I’m very happy to share that a week ago, I graduated from my BA Chinese Studies at the University of Oxford! This degree is the outcome of many years of hard work, passion, and curiosity, and I am delighted with the result. Although it may seem like an individual achievement, I want to highlight and thank the people who have got me here.

My family and friends have supported me through all the highs and lows of the past four years (and more), and without them I would not have persisted as I did. My professors and other academic staff have made the degree more fascinating and fulfilling than I ever imagined it to be, and University College, Oxford became a place I felt at home. I also was finally given medical care for a long-term physical health condition which had severely impacted my ability to study and live at university. The medical team worked miracles and I was able to start my studies and life anew, so I am forever grateful to them.

However, I am also proud of my own efforts, in particular my persistence at learning Mandarin from scratch at university, dealing with my health problems, and embracing all the parts of the degree (such as philosophy, literature, and Classical Chinese) that I had doubts about before starting! I’ve grown a lot in academic and personal capacities, and done things (like living in Taiwan for a year) that I didn’t think I’d ever do! It goes to show that taking a leap of faith really can be worth it.

I am excited to start at the Hopkins-Nanjing Centre (part of JHU’s SAIS) for a postgraduate certificate in September, where I hope to deepen my knowledge and research skills on China’s politics and international relations. In a full-immersion environment, I also plan on prioritising my language skills! I want to say thank you to those who helped me get to this point, and a final thank you to every individual who has made my university experience so worthwhile.

PS: My inbox is always open, especially for ‘ab initio’ state school students curious about studying Chinese and China at university, and people seeking advice for studying while dealing with chronic health conditions.

Oxonia: My Year in the ‘Intellectual Disneyland’

In May 2024, I had a choice to make: a full-tuition grant for the LLM at Harvard or a fully funded MSc in Law and Finance (MLF) at Oxford. I chose University of Oxford and over a year later, I’m glad I did. Over the weekend, I officially graduated with a Distinction along with an academic prize in Law and Economics of Corporate Transactions. To mark the moment, I’m sharing some of the most memorable experiences from my Oxford year.

Academics: If I had to sum up my academic experience at Oxford in one headline, it would be: stepping out of my comfort zone. When I arrived in September 2024, I only wanted enough exposure to finance to meet my programme requirements. But by December, fresh from my first finance exam, First Principles of Financial Economics, curiosity got the better of me, so I took the plunge and signed up for more finance electives than necessary, curious to see where it would lead.

In addition to my core module, I took Corporate Valuation and Mergers and Acquisitions at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. With no prior finance background, I reckoned my grades could take a hit. Instead, I discovered I might have been a closeted finance enthusiast all along. My highest scores came from my finance courses. Safe to say, the risk paid off!

Life at University College: Beyond academics, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at my college, University College, Oxford. I lived in a cosy double room overlooking the Fellows’ Garden at Merton College, in a pretty pink house on a cobbled street corner that made me feel like a princess most days. I took part in Univ’s annual fundraising telethon, spoke with inspiring alumni, achieved a 73% donor participation rate, and raised £12,304. Turns out, I’m quite the persuasive fundraiser too 😅. Thanks to my College, I also received a travel grant and embarked on a mini Europe tour, visiting four cities in Denmark and three in Germany.

A literary bonus: In Oxford, I began reading C.S. Lewis for the first time and fell completely in awe. Honestly, what better place to read Lewis than here in Narnia? 😂

Oxford, both the University and the city, will always have a place of fondness in my heart. I’m curious and excited about what lies ahead, but today I am above all grateful to God, to the family and friends who stood by me, and to the Mastercard Foundation, Africa Oxford Initiative and University College, Oxford for making this year possible.

hashtag#OxfordYear hashtag#AfricanInOxford

I am so pleased to share that I have graduated from the University of Oxford with a Bachelor of Civil Law, obtaining a Distinction, and achieving first class marks in 3/4 of my papers. I’m particularly delighted to have been awarded the Ralph Chiles Prize by the Faculty of Law, University of Oxford for best performance in the Comparative Human Rights paper.

Once again, none of this could have been possible without the constant help and encouragement from my fantastic family, incredible friends and amazing partner, each of whom have gone above and beyond this year in supporting me!

The BCL has been a wonderful experience full of great opportunities, including undertaking work as a Research Assistant and volunteering at the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights Immigration Legal Aid Clinic. A special thanks must go to my tutors at the Faculty of Law and to the community at University College, Oxford for making this year the perfect end to my time at Oxford.

Whilst I secured funding from Gray’s Inn to begin my Bar Course studies, I have decided to stay in academia a little while longer, joining the inaugural intake of PhD students at the UCL Global Centre for Democratic Constitutionalism. I’m so excited to move to London and get started on my research and my role as a Graduate Lecturer on the LLB Public Law module, and make the most of all the opportunities that the Centre & UCL has to offer!

This past week marked the official end to four years of study at the University of Oxford, after which I am pleased to say I have graduated with an Upper Second Class degree in BA Literae Humaniores (Classics). I have been very fortunate in the educational opportunities that have been open to me throughout my life that have enabled me to get to this point, and I know I am privileged to have had such an incredible university experience.

I am especially grateful to all of the tutors who have contributed to my studies both at University College, Oxford and the wider Classics Faculty, and I am excited to announce that I have been offered places at several institutions to study for a Master’s degree beginning in 2026, focusing on Sexuality and Gender studies and Early Christianity in Ancient Rome. This coming September I will begin working to earn a PGCE in Latin with Classics at Liverpool Hope University, something which I am really hopeful for as a way to share my love for the ancient world and engage in pedagogical study for the very first time.

My time at Oxford has been amazing, and I am so glad that I have been able to attend a university that has provided such a nurturing learning environment and has allowed me to meet so many fantastic people, all of whom I am sure will go on to do wonderful things!