Monday 13th October 2025
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The Oxford Art Calendar: Michaelmas 2025

Polina Kim
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The Oxford Art Calendar: Michaelmas 2025

Autumn in Oxford is not only golden leaves, dark academia, and beautiful architecture – Michaelmas is also a season of creativity. The start of the new academic year simultaneously marks a vibrant start time for art exhibitions: from major retrospectives, to novel voices, to printmaking. Cherwell has curated a calendar of highlight events to look out for…

Pat Suet-Bik Hui & The Three Perfections

20 Sep 2025 to 28 Jun 2026, Ashmolean

三絕’ embodies the tradition of what’s considered in China to be the three highest art forms: poetry, calligraphy, and painting, known as the three perfections. The Ashmolean presents both early examples from the 17th century onwards, as well as the works of Hong Kong artist Hui and her contemporaries. The exhibition provides visitors the necessary space and context to view the dialogue between the disciplines. Seeing the way calligraphic strokes interact with paintings, and the reimagined and thematically diverse poetry, is a vibrant antidote to fall blues. 

This Is What You Get

06 Aug 2025 to 11 Jan 2026, Ashmolean

If you’re seeking a subject a bit closer to home (home being Oxford) then head to the top floor, for a major exhibition exploring the collaboration between Stanley Donwood, and Thom Yorke of Radiohead. From initial album cover mock ups, to unpublished lyrics in their sketchbooks, this is an iconic tribute to the band, which formed in mid 80s Oxfordshire. It is the ideal chance to look back at the group’s music, but also the creative process behind their hits. Note: the exhibition requires advanced booking. Cherwell has already been to take a look at the display, so make sure to read our review before visiting yourself.

Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming

04 Oct 2025 to 12 Apr 2026, Modern Art Oxford

Nostalgic reminiscing aside, it’s also time to embrace modernity. Seeing the radical para-disciplinary artist Suzanne Treister’s major retrospective is the solution. From embracing new technology to exploring potential futures, the exhibition welcomes the artist’s time-travelling alter ego Rosalind Brodsky, Tarot decks, and machine intelligence. Her newest projects collaborate with local quantum physicists in the form of a walking tour across five city sites, allowing you to travel without leaving the comfort of Pembroke Street. 

The Printmaker’s Eye

28 Nov 2025 to 03 Jan 2026, The North Wall

The open access Fine Art Print workshop known as the Oxford Printmakers Co-Operative (OPC) is exhibiting a new range of handmade prints, along with an insight into the process – relief prints, monotypes, and lithographs. The vibrant creativity is a welcome reprieve from a long term, and the perfect opportunity to find a Christmas gift.

Imagining Wolsey: The Invention of an English Cardinal

18 Jun 2025 to 22 Dec 2025, Christ Church Picture Gallery

Catch the last of Rome – A Cardinal’s Dream up to the 20th October, visualising the Roman drawings of Wolsey’s time, and then head to the 500th anniversary exhibition in honour of the Cardinal and founder of Christ Church. Tudor oil paintings, representations in Hilary Mantel’s iconic Wolf Hall: this is the exhibition to see if you want traditional portraits, canonical artists, and modern reinterpretations.

Oxford brings old masters and emerging talent together, from the Ashmolean’s awe inspiring halls, to the welcoming gleam of Oxford’s Modern Art haven. The months from autumn to winter pulse with creative energy, and Cherwell hopes you’ll find an event to spark your interest and inspire you. We eagerly await your thoughts, submissions and reviews.

Fancy reviewing one of these events? Contact us at [email protected] for more information.

A tale of two venues: Oxford’s musical legacies

Milo Man
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A tale of two venues: Oxford’s musical legacies

Oxford is a city full of firsts – historical, personal, degree class, and musicological. Two of its music venues, separated by about 250 years of history and a walk of less than half an hour, show their pasts and personalities in convenient opposition.

I’d passed that austere, white-faced building with temple-like pediments on Holywell Street dozens of times, and always assumed it was a church. When I first stepped inside Wadham College’s Holywell Music Room, it was only the band playing J-pop where the altar should be that swayed me. With its aforementioned exterior (classical, grand, worshipful), its tiered rows of not-quite pews (absent kneelers) seated around a large clearing, and its organ (likely Dutch, 18th century) against its candid white walls, the space doesn’t do much to distinguish itself as a music venue built for the purpose – Europe’s very first, in fact.

Holywell Music Room’s construction began in 1742, before its opening in 1748. Its design was by Revd Dr Thomas Camplin, then Vice Principal of St Edmund’s Hall, later Archdeacon of Taunton. Despite being the first of its kind in the continent, it corporeally echoes its spiritual predecessors. Classical music previously tended to be played publicly in churches, and privately in the homes of the aristocracy. This, alongside its architect’s clerical associations, led Nikolaus Pevsner, 20th century historian of art and architecture, to declare that it “looks exactly like a large Nonconformist chapel”.

An atmosphere of propriety lent by its lengthy history and religious design hangs heavily over the room, along with two chandeliers donated by King George IV that were present at his coronation. While these airs help shush the audience into quiet reverence, it also stifles any response besides polite clapping.

Earlier this year, I watched as Sentacki filled the Music Room with covers of the J-pop musicians Vaundy, Fujii Kaze, and the band King Gnu, among others. Their energy was stunning, playing extended runs of technically skilful yet still playful instrumentals alongside impassioned, smooth vocals. I couldn’t help but feel, however, that the soundscape distinctly lacked much of the usual gig noise of excited chatter or singing along. While the latter might have had a language barrier to blame, the former was especially obvious in the near silence that settled between songs, in spite of the lead singer’s stage banter.

The venue seems to intentionally lend itself more to classical performances, where silence from the benches would be more suitable. The band’s infectious joy did manage to win some audience participation towards the end, though, as they turned the mic towards the audience for some repeated vocal fills – a manoeuvre that worked even better at a different venue.

Halfway along Walton Street, the Jericho Tavern sits a 20 minute walk away from the Music Room (unthinkably long in Oxford terms). Despite its relative youth, its history and contribution to wider culture is also significant, having hosted the first live performance of Radiohead (then named On A Friday) in 1986, and the record deal-securing performance of Supergrass in 1994. In fact, I would argue the cultural relevance of their firsts are even greater than Holywell’s. My companion let me know that Radiohead fact before, on our way to, and after a gig there, while literally no one has ever mentioned any of the comparatively abundant trivia about the Music Room.

Here, later on in the same week as their Holywell performance, Sentacki’s energy and noise was much more reciprocated by the crowd. This time, the shout of “Nan-Nan” they asked for during a cover of Fujii Kaze’s similarly titled song was picked up eagerly and without embarrassment by the crowd, comfortable in the pit.

The first floor music venue is quite intimate. Its dark blue walls and length in comparison to its thinness leave the raised stage floating as a lone hypnotic light at the end of a long tunnel. The bar at the back acts much the same if you turn around.

On the ground floor, the Jericho doesn’t forget it’s a pub. The large bar, pool table, and beer garden keep it humble despite the echoes of legends from upstairs. A plaque epitomises the fundamental differences in vibe. It boasts of hosting Supergrass and hangs indoors now after an attempted theft in 2019. The item speaks to the Jericho’s past both as a venue and as a place. The Jericho proudly embraces its history and character; the plain Holywell Music Room seems to politely decline showing much of either, despite an abundance of both.

These are just two almost arbitrarily chosen places in Oxford. Every building in the ancient city holds such a wealth of history and spirit. What many of them lack, however, is the emotional catalyst of live performance. Musicians on stage make the building resonate with the music’s emotion through the vibrations of their playing and the audience’s synchronised movements. This driver helps link physicality with feeling, building relationships between people and places, and shaping this raw history into character.

The Museum of Oxford celebrates city life in ‘Our Oxford: 50 Years, 50 Stories’

Antonia Rogers
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The Museum of Oxford celebrates city life in ‘Our Oxford: 50 Years, 50 Stories’

The Museum of Oxford, situated in the Town Hall, is celebrating its 50th birthday. As part of the occasion, they opened late on the 26th September to commemorate the completion of their new exhibition, Our Oxford: 50 Years, 50 Stories, co-curated by the local community. The exhibition highlights 50 different experiences of the city, using personal memories and experiences to create a window into Oxford life, both past and present.

Since opening in 1975, the Museum of Oxford has focused on sharing the story of the city. It was taken over by the Oxford City Council in the 1990s, saved from closure by the Oxford Civic Society in the 2000s, and renovated in 2018 through a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant. Reopening in 2021, the redevelopment increased the size of the galleries and collection, and since then they have welcomed thousands of visitors and hosted hundreds of events.

Their new exhibition is a community-woven archive of Oxford life. One highlight was a series of oral history transcripts, accessed via an old-fashioned landline, which ranged from childhood recollections of Cheney School in the 1950s, to memories of the Jolly Farmer pub and shops along the Cowley Road during the mid-to-late 20th century. Current school children chose a wooden toy train from the 1930s to be put on display, indicating parallels between their own childhoods and those from almost a hundred years earlier. The Museum even commissioned a Community Quilt, created by local artist E West, as a response to the 50 stories brought together through the project.

Scott, a volunteer at the museum, pointed Cherwell to his favourite piece: ‘Frozen lightning’ from the Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, which shows electrical discharges given off by radiation. Rachel, another volunteer at the museum, added that her item of choice detailed the development of Oxford marmalade, with the display on the Morris Car Factory a close second because “it shows that Oxford was a really good centre of manufacturing for quite a long time”. She went on to add: “This exhibition is a way of getting everybody involved…180 people have signed up to come this evening.”

The event was indeed busy. Live acoustic music from Mayura echoed throughout the galleries, bringing a sense of occasion to the night. Downstairs, there was drop-in zine making with Imperfect Bound, an Oxford-based queer zine collective, where we were encouraged to create a mini magazine of what Oxford meant to us. You could also make your own badges, and watch a short film screening of ‘10 Voices’ by the Shadowlight Artists, a collective of local creatives with learning disabilities. 

By assembling the stories of the city into Our Oxford: 50 Years, 50 Stories, the Museum of Oxford not only memorialises its own past, but also that of the local community, creating a space that brings people together to celebrate their diverse experiences of life in our city.

Our Oxford: 50 Years, 50 Stories is open until the 3rd of January 2026. More details can be found here.

Why all this fuss about ‘Wuthering Heights’?

Rosa Moore
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Why all this fuss about ‘Wuthering Heights’?

Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, Netflix’s Pride and Prejudice, Greta Gerwig’s Narnia, HBO’s Harry Potter. All these adaptations of well-loved literary classics are currently in production, and, along with other fans of the novels, I have eagerly awaited each new detail of plot changes and casting choices. Yet the original novels of Emily Brontë, Jane Austen, C.S Lewis, and J.K. Rowling have already gone through multiple adaptation cycles, from screen to stage to fiction. Why do these works spawn so many descendants, and haven’t we maybe seen enough of them already?

We can easily – if perhaps cynically – feel that these adaptations are symptomatic of late-stage capitalism. Harry Potter, for instance, is ultimately a product with seemingly limitless earning potential for companies such as Warner Brothers. Or do these cycles of adaptation reveal a dearth in creativity: is it simply easier to sell audiences on something they already know? In an age of doom-scrolling, rapidly declining attention spans, and AI-assisted search engines, are these seemingly endless cycles of adaptations, paid for and provided by media giants, the only literary consumption contemporary readers can engage in? 

Well, perhaps. But these adaptations also stem from a cultural precedent that can be traced back to the writers of the classical world.

The ancient Greek poet Bacchylides wrote: “one learns his skill from another, both long ago and now.” Imitatio in the ancient world was a rhetorical practice where work which most closely resembled previous masters of the genre was a sign of the author’s literary skill and cultural value. In this world, imitation was not only the sincerest form of flattery but the highest form of art.

It was partly through imitatio that Chaucer established English as part of the great literary tradition. Chaucer’s long poems ‘The Book of the Duchess’ and ‘The Parliament of Fowls’ make use of passages from Cicero and Ovid, reworking the same material and yet creating something new. These poems involve the “long ago” of the classical world as much as they do the English literature Chaucer was helping to create. The “now” of Bacchylides is then in some ways applicable to our current literary moment, with producers such as Gerwig and Fennell reworking the rich ground left by earlier authors.

But what is it that makes these books so adaptable, so readily reworked, and offered up to each new generation? Again, the answer seems to contradict underlying cultural assumptions of what makes works of literature valuable.

All four works are genre fiction: Wuthering Heights is a gothic novel, Pride and Prejudice a romantic comedy, Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia fantasy. The primary audience of Austen and Brontë are women; of Rowling and Lewis, children. While our image of cultural taste-makers might be, predictably, a group of old white men with so-called ‘serious’ fiction, it is the literary favourites of women and children that have proved to be most enduring. 

Yet as much as literary adaptations shake prescribed cultural values, they can also do their part to enforce them. Several rumours surrounding Fennell’s Wuthering Heights have caused outrage amongst fans of the book, ranging from a rather sexually explicit opening scene to an anachronistic wedding dress more suited to the 1980s than the 1810s. More insidious is her decision to cast Jacob Elordi, star of Fennell’s Saltburn, in the role of Heathcliff. Brontë’s Heathcliff is more than a needlessly broody Byronic figure. Adopted amongst the trading ports of Liverpool, a character in the novel wonders where Heathcliff “[came] from, the little dark thing?”. The Heathcliff that appears in Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is heavily suggested to be non-white. Elordi’s Heathcliff, not so much. 

Wuthering Heights has always been the subject of controversy: contemporary papers even called the novel “semi-savage”. Yet it is sadly ironic that it seems Fennell’s adaptation has side-lined one of the most truly confronting things in the novel. While I will join many others in the cinema this Valentine’s Day to watch Fennel’s adaptation, I will also reread the original, appreciating Brontë’s text as the soil upon which each adaptation has grown. While modern adaptations allow us to rediscover well-loved classics with new eyes, not every decision they make is an improvement on the original.

Oxford announces changes to postgraduate research examinations from 2025

Mercedes Haas
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Oxford announces changes to postgraduate research examinations from 2025

Oxford University has confirmed that new rules for postgraduate research (PGR) examinations will take effect from Michaelmas term. The reforms, which apply to all students submitting their thesis for the first time on or after 12th October, are intended to clarify outcomes, standardise procedures, and align Oxford’s regulations with those of other UK universities.

One of the adjustments is the extension of the timeframe for “minor corrections”. At present, students given this outcome have one month to resubmit their corrected thesis; from 2025, this will be extended to two months. The University has also announced that extensions will no longer be available for either minor or major corrections, with only exceptional circumstances considered by the Education Committee.

The category of “major corrections” is also being revised. In future, examiners will be able to recommend either major corrections with a further viva or major corrections without one – a distinction that the University says will provide greater clarity for both students and examiners.

Other changes include a reduction in the timeframe for the “reference back” outcome, which currently allows two years for resubmission but will be shortened to one year. New “indicative criteria” will also be introduced to guide examiners in deciding outcomes, with the aim of ensuring greater consistency across departments.

The reforms further clarify expectations around supervision. Students who set major corrections or reference back should continue to receive the same level of supervision as before submitting their thesis. In addition, candidates who are unable to make progress due to illness or other time-limited reasons may apply for a suspension of up to twelve months, provided it is at least four weeks in length.

The University has explained that the reforms follow a review process which began in 2019, and that the aim is to improve clarity and support while ensuring that Oxford’s framework remains comparable with national standards. For students on research master’s programmes, such as the MLitt or MSc(Res), the changes will also introduce the possibility of “major corrections with mandatory viva”, bringing their regulations into closer alignment with those for doctoral degrees.

The timing of implementation means that different students will be affected differently. Those who submit their thesis on or before 11th October will be examined under the existing rules, while those who submit on or after 12th October will be subject to the new system.

The University has acknowledged that the reforms will require adaptation by both students and supervisors, but emphasised that the changes are intended to make the examination process more transparent and predictable. While the removal of extensions may pose challenges in some cases, the longer period for minor corrections, the introduction of clearer criteria, and the option of suspension are expected to provide additional support for candidates.

These revisions mark the first major update to PGR examination outcomes at Oxford in several years. The University has stated that it will continue to provide guidance to departments and students ahead of the changes coming into effect in Michaelmas.

What literary character is your college?

Hannah Becker
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What literary character is your college?

Oxford’s colleges are all infamous for different reasons, and come with their own unique reputations and stereotypes – grand or scrappy, aloof or chaotic, satirised or beloved, glamorous or quietly dependable. What if, instead of being identified by their quads and cloisters, they were cast as famous literary characters? Christ Church College’s boastful architecture smacks of Gatsby; Keble College seems to brood like Frankenstein’s creature; and Exeter College reminds one of rebels like Jo March. 

Below, I’ve matched Oxford’s colleges with a figure from ‘the canon’ in an attempt to capture, to the best of my ability, their distinctive characters, pairing architecture with archetype, and reputation with narrative behaviour.

Balliol College is Hamlet from Hamlet

Political, intellectual, and emotionally tortured. Balliol’s reputation for philosophers and prime ministers mirrors the political upheaval afflicting Shakespeare’s brooding prince.

Blackfriars is Father Brown from The Father Brown Stories

Witty, wise, and compassionate – this beloved Catholic priest is the perfect embodiment of the college steeped in theology and philosophy.

Brasenose College is Sancho Panza from Don Quixote

Earthy, humorous, and loyal to a fault. Brasenose is a hearty and sociable college, beloved by most, with a refreshing down-to-earth vibe.

Campion Hall is Father Gabriel from The Mission

Quietly powerful and deeply intellectual, this college carries centuries of history and is perfectly represented by the compassionate Jesuit missionary.

Christ Church College is Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby

Boasting with wealth, grandeur, and pomp. This college is Jay Gatsby personified, with its beautiful dining hall, high society, and students who cannot help but throw themselves into the spotlight.

Corpus Christi College is Mole from The Wind in the Willows

Small, understated, and quietly charming. The Corpus Pelican, a golden pelican sundial in the middle of the college’s quad, is just as whimsical as Mole’s homey energy.

Exeter College is Jo March from Little Women

Creative, ambitious, and literary, Exeter might not be the flashiest of colleges, but is surely full of heart.

Green Templeton College is Dr John Watson from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

This practical, observant, and quietly heroic figure captures the progressive nature of the college, as well as its focus on medicine, business, and social sciences.

Harris Manchester College is Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings

Having famously warm vibes, an eclectic student body, and a touch of quiet wisdom, Harris Manchester stands out among the other undergrad-heavy colleges, and is just like the elder statesman of the Fellowship.

Hertford College is Emma from Emma

Witty, independent, and charming, just like the beloved heroine of this Austen classic, Hertford’s architecture is just as playful as Emma’s matchmaking.

Jesus College is Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle

A flamboyant, slightly chaotic Welsh wizard who is both brilliant and a tad eccentric. Plus, he has a wandering castle – what better metaphor for this tucked away college?

Keble College is Frankenstein’s monster from Frankenstein

The dramatic, gothic, red-brick college unites all that is paradoxical, and seems to generate a multitude of opinions. Some think it monstrous, others marvellous.

Kellogg College is Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games

Young, modern, adaptable, resilient. Kellogg can often be an underdog compared to the grandeur of some other colleges, but its modernity is also its strength.

Lady Margaret Hall is Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables

LMH is – just like the bold Anne – a pioneering outsider full of earnest energy. The first women’s college, it has always strived for change and progress.

Linacre College is Mary Poppins from Mary Poppins

Pragmatic and progressive, Linacre seems to take responsibility seriously, but always has a twinkle in its eye.

Lincoln College is Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit

Compact, warm-hearted, and quietly adventurous. Tucked away on Turl Street, this college feels exactly like a well-loved hobbit-hole, with a hidden world behind its door.

Magdalen College is Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice

Immaculate, beautiful, and aristocratic, Magdalen can feel imposing to outsiders. However, once known, it becomes steadfast and magnetic.

Mansfield College is Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird

Mansfield is socially conscious, progressive, and justice-minded, whilst wearing its radical heart right on its sleeve.

Merton College is Prospero from The Tempest

Merton is home to one of Europe’s oldest libraries, giving it its ancient, powerful, bookish flair. Known as the most academic Oxford college, it certainly resembles this wizard-like Shakespeare figure.

New College is Dorian Gray from The Picture of Dorian Gray

New embodies everything that Wilde’s protagonist stands for: eternal youth, timelessness, and beauty. It looks almost untouched by time, but has centuries of history under its belt.

Nuffield College is Piggy from Lord of the Flies

Just like the little data-driven thinker trying to hold civilisation together, this small and graduate-only college is analytical and influential, with its focus on politics and economics.

Oriel College is Sherlock Holmes from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Traditionalist, precise, and rather conservative, Oriel has a mixed reputation resembling the division in popular opinion about the great detective.

Pembroke College is Oliver Twist from Oliver Twist

A little plucky, small, and often overshadowed by its flashier neighbours, Pembroke is full of charm and scrappiness.

Queen’s College is Lady Macbeth from Macbeth

Regal and imposing, with dramatic architecture. The college commands the stage from its place towering over the High Street, yet entering it can prove quite the challenge.

Regent’s Park is Jean Valjean from Les Misérables

Just like the redeemed and compassionate Jean, Regent’s Park is dedicated to goodness and its Baptist principles.

Reuben College is Matilda Wormwood from Matilda

As the youngest member of the Oxford family (founded only in 2019), this college has a decisively modern ethos and is just as clever and energetic as Matilda herself. 

Somerville College is Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series

A brilliant, pioneering college with feminist roots, and therefore the ultimate symbol of brains, independence, and the Granger spirit.

St Anne’s College is Scout Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird

St Anne’s is modern, no-nonsense, and progressive, yet remains full of a curiosity and spirit that make it quite charming.

St Anthony’s College is Odysseus from The Odyssey

International and worldly. This college seems to always be travelling and telling stories. Removed from the central hub of colleges, it remains something of a mysterious outsider.

St Catherine’s College is Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye

This college is a modernist outsider. It is plain, concrete, often misunderstood or made fun of, but radically proud of its difference.

St Cross College is Phileas Fogg from Around the World in 80 Days

With its wonderfully cosmopolitan and understated character, St Cross is known for being open, collegial, and international.

St Edmund Hall (Teddy Hall) is Pip from Great Expectations

Old, a bit scrappy, and full of ambition, St Edmund Hall is always reaching upwards, yet stays cheerful and approachable.

St Hilda’s College is Jane Eyre from Jane Eyre

Principled and intelligent, St Hilda’s is a college that triumphs with its quiet strength and integrity – much like the beloved heroine of Charlotte Brontë’s famous novel.

St Hugh’s College is Dorothea Brooke from Middlemarch

Serious-minded, idealistic, and underrated. Just like this layered character, St Hugh’s character is difficult to discern – but maybe that’s just because it lies quite far off.

St John’s College is Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol

Staggeringly rich and sometimes resented. St John’s is undoubtedly one of the wealthiest colleges in Oxford, but its funding for scholarships and outreach work gives it a philanthropic heart.

St Peter’s College is Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Quirky, colourful, and on the smaller side, this college lies hidden away behind a wall and is therefore full of surprises.

Trinity College is Tom Sawyer from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Incredibly adventurous and playful, this beloved college always seems to be at the centre of fun and mischief.

University College (Univ) is George Knightley from Emma

Steadfast, dependable, friendly, and wise, but less showy than some other colleges, Univ is a High Street presence all are glad to see.

Wadham College is Orlando from Orlando

Orlando – with their gender-fluid, timeless, and artistic character – is a near-perfect symbol for Wadham’s radical and progressive tradition, and famously strong LGBTQ+ identity.

Wolfson College is Tony Stark from the Marvel comics

Famously progressive, interdisciplinary, and informal (having no high table or gowns), this college pushes boundaries and breaks conventions just like the beloved superhero.

Worcester College is Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden

Worcester’s lush and dreamy gardens feel precisely like Mary’s discovered paradise, and are just as charming as the curious protagonist herself.

Wycliffe Hall is Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia

Wycliffe is one of Oxford’s Permanent Private Halls, known for being evangelical, deeply theological, and community-oriented, whilst prioritising debates and social activism.

Underrated FC 25 Formations That Actually Win Games

External Contributor
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Underrated FC 25 Formations That Actually Win Games

If you’re a student gamer, stuck in Division Rivals or barely scraping wins in Weekend League, it might not be your players—it could be your formation. Everyone’s running the classic 4-2-3-1 or the sweaty 5-1-2-2, but FC 25 has quietly shaken up the meta in a way that rewards creativity and tactical diversity. In other words: the underdogs are making a comeback.

It’s time to stop copying cookie-cutter tactics and start thinking like a football tactician. Let’s dive into the underrated FC 25 formations that are secretly overpowered—and might just help you break your losing streak.

4-3-2-1: The Narrow Pressure Cooker

You don’t see this one in every lineup, but when used right, the 4-3-2-1 is a total nightmare for your opponent’s backline. With three central mids and two narrow center-forwards, this setup applies relentless central pressure and forces quick decision-making.

The beauty? It feels like you’re playing five attackers, but you’re still compact defensively. The left and right forwards act like strikers in disguise—perfect for through balls, one-twos, and pressing on lost possession.

Want to unlock premium player cards to really maximize this shape? A little boost from cheap FC points can give you access to the midfielders and hybrid forwards that make this narrow formation shine.

3-4-2-1: The Comeback King

Yes, it’s a back three—and yes, it’s viable now.

The 3-4-2-1 is built for high-risk, high-reward play, especially if you love flooding the midfield and suffocating opponents. The width from your wingbacks means you’re rarely caught short on the flanks, while the two CAMs behind the striker offer constant support and unpredictability in attack.

It works wonders when you’re behind and need to flip the momentum quickly. Just make sure your center-backs are mobile, and your wide mids have stamina for days.

4-1-4-1: The Midfield Trap

This one doesn’t look aggressive—but that’s the whole point. The 4-1-4-1 is ideal for players who prefer to control games from midfield and punish mistakes with clinical precision.

With five midfielders stretched across the pitch, you’ll frustrate your opponent’s passing lanes and win the ball in dangerous areas. Drop a shadow chemistry style on your CDM, and you’ve got a mobile brick wall sitting in front of your defense.

It’s not flashy, but it’s tactical brilliance for players who think two steps ahead.

4-4-2 (Second Variation): The Balanced Bruiser

Old-school? Maybe. Overpowered in FC 25? Absolutely.

This version of the 4-4-2 features two CDMs instead of CMs, making it sturdier than its traditional counterpart. You’ve got the width to stretch play, the midfield stability to win second balls, and two strikers to bully defenses.

It shines in tight games where spacing, stamina, and second-half substitutions make all the difference. Think of it as the jack-of-all-trades formation that never gets enough credit.

Don’t Follow the Meta—Crack It

Formations are the skeleton of your squad. And in FC 25, where minor tactical tweaks can shift entire match outcomes, going off-meta isn’t risky—it’s smart. Sure, it helps to have top-tier players, but the right setup can make even an average squad feel elite.

If you’re ready to test these dark-horse tactics, consider picking up cheap FC points to experiment with new players, chemistry styles, or consumables. Building smarter doesn’t have to break the bank.

The ‘S’ in ‘STEM’ stands for superiority complex

Poppy Littler-Jennings
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The ‘S’ in ‘STEM’ stands for superiority complex

Having been on the receiving end of a lot of self-proclaimed STEM superiority over the past two years at Oxford, I must admit it gets pretty tiresome. As a French student, you learn to expect a certain amount of “mickey mouse” allegations and light-hearted mockery about spending an eternity on LinkedIn post-graduation. But some students take this hierarchy of disciplines past the point of mere irony – “You know medics learn more words per week than language students” was an oft-quoted adage during my first year.

Much like how Oxford students supposedly all believe their college is the best, we’re all inclined to think that our degree is harder than other people would assume. Nonetheless, some STEM students fail to recognise that humanities degrees resemble a Sisyphean task at times: the endless reading lists, the naïve pursuit of fresh analysis (which invariably results in the disappointing revelation that someone has already come up with your “original” interpretation), the solo tutes that leave you neck deep in imposter syndrome. Do I need to go on? And all for a bachelor’s that begs to be coupled with a law conversion if you have any hope of employment. 

Make no mistake, humanities students can be entirely insufferable too. Whether it’s spending hours poring over literature, drawing parallels from Plato’s cave to Marguerite Duras’ Hiroshima Mon Amour, or agonising over the precise connotations of a singular word to be used in a translation, at the end of the day it’s all what we chose to study and what we are passionate about. But it’s still patronising to hear that our essays are ‘light work’, when the reality can feel just the opposite. 

As for the value of our respective subjects, students of STEM disciplines might have the likes of Dorothy Hodgkin and Stephen Hawking amongst their ranks, but the humanities realm is equally populated by incredible figures (to name a few, Oscar Wilde, Wendy Cope, Edward Burne-Jones). Countless minds like these have shaped the way we view the world and constructed a mosaic of global culture that everyone, irrespective of their academic inclinations, enjoys. The word “humanities” itself – from the Renaissance Latin “studia humanitatis” – says it all: humanity is at the heart of our studies; we examine the inner workings of the mind in an effort to navigate a nonsensical existence. 

The widely held view that the sciences and humanities are diametrically opposed to each other is narrow-minded and neglects to address the crossover between these academic arenas. Historically, great philosophers from Pythagoras to Descartes were equally as concerned with science and mathematics as they were with profound existential questions, even using the former to answer the latter. And yet, today, we seem to have imposed stringent separations between such subject areas. The divide between the sciences and humanities was deplored by British novelist and scientist Charles Percy Snow in the 1950s, who termed the concept of the “two cultures”, a phenomenon that he understood to pose a real threat to society. At many universities across the world (notably Harvard University), such boundaries barely exist at the beginning of undergraduate studies, with students able to pick and choose modules from different disciplines. If, elsewhere, areas of study are intertwined and studied in tandem, why do we bother wasting our time arguing over this false dichotomy? 

I would also like to question whether the sciences would retain their gilded status if they too were studied predominantly by women. Oxford’s 2025 Admissions Report showed that 74% of English Language and Literature students were women, compared to just 19.8% of Maths and Computer Science students. After all, the now-revered genre of the novel was once looked upon with disdain – when, not so coincidentally, it was primarily the domain of female writers. Obviously, not everyone who pokes fun at humanities degrees is a flagrant misogynist, but it definitely feels more than coincidental. Years of history being rewritten to extol patriarchs has certainly left an impression on the way we value various aspects of culture. 

All of this is to say, it’s high time we stopped arguing which is more important or more difficult, and instead started asking what STEM and the humanities can learn from each other. And please, next time you find yourself on the cusp of ridiculing your “PHLEGM” friends, maybe reconsider. We’ve got the job market to deal with – we don’t need to battle you as well.

Cherwell Mini Cryptic #4 – Brotherly Love

Zoë McGuire
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Created by Zoë McGuire using PuzzleMe"s online crossword maker

Wanting to follow the thread further? Last week’s mini cryptic has you covered.

Do you prefer your sister? Why not try this week’s mini crossword.

Follow the Cherwell Instagram for updates on our online puzzles.

For even more crosswords and other puzzles, pick up a Cherwell print issue from your JCR or porters’ lodge!

Cherwell Mini #21 – The Full Brontë

Zoë McGuire
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0
Created by Alessandra Edwards & Nat Elder using the online crossword puzzle creator from Amuse Labs

This week’s mini is by Alessandra Edwards & Nat Elder.

Still thirsty for puzzles? Why not try the last mini:

Follow the Cherwell Instagram for updates on our online puzzles.

For even more crosswords and other puzzles, pick up a Cherwell print issue from your JCR or porters’ lodge!

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