Sam Gordon

Trinity College 2007, MSc in Environmental Change & Management

I'm currently working for Tesco in their Environmental team.

Oxford University has an exceptional reputation and the chance to study there really inspired me. What's more, the MSc course looked great: the chance to be part of an international class from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, and to understand environmental issues from a truly interdisciplinary perspective. I was looking for a course that would stretch me and broaden my understanding of sustainable development, and it did exactly that. I had an amazing year.

Think carefully about what drives you and then apply! I was the third New Zealander to do my course, which is very competitive to get into, but I was sure that I wanted to do it and I think that really helped my application.



Living in a college makes you part of a community and that makes a big difference, especially as a postgraduate. If you're spending a lot of time studying then it's great to be able to take a break and socialise at college events. Your college memories will probably be some of your strongest ones. Oh, and the food at Trinity was great too.


I got much better at critical thinking, appreciating different perspectives, and having confidence in my own ideas. Academic articles don't intimidate me anymore. I also got a reputation for being optimistic!


There's something special about Oxford which is hard to capture. It's the mix of everything, I think – the history, the diverse range of people, the intellectual challenge...it's a very stimulating environment to be in.


My experience at Oxford changed the way I think, by making me a better learner and much more aware of the world. Those are skills I'll carry with me the rest of my life.