Getting a Taste of Oxford and Cambridge: A Guide for Prospective Students

Attend University Open Days

Both Oxford and Cambridge host annual open days, providing a firsthand look at the campuses, facilities, and academic offerings. Attendees can engage with professors, current students, and explore the vibrant student life. These events offer a taste of the university's atmosphere and are invaluable for making informed decisions. These open days are held in July (two open days per university) and September (one day per university), and often on the same or similar dates, so keep an eye peeled on the university websites for their announcement and get them into your diary early!

Immerse Yourself in Virtual Tours

In an era of technology, virtual tours have become increasingly sophisticated. Explore online platforms offering virtual campus tours, allowing you to navigate through the historic buildings, libraries, and lecture halls. This immersive experience provides a glimpse into the unique environments of Oxford and Cambridge.

Colleges often have huge albums of pictures and videos on their webpages, including of the student accommodation and study spaces, so that you can get a really good idea of what it might be like to live there. If you're not able to go on a real-life open day or tour of the university at this stage, this is the best way to get a feel for the layout and facilities on offer to you at Oxford or Cambridge!

Connect with Current and Former Students

If you know someone who has applied and/or attended Oxford or Cambridge, why not simply ask them about their experience? If not, you could alternatively try reaching out to current students through social media platforms, university forums, or networking events. Hearing about their experiences, challenges, and triumphs can offer valuable insights into daily life, academic rigour, and the distinctive culture of each university. Here at Oxbridge Applications, all of our mentors and tutors are former Oxbridge students, enabling them to give accurate, useful advice on your application.

If you are struggling to find an Oxbridge student with whom you can talk in person, it is also worth checking the university and college websites since they often have interviews with current and former students accessible for potential applicants. These can be a great way to hear about the university in the words of a student (although always bear in mind that this kind of content is unlikely to be open and honest about any drawbacks of a particular college, course, or university!).

Participate in Summer Schools

Oxford and Cambridge offer various summer school programs designed to give prospective students a taste of university life, such as the Cambridge Summer Schools programmes, and Oxford UNIQ courses. These programs typically include academic sessions, social activities, and interactions with faculty. Participating in a summer school can be a transformative experience and help you envision yourself as a student there, whilst meeting and learning from other like-minded prospective applicants.

If you wish to join a summer school, note that they can be quite formal in terms of their application criteria. We recommend heading to the summer school website as soon as possible to ensure that you don't miss application deadlines (often months before the programme itself).

Engage with Online Webinars and Lectures

Many Oxford and Cambridge lectures are available to the public either in person or on their websites. Watching these lectures allows you to experience the teaching styles, subject matter, and academic expectations of these prestigious institutions, offering a glimpse into the academic rigours you may encounter. Not only does this give you a taste of the university, but listening to lectures on the subject or subjects to which you are considering applying will give you a good head start in your decision-making process, as well as serving as research towards your personal statement in the long run.

Read Student Blogs and Publications

Dive into student blogs, magazines, and publications that offer a student's perspective on life at Oxford and Cambridge. Understanding the day-to-day experiences, extracurricular opportunities, and challenges faced by current students can provide valuable insights beyond official university materials.

Many if the Oxford and Cambridge student publications, although perhaps not directly discussing 'life at Oxbridge' include news, opinion pieces, or thought-based essays written by students, so give an excellent idea of the academic and social atmosphere at the university, if not a direct explanation of a student's daily life.

For a resource more directly angled at student life, in recent years plenty of social media accounts run by Oxford and Cambridge students have started appearing, showing 'day in the life' and similar content about attending the universities. Whilst these can be very engaging and do show real video footage of a student's daily life, always remember to engage with social media with. a pinch of salt and bear in mind that this is more likely an idealised representation of the student lifestyle!