English - Joseph Worndl

Hometown & Region: Toronto, Canada

Degree: English Language and Literature

A levels: (AP Exams) English Language, English Literature, French, American History, Human Geography

Year of study:  First Year

When I’m not working I’m…

...Writing for the The Oxford Student, movies, going out, running.

What made you choose to study at Brasenose and/or Oxford? (Be honest if you applied elsewhere…)

I think Brasenose is the ideal college. It has a great location, just off Radcliffe Square, and very close to all the shops/ night life. It’s medium-sized, and not the oldest, but with really cool architecture. I knew I wanted to study English, and I thought the course at Oxford was the best option out there.

Is life in Oxford different to what you expected it to be?

Going into Oxford, I was unsure whether there was going to be one “type” of student that dominated. But there’s a huge variety of different personalities.

What do you like most about studying in Brasenose?

Brasenose is a medium-sized college, with about 100 first years. So it’s a really tight-knit and supportive community to work and live in.

A quality you think is important for someone looking to study at Oxford?

It’s important that you’re self-motivated. You have a lot of flexibility choosing your tutorial topics and what you want to read in preparation for you tutorial essay. But this means you need to structure your week efficiently to meet deadlines and cover a topic thoroughly.

What are the perks of your degree?

Reading English, I have a lot of choice over which authors I’d like to study in depth. But our course also covers all periods from early medieval lit to the present, so you have a chance to explore topics that were previously unfamiliar and develop new interests.