A postcard from Oxford

By Nick Young

Travelling overseas to undertake postgraduate study is an immense privilege, though it can be disorientating, even dreamlike. It becomes even more so when you depart in the middle of a pandemic-induced lockdown and are studying at an institution as mystifying and culturally unique as Oxford.

In September, I traded Canberra’s bubble for Oxford’s. When I left Australia, the entire eastern seaboard was in lockdown. The grim reality was public knowledge - those lockdowns would not cease until vaccination rates climbed dramatically. Feeling the guilt of an escapee and a great deal of trepidation and excitement, I boarded half empty flights and was shepherded through empty airports by staff in full PPE. My departure had an unfamiliar sense of permanence.

Upon entering the Oxford bubble, it is easy to feel as though you have travelled centuries back in time; that you are living on a film set. In my case, it is somewhat true. I have nearly tramped through a scene being filmed on the cobbled street outside my house on three occasions.

Thankfully, my first few months have been wonderful, and my expectations of Oxford (and all it entails) have been exceeded. For the most part, this has been due to the incredible communities which have welcomed me – the Rhodes community, my cohort in the Masters in Law and Finance, University College and the Oxford University Australian Rules Football Club (OUARFC). Perhaps surprisingly, the midfield of the OUARFC men’s team consists solely of Monash Law alumni!

The Masters in Law and Finance has been outstanding. The student diversity within the course - 48 students from 23 jurisdictions - is a significant asset which fosters fascinating class discussions. Studying international environmental law under the guidance of Professor Lavanya Rajamani, an architect of the Paris Agreement, has been a particular highlight. I am also thoroughly enjoying financial economics, corporate finance, and financial regulation.

Adjusting to the traditions and customs of Oxford has been a joy, though challenging on occasion. Like many new students, I have been consulting my glossary of Oxford terms to decipher words such as battels, sub fusc, scout, bop, and the Bod. I have also been trying, unprofitably, to learn University College’s Latin Grace - notoriously the longest in Oxford. In the evenings, I have often been attending debates and speeches at the Oxford Union. This term, guests have ranged from Carole Baskin (of Tiger King fame) to Lord Hoffman. Though, I find the most entertaining, and often frightening, component of the experience to be observing those British undergraduates who treat the Union as a dress rehearsal for politics.

I am so grateful to be having these incredible experiences, and so thankful for the enormous support that the Monash Law community has provided me with over the last six years. My first term in Oxford has been frenetic, rewarding and enlightening. I hope the trend continues and that I can do justice to this remarkable opportunity and to the communities and mentors that have allowed me to enjoy it.

Nick Young (LLB (Hons), BA 2021) is an alumnus of Monash University. Nick is currently undertaking a MSc in Law and Finance at the University of Oxford as part of a Rhodes Scholarship.

Learn more about pathways to Oxford, Cambridge and King's College London.

^{Above: Nick with the Oxford University Australian Rules Football Club (OUARFC).}