Lewis worked for us this summer as an Oxbridge Intern at Oxford and Cambridge Tutors. Lewis recently graduated with a bachelor’s in History from the University of Oxford (Oriel College). He is experienced in guiding students through their application process.
He writes: “My approach is very much centred on the learner. I believe that tutors should be adaptable to the individual needs and desires of the student as this allows the strengths of the student to be best met. While tutoring in the past, I have tried to adopt a range of different techniques to adapt to those who learn in very different ways.”
Read Lewis’ Story
1
My Journey
From an early age, I was gifted with two qualities – a thirst for knowledge and fierce ambition. I grew up loving a wide variety of activities from reading and television to acting and jiu-jitsu. I also grew up wanting to prosper academically, both in terms of excelling in exams and passing the assessments needed for me to access the best schools in my area.
2
My Schooling
I have been fortunate enough to have studied a wide range of subjects at a high level during my period of schooling. I studied the International Baccalaureate at my local grammar school which allowed me to prosper in the Humanities, Maths and Languages. I also had the opportunity to pursue my extra-curricular interests like acting and volunteering for local charities.
It was during this time that my love of History developed from a cursory interest in the past to an extensive fascination of it as an academic discipline. I was particularly enthralled by the opportunity it provided for developing original arguments about well-known historical topics. It was the depth the subject provided which encouraged me to apply to study it at a top university.
3
Joining Oxford University
My first year at Oxford University can be summed up in one word: intense. The intensity of Oxford study has both positives and negatives, often simultaneously. It’s certainly true that the work load is heavy and the environment is competitive. However, this spurred me to push my academic capabilities further than they had been pushed before and I learnt I was capable of things I previously hadn’t believed I was.
I learnt just how organised and hardworking I can be when faced with frequent deadlines. I also learnt a great deal about my chosen subject and loved exploring it in a lot of detail. There was also so much support on offer, both from my tutors and from my friends who were all faced with the same amount of work that I was.
4
My Experience
My experience of Oxford was overwhelmingly a positive one. I developed so much over the course of my three years at university both academically and in my personal life. Possessing the strength to prosper through tough times is a fundamental life skill and one which Oxford allows you to foster.
If I had done anything differently, it would probably have been to have become involved in more societies earlier on in my degree. However, I was still able to benefit from extra-curricular participation such as being a welfare officer and joining the Oxford Union, so I certainly had a full university experience overall.
