Lads’ Holidays

Katie Sayer and Molly Greenwood clash over the most debauched feature of many a summer calendar

Town versus Gown: queer culture in Oxford and Northern Ireland

Eimer McAuley celebrates the vibrancy of LGBTQ+ culture in Oxford after her childhood in Northern Ireland

Life Divided: Love Island

Charles Britton and Bessie Yuill make sparks fly over the show that everyone's talking about

My town and my gown: from boogie boards to bicycles

Kathleen Farmilo suggests that a long-haul flight is not the only thing separating Oxford from Adelaide

Life Divided: Oxlove

Maxim Parr-Reid and James Lamming debate the vices and virtues of Oxford’s most amatory Facebook page

Life Divided: Carnations

Jamie Onslow and Nicola Dwornik discuss the finer points of an exam tradition

Stigma, suffering, and breaking the silence

Struggling with depression at Oxford, and how the conversation is only just beginning

“Alan Rusbridger ended the phone call by saying, ‘for fuck’s sake, just come along.'”

Kobir Ahamed reflects on his experience in Lady Margaret Hall’s pioneering Foundation Year Programme

College Insider at Pembroke

Our insider reveals Pembroke's concerning Pimm’s dependency

SnapShot: Techno where you’d least expect it

Matt Roller has an overwhelming night in a quieter corner of Oxford

Blind Date: “I was on a date with one of the roguest guys in Oxford”

Nicky Halterman and Lucy Frost hit it off over dogs, but eccentric hobbies prove a sticking point.

SnapShot: Crewdate

Emma Leech revels in journalistic gaiety as Cherwell meets The Other Place

Landlords, neighbours, and noise complaints

Aidan Balfe’s reflections on a year of living out in Cowley, and the communal living myth

College Insider at St Anne’s

Our insider pens a desperate plea to the outside world from the cold, dark periphery of Oxford University

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