Student Written
Welcome to the Christ Church Alternative Prospectus
We’re Laura and Jack and we’ll be your guides throughout this prospectus. We, along with other current students, have written this for anyone thinking of applying to Oxford.
We hope that, through our experiences and our thoughts, you’ll get a sense of why we all love our college so much, what we might have wanted to know before applying and what kind of things you can expect from a college community during your time at Oxford!
Choosing a college can be a really tough choice, but we hope to answer some of the questions you didn’t know you had and make the whole process easier for you.
Along the way, you’ll hear from current students about a whole bunch of different aspects of undergrad life, from accommodation and food to welfare and college entertainment (entz).
Whether you were initially interested in Christ Church because of our buildings, our academic reputation or any other reason, we want to give you an idea of what really makes our college so special - the people!
Christ Church is more than just where you stay during your degree, it is a community that will support you from Freshers’ Week to Finals, and even beyond!
If you want to find out more, check out our social media, our website and blog, or pop in for an Open Day. We really hope to see you soon as fellow undergrads!
We’ll end this welcome with the cutest reason to come to Christ Church: Layla, our chaplain’s dog, who you can walk in the meadow whenever you like!
Laura, History, and Jack, Biochemistry
ACCOMMODATION
Christ Church provides accommodation for all of your degree, so you don’t have to worry about renting privately while you’re here.
All rooms are spacious, and many have double beds and en suites. Rooms are cleaned once a week by ‘Scouts’ (cleaners). All rooms cost the same and you may be eligible for a subsidy as well!
Bills are included, and you only have to pay for the weeks you’re in Oxford, which saves a lot of money over the holidays.
Most people choose to eat in hall, but you’ll always have access to a shared kettle, toaster and microwave as well as laundry rooms.
In Oxford, buildings are arranged into ‘staircases’ around ‘quads’ (big squares, usually with grass, surrounded by buildings). Here’s a quick guide to the quads you might live in as an undergrad at Christ Church.
BLUE BOAR
Let’s be honest, Blue Boar Quad isn’t the prettiest building in Christ Church. It was built in the 1960s when concrete buildings were all the rage, so although it’s made of stone, it looks like… concrete!
It’s really modern and all the rooms have a single bed, desk, fridge, en-suite and plenty of storage. Plus, living in the building means that your view is of everything else and the big windows look out onto gardens.
Most first years live here so it’s really easy to get to know everyone in your staircase during freshers’ week and beyond, but some first years get rooms in other quads and they’re super friendly too.
PECKWATER (‘PECK’)
Peck is one of the most impressive buildings in college, with rooms to match! Lots of second years choose to live here, often in ‘sets’ which consist of two bedrooms and a shared living area.
There are also single rooms which sometimes have en-suites and even private living rooms attached. Most rooms in Peck look out over the quad, which means a prime view of the huge Christmas tree in winter and sunbathers in summer.
Peck rooms are also right next to the library – ideal for that mid-afternoon tea break.
MEADOWS
The holy grail of Christ Church accommodation, Meadows rooms are usually snapped up by third and fourth years.
These rooms are large with high ceilings, spacious en-suites, and huge windows. About half of them have a view over Christ Church Meadow towards the river, and a few even have balconies for the ultimate photo opportunities.
OLD LIBRARY
This smaller building is hidden away in between Meadows Quad and the Cathedral Cloisters. It’s generally occupied by third and fourth years. The rooms here are spacious, sometimes with sofas and double beds.
ANNEXES
In second and third year, you may live in one of the college annexes. These are accommodation buildings off the main college site, but never more than a ten-minute walk away, so you can easily access college facilities.
LIDDELL
A group of flats for three or four people, a ten-minute walk away from college across the Meadow or Iffley Road. The flats have large shared kitchens and you might opt for this block for a more typical student living experience. There is also a common room and communal barbecue and easy access to the college sports ground and university sports centre.
OLD ST ALDATES
This area consists mostly of flats with shared kitchens and bathrooms, some of which are occupied by graduate students. There are also some staircases with en suite rooms. It’s separated from the main college, but only a two-minute walk away from the college library and hall.
ST ALDATES 117
A new, purpose-built accommodation block, conveniently just above Sainsbury’s and minutes from college! All rooms are spacious with en suite bathrooms and double beds. Each floor has a large kitchen area with microwaves and plenty of space for socialising. There is also a lift, so you don’t have to worry about lugging your stuff up to the fourth floor!
Comments by Emily, Medicine
FOOD AND DRINK
HALL
Whilst living and studying in oxford, it’s important to fuel yourself properly, and take a break from working by socialising.
One of the most amazing things about Christ Church is being able to have dinner every night in the hall - it’ll make you feel like you’re eating in Hogwarts (minus the headless ghosts – one of the hall staff claims to have seen one, but it was probably just a tired tutor).
It’s also one of the best opportunities to socialise with the whole college.
There are two servings every night, an informal sitting at 6pm, and a formal sitting at 7pm where you can stay and chat to people for longer.
In hall a three course meal costs around £3, so you’re unlikely to find a better deal anywhere else in Oxford! And the food is delicious!
Along with Alex (the current special diets rep), myself and the hall staff endeavour to cater to everyone’s needs, and are extremely open to input from everyone.
As well as dinner, Christ Church also provides the opportunity to have breakfast and lunch in college for a very low price.
Other special events at Christ Church are the twice termly black tie guest dinners, a special Christmas dinner with tutors, and themed formals in collaboration with the charities reps (for example a valentines formal and Harry Potter dinner).
Lucy, Biology, Food rep.
SPECIAL DIETS
As things go, this is a great college for dietary requirements.
Whether you’re an allergy sufferer, vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher, or maybe just a bit fussy, the kitchen will always make sure there’s a meal for you. If, however, your substitutions don’t seem up to scratch with the original version, there’s nothing a bit of pestering your Food Reps can’t fix. It’s what they’re there for!
Eating in hall with a special diet usually just means swapping a few bits and pieces around - the vegetarians might have something like a goat’s cheese tart or a nut roast as a substitute for the meat in their main course, or a coeliac might have a gluten-free crumble or fruit salad instead of the standard dessert. You still get three courses and it’s still good food, good value, and filling! (And never forget, every meal comes with a warm (gluten-free if necessary) bread roll… mmmmm… )
To register your diet, you just need to speak to the kitchen manager when you arrive and pick up a diet card which you then bring to each mealtime to show the kitchen staff. Loads of people have some sort of dietary requirement, so you won’t be the odd one out - there’s even a whole separate queue for us in hall.
In particular, we’ve got a great vegetarian and vegan community at Christ Church; we have Meat-Free Mondays once a week to encourage the reduction of the student body’s meat consumption, and the Lettuce Leaf dinner once a year, which is a special veggie meal.
There’s even an annual uni-wide initiative to get people to pledge veganism/ vegetarianism/ eating less meat in general for a period of time, in which Christ Church students regularly participate. We try our best!
Florrie, English Literature
BARS
Christ Church’s bars are the beating heart of college social life. All drinks are affordably priced, so you can get yourself a pint, a glass of wine or a non-alcoholic drink – you can get into the sociable mood whatever your preference!
The Buttery is open every night and can be found next to hall. It is the go-to spot for drinks before and during dinner, whether that be a bottle of the House Red or a cut-price Coke Zero. It features a selection of local ales, carefully picked out each season.
The Undie is open during the peak of the week – Wednesday through to Saturday – and is the launchpad for nights out. It boasts a quirky, modern décor including a free jukebox, several squashy sofas and posters of Christ Church alumni such as Riz Ahmed. Drinks and prices are carried over from the Buttery, with the addition of several college cocktails and VKs to get the night going . The pool table and darts board have proved the foundation of our two wildly-successful “bar-sports teams” and there are always the widescreen TVs to provide distraction.
Both bars are the perfect place to bring a guest, whether you want to make your friends from other colleges jealous or entertain your starstruck parents. The Undie also opens for “POB” at least twice a term, a big party for all of college to enjoy their communal space.
Tristan, History and Italian
JCR CAFE AND MORE
JCR CAFÉ
We also have our own JCR café, called ‘Barrie’s’ (named after our Groundsman), which has created a really nice environment for people to work and hang out in the common room. They serve super cheap hot drinks, paninis, soup, crumpets, and loads more - and you can get one free hot drink a day if you bring in a reusable cup. What’s not to love?
TEA-POINTS
Every student has access to a tea point, usually on the staircase they’re living in. We’re allowed kettles in our room and the tea points all have a microwave, toaster and a kettle – perfect for that midnight snack or post-clubbing buttered toast!
SELF-CATERED
The accommodation in Liddell and Old Aldates has the option of being self-catered. Each flat in Liddell (shared between 3 or 4 people) has a kitchen, as well as each staircase in Old Aldates Quad. The kitchens all have a decent microwave, as well as a complete hob and oven.
This accommodation is available from second year onwards, and you can opt out of hall dinners and just pay as you go throughout the year if you want. Liddell also has its own BBQ – you can book it out – the hot dog costume does not come included unfortunately!
CAKE!
We also have a cake rep! Yes that’s right, we have a representative for cake. The cake rep is a current student whose job is to buy every member of college one cake every term. Each student can request any cake (or foodstuff of their choice) they want, and if it’s in budget and available to buy in any local supermarket – the cake rep will do a run and get it.
It’s a fun position that has a surprisingly large amount of power
Florrie again
ENTZ
Oxford is hard work, but Christ Church students party just as hard. Clubbing in Christ Church is an experience like no other: there’s nothing quite like sharing a bottle of wine with friends as you have dinner in your academic gown before you go out.
As a big and friendly college, we always bring a huge turnout to every night out worth its salt. What’s more, Christ Church’s central location means every club is within walking distance - no need to fork out for a taxi, and for your post-club cravings, we even have a kebab van, McCoys, right on our doorstep.
We host twice-termly ‘bops’ in our JCR (imagine a 16-year old’s house party but fancy dress, with all your friends in college). Having bops in the JCR is a luxury not every college gets, and one of the many perks of Christ Church is having big after-parties in one of the legendary Peck sets.
After-hours entertainment at Christ Church doesn’t necessarily mean clubbing: we host regular events such as karaoke nights, pub quizzes and silent discos in the Undie.
If partying’s not your thing, no need to worry - there are plenty of other activities going on!
Students looking to unwind often make use of the Wii in the JCR TV Room - Mario Kart is currently the flavour of the month, as well as using the huge projector to watch sports matches and the odd Love Island episode.
The JCR’s pool table, café and board games make it yet another well-used social space, along with the Master’s Garden, which is the perfect summery setting for a picnic or just a lazy study session.
Our own college tortoise, Sampras, comes out of hibernation in the summer and joins us at various garden parties, as well as at the annual tortoise race ! There’s also a pancake race around Tom Quad with both staff and students.
Whatever your preferences are, there’s plenty to keep you entertained outside of your studies at Christ Church, and our central location means that university events are only a short walk away!
Nigel, PPE, and Charlotte, also PPE
ARTZ
The arts life at Christ Church is rich, varied and fulfilling. Considered an extension of wellbeing in college, we try to provide students with an outlet from their busy timetables. There are all sorts of events, plays, performances, talks and workshops for house members to get involved in.
“Wine & Watercolour” is an afternoon of chilled painting and snack-eating with a glass of wine or a cup of tea, using the tranquil medium of watercolour as inspiration for letting go. Alternatively, the performances put on by House members, ranging from the comic to the tragic and everything in between, provide energising ways to laugh and cry with your college community.
This is incredibly important to us! College is not just where you sleep, eat and live, it is also a place to engage actively with those around you! So every year we have a massive Easter Egg hunt around college with not only chocolate eggs but prizes like drinks vouchers, discounted flight tickets and more!
The highlight of the year is no doubt Christ Church Arts Week which takes places in spring term . It’s a jam-packed week of arts events bringing together creatives from around the college, university, city and even country, when we aim to showcase all the enriching qualities of the arts in their glory!
We are also incredibly keen to support creative talent wherever we see it! From Garden Play grants, to Edinburgh Fringe funding, to the Christ Church A4 Ruskin Prize (awarded to graduating Fine Art students of exceptional talent), the arts team here are committed to facilitating not only enjoyment of art but its creation and flourishing too. We can’t wait for you to get involved!
Chinma, English
SPORTS
Getting involved in sport at Christ Church is a huge part of college life and one of the best ways to meet people.
We have some of the best sporting facilities at the university, including a rugby pitch, two football pitches, a cricket pitch and nets and a multi-use AstroTurf pitch just at our sports ground.
We also have free access to the gym at MCS (a nearby school) and to the University Sports Centre. Almost all the facilities can be booked out individually, so if you fancy a kickabout with your friends, an afternoon of punting on the river, or a game of squash, Christ Church can provide all that.
You don’t have to be a superstar to get involved in the sports scene in college, the captains are happy to have as many people along as possible, and more is most definitely merrier when it comes to college sport. It is the perfect way to try something new, to meet more people from college in different years, or could even help you gain confidence in a sport before trying out for the uni teams.
We also have one of the most successful boat clubs in the history of the university. Our men’s 1st VIII have been Head of the River a record 33 times, and we entered eight crews of varying abilities into 2019’s main regatta: Summer Eights. No matter what level you play at, there is a sporting team at Christ Church for you.
Eoin, Maths and Will, EP
SOCIETIES
There are a huge number of activities to get involved with in college.
From various subject-specific societies hosting talks by world-famous professionals in their fields, to the college Dramatic Society, which coordinates our entry into the inter-college drama competition, puts plays on in the college gardens and funds students putting on shows in Oxford or at the Edinburgh Fringe, to the massive number of college sports teams (no experience required!), and even to regular Kung Fu, zumba and poetry classes run by other students!
We’re also lucky to have the Cathedral inside the college, meaning you can sing in the prestigious Cathedral choir if that’s your talent. If you’re interested in something not mentioned here, you can still be pretty sure there’s a society for it – or you can set one up yourself!
As well as traditional societies, you can also join the JCR committee, which represents undergrads at the college and puts on events around welfare, career networking, and for different minority groups, and plans the college BOPs. Running to be a rep consists of submitting a manifesto (usually it can be quite silly instead of very professional), and then giving a short speech and answering questions at a Hustings. The committee is always a good mixture of people from different years, subjects and backgrounds, and can make really significant changes in college!
If membership isn’t your thing, there’s plenty of other ways to get involved in college life. An LGBTQ Facebook group (where your name won’t be visible so you can safely be part of it even if you aren’t out to all your Facebook friends!) called “Queerest House” puts on events for LGBTQ students and arranges queer socials with other colleges, and our lovely chaplain Clare sends out a weekly rota for walking her dog around the Meadows. There’s also plenty of links between the college and wider University societies!
Nicole, Physics
WELFARE
Uni can be a very exciting and fun time, but it can also have a lot of ups and downs and brings its own stresses, from living alone and managing finances to making friends and dealing with academic pressure.
Thankfully, the Oxford college system makes you feel like a member of a smaller and more tightly-knit community to help weather those rough patches.
WHO’S WHO IN WELFARE
At Christ Church, we’ve got a very active welfare team consisting of both students and staff. The Peer Supporters are fellow students who have been trained by the University Counselling Service
in supportive listening, and they run regular welfare teas and the termly ‘Welfairy’ where you can pidge anonymous goodies (plus a nice message!) to other people in college.
We also have reps on the committee representing various groups such as LGBTQ+, the gender equalities officer, a disabilities rep, international students, ethnic and religious minorities, and students from low-income backgrounds, so there is always someone to talk to for advice or support.
There are also post-graduate students who are trained as ‘wardens’: these students are on call via the Porters’ Lodge for more serious problems, or when you’re feeling out of your depth.
College welfare staff are also incredibly supportive for any problems you may run into, be they financial, academic, physical or mental health, and coordinate with tutors or the wider university if needed (and with your permission!).
We’ve got a college counsellor and a college nurse who do hours on-site and are professionally and clinically trained, as well as Clare, our welfare coordinator, who is available to chat about any issues that arise and can signpost you onwards to any further help you may need. Tutors at Christ Church are also trained to be as supportive as possible and are much more understanding than you might expect! We always have a pair of Welfare Tutors who can focus more on this pastoral side, too.
WHAT WELFARE DOES
In addition, the welfare reps run a range of events working with other members of the college committee, such as the annual JCR sports day which usually features zorb football, or the chocolate and jazz festival (think 10+ kg of chocolates, two fountains, marshmallows, and jazz…).
These events help make Christ Church feel more like a community rather than just a set of buildings we all live and work in.
All in all, Christ Church has plenty of welfare activity in place, from regular events to wonderful people, to help support you in the (often stressful) transition to uni.
Sarah, Classics and Raafi, Medicine
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
ACCESS
One of the many things you can choose to get involved with at Christ Church is Access, which means encouraging schoolkids to think about applying to Oxford, or university more widely.
It’s a really fun - and important - way of sharing your experiences and talking to younger students of all ages about uni life, especially those who might not have the confidence to apply otherwise.
We are this year’s JCR Access representatives, which means not only do we get to help organise events throughout the year, but we also keep the college community up-to-date with all things Access so everyone can get involved!
As an undergrad, you can help out with tours of college, do subject workshops and Q&As. You can even choose to go back to your old school or 6th form college to chat to them about Oxford - and college will reimburse you! You get a nice stylish turquoise t-shirt/jumper, as you can see in the photo
Maybe you’ll be joining us in turquoise when you get here!
Laura & Jack (again!)
DIVERSITY
SALIMAH
Hi, I’m Salimah and have just finished a 4 year degree studying French and Arabic at Christ Church. Before arriving in Oxford, I was concerned about being a minority as I’m from a very diverse area and didn’t know how I’d fit in (or how much I’d stand out) and if my religious requirements would be accommodated. However, I can truly say that being at Christ Church surprised me.
Firstly, they provide for such a wide range of dietary requirements, including halal, kosher, vegan etc. so I have not had to worry about food.
Secondly, the presence of an ERM (Ethnic and Religious Minority) representative in college means that there is always someone to talk to if you have any concerns.
It makes me proud to say that Christ Church is becoming a more diverse place each year and I hope this continues even more!
NICOLE
Hey, Nicole again!
If I compare my experience at Christ Church for the last two years with my expectation of it when I first thought about applying to Oxford in my gap year, the two have almost nothing in common.
Coming to university with a dissociative anxiety disorder, I was worried that such an “intense” university wasn’t the place for me.
However, I knew that I’d feel supported at Christ Church right from the Open Day, when I got a chance to meet the Head Tutor of my subject and see his tutorial room, where the majority of my in-college teaching would take place. This gave me a much more realistic view of life as an Oxford student, and I was also reassured having a face to put with my subject.
At interviews, the college staff and student helpers were extremely welcoming, and were also able to make specific arrangements to help with my mental health condition. This meant I felt like I belonged at Christ Church before my offer even came up on UCAS.
The support I have received from college and the University has been so useful in helping me improve my mental health while still balancing my work and wider student life.
In my second term I applied to be a Peer Supporter, a college welfare position for which I received 30 hours of counselling training and served on a team of around 10 student Peer Supporters for a year and a half. This system let me help others who were struggling and apply the skills I learnt to help myself as well.
I also ran and was elected as the JCR Disabled Students’ Officer, with the ambition of making other Christ Church students feel as safe and in control as I do.
I have seen the support available for disabled students improve hugely during my time here, with provisions for physical disabilities, mental health conditions and specific learning difficulties all more readily available.
I know that these will only continue to grow, and that Christ Church will be more and more able to effectively assist disabled students joining the college like they were for me.
LGBTQ+
A bit like the “Q” in LGBTQ+, depending on who you ask, Christ Church’s “Queer” and “Questioning” community can appear to have two different personas. Let’s face it, its history and image can make Christ Church appear a bit behind the times and not particularly inclusive. Spend some time here, however, and you will quickly learn that it has one of the largest and friendliest LGBTQ+ communities in Oxford .
Our LGBTQ+ community is incredibly well supported. Both the JCR and GCR have LGBTQ+ Officers like myself. We are appointed every year to organise events, advocate for improvement in college and most importantly, be a listening ear, a signpost and a provider of tea when needed.
Events vary from term to term but usually include ‘welfare teas’, movie nights, Eurovision parties, and ‘Oxmas’ events in the run-up to Christmas.
To top things off, LGBTQ+ students and their guests can attend the yearly Unity Dinner. This black-tie evening takes place every Hilary and is a great opportunity for students to come together, celebrate our differences and recognise what is yet to be done to improve ‘unity’, both in Oxford and elsewhere around the globe.
Christ Church’s staff are also very accommodating and keen to improve equality and diversity in college. Recently a substantial number of staff undertook training in ‘gendered intelligence’, a programme to help them better understand the needs and challenges facing Transgender and Gender Non-conforming students. The college welfare committee is also keen to embrace new initiatives.
Alongside the profusion of in college events, there are plenty of ties with the university-wide LGBTQ+ society. The society’s flagship Tuesday drinks event is frequently held in Christ Church’s Blue Boar quad and each year a large number of Christ Church students are elected to the society’s committee.
As someone who had hardly been exposed to LGBTQ+ culture and community prior to coming here, Christ Church has been more than could ever be expected. It has immersed me in all the best parts of life as an LGBTQ+ young person and I cannot wait to see freshers have a similarly positive experience!
Arun, Law
INTERNATIONAL
Christ Church counts amongst those colleges at Oxford that are focused on international student integration and welfare. One of the biggest advantages is its size. Being one
of the bigger colleges in Oxford,
it supports a larger international student community which is helpful because you meet a greater number of people going through the same transitions and facing similar challenges. Whilst you’re provided with accommodation during term time only, it is one of the very few colleges that provide overseas students with free storage during the longer summer breaks, not only helping you save money but also reducing the need to deal with private storage organisations.
International students are also given preference for accommodation out of term time and if you wish to stay in college before or after the terms, you can usually do that without any hassles.
Student-run welfare programmes for international students at
Christ Church have been growing stronger and stronger over the last couple years and include things like international student dinner, fully funded storage boxes for storage over the vacations etc. This year Christ Church will also run its first International Students’ Pre-Arrival Programme which will allow international fresher students to arrive before the usual Sunday arrival and complete all essential formalities including police verification, NHS registration, opening bank accounts, etc. It will also give them a chance to settle into college earlier so that they can participate in Freshers’ week to the fullest and feel integrated into the larger college community from the very start.
Christ Church is an amazing place tobe studying and with its dedicated international student welfare as well as access to a wide variety of resources aimed at improving and streamlining student life while at Oxford, it stands out as a college geared towards welcoming and hosting international students and ensuring that they have a wonderful experience while at Oxford.
Dhruv, Law
DAY IN THE LIFE
Hi! I’m Gabriela, a first year chemistry student at Christ Church. I try to avoid routine (and Oxford is a great place to do it) so my daily activities are quite varied, but here’s what happens in a typical day in my life:
8AM – The alarm goes off and I spend some time getting ready for lectures.
8:45AM – There’s a 15-minute walk to the Department of Chemistry so I guess it’s time to get a move on!
9:05AM – First lecture of the day. I would recommend annotating the lecture notes, it is a great way of focusing on the lecture and remembering information.
10:05AM – Second lecture. Most of the lecturers have a breather in the middle of the lecture where they tell us really cool stuff (un)related to the topic. That’s how I found out about the fractals in Pollock’s paintings!
11AM – Sometimes I have labs all the way until 17:00, which usually involves setting up the experiment or doing the first part, going out for lunch and then coming back to finish it. Most days I don’t though, so I go to fencing training with a couple of friends from outside college – it’s a great way to meet people from all over the university!
1PM – I come back to Christ Church to have lunch in the JCR cafe with some college friends and spend some time with them over a free cappuccino – chocolate sprinkles included.
2pm – Lunchtime is over! I go over the work I prepared for the tutorial. Sometimes it has to be handed in several days before the tutorial so it is worth taking a look at the topic again, especially if you’ve already started working on the next one.
3PM – Tutorial time. I have a tutorial each week (sometimes 2) and a maths class. I have tutorials for all branches of Chemistry (inorganic, organic, physical) covering the topics discussed in the lectures.
4PM – I spend some time working on next week’s problem sheet or on the lab report I need to write for each experiment.
6PM – The three-course dinner is a great opportunity to catch up with people in college as almost everybody eats dinner in hall!
7PM – Leisure time. I usually just do whatever I feel like doing. I might go for a run in Christ Church Meadows or to the gym, spend time with friends in college or watch a movie. Sometimes the Ashmolean Museum has an evening exhibition that me and my friends love to go to.
10PM – Bedtime reading! I am a big fan of fiction so I never spend a day without reading something. I also write book reviews and the evening is a great time to unwind and focus on something non-work related.
MIDNIGHT – Sleep!
This might sound like a lot, but time management is the key! If you’re able to organize your time, you’ll have plenty of it to do whatever you like. Oxford is a great place for you to try new things and grow as a person so make the best of it!
Gabriela, Chemistry
Hi I’m Ella, and I study French and Italian at Christ Church. As a linguist, with a timetable that differs a lot from day to day, and often from week to week, it’s difficult to describe my ‘typical’ day – so i present to you my standard Thursday. It’s my busiest day of the week, yet for some reason my favourite:
7:15AM – Thankfully, I don’t have a 9am lecture today, yet I still struggle waking up to the sixth alarm I’ve set myself, and stay in bed a little. I shower and get ready, do a grammar sheet while I grab something for breakfast, and head out to my first class.
11AM – Time for an Italian language class at Wellington Square, reinforcing our reading and listening skills, and giving us the opportunity to do some speaking practice.
12PM – Lectures at the Taylorian (Languages Institute) or Wellington Square. Every few weeks, a new lecture series starts covering a different aspect of the literature side of the course: novels, short texts, poetry, film. Today, it’s a lecture on the Sicilian Mafia, providing context for a film we’re studying.
1PM – I have an hour before my French grammar class, so I go with some friends to Taylor’s, a café that seems to be everywhere in Oxford and we grab some pasta for lunch. We take it to the Language Centre and have a catch-up before our 2pm class, it has a lovely common room that’s always a chill space to hang out.
3PM – After my class, I pop into Tesco to grab some essentials – fruit, milk, biscuits (an absolute necessity) – before I head back to college. I go to my room, make myself a (very strong) coffee and have a quick snack. I do a couple of grammar activities, or maybe start on a translation, until I have to head to my two-hour Italian seminar in college.
4:15PM – I absolutely love our Italian seminars – there are five of us in the group, and we’ll have done an essay/commentary or a presentation earlier in the week and sent it to our tutor, or just brought it to the seminar. It gives us the chance to delve deeper into the literature we’re studying, as well as discuss tangential points about Italian culture and history, and wider-ranging contextual issues.
6PM – evening: I don’t fancy going to hall this evening so I make myself a sandwich before I go to hip hop class at 8:30 – it’s so much fun, a great way to meet a variety of people and unwind at the end of what has felt like a loooong week. Then I’ll go to Bridge with some college friends, it’s one of Oxford’s clubs and Bridge Thursday is The Big Night of the week, to dance even more. Clubs close earlier in Oxford so my friends and I leave at 3am, I’ll buy some cheesy chips from McCoy’s (the kebab van to which ChCh swears loyalty), and get into bed close to 4am – in the morning, I’ll be ready for another day.
Ella, French and Italian
CONTACT US
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts on why they love christ church. If you still have any more queries or need some more info, visit our website:
Got a question? Talk to us!
Twitter: @ChCh_Oxford or @ChCh_Access
Facebook: @chchoxford or @ChChAccess
Instagram: @christchurchoxford
Or email us at access@chch.ox.ac.uk
For admissions enquiries email admissions@chch.ox.ac.uk
Feel free to come visit us on an open day – and prospective applicants are always welcome to drop by!
