Getting Oxford offer during lockdown

Item

Title

Getting Oxford offer during lockdown

Experience

I am an international student. March 2020, I was doing a research assistant job alone in London. After UK announced the first lockdown, I had nowhere to go because my landlord decided to suddenly end my rent contract. I did not fight back because I was also worried about being isolated during a pandemic. I then moved to Oxford staying with my boyfriend, who is a DPhil student living in Wolfson College. We are lucky as Wolfson kept open all the 2020 and even provide fresh foods for residents when groceries were in shortage at the beginning. However, Wolfson also forbade visitors, which means I shouldn’t be there. I was more like hiding there---- I never went to the shared kitchen and we even never opened the curtains. We stayed in the small room for 6 months because no home flight was available. I didn’t know if I should rent another room because I might suddenly go if I got a flight ticket. I managed to work on my research(yes I study public health)and received DPhil offer from Oxford. In September 2020, we finally moved to new flat, where I can have my own big study desk. Thank you Wolfson but please don't blame us for breaking rules.

Greatest surprise or change

My boyfriend is so caring and we get along so well.

Message to the future

Have you got married with him?

Where

Oxford, Wolfson college

About the pictures

Picture 1: The day I moved to Oxford, police in Paddington station. Picture 2: The small en suite room where we stayed for 6 months. Picture 3: The day we moved to a rented flat

Item sets

This item was submitted on March 23, 2021