Undergraduate profile: Charlotte Spurrell

Had it not been for an encouraging teacher, final-year English student Charlotte Spurrell would never have thought of applying to Oxford. Coming from a state school in Milton Keynes that was just 10 years old, Charlotte knew it would be ‘extremely competitive’ to get a place at Oxford.

‘My parents both went to university but as neither went to Oxford I didn’t know much about it. Fortunately, my teacher had been a student at Regent’s Park and had really enjoyed his time at Oxford, so he encouraged me to apply’, Charlotte explained. ‘I was the only person in my year to apply here, and the first in the history of the school to get a place.’

Choosing what subject to study was a tough decision for Charlotte, but her interest in drama finally attracted her to the English course. ‘It offered me the opportunity to study the full history of English literature and introduced me to texts I had never seen before’, she said. ‘It also allowed a lot of flexibility as well as diversity, allowing me to choose which authors and texts I could study and which areas to specialise in.’

The decision proved a good choice: ‘The course has been every-thing I hoped it would be, and more’, she says. She describes the tutors as helpful and supportive and her tutorials as challenging and interesting – and was rewarded for her hard work by achieving a scholarship in her first year. ‘Although the course is challenging, I have never felt overwhelmed by my workload’, she adds.

Charlotte settled easily into college life, attending Mansfield College, where the smaller size meant she got to know everyone, while the location made it easy to get involved in University activities. And she has certainly made the most of that opportunity. Charlotte has found time to participate in dramatic performances, hold a committee position in OULES – a charity organisation that brings drama to people who may not otherwise have access to it, such as special needs schools or the elderly – sing with her college choir and play cello with Trinity College Orchestra. She also often helped out her college with jobs such as acting as a runner during interviews.

‘It’s been an amazing experience studying at Oxford, and I’ve taken up so many great opportunities that have arisen during my time here’, Charlotte says. ‘I’m now looking into staying on to do postgraduate studies and after that I might consider a career in publishing or advertising. Also, I’ve loved all the acting I’ve done here at Oxford and have done some professional work already, such as at the Edinburgh Festival with an Oxford/Cambridge theatre company, so I may pursue that line instead.’