Astrophoria - Riyad's Story video transcript [Music] [Text on screen: What is Materials Science?] Riyad - Materials Science student at St Anne's College: I like to think of it as if Chemistry and Physics had a baby and it was raised by Engineering. [Text on screen: St Anne's College experience] Riyad: We're quite far out from the city centre, but I think that comes with its own benefits. It's really quiet, we have this own sense of community here in the college that I've got a lot of friends here and I think it's very friendly, inviting and it really represents me. There's a lot of diversity here and I really feel at home at St Anne's. [Text on screen: College accommodation] Riyad: So I've got a large window sill opposite the quad which is quite nice. I've got an ensuite as well which is really good - a lot of um first years don't get the opportunity to have ensuite so I've been blessed in that aspect. I've got a study desk as well, so it's useful for when I want to study in the mornings. So for example I was doing a tutorial sheet this morning that is due later on. [Text on screen: Favourite thing about St Anne's] Riyad: My favourite thing is the coffee shop. I'm always there with the cheese or tomato toastie, um, for brunch. It is so nice; I I don't know how to put it into words. Like the cheese and tomato toastie is the most amazing thing known to man - if you ever come to St Anne's I highly recommend it. [Text on screen: A typical week] Riyad: I typically have about two to three hours of lectures then two to three hours of um class - so this will be like a seminar with five or six people where we go through some problems - and I'd also have two or three tutorials. Outside of that I'm part of the Islamic Society so I tend to do a few events with them. I go to my college gym - I try to go every day. There's a wide range of activities to get involved with so remember that Oxford is not fully academic. [Text on screen: Where are your lessons?] Riyad: So unlike the normal undergraduate system, the Foundation Year has tutorials across the city, so I have some tutorials in Trinity and Keble College. My lectures mainly happen in departments. So in the Chemistry department for example, sometimes they do have them in the Physics department as well. So if you do come onto the Foundation Year be prepared to travel around the city for your lessons. [Text on screen: Places to study] Riyad: So my favourite spot to study right now is the Radcliffe Science Library. It's right next to the Natural History Museum and it's right next to the prayer room as well, so if I want to take a break and um get my mind off things I typically have a wander through the museum, look through all the artefacts, the dinosaurs. And then obviously if I need to pray, I can go straight to the prayer room. There's also like a little coffee shop right next to the Radcliffe Science Library so on a cold day I just get a nice warm coffee to heat me up. But occasionally I do come to the College library, um especially if it's a late night when the Science Library isn't open, since the college libraries are open 24 hours. There's some all-nighters which need to be pulled and you'll find me in the College library and them times. [Text on screen: Best thing about studying at Oxford] Riyad: One is the fact that you have world-leading professors and tutors and fellows, like their knowledge is immeasurable. They have a wide not only breadth in subject but also depth, so I could ask them a completely unrelated question to the topic and they'd be able to answer it just like that. And another thing is the people here at Oxford, like it's such a wide range of different people from a load of different backgrounds. I've got a couple of international friends from India, from Belgium, and it's nice to have to meet people from all around the world while still being in Oxford. [Text on screen: Evening activities] Riyad: So normally it would be: me and my friends go get some food, chill in a JCR for a bit, play some table tennis or some PlayStation. On the weekends there's more events so I might go to an Islamic Society event or occasionally there's some talks held by departments. Even though I don't study maths, there's an interesting talk about maths and how English Literature correlate and at first I thought 'how can this make sense? Maths and English are such different subjects' but as I went and I learned more from the speaker, I was like wow maybe the world is more correlated than I thought. The multi-discipline aspect is really there. So I would highly recommend looking at the wide variety of events that are held here in Oxford. [Text on screen: Favourite place in Oxford] Riyad: University Parks is quite cool so occasionally I do go there to just have a run around. Another one of my favourite places is Port Meadow: really, really large countryside park where there's like cows and horses. And I go there for a walk at sunrise, so you see the sun rise past this river. And then just like cows and horses. I don't know maybe it's me because I'm a city boy, but like that's such a juxtaposition to where I'm normally growing up and it's nice see like a different part of the UK. [Text on screen: Highlight of your first term] Riyad: Highlight? I'd say it's probably the very first formal that we had as part the Foundation Year. I was able to have the opportunity to have a formal at Somerville College. At first I was really, really scared because I had never been to a formal dinner before so the thought of me putting on a suit and tie, looking at four different forks and which one to use. But as I went there I realised formals aren't really that formal, like no one cares which fork you use. And what's more the Principal over there, she really welcomed me and made me feel like I was meant to be here at Oxford, like I'm not an anomaly and I deserve to be here. [Text on screen: Travelling around Oxford] Riyad: A lot of people tend to ride bikes in Oxford. I personally don't - I tend to walk around or run around if I'm a bit late, which is a bit funny with seeing me run around for lectures. [Text on screen: Being part of the Oxford community] Riyad: Yeah I do feel like I'm definitely integrated in into the University community now. I'd say Freshers' Week is probably the best chance to experience everything that the University has to offer. You have both proper societies - so for example I joined the Islamic Society through Freshers' Week, and a lot of other sports. You also meet a lot of people during Freshers' Week, like I cannot count how many people that I met during Freshers' Week and been able to make friends with. So I feel like if you do come to Oxford, during Freshers' Week just make the most of it. [Text on screen: The Astrophoria Foundation Year] Riyad: I feel like you should consider applying for the Foundation Year if you think that the bridge from A-levels to university is too much for you to handle, or if you want to have a taste of Oxford without um necessarily forcing yourself into doing the other three years. Now I personally was worried that Oxford wasn't going to be for me, but after doing the Foundation Year I've realised that I do feel really welcome in Oxford and I do think that I have the academic ability to do well. So I feel like the Foundation Year has really strengthened me in terms of those aspects and I would highly recommend applying for the Astrophoria Foundation Year. For further information, visit www.foundationyear.ox.ac.uk