About Opportunity Oxford - Video Transcript

Opportunity Oxford supports talented students with the transition to university, ensuring the best possible start to studying at Oxford.

We spoke to some current students about their experience of Opportunity Oxford and their advice to new offer holders. 

How did you feel when you got your Oxford offer? 

Tahmid: When I received my offer I think I was sat in the library, so as soon as I opened it I ran out... phoned my mum, you know, I was buzzing! I don't think I even read the Opportunity Oxford thing until I got home, and when I did...yeah I was really confused. You know, I thought, maybe did I only get in because... to fill that "diversity quota", but having done the course I realised that couldn't be further from the case. They believe in you and they want to invest in you.

Anna: When I got my offer I was at first very confused, because I'd never heard of Opportunity Oxford, so I instantly went and Googled it and saw that it was this really exciting programme and I was really excited to be a part of it.

Kane: I didn't know what it was either, but I was just that happy I didn't care...I was just like I got an offer from Oxford – WOW!

Marwa: I was like...finally all the hard work paid off, you know. Doing all the work for the personal statements for months, and then getting ready for interviews and then it actually all paid off when I got my offer.

What advice would you give someone who has just received their Opportunity Oxford offer? 

Olamide: The programme is for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, that is not in your control, and I feel like we should see it as an opportunity to help us develop skills that we may have some experience in, or skills that we haven't been exposed to at all, so I feel like embracing it and being open-minded to the programme would be an amazing thing and would help you.

Maddie: I wish I could have just told myself to just... be proud of yourself and that this offer especially from Opportunity Oxford means more, in some regards because you've been able to get this place at Oxford despite your circumstances.You haven't had it as easy as everyone else, you haven't been prepped as much as everyone else, and this course really helps you get to the same standard as everyone else.

Marwa: Don't put pressure on yourself to make yourself the smartest person in the room. So it's ok to ask questions. It's more likely that everyone else in the room has the same questions as you.

Omarr: So just relax and just actually enjoy it and take it in. Because you've done enough work as it is to get in here with all the personal statement stuff... the interviews and all of that, so you're in the door now, so you don't have to worry about proving yourself.

Olamide: Make friends at Opportunity Oxford because those are the people that are going to help you so much and be your anchor during week zero and week one especially, because that's the week where you're in a whole different environment and you don't know people, so it's nice to know that... somewhere in Oxford I know someone.

How did Opportunity Oxford support your transition into university life? 

Kane: Nobody in my family has gone to uni, so it was good to get an actual understanding of what the work's going to be like, and also what the social's going to be like. So it wasn't just working all day every day. 

Omarr: I think the best thing that I got from it was in terms of writing the essay and kind of getting an understanding of how to break up the reading, the planning and then the actual essay writing. So it just gave me a really, really good insight and... as to how to organise my time when I'm writing and how to do it most time-effectively.

Alice: Socially my friends on Opportunity Oxford have been my closest friends in my first term, and the two-week residential is a bonding experience that you won't get anywhere else...it really, really is.

Tahmid: Yeah my friends at Opportunity Oxford are the closest friends I have here...I love them so much. Yeah we all get along so well... we all come from similar backgrounds, so it's just really nice.

What has the Opportunity Oxford programme and your first term taught you about yourself?

Marwa: I was really worried about not being able to keep up. It was kind of reassuring throughout the programme that...ok, everyone else is kind of in the same boat, we can get through this together, but then I actually learned through this term that I can actually get through all of the work, so Opportunity Oxford really did help with that.

Omarr: You have to understand that this stuff's meant to be difficult and it's meant to be challenging, and if it takes you a bit of a while to figure it out then that's fine. And it's kind of like learning to be patient with myself and actually giving myself time to understand things that may be difficult at first.

Alice: A big concern I think was meeting new people. I'm quite shy usually, so meeting housemates and... you know, just keeping in contact with people that we'd met on Opportunity Oxford was probably the best part of university life. 

Anna: Before arriving at university I was concerned about balancing work life and social life, but I think after a couple of weeks I got into the swing of it and I spend the day working and then I do have enough time to socialise and find friends. 

Alice: It really says it all in the name, Opportunity Oxford is an opportunity, it's not an extra test...it's not another hurdle for you to overcome. It's there for you to learn, experience and enjoy.


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More information is available on our website: www.ox.ac.uk/opportunityoxford 

If you require an alternative format please contact us on: opportunityoxford@admin.ox.ac.uk