People who got a first from Oxbridge tell us how they did it
‘I used a self-control app to block myself from Facebook and Instagram’
It isn’t easy getting a first, so imagine the struggle of getting one at the country’s most prestigious unis. But does it take moving into the library and cutting off all contact with the outside world to absolutely smash it?
We spoke to people who got firsts at Oxford and Cambridge about everyday tricks to help you nail your degree, without making yourself allergic to sunlight.
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Alice, Oxford, Modern Languages
A super useful technique was to record myself reading out revision notes on my phone and laptop. Then I’d go for walks and listen to them – it helps so much to get away from library claustrophobia even if you do look and feel insane talking to yourself.
Francesca, Oxford, English Literature
It’s so important to have a good laptop, make concise notes and to store them in clearly marked folders – it saves endless time looking for them when exams are approaching.
I can’t recommend treating your degree like a 9-5 job enough. I started work at 9am and took regular breaks until the evening. I made sure I took time off at the weekend too.
Also, even if it looks like someone studies 24 hours a day, remember they’ve probably also wasted the morning on Facebook and binge-watched eight episodes of Brooklyn 99 on Netflix the night before.
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Matyas, Cambridge, Physics
I did a lot of programming and research, so on that basis, I’d say it’s really, really important to have a powerful computer that can do everything you need it to.
Also, Dropbox was an absolute saviour because it gave me peace of mind when I convinced myself that my computer was going to delete all the work I’d been slaving over. I would have gone mad without it.
Matt, Cambridge, Natural Sciences
I used a web extension that sped up videos. This was a life-saver because I could breeze through TV shows and YouTube videos and feel like I’d done some solid procrastination, but I didn’t actually waste loads of time doing it.
In final year, the most useful thing I did was to record my lectures on a dictaphone. I could skip the unnecessary bits and repeat stuff I wasn’t sure about which was incredibly helpful.
It’s really useful to split reading with a course mate and condense it for the other to read. Doing this and sharing essay plans means you can basically double your work rate.
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Eliza, Oxford, Geography
A method I absolutely swear by is to type up notes, print them off and condense them. I’d try to fit an A4 page onto one side of a flashcard – it helped me remember key details and made me read my notes millions of times.
I also used a self-control app to block myself from social media like Facebook and Instagram while I worked which saved me hours of procrastination – this was absolutely essential!
Ian, Oxford, Law
I never really revised in my room or the library because I didn’t want to be in a bubble. I went to quiet pubs dotted all around Oxford so I didn’t get too claustrophobic in one place.
Admittedly, I did a couple of strange things; once I laminated my notes and put them all over the house, including in the shower.
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Ayrton, Cambridge, Land Economy
The main thing for me is not to work like a machine and to make sure you take time out to see friends and relax.
My friends and I helped each other by sharing handy links, like sites with loads of free eBooks. This was unbelievably useful, and it saved me time hunting for extra reading in the library as I had it all at my disposal on my laptop.
Also, using online shortcuts for things like referencing can literally save hours.
Flora, Cambridge, Human, Social, and Political Sciences
Revise selectively. For most courses it’s impossible to fully learn everything, so think about which topics you know the most about and that you enjoy studying.
It’s really helpful to do loads of practice papers – it makes exams seem much more familiar and way less scary.