Profiles
Payal Shah
Somerville College 2005, Mathematics
I chose to study maths because I'd enjoyed it throughout school. When the time came to choose a degree subject, maths was the only one I knew I'd keep on enjoying. Maths isn't an easy degree but it's a fulfilling one. As an undergraduate, you can choose between a wide variety of courses as well as having to do some mandatory courses to study the basics. In your third and fourth year, you also have the option of doing a dissertation. I did one each for both years and found it a really good way of learning - you have one or two supervisors and have weekly meetings with them. It's a great opportunity, especially for someone considering carrying on with academia as it sort of mimics a Master's/PhD scenario.
The tutorial system gives students a chance to voice their opinions and discuss them with leaders in their field. It's an opportunity that very few in the world are lucky enough to get
The jump between A' levels and university, especially Oxford, is huge. So initially it can all be a bit overwhelming. However, once you get into the swing of things, you learn to manage your time better. The workload at Oxford is intense due to the short terms, so getting into a good study routine is key to making the most of the university experience. It won't come immediately but you'll get used to it over time.
Being a member of a college as well as the university is really important because each individual is acknowledged to a greater extent. Living and studying in college means you can meet people in all years rather than just your own, which is especially good in your first year when you're getting to know everyone. Pretty much every college has a good library to work in so you don't always have to trek to the university/faculty library. It's very convenient!
Another great thing about Oxford is the tutorial system, which gives students a chance to voice their opinions and discuss them with leaders in their field. It's an opportunity that very few in the world are lucky enough to get. It also allows for more independent thinking and encourages you to challenge yourself and your peers. You have the opportunity to put forward your views in a small group, which helps you gain confidence when speaking to a larger group.
At Oxford there is a club or society for pretty much everything and, if you feel something is lacking, there is always room and encouragement for starting up a new one. The famous Oxford-Cambridge rivalry is one of the highlights of a number of sporting calendars. As well as university teams, there are college leagues in most sports, which are a great way of meeting people both within your own college and from other colleges. One social aspect of this is 'crew dates', where a male sports team from one college will go to dinner with a female sports team from another college. Always a lot of fun and a good way to bring together a common interest - sport!
My four years at Oxford trained me to be a mathematician but also taught me a lot of lessons about life. Most important were working under pressure, working independently, managing my time efficiently, voicing my opinions, challenging tutors and peers, and doing my best. The competitive nature of being at Oxford really teaches you all of these skills and they're all qualities that are helping me out in my career now as a project manager. So, even though I'm not using the content of my degree directly in my job, I'm using the experiences that came from studying maths at Oxford.
