"It started in middle school. I was reading the books of C. S. Lewis, and my older brother told me he taught at Oxford, as did J. R. R. Tolkien, and he then introduced me to those books. I was obsessed with the Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit. That's when my mother introduced me to Joseph Campbell's, The Power Of Myth. This blasted my world open. From there, I grew interested in what professors of mythology taught at Oxford, aside from Lewis and Tolkien, and I then discovered the works of E. O. James. At this point, I decided my course was laid out for me."

Make sure you are fully versed in what they have to offer you as a student and what your future research and success can contribute to the prestige of their university. "We generally recommend that students take those school subjects which they enjoy the most, and where they are most likely to achieve top grades. Choosing the right course is crucial to enjoying your time at university so make sure you really explore your options. Your degree course will run for three or more years and your workload will feel much lighter if you genuinely love your course. Some courses, particularly those lasting four years, offer the chance to produce your own research and to work alongside other researchers at the University. These projects can lead to exciting career or further study opportunities.

Oxford offers a wide range of joint courses which give students the chance to explore different subjects and examine the connections between them. This will often reveal insights not necessarily found by studying them individually. Having a clear favourite might make this decision seem easy, but do still check out the structure and content of the course and consider how these might differ from other universities you are applying to. Subjects at degree-level can be quite different from studying them at school. Don't forget to check out our courses not normally available at school, for example Archaeology and Anthropology, Biochemistry, Human Sciences and Materials Science. For some, they are the perfect opportunity to explore aspects of favourite subjects in an exciting and new way. For others, they are the chance to study something else which fascinates them."