Ioana Paulescu is in her final year of her MPhys Physics at Magdalen and will soon be moving on to undertake a DPhil at St John’s College. Her experience at Magdalen has been made possible by the generous support she has received from alumni.
I’m a fourth-year physics student here at Magdalen. I grew up in Romania, where both my parents teach Physics – I am taking the family trade onward!
The first time I visited Oxford was in the eighth grade when I was on a short trip to London to visit some relatives. We came to Oxford and joked about studying here; I never thought it would happen. Years later I then met another Romanian student who was at Magdalen who encouraged me to apply.
I’m a fourth-year physics student here at Magdalen. I grew up in Romania, where both my parents teach Physics – I am taking the family trade onward!
Ioana
I took out a loan for tuition, while my family covered my living costs. But at the start of third year, one of my grandparents became bedridden and needed full-time care, just as the pandemic put a halt to my parents’ teaching, so our finances suddenly became very limited. When I received the grant from the Student Support Fund I was absolutely overwhelmed by how helpful it was. It meant that I could continue making the most of my life at Magdalen and the things that make College life so interesting and enjoyable. This support has meant that I am able to be fully-present in my Magdalen experience.
My time at Magdalen has been invaluable. Aside from all the wonderful personal experiences, as I come to the end of my degree, it’s made a huge difference when applying for doctorate positions. My weekly one-to-one tutorials with some of the top academics in the field made me much more comfortable in interviews.
I’d like to say a massive thank you to alumni who have contributed to the Student Support Fund. Many of my friends have also benefited from support and it makes an immense difference. Life would be so much harder for many people in College if this support wasn’t available. We hope to be able to give back in this way ourselves one day.