Tuesday 12th May 2026

Lifestyle

Going to prison during the vacation: The secret lives of Oxford students

Over 150 hours of my Easter vac were spent inside the sturdy walls of one of His Majesty’s most secure men’s prisons – though fortunately I was able to go home at the end of the day.

‘If he wanted to he would’: The problem with TikTok dating advice

This kind of advice doesn’t just set unrealistic expectations, but actively discourages real communication. Instead of having a conversation with our partners, we are encouraged to analyse, dissect, interpret, and ultimately to assume the worst.

How places are made: A meditation in the City of Love

Places are formed from memories etched into streets, from ghosts which dwell in between moments. They’re shaped by the dreams and aspirations which have been poured into quiet, hidden hollows, like that shop in Paris.

The cult of radical self-love

You don’t need to understand the mechanics of a triple Axel to be able to see the pure, unfiltered joy on Liu’s face during her victorious Olympic free skate. 

New Year’s Resolutions: In or Out?

As another year rolls around, I am (still) not doing enough exercise. And so, yet again, I will resolve to exercise more. But why...

Oxford cured my perfectionism

So the Oxford workload, rather than triggering a stress response, has instead desensitised me to the fear of academic failure. Exposure therapy, I suppose. It’s very freeing.

Home, and how to find it

It seems like life after university is a journey to find our way home, whatever that means.

Three Thousand reasons to slurp

I thought the place was great, especially as a very quick sit down option.

Christmas mourning

This will be my second Christmas without presents wrapped in wallpaper, and gift tags with clues on them rather than names...

A defence of students’ reliance on AI (and how to fix it)

Unless my friends are particularly fiendish, I’m pretty certain that “I’m just going to ChatGPT this essay” is a phrase we have all heard....

The last tutorial: Let the nostalgia – and the anxiety – sink in

Many of us have heard the dreaded ‘So… any idea what you’re doing next?’. It makes me a little irate, anxious, and on the verge of a minor breakdown, as you can probably tell. Two years of my undergraduate degree have somehow disappeared with the blink of an eye – I am older but seem to be none the wiser.

Good soup: India’s sauciest secret 

I associate with soup, the fiery plains of eastern Rajasthan, the smokiness of coal roasted jeera in a Kadai pan, and the creators of a warm, comforting dish full of love, compassion, unity and humility.

Interrupting Oxford time: Can we defend the clocks falling back?

Are we are giving daylight savings time just a little more hatred than it deserves? Sophie Price looks into the benefits of the time change for both early risers and night owls.

Abolish the high table

There’s something that makes the high table feel a bit off. Maybe it’s because the hierarchy of academia it represents hits a bit too close to home. A bit too close to the bitter sentiment in British society towards class domination.

The Breakfast Club: Bringing the mid to midday

Brunch is a particular love of mine. Between the poached eggs at Brasenose brunch, the coconut pancakes at The Handle Bar Cafe, and huevos rancheros at the Oxford Brunch Bar, there is no shortage of weekend brunch options in Oxford. The Breakfast Club could have been a perfect addition to this lovely list - alas, it did not make the cut.

Red flags or human flaws: Has university dating culture forgotten what it means to love someone warts and all?

All it takes is for me to catch a glimpse of a boy on a VOI and I’m out. It’s now possible to designate a character trait as a red flag and rule someone out completely. What happened to second chances?

Grieving someone I never knew

It feels natural to carry sadness for moments missed, for the advice that might have been shared, and for the unique kind of love that could have shaped your life.

Le pain: Living as a coeliac at Oxford

Mastering the 'art of the coeliac' involves everything from pre-kiss teeth brushing to BOP juice abstinence.

Three wishes for Oxford

Thomas Napier daydreams of a world where he plays God.

The town, the gown, and… the tourists

Oxford tourists - endearing, a nuisance or something more?

What’s your purpose? (In six words or less)

Describe yourself in 6 words or less. Find your passion. Find your purpose. Can your passion become your career? Can you monetise this? Can we monetise this? Can you make us money?

The little things

It can be easy to forget the power of beauty and gratitude. After struggling with depression, the little things can make your day. Like a pen.

A month in Berlin: Embracing solitude in the big city

Alone in a bustling city - isolating or exciting?

Re-understanding my Nan

In many of these residents, I also saw glimpses of my Nan, realising she wasn’t alone in her inner conflicts between feeling cared for and feeling controlled.

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