Anne Wildschut (2nd year)
What does a typical day studying CAAH at Keble look like?
Like a lot of humanities subjects, CAAH has (relatively) few contact hours, and is mostly based around a lot of self-study. In an average week, I will have around four or five lectures, and one or two tutorials and classes, but most of my time is spent in the library, reading and writing for around one to two essays a week.
So, on a typical day I spend several hours working in the library or in my room, working from around 9:30 to 6:00, with lectures and tutorials, and usually a good number of breaks, in between. I try to stop working after dinner unless I have a lot of work to do. Some of the best advice I received when I was a fresher was to treat my degree like a nine-to-five job, and to avoid all-nighters at all costs!
Why do you like studying CAAH at Keble?
Aside from being a very convenient five-minute walk and two-minute sprint from the Classics Faculty, Keble also has a relatively large CAAH intake compared to other colleges. This is still only two students in each year, but means that you can get to know your coursemates in all years really well, and makes it easy to look to your coursemates and tutors for help and support.
Personal statement advice
Write about something you’re interested in, and something that you know you’ll be able to talk about if asked to at your interview. The most important thing, I think, is that you show the tutors that you have a passion for your subject, making it clear that you’ve gone beyond the curriculum to pursue your interest. So, mention any ancient texts you’ve read, making sure to give your own opinions about them, any specific element of the course you’re particularly interested in, or any museum exhibitions, exhibits or artefacts you’ve found engaging.
Interview advice
It is very, very normal to be apprehensive and nervous about your interviews. My main piece of advice would probably be to not let yourself be intimidated by other people who seem completely self-assured and confident in themselves. In all likelihood, these people are also terrified, just slightly better at hiding it. Don’t let yourself be intimidated- by people, by the ostentatious colleges. It’s easy to feel out of place. But every single person interviewed deserves to be at Oxford as much as anyone else. Imposter syndrome is difficult to ignore, but don’t let it ruin your experience of interviews- try to speak to other interviewees, and enjoy the beautiful city!
In the interview itself, try to say something even if you don’t think you know the answer, even if you think it’s stupid. It probably isn’t. Remember that your interviewers are just human beings- if you try to enjoy the conversation, it’s likely that they will enjoy it too.
Also make sure to check out our YouTube channel for more admissions advice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtLFymHzwCc
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