Student profile

Name: Charlotte
Subject: Geography
Hometown and region: North Yorkshire, in a tiny village on the edge of the North York Moors which I’m certain you won’t have heard of (think pheasants, tractors and flat caps)!
Qualifications before university (A Levels, IB or equivalent): A-level geography, history and biology, EPQ and AS maths

When I’m not working, I enjoy…
Coffee and a walk around Christ Church Meadows with friends…I’m a particular fan of Society Café (next to Brasenose’s Frewin Annex) and Jericho Coffee Traders (on High Street opposite college)… It makes the perfect study break during a busy day in the library!
I’ve recently started rowing and have been loving it! We train together several times a week and also have lots of boat club socials… including pub trips, college bar crawls and dinners. There are lots of races in Hilary and Trinity terms which are really fun…even if you only go as a spectator (think Pimm’s and BBQs)! I may not be a stereotypical rower (being 5’3”) but BNCBC makes space for everyone to get involved!

What’s the best part of studying at Brasenose?
The people! Everyone at Brasenose is so friendly…from the other students, to the scouts, porters, tutors and everyone else in between. It’s impossible to walk through college without bumping into someone and chatting to them for at least 20 minutes! It truly makes Brasenose the best home-away-from-home.
I also love lots of the traditions that we have here at Brasenose – a particular favourite is Ales Verses (where we essentially write parodies of songs making them about Brasenose/Oxford…a tradition which started over 200 years ago to praise Brasenose Ale after it had finished brewing).

Favourite spot in college?
The library? Seems like a cliché, but Brasenose Library is genuinely my favourite library in Oxford…It’s much lighter than most other libraries, really beautiful and open 24/7. Plus, the views of the Radcam on one side and Brasenose’s New Quad on the other are so pretty… although maybe slightly distracting sometimes!

What’s your favourite aspect of your course?
Probably that its so varied (although there’s so much to love)… one week I’ll be writing an essay about differential experiences at borders, the next I’ll be giving a presentation on natural resource management in the face of climate change or the role of orbital forcing in driving glacial cycles.
All of the geographers are so friendly and it’s a very social course, although Brasenose is definitely the place to be for geography (I may be slightly biased)! We have a society called G-Unit which is made up of all of the Brasenose geographers – we have drinks events, dinners and a picnic during the summer…some may describe it as a cult, but attendance is strictly voluntary!

What would you tell someone thinking about applying?
Be confident and go for it! You can’t lose anything by applying and you never know what will happen!

A quality you think is important for someone looking to study at Oxford?
Passion for your subject! There’s no better motivator than a genuine interest to learn and study your subject, and tutors will see that passion during the application process. Good luck!!