Keble at Large, Oxford (2026)

27/03/2022

Crankstart meets Keble at Large!!
Here is Thi Hoa, a second year Keble biologist speaking about her experience on the Crankstart committee and being a Crankstart scholar in Oxford! (Remember to check out our last Crankstart post if you want to know more about the scholarship 😊)

20/02/2022

"My decision to apply to Oxford wasn’t something that I ever seriously considered until the summer of Year 12. Coming from a college outside of Manchester where only a handful of students out of 1800 in a year group are successful in applying, I’d just never thought I’d be one of those to get in.

As I’d decided to apply so late and hadn’t even been sure that history was the subject for me, I was terrified that I’d be the only applicant who hadn’t read Marx or hadn’t studied the French Revolution. However, getting to interviews just showed me that the process was entirely about destroying preparation and trying to place all applicants on an even playing field: with contextualising GCSE scores, an entrance exam where you don’t use your own historical knowledge and being interviewed on your own essays and an unseen text. History at Oxford is about showing how you can think critically and flexibly, not about how many dates you can recite or how many classic books you’ve read; showing an interest in history (whether you’ve had that interest for 2 months or 12 years) is the best place to start.

The Oxford experience is genuinely not like any other, but in such a different way to what I had first thought. Keble is 100 percent one of the friendliest and most sociable colleges, changing my preconception that Oxford students are boring within the first week. I’ve had the chance to do so many incredible things outside my degree from playing college sport to going to Oxford balls and having so many bops (themed college parties). Another worry I had was Oxford being an extremely expensive place to live- but with 8 week rents and so many bursaries for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, this was another worry that was discounted early on in my experience.

I think one of the biggest obstacles to myself and other state school students applying is sending that application in the first place. There are so many resources (like Keble at Large) that I wish I knew about when applying that can help guide you and can help to reassure you that people from all different backgrounds come to Oxford." - Anya (she/her), 2nd year History

15/02/2022

‼️ Keble at Large X Crankstart crossover ‼️

KAL will be speaking with Keble students about Crankstart, the unis support fund for students from lower-income households! We will be talking about: the bursary, funded internships, networking opportunities, how Crankstart made starting out at Oxford more comfortable.

DM with any questions you have about Crankstart and we will address these over a series of posts - coming soon !!

01/02/2022

I’m from Rotherham, a town in South Yorkshire where no one ever goes to universities like Oxford. Applying for such universities was never encouraged at my secondary school, until I went to sixth form where my Geography teacher pushed me to give it a go. I had never been to Oxford until I’d actually accepted my place. But I am so glad I did. I was worried I would hate it, but I fell in love with the city and the Oxford culture. Keble in particular is such a beautiful college, even better it is super social and friendly.
My workload is a lot compared to my friends at other universities, but it gives you such a sense of achievement. Plus, geography has a very flexible time table, especially considering lectures are offered in person and online. So far, I have found food geographies, cultural geographies and animal geographies the most interesting and they have really challenged what I consider to be geography and now I appreciate it as more philosophical. The tutors are amazing and the feedback they provide is so in-depth. Sometimes the feedback can feel scary and intense but it’s all important in the long run for helping you become the best academic you can be.
Despite the challenging yet rewarding work, there is a huge social side of Oxford I never knew existed before I got here. I would argue it’s way more social than other universities. There are so many societies and sports opportunities to choose from, and the college BOPs (college parties) are always fab. Making friends is something we all worry about but then once you get here, you don’t know why you were so bothered because everyone else is in the exact same boat thinking the same things! It’s super easy to make friends at Keble as everyone is so friendly and quite active. I was also worried about being able to afford to go out with my friends when I had to worry about finances. However thanks to the Crankstart scholarship (which you don’t even need to apply for as it's a bursary for students from lower income backgrounds), all my concerns are covered and I can afford amazing opportunities such as going on the Varsity Ski Trip! (the joint Oxford and Cambridge Ski Trip)- Eve (she/her), 1st year Geography

22/01/2022

"I honestly wasn’t even going to apply to Oxford, I just chose to do it on a whim to have a go. Coming from a non selective state school in the North I had no expectation that I’d get in, but I am so glad I did.

I was pooled to Keble after applying to a different college, which was nerve racking because I wasn’t as sure what to expect, especially since I’d never visited Oxford before because of COVID-19. In reality, I love it here. I wouldn’t change anything about it.

My tutors are great and they really push and challenge me. There are so many complex sides of Geography that I never even considered, and each week the topics are so different. My favourite is borders and migration because it challenges every normal convention you have about borders between countries, and I think it’s particularly important in this climate.

Not only is Keble a welcoming community and definitely one of the most social and fun colleges, but Oxford has allowed me to continue my side passions, such as flying planes with the Oxford University Air Squadron. The common belief that Oxford students aren’t social is completely false. Keble is full of BOPs (themed parties in college), societies and opportunities to meet people in different settings.

It’s only my second term at Keble, and the workload is definitely intense but it’s becoming a lot more routine and easier to handle. It’s a shock at first but once you get into the flow you realise it’s not a big of a mountain as you think it is, especially when you have supportive tutors and the opportunities to talk through and thoroughly understand complex ideas. To anyone thinking of applying or already have their offers, Keble offers a range of amazing opportunities and although it is normal to be nervous, it is such an exciting and fast paced term."

Chris (he/him), 1st year Geography

12/01/2022

"I was quite nervous applying to Oxford, coming from a non-selective state school in sunny Milton Keynes where no-one had gone to Oxford before, but my experience at Keble has been amazing! I applied to a different college but was pooled to Keble, and even though I was a bit anxious about studying in a college that I hadn’t applied to, there wasn’t anything to be worried about and Keble turned out to be worth it!

My tutors have been really supportive here, and my studies have led me down some very interesting rabbit holes that I never would have considered before- I started learning Catalan with the uni as a hobby, and have enjoyed it so much that I’m going to take a paper in it for my final exams.

I’m currently in my second year, studying some really interesting papers (this term I’m doing Philosophy of Religion and modern Spanish literature) and getting ready for my Year Abroad (time for a tan!). I was surprised at the range of choices that language students get for their year abroad, with the chance to work, study, do internships, become a teaching assistant, volunteer and more in some really interesting places (for example, I’m hoping to spend some time in Andorra).

Oxford is a challenging place to study in, but all of my tutors have been very understanding and helpful, and once you get into the swing of things the workload becomes more manageable and you’ll be surprised by how much content you get through! It’s an amazing place to meet lovely and interesting people, and Keble has some particularly amazing people (though I may be slightly biased). The college system and amount of societies mean that there are always people with similar interests to meet and new opportunities to take, making for an amazing few years here at Oxford!" - Thomas (he/him), 2nd year Philosophy and Spanish

11/01/2022

🎉CONGRATULATIONS🎉 to all of you who got your offers today! You should be so proud of yourselves for all the hard work you put in to your applications, especially during the pandemic 🥳 We warmly welcome you all to Keble and can't wait to have you here in October!

09/11/2021

"I started at Keble in the middle of Michaelmas last year, when college was all but deserted. In spite of that, people from around the Keble community made an effort to welcome me, so I knew I had come to a great place, even though I didn’t meet many in person until later. That was a good start, but has been even better to get to meet more of the students since the library reopened in Trinity term, and to be able to welcome all of this year’s freshers in person.

I was a long-ago student at another college, and so I understand what the transition from school to university study is like. I also remember what it was like to arrive as the first university student in my immediate family, and (though it wouldn’t happen now) as the only state school fresher of the eight in my subject. I try to keep those things in mind and make the library as welcoming and as inclusive as a place without much talking can be!

I’m responsible for maintaining the reading rooms as a study space, and the lending collection as a useful and up-to-date resource (even if some of the content is beyond me!). But being a librarian in 2021 isn’t all about hard copy books. The University offers an overwhelming amount of e-books and online journals, so I also provide advice on how to navigate these for Keble students who might rarely set foot in the physical library. We also try to provide some resources for the rest of student life, like fiction, study skills, and travel.

The College has an extensive collection of rare books, given over the years, including medieval manuscripts from Europe and further afield, and printed books from the start of printing to more recent rarities. Researchers come from around the world to consult them, and I also work to make them accessible to Keble students either for their own studies or for more general interest. You can see them on our Library twitter feed too.

Having studied rare books myself, I am lucky that I get to look after such a good collection, but probably the best thing about my job is that I get to work with the JCR, MCR, SCR and staff – that is to say, all the different parts of the Keble community."
Fiona(she/her),Keble Librarian

03/11/2021

"I was really excited while out on the town the other day because I realised that the waiter who kept pouring me seemingly endless hot chocolates was in fact from Cockermouth!. I guess most readers won’t have heard of it, but Cockermouth is a relatively big town on the west-coast of Cumbria, and only about an hour’s drive from my hometown of Carlisle (about 10 miles south of Scotland). It wasn’t a one-in-a-million meeting, but sometimes in a southern university like Oxford, it sure does feel like it.
Having been born in a heavily industrial region of Ukraine and moving to Carlisle when I was three years old and couldn’t speak a word of English, I never imagined myself applying here. In fact, I had completely written Oxford off, having presumed that it would be posh, elitist, and really not for me.
Then at the start of Year 12, I had the opportunity to apply for a STEM residential being held in Queen’s college. It was aimed at encouraging applications for students from under-represented areas, such as the northwest (though in my mind, I just thought ‘ooh, free holiday’). Upon arrival in Oxford, I made the shattering discovery that rather than being full of would-be lords and ladies, it was just a place which was teeming with the enthusiasm and energy of people who love their degree. I think I fell in love with Oxford that week, it’s passionate student community and stunning cityscape had me yearning to return and like most people, I was over the moon when I received my offer. The work is hard, especially when you’re juggling it alongside all your extra-curricular activities, but with so many great people to meet, and so many new opportunities to experience, it’s a level of excitement which I would not change for the world."
-Angelina (she/her), 2nd Year, Medicine

19/10/2021

Introducing...Humans of Keble: Staff Edition !! 🤩

Humans of Keble has always been about representing the college population with posts featuring almost every subject offered at Keble, with students from a variety of backgrounds. However, many people don't often see the work that is done by the amazing members of staff at Keble, who are also part of the college community and make it our home. SO we will now be featuring special Staff of Keble posts with different members of staff ranging from admin officers to gardeners!

Keep your eyes peeled for these posts to learn more about what Keble is actually like from the perspective of staff, and to see what kind of work they do to support students !! ❤💙🤍

16/10/2021

"I’m a third-year visiting Economics student from Dartmouth College!
A part of me has wanted to attend Oxford since I was a little kid because I’m a huge X-Men fan, and Charles Xavier (Professor X) went here. I always liked the idea of attending an old academic institution in a quaint town, and despite being born in the U.S., I actually prefer the U.K. (shhhh).
However, from secondary school in Taiwan, I only applied to universities in the U.S. and London. It was the path of least resistance: applications were more streamlined (i.e. I was too lazy to take the TSA in addition to ACT/APs/IBs, and flying over for interviews was just out of the question), and my school prepared us better for the U.S. process. I moved around and transferred schools a lot growing up though, so I wanted to study abroad, no matter where I went.
As much as I love Dartmouth, Keble has been a welcome change. The social, cultural, and linguistic environments, especially. The variety of accents (including the different kinds of London accents) has been interesting for me to listen to, as a linguistics nerd, while also making me feel more welcome, as a multicultural international student. The activities and societies are also quite fun: I’ve done dance and martial arts for a long time, but I’m trying gymnastics, badminton, pole sports, and maybe even more stuff while I’m here. I love the physical environment as well: the architecture, the bike-friendly roads, the parks and meadows, etc.
I’m thinking of doing a graduate program at Oxford in the future, as I want to be a professor eventually. Probably in Linguistics, though I’m currently here for Economics (at Dartmouth, I’m majoring in both)."
Rachel (she/her), 3rd year Economics

08/10/2021

"Starting sixthform with less-than-stellar GCSEs, I never contemplated attending the Oxbridge applicant sessions with my school’s polished high-achievers. I passively assumed I would perhaps study at a middling university before working in agriculture with my family. But during my A levels it became apparent I could be aiming higher. I went to the sixthform office and told them I wanted to try for Oxford, although was considering taking a gap year to earn experience and have concrete grades to silence any concerns over my performance. I was bluntly told to apply immediately, since I wouldn’t get in anyway and it would save me a gap year.

Instead, I followed the advice the Oxford history faculty provided on the application process, using strong grades and employment experience to make a substantiated bid for a place. Despite having pointedly ignored all her advice, my sixthform head described my personal statement as ‘refreshingly different!’ - a small but notable display of enthusiasm proving blood can be squeezed from stones.

Looking back I realise that others' (and perhaps my own) doubts shouldn't have made me double-guess my application. Being here now is proof of that." - Oli (he/him), 2nd year History

Keble at Large

27/03/2022

20/02/2022

15/02/2022

01/02/2022

22/01/2022

12/01/2022

11/01/2022

09/11/2021

03/11/2021

19/10/2021

16/10/2021

08/10/2021

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