Hello and welcome to the Queen's Access podcast. It's so lovely to have you here.
And I hope you find this a useful resource in learning more about life at Oxford.
But more specifically about life at the Queen's College.
My guests this week are Luke Gagan, a second year ancient and modern history student Hannah Cole,
a second year materials scientist, and Pandora Mackenzie, a second GPP student.
We'll have a chat about social life at Oxford, both in college and in the city itself.
And we'll also talk about some of the many clubs and societies on offer. My apologies for any poor audio.
These interviews have all been conducted over Zoome, and the Internet connexion isn't always completely reliable.
For a transcript of this episode, please visit the Queen's website. I hope you enjoy.
Hi, everybody. Thank you so much for being here. And I hope you're all doing well.
I'm sure you'll be very interesting. And we're very lucky to have you here.
So, first of all, could each of you start by telling me a little bit about your queen's journey?
So how did you end up at college? So, Pandora, do you want to go, sir?
Yes, sure. Hi, I'm Pandora IDP, which is politics, philosophy and economics.
I originally kind of settled on PPE up to when I was like 10 years old because I decided that my life's calling was to be prime minister.
Now, not so much, but I just love the combination of three disciplines and I just find it really interesting learning about society.
I settled on Queens, actually, kind of by chance.
I was looking at colleges that were really strong for P.P.
And I just walked into Queens as one of the last colleges that I visited on the open day.
And I just loved the little dome thing that's on top of all our chapel.
And that also the that's on top of all like front door.
And it was the architecture that kind of stole it for me. And just how friendly everyone was.
So that's kind of. Yeah. How I got to Queens. Well, that's lovely, Luke.
How about you? Yes. So I. Hi, I'm Luke.
I'm studying ancient and modern history at Queen's. The reason for H modern is basically I can never make my mind up what I want to study.
So I needed the most amount of choice. So that's why I went so ancient and modern.
But the good thing is, I don't know, Latin or Greek.
And so h modern, it allows you to study those periods of ancient Rome, Greece and what not without actually reading in the originals.
Which is which is always handy. So that's why I chose that subject. I too ended up at Queen's a little bit by accident, really.
So I didn't think about uni to Oxford in general at all really.
So I set my A-levels and then they went much better than expected. And so I thought I'd take a year out and reapply.
And I already had a mate who was at Hartford and unforeseen.
They didn't have a big rugby or drama scene.
And so I literally looked on the map and Queens was literally the college round the corner so that they had rugby and music and drama,
had a look at the college online. I thought it was absolutely gorgeous. So the neoclassical library and thought, hey ho!
That's me. And then applied. And then I never saw the college or Oxford in person.
So I came when we interview. But yeah, when I came for me in four years, I was kind of sold.
I was just I really wanted to go here.
If I think within these three things that when you get here, even though it sells, you will do the more you have got,
keep your distance and think, you know, I might not be coming back kind of thing, but I was very fortunate and I got in and yeah.
So I came off to Queens. But yeah, again, just by chance, really. But absolutely so glad the Queen's half is round the corner from Hafitz.
So yeah, it was one of those things, but now it's absolutely wonderful.
So yeah, that's why I'm here. Oh, fantastic. And finally, Hannah, to.
How about you? Hi, I'm Hannah and I do material science and I go into it sort of in year eleven is a bit of a subject.
So I got into it because a family friend did it.
And then I read more about the subjects and then I was like, oh, wow.
This like has physics and chemistry. And that's just as a combine subjects which like, I really liked.
I ended up coming to like cheese in Queens. I chose a bit more decisively.
And the other two because there were only seven colleges that do material science.
It has been one of them. I must say, the thing that really won me over about Queens was, oh, beautiful thesea, it's done.
I was a bit shocked that you guys understand the clarification that B.S. is our best seller.
Yeah, I would agree with Haddara is one of Queensland's highlight features, though.
Hannah, correct me if I'm wrong. But you've got an open offer that was underwritten by Queen.
So do you mind just explaining that? So that meant, though, on this when I was given my oath.
It said it meant that if I got the grades, I was guaranteed a place at Oxford, but not necessarily at Queen's.
So if that was if Queen's was so I could go to a different college.
And it's no one else could take me than Queen's like had to take me if I got the grades.
Yes. Yeah. They do this with smaller subjects.
So there's like a bit more leeway. Yeah, I think it's more common for the smaller departments.
Yeah. So for each of you could you could be a little bit of an idea of what a week looks like in your life at Oxford.
So, Luke, do you mind starting that off there? Yeah. No, it's typical week.
Well, as a history student, my timetable is rather flexible. So I usually if I'm either.
I rarely make breakfast, so I usually sleep in. I'm quite lazy.
I sleep in my first. There'll be lunch. Then I'll go to like my tutorials or lectures.
If I only for those days. Contact hours for a history student can vary between like three to like 10 or 12,
depending on how many lectures you want to go to and how many contacts you choose to have.
It's quite, quite varied. Yes. So do my lectures spend most more time in the library, essentially.
So I'll do my reading that I can do. Generally, the amount of reading I do increases as the deadline nears.
I'm not gonna lie. Then have dinner know, go to B.C., have a few beers, talk to everyone, catch up on how I've once been in the week.
Either I go to bed early or someone talks me to going clubbing. Generally speaking.
And then on the weekend. I'll either go to formal dinner, which is really nice, or play a game of rugby.
Involved in some societies and whatnot. And then occasionally they'll be like a special dinner on or something like that midweek as well.
I'll go to a free society. Addison Society, which is at Queen's.
It's really cool to probably talk more about that later. But yeah, mostly it's going to socialising at meals and leasing evenings.
And of that I spend most of my time in the library doing when we're reading and whatnot or.
Yeah. Right. Writing the essays and going to stories. Yes.
It can be quite very prestigious or always depends how many contacts as you one other than maybe science students who spend times in labs.
But yeah, I'd say it's really quite even split for me between, you know, being at dinners and meals and NBC social,
I think playing the odd game of pool or whatnot in ABC, which is always a good, good laugh and a nice bit stress relief.
And then being in the lecture hall or the Taurel room or library doing a study.
And yes, it's quite nice split for me. I'd say my average week. Yeah, definitely.
That sounds like you've got a really good balance. How about you? For me, there's not really a typical week for me.
I'm a science student. So these days 9am am walking to department normally on a full day or have three hours of lectures with a break in the middle.
Then either in the afternoon I'll do some work in the library or my room and have a tutorial.
Or I will have labs which are like three hours, twice a fortnight, then sort of after that stuff.
And then like I do sort of society that is in the evening.
Like running or Christian union or all these different things like that can be done in the evening.
Then quite often finish off the night itself. NBC talking to a few people as well.
Oh, lovely. And Pandora. How about you?
And so kind of in between, the two peepee has a semi structured week in the sense that you have left is like lecture's all morning.
So it like from 10:00. Luckily, we don't have any nine ends, but from 10:00 a.m., two or three Back-To-Back lectures, and that's every day.
And then I come back to college for lunch because all lectures are in the exam schools, which is which is right opposite Queens across route.
And so then I come back for lunch and then my afternoons are either spent in the library or in my room doing readings for my essay.
And then in the evenings, yes, just dinner in Hool.
And then, yes, NBC socialising or going out or going to see some friends.
I'd say it's a pretty like structured kind of schedule because there tend to be quite a few deadlines piled on top of each other.
So you tend to have to work pretty much all day.
And especially the weekends, that's when you big essay crunches.
But I wouldn't say it's all manageable as long as you kind of organise and and plan in advance.
And the evenings for me is kind of my downtime after dinner.
I can't I. That's when I switch off the for the day.
And. Yeah. Just socialising the evening basically.
That's good. Right. Thank you, guys. So let's start by talking about social life in college.
This episode. So Pandora, can you take us through what kind of social like the faces are available within the college site?
Yeah, of course. So, as you probably had, Iowa does all famous B.S., which is the Bucella, which is the college ball.
So every college has a college ball and then Oz is just cool.
The best seller. That's great.
That's where basically everyone congregates in the off in the evenings to chat, to play pool, to play darts, to listen to music.
And the drinks are really, really cheap, alcoholic and non alcohol it of course.
And so that's really fun, just kind of being there. And then all the spaces we have in the JCR and the NCL.
So the JCR is Genea Common Room. And then the MCO is the mode to corner.
Middle, I think middle. Sorry. My God.
And there is a base, there is a although they used the meetings that also just places where you can hang out as undergrads,
you can only go to the Gisèle.
But yeah, there really is really nice just to hang out that, you know, sit in the sofas, play pfieffer if you're into that.
And then and there are other common rooms in other buildings I think call do, which is a second accommodation also has a common room in it.
And then there's the kind of smaller social rooms in college, like the oatmeal, which is just off the JCR,
which is the old Tabernas Room, and it's like a really nice wood panelled room with big armchairs and a fireplace.
And that's really cosy in the winter to just sit and chat. And then places like the Magrath room, which is used mainly for events.
So like drinks, receptions. But yeah, those are pretty much the kind of social spaces in college.
And there's also none's garden, which you can go to all the codes that you can go to if you want an outdoor space.
So, yeah, a mixture of outdoor and indoor spaces during a nice.
Perfect. Thank you. And then sticking with the vein of college life.
Do you mind telling us a little bit about what kind of events are putting on a fan put on by college?
Yeah, cause I'm so that the main ones are books which are kind of like college parties that are free for everyone.
And they happen, I think, every two weeks and they usually themes. So they might have like sports themes or.
Yeah. Really any under the sea like any. Anything really.
And there is a lot of fun. That's where kind of everyone just gets together and like has little boogie.
And then there are kind of more college organised events like Bundes Night, which is a kind of Scottish celebration or Christmas dinner.
And those are usually a relief kind of fancy black tie dinner with a drinks reception before Magrath room.
And those aren't free. You have to pay. But there's a different pricing for drinking or nondrinking ticket.
And there is also really fun because, you know, you get to dress up and you get to celebrate an event or an evening and eat really nice food.
And then kind of the day, the last kind of type of event, I'd say, is like sports events.
So I think the main one in Queens is some to dinner in the winter where everyone
dresses up in some costumes and we go out for dinner and then go to a club on,
even though it's not college organised as such. It's a very community queens community thing and something that's really special to Queens, I think.
And a lot of fun. Great. Thank you. That was a really good explanation.
So moving outside of the college grounds flute, can you give us a run-Through of what's on offer in Oxford as a city?
So in terms of clubs, bars, other social spaces. Yes.
OK. So as a typical city, it's pretty much got every fast food chain or restaurant train you could think of from,
you know, high end, like the Ivy to it, to KFC, subways, everything even got a Gregs.
Now, which one's very fond of. So says, you know, you've got interns, a high street shopping, typical venues and some nice designer places as well.
Westgate, which is obviously very, very nice in terms of going out and socialising.
We have not one but two where the spoons, the four candles, which is very, very nice.
And the Swan and Castle both get very nice atmospheres. Clubs wise.
There's a big range from Plush, which three nice for the LGBT community.
And we've got nice Hank Spa, which is lovely, but dance floor and a really nice bar.
Then you've got, you know, usual clubs. So we've got, ah, you know, the Oxford ATEC, which is now, which is a park and that's really nice.
That's quite a big club with multiple rooms. You've got fever, circus, bully.
So. So I think one of the big taboos about oxygen. I was certainly applying is everyone said it was dead.
No one goes out. We all live in the library and there's not much of a nightlife. So wrong.
It's like a typical city. It's bustling. The nightlife is brilliant.
There are, you know, the amount of pub crews that so, for instance, matriculation, which is when you become a student at Oxford.
And the nice ceremony, we went on a pub crawl. And, you know, there is we just had too many to choose from.
I think this when I counted in just the immediate vicinity of some like 20 pubs.
So there's low to places. Very nice to go into and have a drink.
There's loads, restaurants. As I go to bars where we want cocktails, we want more pub environment or you want to go to a nice restaurant or just,
you know, pop in to have a nice sushi or wherever. We've got loads of places like that and it's you bus in terms of shopping.
And, you know, there's less tourists as well that come along as well.
In terms of like not going out and drinking, you've got like Botanic Gardens, university parks.
And so there's loads of restaurants, places to go shopping. Just really nice green spaces around town, if you like.
You're running as well. There are so many scenic routes to go out and have, you know, have a run or cycle.
Lots of people cycle around Oxford. You got the Iffley Sports Centre as well, and you've got quite a few gyms.
I think it's a pure gym as well, which lots of people use as the gym inside Carrodus as well,
which people are quite fond of news, but Iffley Sport Centre as well, which is some really good rates.
If you want to start up a three year membership and use the gym facilities there, the track, the swimming pool is really nice.
I use that myself. Yeah, there's quite a lot to do. So I think, yeah, definitely a misconception that Oxford hasn't got lots of places to go out to.
It's got everything you could want. Yeah, it's absolutely, absolutely brilliant.
Right. Thank you, Luke. So moving away from kind of the kind of more cars like the more casual side of social life and into the more structured side.
What kinds of activities and societies are each of you involved with?
So, Hannah, can we start with you? So I'm involved with material society as the social sector the next year.
I'm also involved in Christian Union, which is and I'm gonna be a trap, Queens and Hartford.
And I doubled in rowing. I've also done a few other self things very casually, but those are the two main ones.
Okay, Luke, what about you? Okay, so I'm involved in two societies at Queen's I'm involved in the Addison Society,
which I mentioned earlier, which is a really nice informal debate society where we have a very nice dinner.
And again, this nondrinking and drinking ticket is paid event,
but you can apply for subsidised ticket, which is obviously very inclusive and very nice to them.
And we get a special guest ends the way.
Always attended one with Gavin Williamson, who's the secretary for education, and he came in and we had a nice dinner.
And then it's just, you know, he gives a speech and then you can just ask him questions. And is about 20 to 30 people in the room.
It's just really relaxed and it's a really nice occasion.
And that's quite special and a good opportunity to, you know, have a face to face conversation with somebody neverthought.
So that's a really exciting thing I take part in. And I think there's I think it's a dinner term.
I think I'm also involved in Queens College Rugby.
So we have a game every every weekend. No training, which I'm sure some people be very glad to hear about.
And we see me up for social events. And it's a rugby dinner, which is very nice.
Like most sports teams will have that. So, yeah, that's nice to be involved in.
And it's also really nice because there's no first or fourth years and whatnot.
And it's nice to mix in with, you know, all the years a college rather than just your own.
Yes. That's nice to do. Also, there's Oxford.
It's it's Oxford Society is not just at Queen's. There's Oxford Poker Society dabbling cards.
I'm quite fond of it. And even though I'm not very good, it is still quite rush and quite a good bit of fun.
So there's that as well. And this of more relaxed things as well, such as Paul.
Society as well. So go attend a couple of those events as well, if I fancy a bit of a chill night instead of something a bit more raucous at the time.
Thank you. And Pandora, how about you? So I'm not actually as extracurricular as material, but I am.
I do. And I do play college, netball and so Queen's Netball, which I'm going to be captain for next year.
And that's really fun. That's just really chill. On every Thursday, we have a match where we play all the colleges and nothing life.
We tend to win. We're pretty good. No, it's just really fun and really tell anyone that even if you haven't paid netball ever before,
like like two people just come together and it's mixed in. By the way, not just girls, but yeah, it's really fun for anyone to come along, too.
And more widely in Oxford. Iron, I attend a Free Law Society events mainly for much, but also just it's a great way to learn about.
Like, there are tons of societies that help you with your career and help you kind of further.
I'm good in your interest. Say, that's another kind of good thing about sports, and that's something that I really enjoy as well.
Yes. Thank you. Great. So, Hannah, you mentioned that you're the social sex material society.
So can you mind taking us through what that entails?
So every society will have an sec which has different people that help run the activities of the society.
And quite often those societies have a social secretary.
So this is all things that that involves is welcome drinks for like New Fresh is coming in and welcoming them to society.
It can involve doing quizzes for everyone to get involved in, and it can also involve drinking events such as crude dates.
And it can also involve like nondrinking events such as brunches and all sorts of things like that.
It's just making sure that there's a place that people that do materials can hang out
outside of the course and get to know people in different years and have fun together.
Really pretty. Yeah. So crew dates are where usually I think it's two societies tend to be.
But I think it can be one maybe if it's like a big society.
But yeah. And it's they go to the restaurant and they're usually quite a degree of drinking involved.
But yes, there are many beckler. Okay, great.
Thank you, guys. That's been super helpful. And I'm sure you've cleared up any questions people have about socializr queens.
So to close. I just like to ask each of you, what is your favourite thing about college and why?
So, Pandora, can you start over? Oh, that is a very hard question.
I have to say the thing. Yeah, the thing that I love most coming here is how friendly a forum was.
I was really nervous coming to Yati, not knowing, like, whether I'd fit in or whether, like, I'd find my friends.
And like it. Everyone's just been so welcoming and not everyone's got a smile on their face, not just in my year, but in every year.
And everyone's so eager to help.
And that's something that I found really comforting and like welcoming because it is a really overwhelming thing moving to uni.
And if everyone makes it as smooth the transition as possible, then then it just makes everything a little bit easier.
And I think that's something that's really special about Queens. Yeah, definitely.
And I think sometimes from the outside, it can seem like Oxford would be quite a competitive environment.
But my third one moved to Queens and found that it's significantly more kind of collaborative and supportive than it is competitive.
And I think that's a really, really nice thing. How about you, Luke?
What's your favourite thing about college? Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm going to have to say pretty much the same.
So building a fan is probably the community at Queens.
And I'll give an example is the fact that okay, so I think I give a shout out to animals, which is the second is men's football team at college.
And I am the worst football player you have ever seen. Definitely at Queens, possibly at Oxford.
I am shocking. And yet, you know the environment, you know, the jets at Queen's to just everyone is so supportive,
encouraging that even I had the confidence, put my boots on, go out and play a game or two.
Football is a football dinner. Yeah. No, it's really encouraging and I had a great time.
So I definitely think that the community translates as really embodied in the sports as well at Queen's,
which maybe not the most competitive, but certainly the most supportive and probably best, you know, sort of sense of community you can get.
That's where it really shines for me, is the fact that you can take points for and you know, it's not high pressure.
You can just relax and enjoy the sport sake, which is always think a really positive thing.
And that's definitely why I really clicked.
That's probably the moment I really clicked with Queens when I felt, you know, comfortable playing a sport.
I know I'm Croppa and I still manage to have fun and everyone else did as well.
So that's that's always a good sign. So, yeah, I'd definitely say the community say queens just the way people support and build other people up.
This is really good thing in my eyes. Fantastic. On how to.
How about you. I'm going to say along a very similar line to the of the two.
I think, like, the really good thing is allows you to the freshest bubble as well.
So you have lots of people around. You got a fresher's.
But it's so great to have the older students in college to, like, guide you and maybe like help you out if you're bit stressed about something.
I really enjoyed having a supportive network of older students as well.
And I think the OCA that's been great is it allows you to go outside of just your course,
unlike you can know people that do so many courses like like Queens.
You'll probably meet people that you're like, I don't even know.
There was a course like the amount people like. Oh, is materials, even occlusal?
Like, it's just so many different causes and so many different perspectives in every sense of that.
And it's not true. Right. Well, thank you all so much.
This is super interesting. And I'm sure it would be really, really helpful for anybody who listened.
So I really appreciate you all agreeing to be on.
I'll speak tuell Thane.
Thank you so much to Luke, Hannah and Pandora for that interesting conversation and a massive thank you to all of you who listened.
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