Betsy, Jurisprudence with Legal Studies in Europe

Hi, my name is Betsy and I’m a final year student studying Jurisprudence with legal studies in Europe. I come from Fleet in Hampshire and I went to the Sixth Form college in Farnborough to complete my A-levels.

I fill my spare time in Oxford by involving myself in the Crankstart Scholarship student events (I was the events coordinator in my 2nd year) and translating articles into French for Oxford’s Red publication which writes articles for students in Sub-saharan Africa. I also enjoy volunteering for outreach events with Magdalen college, where I get to show secondary school students around the college and tell them a bit about my experiences as a student.

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

The best piece of advice I can give is to believe in yourself! Don’t allow the worries you may have about going to university hold you back from achieving your goals. When I made my application I knew that I really wanted to come to Oxford, but I had very little self confidence that I would be successful. Being brave enough to put myself forward was definitely the best decision I’ve ever made. Even if you’re unsure if Oxford is right for you, you can always apply now and change your mind later, so there’s nothing stopping you from giving it a go!

In terms of practical advice for how to apply, I would advise you to look at the University and College websites to get an idea of the courses available and what you will need to demonstrate in your application to be considered. Also get involved in Open days as much as you can, as the most valuable tool for me was being able to ask questions to current students.

What is the best thing about my course?

I believe the best thing about my course is the level of depth I am able to learn about each subject we study. In jurisprudence we study each subject for 8 weeks (2 topics at a time), this means we are able to study the topic in great depth and really question our understanding of that area of the law.

I also think the year abroad which is part of the Jurisprudence with legal studies in Europe course is an incredible opportunity. I have just returned from a year studying at a top university in Paris. Not only did this greatly improve my French, but it had been on my bucket list since I was 16 to spend time in Paris, and doing this was an incredible experience.

Why did you apply to Oxford? 

Around the time I was taking my GCSE exams I thought that going to Oxford would be something I would like to do, based off what I had seen in films mostly. When considering which universities to apply to whilst at Sixth Form, I visited Oxford at an Open day with my sixth form. I loved the atmosphere of the colleges I visited and decided it was worth applying, although I had low expectations of actually being successful. Now I’m very glad that I applied and I know that I should have had more faith in myself, I was right that Oxford would be an environment I would enjoy being in and that I was capable of getting in!

What does your day to day life as a student involve?

Studying law involves a combination of lectures and tutorials in small groups with a tutor. So a typical day for me might include one or two hours of lectures at the department building which is only 5 minutes from my college, and perhaps a tutorial with my tutor (we have 2 of these per week). The rest of my day will be taken up by independent study, usually in Magdalen library or in one of the cafes on the High street. I might also spend some time in my day doing work for a society I am a part of, such as translating an article for the Red publication. When I have dinner I will either eat in hall to spend time with my friends, or I will cook dinner in my kitchen if I fancy something cheaper and quicker. In the evenings I will usually socialise with my friends in the college bar or relax in my room if I’m tired from the day.