Cian Power

Oriel College 2005, BA in Philosophy and Theology, and Masters in Jewish Studies

I came to Oxford from an independent boys' school, which I had been able to afford to attend because of a scholarship. My mother had attended Warwick University full time as a mature student while I was in primary school. I read Philosophy and Theology at Oriel College, Oxford matriculating in 2005. I also read for a Master's degree in Jewish Studies at Oriel. I am currently a PhD student in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in the Near Eastern Studies Department of Harvard University.

I was interested in philosophy and theology because they deal with what I considered to be the most fundamental questions in life: God, morality, knowledge and reality. A number of universities offered a joint degree in philosophy and theology, and among these Oxford's programme was the most highly thought of. After visiting a number of colleges and talking with their tutors, I decided to apply to Oriel.
 
Because mine was a joint degree, I had to meet the requirements for two faculties – Philosophy and Theology – so I had to study more subjects than most students. This left me with less room to pursue particular interests within my degree. I did have some, however. I could have written a short dissertation, for instance. I decided instead to take a paper in Biblical Hebrew. Some tutors encouraged us to explore our own interests in our choice of weekly tutorial essay topics.

The two most important aspects of Oxford for me were the tutorial system, which provides unparalleled intellectual stimulation and training, from which both students and tutors benefit; and the colleges which provide intellectually indispensable and socially valuable multidisciplinary communities.
 
My college tutor guided me in my student life: advising me, challenging me, and encouraging me. I took many of my subjects with my college tutor, and I was very lucky that we got on very well and shared many academic interests and perspectives. I do not believe that I will ever again have the opportunity to spend so much time discussing those interests one-to-one with someone with so much to teach.
 
I usually wrote three essays of about 2,500 words every two weeks. This was a heavy workload but extremely beneficial. The process of planning and writing so many essays developed my writing style enormously, and I became much better at writing succinct, clear and convincing arguments. Since most essays consisted of presenting an argument in defence of one's own position, they were very useful in comprehending the subject matter. I had to really get involved in the debates I was reading about – not merely know about them.

I developed immensely over the course of my degree; the tutorial system taught me a great deal about independent work and time management. Final exams were an exhilarating experience, but also very stressful. It was useful academically in that the process of going back to the subjects I had learned about, perhaps two years before, really fixed them in my mind. The experience was also very good at improving my exam technique, and in general my ability to work under tight time constraints. The feeling of finishing Finals is unmatched.

An Oxford education is extremely well regarded globally, and having an Oxford degree has undoubtedly worked in my favour.