Get inspired
At Oxford we look for students who are intellectually curious. We like to hear about anything that you have done above and beyond your school curriculum that can be linked to your chosen subject of study. We refer to these as super-curricular activities. Below are some ideas to get you started.
Remember this is not a list of activities you need to complete just a source for inspiration!
Interactive
Go beyond what is covered in the classroom with Oxplore. Look at big questions that tackle complex ideas across a wide range of subjects, and engage in the kind of critical thinking students undertake at university.
Explore a host of different museums from the comfort of your own home with Google Arts and Culture. This includes the British Museum, Black Cultural Archives, Acropolis Museum and Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum to name just a few!
You can start learning a language with the free app Duolingo. This includes Latin for those interested in Classics. Astrophoria Foundation Year students also have the chance to learn a language alongside their course whilst at university, so you can use this to get ahead of the game!
A number of fun mathematical puzzles are available through the University of Cambridge's plus.maths.org. The I Want To Study Engineering website also provides a number of engaging problems.
Watch and listen
Ted Talks offers thousands of talks online, both short and long, covering a huge range of topics. These talks often feature an expert in the field with a unique insight. There are also a number of useful animated videos available. Visit the website, type in a key word in the search box, and explore your interests!
If you are interested in maths check out the Tom Rocks Maths YouTube Channel. Dr Tom Crawford is a mathematician at the University of Oxford and in his videos he explores different aspects of maths in engaging ways.
The BBC has a podcast series called Law in Action with over 100 different episodes which has been running since 1984. It provides analysis of the legal stories in, behind, and ahead of the news. These are all available online on the BBC website.
Freakonomics provides a free series of online podcasts linking economics to various interesting topics.
Interesting reads
The English Heritage website provides a number of short engaging online reads covering a wide range of historical figures, places and events.
The Poetry Foundation provides a wide range of poems, poetry guides and essays surrounding poems through their website. There are also podcasts and lectures available.
Digital Resource Hub
For more ideas check out the University of Oxford's Digital Resource Hub.
