INTERVIEWS Two Years On… GURDEEP MALL Law & French Law, New College, University of Oxford I still can’t quite believe it’s been two years since I left the safe corridors of HGS, where I received so much support and encouragement from both my teachers and peers, and embarked upon my studies at Oxford. Coming from a very working class family, I didn’t know anybody who had been to university- so when I started my A-Levels, I had very low expectations for myself, as I didn’t think that people like me went to university at all, let alone to Oxford. However, during Y.12, my incredible teachers encouraged me to consider the idea of applying to Oxford seriously, and helped me to put together an application to the UNIQ Summer School. This week spent in Oxford studying law and learning more about the application process, as well as life at Oxford more generally, drastically changed my perspective and dispelled the myths about Oxford that I had previously held. A few years later, I’ve completed two years of my degree and I’m preparing for my year abroad in Paris! My time at HGS and all the experiences that it entailed helped to prepare me well to make the most of the opportunities that I’ve been given since arriving at Oxford- the most important thing about HGS is that it finds its strength in its diversity. Having grown up in an environment where I was able to interact with the different social, cultural, and religious viewpoints of my peers has meant that I’m able to adapt to a wide range of circumstances and settings. This was particularly useful during my internship over last summer; I worked as a Programme Officer on a summer school in New Delhi which was a joint venture between an NGO called “The Centre for the Escalation of Peace” and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The summer school was open to undergraduate and postgraduate students from all around the world, who lived, worked, and studied together over the course of two months- I believe that my time at HGS prepared me well for organising a project on such an international scale and making the most of my interactions with people from all around the world. Moreover, the love of Academia that I was able to cultivate at HGS had stood me in good stead during my time here- sometimes when I’m in the library at 12:00 am, writing my third essay of the week about a part of Equity that I don’t quite understand, thinking about the encouragement and advice I received from my school teachers can be incredibly valuable. In terms of what I’ve been doing during my second year at Oxford, my degree has been my primary concern- I love studying Law and I love being in an environment where so much innovative legal discourse and development is taking place every day. My tutors are world leaders in their fields, and I get to engage with their subjects in a way that is unique to Oxford- of course, as with any degree, I prefer some parts over others! I have particularly enjoyed Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, and Jurisprudence (Philosophy of Law)- and I’m currently toying with the idea of pursuing post-graduate studies in a public law related field after I graduate. The French Law part of my degree has consisted of weekly classes in French on various topics of the French legal system (my participation involves shrugging my shoulders a lot and making French sounded noises). In September, I will be moving to Paris to begin studying “Le droit et les science politique” (law and politics)- whilst I am incredibly excited about this, I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t also absolutely terrified! The social life here is also incredible, and there’s truly something for everyone. I’ve particularly enjoyed the events put on by the BME community- I was worried about becoming culturally isolated here, but with SikhSoc and HumSoc putting on regular events and talks, there’s a home away from home at Oxford. I particularly enjoyed Diwali Ball and take real comfort from SikhSoc trips to the Gurdwara. I’ve also been involved with Access and Outreach work in New College and around the university- I was elected “Access, Equal Opportunities and Minorities Representative” and my role involves coming up with strategies to widen access and participation for historically underrepresented groups at Oxford. This mainly takes the form of organising tours and events for state school students, working on our online presence, and taking part in university-wide efforts to level the playing field for applicants. My personal highlight has been our Facebook page (www. facebook.com/newoverthewall), where New College Students share their honest and candid experiences of life at New College in an attempt to dispel all the myths that may put people off applying. If you have the academic profile to apply to Oxford but are worried that you’re not the Oxford type, I would strongly encourage you to apply- there’s no such thing as “the Oxford type” and there’s a place here for everyone. If you have any questions about Law, about Oxford, or about applying to university in general, Mr Conway has my contact details, so please feel free to get in touch! Ps. in response to certain comments made by Mr Nembhard in the last issue of the Bridge, Oxford is far better than Cambridge. highlight has been our Facebook page (www. facebook.com/newoverthewall), where New College Students share their honest and candid experiences of life at New College in an attempt to dispel all the myths that may put people off applying. If you have the academic profile to apply to Oxford but are worried that you’re not the Oxford type, I would strongly encourage you to apply- there’s no such thing as “the Oxford type” and there’s a place here for everyone. If you have any questions about Law, about Oxford, or about applying to university in general, Mr Conway has my contact details, so please feel free to get in touch! Ps. in response to certain comments made by Mr Nembhard in the last issue of the Bridge, Oxford is far better than Cambridge.