Profiles
Sonia Chandaria
Mansfield College 2007, Human Sciences
I chose my degree course because I wanted to study humans from different perspectives. I found sixth form education was too narrowly focused. I have particularly enjoyed thinking about issues as wide ranged as the obesity epidemic, African fertility and human evolution from a multidisciplinary approach. On a more practical level, I was keen to study a course that had a scientific underpinning, without focusing on plants or laboratory work!
My degree has developed my abilities to deal with high pressure situations
Human Sciences is perfect for people who are interested in lots of different things – you never get bored as you never do the same thing for more than a few weeks. You also get to explore the entire University as the resources you use are located in various libraries. For example, at the moment, I have books from five different libraries on my bookshelf.
Many modules of our course are shared with other subjects including Archaeology and Anthropology, Geography, PPE and Economics and Management. So you meet a wide range of people at lectures. At the same time, the Human Sciences intake is only about 30-40 people so it's easy to get to know all your course mates really well.
Being in a college gives you a sense of identity. University can be an overwhelming place with so many students so it's nice to have somewhere full of familiar faces. You can walk into the dining hall and be certain you'll run into someone you know. College sports are much less competitive than University level sport and provide students with the opportunity to pursue activities with flexible levels of commitment.
I took a gap year (deferred entry) before coming to Oxford so had already had the chance to develop as a person. My degree has developed my abilities to deal with high pressure situations and I am able to prioritise tasks much more effectively. I now think with much more clarity and can thus produce clear, structured thoughts. I also value the fact that the unfamiliar is no longer quite so daunting.
The benefits of the University lie predominantly in its people. The dynamic students and inspiring tutors – combined with immense library resources, great traditions and a magnificent architectural heritage – create an invaluable experience.
