Adam, Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE)

“Hi, I’m Adam. I’m 2nd year PPEist at Magdalen from Surrey and currently the JCR Secretary and a college peer supporter.

My interests/hobbies outside my subject include climbing, quizzing (with the university Quiz Society), spending time with friends, and going on occasional runs.”

What advice would you give to someone considering applying to Oxford?

I think the most important things to think about are whether the course and the university is right for you. If you don’t enjoy your degree, it can be really hard work anywhere and especially at universities such as Oxford with quite high workloads. The teaching style and collegiate nature of Oxford might also not be for everyone. If both of these things do seem right for you though, I would absolutely recommend it! There’s so much going on and it’s incredibly rewarding to learn directly from such knowledgeable and enthusiastic tutors – the tutorial system is really unique and important.It might seem daunting, but if it’s what you want, it’s very much worth a try.

What is the best thing about your course?

I really enjoy the amount of choice I have in my papers. Despite picking quite a few similar papers to focus on topics I’m really interested in, I’ve also been able to choose a few different ones. I think this freedom is really valuable in developing your own interests and being introduced to a variety of approaches and content. It’s a really versatile course that covers topics ranging from Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa, to Plato’s Republic, to International Relations in the Cold War so you really can find your niche.

How did you find moving away from home?

Before I joined, I was really worried about making friends and socialising and I’d been imagining that I might go months without any. In reality, it was a lot easier as everyone was very friendly and there was lots going on to meet people. Of course, everyone’s experiences are different and there’s nothing wrong with it taking longer, but at least for me Magdalen was and is a very friendly place.