Taking Up Space & Telling the Story
My writing journey, from journalizer to Oxford to present
Did you know that Oxford doesn’t do grades?
My English degree was based on exams and essays mostly in my third and final year. I wrote essays twice weekly til then, but for learning purposes only. This was fun and freeing. I’ve never felt so respected and trusted academically. The tutorial system gave space for exploring ideas, rather than ticking boxes and ‘doing the work’ or not. Obviously you would do the work. It would be really embarrassing if you showed up for a tutorial with nothing to talk about.
But in third year, focus turned from deepening knowledge towards performing well in exams :(
I was proactive about this, identifying that I needed a new outlet for my self-expression. My writing and ideas muscles were STRONG, and now it was time to channel them into a personal project rather than an academic one. So, on top of preparing for the exams, I founded my blog, Fashionably Light, as a daily exercise in finding and sharing something thoughtful. Even during the most stressful year of university. Especially during the most stressful year of university.