Andrew Seaton

BA History, 2009, Mansfield

My background is slightly unorthodox. I was home-educated due to my family moving around for work and because of housing issues when I was a teenager.

Taking my GCSEs and A Levels slightly later at Exeter College in Devon, I was extremely fortunate to be able to work hard and secure a place at Oxford. I am the first of my family to go to university and this achievement means a great deal to me.

The distinct benefit of studying at Oxford has to be the tutorial system. Sitting in a room with your tutor and discussing a subject you love with such great minds is a real privilege and one that really pushes your thinking as well as the way you articulate yourself.

The wealth of libraries and the beautiful surroundings have to be another advantage. For students from low-income backgrounds, the Oxford Opportunity Bursary is a great help, pushing costs down considerably.

If you are thinking of applying I would say just go for it! You have nothing to lose and even just the interview process in itself is a great experience.

Oxford offers so many academic and social opportunities. I involved myself with my college's JCR (Student Union) as a Men's Rep, had a radio show, socialised with friends a lot and even managed to take up (albeit not with any skill) squash. The University is crammed full of interesting people and I'm lucky to have made so many friends from all over the world during my time.

During my time at Oxford it's hard to pinpoint exact things that have changed about me, but I would definitely say that I am much more confident in expressing my ideas both verbally and through written forms and that my mind has been opened to so many ideas and ways of looking at things.