#65 My Oxford interview.

14 July 2026

Had a conversation with SIL about our kids’ future. We both have 13 year olds now – bizarre. How on earth did that happen? Wasn’t Daniel just a little baby like two weeks ago? In three years, he’s off to college?

When we talked about the universities we’d like to consider as a family, it made me think about my own university journey.

I only decided on a law degree shortly before the applications had to go in. As a degree, I was contemplating Economics, Business, anything maths-y, many others. The pressure of having to decide just made me go “Ok, Law!” one day, as if I was choosing a lunch dish at a restaurant. I really saw it as “just take whatever degree”, because I knew in the end, I wasn’t going to choose any of these as a career.

I remember picking my unis – my family had chosen the UK as a destination because at the time, UK had the most prestigious unis. Now I think the world has changed a bit – wherever Allah swt decides for him, I’m happy to let Daniel explore. My parents gave me the freedom to choose which unis I’d like, so I remember ticking in the UCAS website all the famous London unis (I knew I wanted to be in the city) – LSE, UCL, Kings, Queen Mary.

I had to choose five so one more university option was needed. Let’s choose an Oxbridge one, for the fun of it, what’s the harm – Oxford or Cambridge? You could only pick one, so it was like a gamble.

I hadn’t been to any of these unis, so I really had no idea what I was picking. While others might have done their research and uni visits forced by parents, I wasn’t very interested because I just wanted a quick degree and ciao to start my business. Any degree that was four years like engineering or medicine, no thank you. I was only looking at degrees that were three years or less. If there was a one-year degree, trust I would’ve taken it. Apparently, I was rushing for adulthood. 😂

“Oxford sounds smarter,” I thought to myself. Ok let’s pick Oxford. Again, as if I was choosing a lunch dish.

With those five picked, I sent my application, along with my AS Level grades and my cover letter. I got my A’s, but I also knew everyone applying to these unis also got their A’s. So my cover letter had to be outstanding. It was four or five paragraphs about myself, and I remember going through it multiple times with my tutor to make sure it was as perfect as possible.

I remember writing something like L is for xxxxx, A is for xxxx, W is for xxxxx to spell LAW – it was SO LAME, but in a sea of cover letters, you must do these silly things so they’ll remember you. You’re a head girl? Thousands of other cover letters say the same thing. I was more academic than I was sporty, so I lacked severely in my extra co-curricular achievements. Does Head of House Decorating Competition during Sports Day count? 😬 So yeah… in a sea of standout kids I couldn’t beat, I knew my cover letter had to stand out more – the writer in me came out to fight.

Weeks in, I would check the UCAS website daily. I was obsessed because the competitiveness in the school made me want to be accepted to these unis. Slowly, my A Levels mates got answers from these unis, and that made me more anxious.

Waiting, waiting… finally, I got the answers.

I got into UCL.

I got into Queen Mary.

I got into Kings.

I got into LSE.

The cover letter worked! I got into all the London ones, so I now have to choose which one. I was so happy, and in my heart of hearts, I knew I wanted LSE. It just sounds cool. “I’m from LSE,” I chanted to myself, picturing myself in an LSE sweater. Ooohh that sounds good. This is what happens when you let a child decide her fate at 18 years old. Decision-making process is… alarmingly simple. Maybe even suss.

I didn’t even think about Oxbridge because I already got the uni I wanted.

Suddenly… I got a letter from them.

“Dear Miss Vivy Yusof, You have been shortlisted and are invited to an interview process in Such and Such Campus on So and So date…”

WHAT?!!!

I got shortlisted into Oxford for Law?!

Huhh?!!!

I dreaded telling my parents because I really didn’t want to go there. It would be a nice line on my resume, but I really wanted to be in London city. But of course, I had to tell my parents and sure enough – I found myself standing in Such and Such Campus on So and So date. All alone. Nervous. Lonely. Scared. I took the bus and walked slowly into the location, dragging one small suitcase behind me.

At the time, the Oxford town was rainy and dark and gloomy. Not the welcome I was hoping for. Three years of this? It made me really want to get on the bus and turn back.

But I thought about my parents and how proud they’d be.

So I gathered my courage, put on a smile and walked to the receptionist.

“Hi, my name is Vivy Yusof. I’m here for my interview,” I said confidently.

To be continued in next entry…

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Before you go…

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See you there! :)