matriculation...!

This past Saturday was matriculation day at Oxford. The university maintains old traditions and still has formal ceremonies during which new students officially become a part of the university. It is the first time we all got the chance to wear our 'sub-fusc' or formal academic attire. We will have to wear the whole get-up also for all exams and graduation, so it will get plenty of use!

We met the other new graduates at St. Hilda's (my college), and from there we were escorted across town to the Sheldonian Theatre, where the ceremony takes place, and which has been around for centuries.

Unfortunately the building is pretty small, so new students from only four or five of the 39 colleges can matriculate at once. Because of that, ceremonies were being held all day long, so there was plenty of entertainment for all of the tourists in town!! The ceremony itself was surprisingly short, but it was still quite a thrill to be in that space, surrounded by so many people dressed the same way! A very unique experience.

In the afternoon, I went out on another novice rowing outing which was really fun. I've been placed in a boat now and our first outing is 6am on Thursday morning! Good thing is that two of my housemates are also in the same group, so we can help get each other up and out.

The evening was of course spent at a couple of matriculation parties, the first a casual gathering at my college, and the second a much more boisterous and crowded affair at St. John's (which is known for having the most money of all of the Oxford colleges!). It was an entertaining evening, for sure.