Quotes that form a snapshot of what it's like to study at St Hugh's:
University life is pretty good. It teaches everyone here to be independent and self-sufficient in more ways than you've previously considered.
I love St Hugh's, especially the gardens and food (love wordsworth room) - you will get drunk a lot. Plush is not worth it, Bridge is sometimes worth it, Indie fridays are definitely not worth it.
It's been very fun and busy. Been great to be part of a sports club, lots of happy memories, opportunities, trips and socials associated with that. College set up is great as you can develop really good friendships as you see people so much and can then live with them after first year. (Love you Rivka 3 3). Misconceptions that everybody at Oxford would be like Einstein and the tutors would be harsh. Most people are really down to earth and friendly and the tutors are really accommodating and accepting.
Misconception - it is actually possible to have fun and do your degree properly. As long as you're focused, you can leave plenty of time throughout the week to enjoy university life while doing well work wise!
Enriching. The quality, scale and scope of resources available is tremendous. I enjoyed attending guest lectures and watching plays.
I would encourage you to have fun and go do things they truly enjoy. University is time to explore, and there are many chances to do so at Oxford. Academics is not as difficult as it might be made out to be, but do ensure that you leave sufficient time for it, since building a strong foundation makes FHS modules much easier.
people are welcoming, best memories is going to the pub
I’m absolutely in love with university life—being quite independent, I’ve found the environment really suits me. St Hugh’s in particular fosters such a special and welcoming community. It’s a little further out, which means we often walk into town together, and it has beautiful green spaces where we can actually sit on the grass and relax—something surprisingly rare in Oxford! The people are all genuinely lovely, driven, and supportive. While we do work hard, there’s definitely a balance, and there are always loads of events going on—whether it’s the Oxford Fashion Gala, evenings at Isis Farmhouse, talks from famous speakers, or cultural society events, there’s something for everyone. One of my favourite memories has to be the trip to Morocco with the St Hugh’s Surf Society—it was partly subsidised by college and genuinely one of the best experiences I’ve had. I also love bops, especially the ones where everyone commits to the theme and goes all out with costumes—they're always such fun, chaotic nights that bring the whole college together. Hugh's is wonderful, tranquil, a little enclave of my favourite people.
It's been great! oxford has so many super cool traditions, definitely make sure you try and do as many as you can! go to bops, go punting, go trashing etc - there's a lot of unique things you prob won't get a chance to do once you leave.
Doing my degree made me realise that I had severe ADHD. I only got diagnosed, and started medication very recently and it has been life changing. It's a shame I came within 4 marks of flunking one of my Prelims, could count the essays I handed in on time on a single hand, and have had to tread water for most of my degree, but for neurodivergent students who don't quite know it yet... in my experience Oxford is really a trial by fire for making you have the realisation, especially if you've coasted through school so far. While that may sound like a bad thing, I'm eternely grateful for it - I would have never realised my brain works a little differently to other people if I wasn't given the challenge of Oxford! Sometimes it isn't imposter syndrome, it isn't stupidity, it's just good old fashioned ADHD! I think this stuff about neurodivergencies and ADHD etc is honestly the most honest advice I can give because it has been the biggest and most important impact on my university life. If you have any problems like this making the transition to Oxford, I cannot stress how good it is to talk to your tutors, and College's Learning Support Tutor, they're all angels who want the best for you!