My First Week at Oxford

It is difficult, only a week after my departure from the Czech Republic, to try to recollect the events of that day – so much has happened since then! However, one thing does stand out in my memory in a way that only unpleasant experiences do: having forgotten to fill in a passenger locator form at home, I had to make a frantic dash through the multiple pages of the form on my phone before I was allowed to check in.

The rest of my trip was remarkably smooth and yes, even scenic. Out of the aeroplane window, I saw all the main sights of London: the Gurken, the Shard, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, and the Houses of Parliament. The journey from Heathrow Airport to Oxford was less impressive but went off without a hitch. I stayed at a hotel near Saint Antony’s college, where I would move into my room the following day.

I dedicated my first few days at Oxford to taking care of practical matters: sending off my compulsory “day 2 covid 19 test,” purchasing a phone plan, and buying towels, fruits, breakfast cereals, a laundry basket, and a mug. Upon unpacking, I discovered I had forgotten to take a second adapter, so I hope that does not come back to bite me. Getting all this out of the way allowed me to participate fully, and without a nagging conscience, in the activities put together for “Freshers’ Week” – a week filled with socialising and informative events for first year students (including grads).

It would be exhausting to recount all the activities I took part in, among them some very unremarkable lectures regarding the library system and the student code of conduct (I do not think anyone who was going to do drugs was going to change their mind after the warden’s mild-mannered talk). The one lecture I did enjoy was the college welcome, when the senior advisor joked that Oxford’s matriculation – from buying our gowns, to walking to the city centre, to returning and eating lunch – was the last functioning supply chain in Britain.

On the first night of Freshers’ Week, our misfit team of (only!) four housemates from Winchester 25 won third place in Saint Antony’s pub quiz, which was rather remarkable. This little group would in subsequent days become the core of my social life at the house, taking part in college activities together and planning some more low-key meetups ourselves. Another highlight of the week was the welcome dinner for incoming MPhils and DPhils, which was not only delicious but also punctuated with interesting facts about Saint Antony’s delivered by the college dean.

On Friday, I headed down to London to cast my vote in the Czech Republic’s parliamentary elections. Although not the fastest way to reach the embassy, taking the Oxford Tube was among the most direct, as Notting Hill Gate Station lies literally right in front of the building. I had never stood in a voting queue this long: the whole process (95% of which consisted of standing and shuffling forward) took about an hour, and the queue almost reached the end of the block. Perhaps I had just come at a bad time, but I would not be surprised if the overseas turnout in these elections significantly surpassed the record. In any case, the sight of so many young people turning up was very moving.