Today, we linked up with one of our QC mentors who studied Law at the University of Oxford. In our short interview, he shares more about student life at the Oxford.

Hello! Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Can you briefly introduce yourself?

Hey, no problem. I am a Law Mentor at QC, and I studied Law in the University of Oxford.

What did you study before you were at Oxford and how did you do?

Before university, I took A levels. My subject combination, if you’re interested, is H3 Geopolitics (Distinction), H2 Economics (B) , H2 History (A), H2 English Literature (A) and H2 Mathematics (A)

What were your CCAs and Leadership positions in high school?

I was a member of the Theatre club.

How does the workload of university compare with A Levels

The workload is heavier and you need to be a lot more self-driven

How did you decide on your final university? Did you get offers elsewhere?

Oxford was my goal. I got offers from 4 other UK unis

Could you highlight 5 questions in your entrance interviews and your answers to them?

The interview questions were entirely based off an extract from a judgment, and so were highly context-specific.

What is the cost of Living and cost of school fees for the entire duration of the undergraduate degree?

  • Living cost: £1,650/month.
  • School fees: £28,370 for all 3 years.

How is the teaching and learning work in your school? Are the faculty accessible?

Very good. World-class faculty.

How large is the cohort for your courses? How many Singaporeans are there?

My college law cohort was 3/6 Singaporeans, but that’s abnormally high and most colleges have about 1 or 2 Singaporeans per law batch.

Are people very competitive academically? How many exams are there in a year? What happens if one fails the year?

Yes, quite competitive. The exams were in 1st year and 3rd year, but only the 3rd year exams count towards your final degree.

How would you describe the school culture in three words?

Driven, inspiring, academically-focused.

Is there an established Singaporean presence at your university? How many Singaporeans are there per batch?

There’s a very strong Singaporean community on campus but I’m unsure how many Singaporeans there are per batch.

How are freshmen welcomed to your university?

The university holds something called Freshers’ Week. They are basically social events organised by the college.

Is your school “cliquey”? Do people tend to hang among people of their own major/course/social class/race/nationality only, or is there a high degree of integration?

Not really- you can hang out with only Singaporeans if you wish, or only non-Singaporeans. It’s really up to you.

How would you rate the following “scenes” in your college and its surroundings: shopping, drinking, clubbing, fine arts, and sports?

Everything is great except for shopping and clubbing- Oxford is quite a small city.

How’s the accommodation? Do most people stay in college dorms/halls, or independently? How should one look for accommodation?

This depends on your college. Most colleges provide at least 1 year of guaranteed accommodation. Some colleges ask you to find independent accommodation in your second and third year.

How is the transport like? Does one need a car? If so, how should one go about getting a car?

Oxford is a small city so you should get around fine with walking or cycling.

Is Asian food readily available? If one is to cook, where can we get the Asian food from?

Yes, there are Asian supermarkets.

Do most people cook, eat at a catered facility or cafeteria, or eat out? How’s the catered food?

Most people end up cooking after their 1st year because they miss Asian food.

What are the laundry arrangements like?

It is fine, there aren’t any issues.

What’s the best experience you’ve had so far in college?

Making friends and meeting inspiring tutors.

If you like this interview, you will also enjoy these interviews from our Oxford mentors.