Our Current Students
Some of our fantastic current students wanted you to see what it was like studying their diverse range of subjects, as well as what it is like being a student at St Anne’s and at the University of Oxford.
All of the videos below have been filmed and edited by current students at St Anne’s College.
Maya:
First Year History and Spanish
Sanaa:
First Year Earth Sciences
Emmanuel:
Third Year Computer Science and Philosophy
Maz:
Second Year Music
Zoe:
Second Year Chemistry
Asma:
First Year Oriental Studies
Stephen:
First Year Engineering Science
David and Ed:
First Year Mathematics and Second Year Mathematics and Computer Science
Ariana:
First Year English Language and Literature
Joseph:
Second Year Law with French Law
Katie:
Second Year Fine Art
Lily and Caroline:
First Year Jurisprudence (Law)
Our Past Students
And a huge thanks to our alumnae (past students of St Anne’s College), who wanted to share their experiences with you!
Mark, BA French (2009)
"I came from a state school in Nuneaton, Warwickshire and had very little exposure to anyone applying to Oxford. I was encouraged by my AS Level French teacher ... I decided ultimately to apply because I decided more opportunities should be open to people with similar backgrounds. Studying at St Anne's was challenging but rewarding. The best feature was, without a doubt, the people. St Anne's always felt very different to other colleges; the diverse background of people and the common culture of acceptance, tolerance and friendliness really made it stand out. It was hugely familial and had a great support network."
Whilst studying at Oxford, Mark was Deputy Editor of the Oxford Student (student newspaper), a St Anne’s Peer Supporter and involved in Oxide Student Radio. He has since spent five years working as a management consultant at KPMG and currently works in the Strategy, Planning and Analytics Team at Google.
Sarah, BA Music (2010)
“I decided to apply to Oxford for music as it was, and still is (I may be slightly biased), the top place in the country to study, particularly for studying the dark art of medieval music, which had always fascinated me. I also applied to Oxford as I knew it would give me a really broad university experience with people from all walks of life. St Anne’s was such a friendly, open, welcoming college and I had immediately clicked with the tutors who interviewed me… Don’t worry about the other end of your degree, think long and hard about what you are interested in and what you want to learn about because that is the point of an Oxford degree: learn how to think critically while also learning about a subject you love. The rest will follow so just apply!!”
Whilst at Oxford, Sarah sang with Merton College Choir, which saw her recording five CDs and travelling to New York and Stockholm. Since leaving Oxford, she has completed an MA at Bristol and has gone on to become a Project Change Manager for Digital Projects for a large infrastructure engineering company. She loves her job and hopes it proves that there are so many transferable skills from an Oxford degree – if you want a job at the other end, you can get it.
James, BA Law (Jurisprudence), (1992)
“I applied to Oxford because it was the university that excited me the most. I remember sitting at school, looking at the Oxford prospectus and wondering what it would be like to go there. I didn't go to a school with a history of sending people to Oxford and so I did the research myself, with the help of a couple of teachers. I had a great time and made lifelong friends. It’s important to do your research and go to open days at the places and courses that interest you most. If you come away from that thinking that Oxford/St Anne's are where you would like to go, then go for it. Be yourself rather than who you think someone Oxford/St Anne's might be like and give it your best shot. Good luck!”
James is currently the head of legal at DNEG, a leading special effects and animation company. Last year the company won the Oscar for best VFX for First Man and an Emmy for Chernobyl. Prior to that, he worked in private (law) practice and has worked in film and television for 15 years.
Luis, MSt Musicology, 2011
“I was drawn to Oxford’s Music department due to its Postgraduate research strengths in both 20th Century Music and Ethnomusicology, areas which I was keen to focus on. During a Postgraduate open day, after touring many of the colleges, I was really impressed by the facilities at St Anne’s (architecture, postgraduate common areas, large library!) and the strong sense of community spirit from the academic staff and students I met. If you are visiting on an Open Day, have a shortlist of colleges in mind that you want to see. And don’t forget to reach out to St Anne’s admissions team, too!”
Luis currently works in a marketing consultancy business with global clients. Before this, he worked with advertising agencies and as a marketing manager in the music industry. Whilst at Oxford, he was president of the Portuguese society and loved unwinding by going to concerts at different colleges.
Anselm, MPhil Economic and Social History (2016)
“Economic history is a special subject and the main reason why I applied for Oxford’s MPhil programme. Particularly in Germany, where I come from, economic history is often practised via a purely qualitative approach to sources. By contrast, studying economic history at Oxford enables historians to learn how to link the two disciplines. I would encourage (graduate) applicants to apply as early as possible and to find out about potential scholarships and grants at a very early stage, as the relevant deadlines are sometimes even before the application deadline of the university. Financial support from the German National Academic Foundation meant that I was able to focus on my research and my personal interests. I gained so much from personal interactions at St Anne’s too. To give one example: one of my flatmates in College accommodation was a Kenyan-born Mathematics student and thus came from a country that I had never visited. While cooking together in our shared apartment, I not only learned about different culinary habits (extremely spicy curry and salted goat’s milk!), but also adapted to life with people whose culture was literally from a different continent. In Oxford I felt I was able to develop myself both as a historian and as a person.”
After graduating from Oxford, Anselm has moved to Frankfurt, Germany, where he is currently conducting his PhD research at the Max Planck Institute for European Legal History. Whilst at Oxford he greatly enjoyed attending student events, such as the talk given by Stephen Hawking at the Oxford Union in 2016.