About me
Hey! I’m Heather and I am a first year reading History at Queen’s. I am from Stockport in Manchester, where I studied my A-Levels at a Catholic state college. I chose to study history at Queen’s because of how interdisciplinary the subject is: it has been described by one of my tutors as essentially ‘the humanities course’, as you get to do a bit of everything. Oxford has a wide range of geographic, periodic, and thematic approaches to history which means you can study whatever interests you most.
College experience
My favourite thing(s) about Queens are the people! The college has a very friendly and inclusive environment, with a wide-ranging welfare system.
Life at Oxford
My typical day may start with a lecture on my current paper, the History of the British Isles between 300-1100. I will then spend a few hours in our 24/7 New Library working on my essay, which I will intersperse with meals in our catered hall, or a trip to a cafe with a friend. On Wednesday evenings I will go to Star Wars society, where I have recently become social secretary on the committee, and on Thursday evenings I will go to Dr Who society to unwind and watch an episode with some friends (and snacks).
Advice for applicants
Read! Read around your subject, you will feel more comfortable having conversations with tutors about concepts in the field, and it will be useful to put in your personal statement. For history students, have a read on some works on historiography, something you may not have come across during your A-levels, as it really gets you thinking about the discipline and how it functions.
