Hi, I’m Alice and I am a First Year studying Experimental Psychology (EP) at Corpus Christi.
Applying to Oxford was something that was mentioned to me by my teachers throughout year 12, but I didn’t think I had any chance of getting in so always said I didn’t want to apply. This was until I completed Uniq, which is a one week long outreach scheme where you get to experience studying at Oxford. This completely changed my mindset on applying as it now seemed possible. If you have the chance to apply to Uniq, I really recommend it!
When choosing the college I wanted to apply to I had no idea what I wanted, but ended up choosing Wadham. However, after interviews I was allocated to Corpus and I couldn’t be happier here! The college is stunning but small enough that you see lots of people whilst walking around, and everywhere is convenient to get to. The first-year accommodation is all close together so there is a very close-knit community between all the freshers. I am part of the rowing team which is so much fun. I am also part of the rugby team, and this year we won Cuppers (the main inter-collegiate competition)! Sports at Corpus can be taken as seriously or as chill as you want (I had never played rugby or done rowing before I came to Uni), and there are plenty of socials that come with being in a sports team.
When choosing what degree I wanted to do, I chose a subject I enjoyed which was psychology. EP is quite different to what I expected, mainly because there is an intense focus on experimental research which is quite different to A-Level. However, I quickly got to grips with how the course works and I really enjoy it! Many different topics are covered over the three years. In first year we cover social psychology, developmental psychology, perception, biopsychology, cognitive psychology, neurophysiology, and statistics. This means that there is something for everyone (and if there is something you enjoy less, it doesn’t last too long). Although the workload is tough, there is still plenty of time to socialise and take part in other extra-curricular activities. I have managed to find a good balance and now it is just second nature!
I hope this was useful in understanding a bit about my experience at Oxford! Although it has been slightly stressful at times, I’m very glad I applied to Oxford and am here at Corpus! If you have any questions about anything at all, please do feel free to send an email!
Resources
Resources categorised by subject and by Key Stage, as well as materials for applying to Oxford and finding out more about Corpus, can be found here.