Sunday, January 19, 2025

Lifestyle

Oxford cured my perfectionism

So the Oxford workload, rather than triggering a stress response, has instead desensitised me to the fear of academic failure. Exposure therapy, I suppose. It’s very freeing.

Home, and how to find it

It seems like life after university is a journey to find our way home, whatever that means.

Three Thousand reasons to slurp

I thought the place was great, especially as a very quick sit down option.

Christmas mourning

This will be my second Christmas without presents wrapped in wallpaper, and gift tags with clues on them rather than names...

A defence of students’ reliance on AI (and how to fix it)

Unless my friends are particularly fiendish, I’m pretty certain that “I’m just going to ChatGPT this essay” is a phrase we have all heard....

The last tutorial: Let the nostalgia – and the anxiety – sink in

Many of us have heard the dreaded ‘So… any idea what you’re doing next?’. It makes me a little irate, anxious, and on the verge of a minor breakdown, as you can probably tell. Two years of my undergraduate degree have somehow disappeared with the blink of an eye – I am older but seem to be none the wiser.

Good soup: India’s sauciest secret 

I associate with soup, the fiery plains of eastern Rajasthan, the smokiness of coal roasted jeera in a Kadai pan, and the creators of a warm, comforting dish full of love, compassion, unity and humility.

Interrupting Oxford time: Can we defend the clocks falling back?

Are we are giving daylight savings time just a little more hatred than it deserves? Sophie Price looks into the benefits of the time change for both early risers and night owls.

Abolish the high table

There’s something that makes the high table feel a bit off. Maybe it’s because the hierarchy of academia it represents hits a bit too close to home. A bit too close to the bitter sentiment in British society towards class domination.

The Breakfast Club: Bringing the mid to midday

Brunch is a particular love of mine. Between the poached eggs at Brasenose brunch, the coconut pancakes at The Handle Bar Cafe, and huevos rancheros at the Oxford Brunch Bar, there is no shortage of weekend brunch options in Oxford. The Breakfast Club could have been a perfect addition to this lovely list - alas, it did not make the cut.

Red flags or human flaws: Has university dating culture forgotten what it means to love someone warts and all?

All it takes is for me to catch a glimpse of a boy on a VOI and I’m out. It’s now possible to designate a character trait as a red flag and rule someone out completely. What happened to second chances?

Grieving someone I never knew

It feels natural to carry sadness for moments missed, for the advice that might have been shared, and for the unique kind of love that could have shaped your life.

Le pain: Living as a coeliac at Oxford

Mastering the 'art of the coeliac' involves everything from pre-kiss teeth brushing to BOP juice abstinence.

Three wishes for Oxford

Thomas Napier daydreams of a world where he plays God.

The town, the gown, and… the tourists

Oxford tourists - endearing, a nuisance or something more?

What’s your purpose? (In six words or less)

Describe yourself in 6 words or less. Find your passion. Find your purpose. Can your passion become your career? Can you monetise this? Can we monetise this? Can you make us money?

The little things

It can be easy to forget the power of beauty and gratitude. After struggling with depression, the little things can make your day. Like a pen.

A month in Berlin: Embracing solitude in the big city

Alone in a bustling city - isolating or exciting?

Re-understanding my Nan

In many of these residents, I also saw glimpses of my Nan, realising she wasn’t alone in her inner conflicts between feeling cared for and feeling controlled.

Dishoom’s Permit Room brings the spirit of Bombay to Oxford

Sitting next to Shamil, Kavi, and their loved ones made us feel part of the Dishoom family; sharing plates and insights on life over various cocktails made four hours fly by. From cocktails to curries, Dishoom's Permit Room exceeded all expectations.

Guess who’s coming to dinner? Politics.

A guide to surviving family politics one relative at a time.

A comprehensive guide to Oxford student stereotypes

The facts of Oxford are far ahead of its fictions, creating a peculiar disjunct in the identities of its undergraduates. Each student must battle with either “I’m not your stereotypical Oxford student!” or “I am your stereotypical Oxford student!”

Represented at Oxford: State school students

How did we come from the Bullingdon Club culture to the Oxford we have today?

Oxford kebab vans: For the uninitiated

Oxford students have loyalty to two things: their college and their kebab vans.

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