Heerden Herman (Paul Roos Gymnasium, Stellenbosch & Exeter 2014)
Distilling a year at Oxford University into a couple of hundred words ranks just below attempting the impossible, but I will nevertheless give it a try. I arrived in the city of dreaming spires on 21 September 2014, very excited about the new path on my life-journey, but at the same time completely unaware of what lay ahead. During the 2014/2015 academic year, I read for an MSc African Studies while being a student at Exeter College.
Upon arriving, I immediately set out to explore the treasures that my new home held. I struggled to wrap my mind around the sheer volume of history and culture found at a place like Oxford. Exeter College is a medium-sized college for both undergraduate and graduate students. It was found in 1314, celebrating its 700 year anniversary last year. Mind-boggling!
The first few weeks went by in an absolute blur. The flow of social activities was relentless, and I probably met more people in those few weeks than during the previous years of my life combined. From the other Rhodes Scholars, to my fellow Exonians and students in my African Studies course, the task of remembering names was overwhelming.
Michaelmas term (Oct – Dec), was extremely fast-paced and intense. Terms at Oxford are only 8 weeks each for most programmes, and during those 8 weeks it feels as if your life has been put into a washing machine. Nevertheless, I explored new ideas about the continent I call home, joined the University swimming team and even tried my hand at rowing. Those early, dark mornings on the River Isis will surely linger in my memory for many years to come.
During the first break over Christmas, there were papers to write and work to catch up. Being so close to mainland Europe, a quick jump across the Channel was definitely on the agenda. I had some family-visitors, and also spent a few days in Spain, trying to escape the gloomy British winter.
After the short getaway, it was time to buckle down again and focus on the craziness of Hilary term. There were more essays to write, talks and seminars to attend, and reading lists that just never seemed to end. By now, the urgency of writing a thesis also grew with each passing day, and most of my time was divided between the library, swimming pool and pub.
Towards the end of Hilary Term, we had the annual Varsity swimming competition against Cambridge. This competition has been running since 1892, and I am happy to report that we smashed them 111-68 this year. It was an away-year for Oxford, and travelling to Cambridge with a bunch of undergraduates for a weekend of swimming and other revelries was truly a memorable experience.
