It would be nearly impossible for me to describe just how amazing it is to study here at Oxford, given how many great things I have been able to see and do. The colleges here are certainly filled with plenty of things to do, from in-college facilities to hundreds of societies to join. On top of that, each college has its own unique aesthetic with differing sizes, architectural design, and history (Christ Church has got to be my favorite one so far).
My main tutorial topic at Oxford mainly focuses on the Enlightenment and has definitely pushed me far academically. That said, I am lucky that both the topic and tutor interest me greatly, with each meeting being an in-depth discussion about my essays and the topics I’ve written on and allowing me to have a better understanding of European history, philosophy, and theological advancements. My secondary tutorial is more about the rise of political extremism following Brexit, which has also required me to put in quite a bit of work. One thing to note, however, is that these tutorials give students a lot of freedom and flexibility with the curriculum. For example, although my secondary tutorial mainly focused on textual analysis and essay writing, I decided to go ahead and interview a certain number of politicians and members of parliament, which my tutor has approved of. At its core, the tutorial system expects students to take on a more active role in determining what goes on in each class, which I adore.
Though academics have taken up quite a bit of time, I have also had the pleasure of enjoying other recreational activities. For instance, I have been a part of a few events hosted by their historical reenactment club, which have been loads of fun (I even got the chance to use a fake spear!). I have also been privileged to be able to attend one of OSAP’s many travelling events in Bath, which allowed me to further connect with other students in the program and to be able to do what I love most: traveling! Speaking of, given my tutorials’ schedules, I have been able to enjoy quite a bit of traveling both within and outside the U.K., which has been an absolute blast.
Overall, I have to say that this has been an amazing semester, even if I am only in the third week. I am forever grateful to the honors program for allowing me the opportunity to study at such an amazing institution. I will be sure to give back to UTampa once I have finished with my time here at Oxford. -Diego Córdova