Sanel Susak

University College, Law

I came to England with my mother to escape the war in Bosnia when I was around five years old. Settling in to the English way of life was difficult and starting school with only a basic grasp of the language didn't make it any easier. I got into Landau Forte College which is a leading secondary school and sixth form in Derby.

After years of education I managed to get a place at Oxford to read Law. It was one of the best days of my life to receive that acceptance letter especially since neither of my parents had achieved degree-level qualifications due to the lack of money in Bosnia and the high costs of education.

The application process for Oxford was distinct from any of my other chosen universities in that I had to have an interview. It was very nerve-wracking since I didn't know quite what to expect and I'd heard some bizarre stories of strange questions they'd ask. I wasn't sure if this was true or not but it left me unsettled nevertheless. When I got down into the interview it was surprisingly calming and I just focused on answering the questions put to me despite the pressure I was under beforehand. A great part of the whole process was meeting other applicants because I knew they were in the same boat as me and this reassured me.