Student stories: my Mansfield experience

Mansfield is known for its welcoming and inclusive ethos – it’s ingrained in our history as a ‘nonconformist’ College. In the Development team, we often hear from alumni who tell us that Mansfield helped them feel at home. They go on to explain how the support provided by College and the sense of community they found here had a positive impact on their lives. Interested to discover from students about their experiences of Mansfield, we interviewed two of our current Law undergraduates, Luis Hewitt (Jurisprudence, 2023) and Amina Benhammouda (Jurisprudence, 2023).

Chloe Banks (Geography, 2020) Development Officer and Eleanor Hutson Alumni Relations Officer

What experiences shaped your life prior to university, and what brought you to Mansfield?

Luis: I come from a working-class part of Liverpool, and I was the first person in my family to go to university. I went to a private school for a couple of years on a scholarship, but I left [that school] because I didn’t feel I belonged. I remember being laughed at for having misconceptions about Oxford. Back at my state school, I felt Oxford was out of reach because I didn’t know much about how it worked. I resigned myself to the fact it wasn’t the place for me.

A university advisor encouraged me to apply anyway. I was hesitant; I was worried that I wouldn’t fit in. But the more I read about Mansfield, and the culture there, I felt I’d be all right. And when I arrived at the College I found it wasn’t elitist at all. Everyone is here for a reason and belongs here.

Amina: Like Luis, I’m the first in my family to go on to higher education, but unlike Luis I was set on Oxford from year 12. All the schools I’ve attended in my life have been state schools. Although my sixth-form college knew I was applying, it wasn’t able to provide much help.

I was going to apply to Magdalen first, but the day before I applied, I changed it to Mansfield, because I did a quick Google on the colleges and thought ‘I like the look of this’.

When I got here, I think I expected there to be a big divide [between different types of people], and I just haven’t experienced that at Mansfield. The environment feels familiar, and welcoming.

The College aims to establish sustainable support for current and future students. Our latest campaign, For Mansfield. Forever. seeks to raise funds across three pillars (People, Place and Culture) in order to provide the same levels of support students receive at other Oxford colleges

How has support from Mansfield had an impact on your time here?

Amina: Our tutors are very caring and they don’t expect you to know everything. Apart from the academic support, I’d say the financial support is pretty good. Everyone in Mansfield kind of feels like family, so you have that confidence to branch out and make friends at different colleges.

Luis: I think the academic support is really good. It’s a very supportive atmosphere, and it’s informal, very conversational. I was surprised by how confident I felt to speak up, and share my ideas.

It’s good knowing that if I need to spend money on academic materials, I don’t have to worry about how I’ll afford it, because it can be reimbursed [by College funds]. It’s not just a case of making up for hardship and affording necessities. It also means I can get involved in societies or go to balls, and not feel I have to spend money in a different way to other people.

Much of the student support Mansfield provides is made possible through the generosity of alumni and friends of the College. What do you think is important for supporters of Mansfield to know?

Luis: With a college like Mansfield, we’re a different cohort of people coming out of Oxford, and when you think of the high-level jobs people from Oxford go on to get, it’s making a big difference to the world. People who support Mansfield are challenging the effects of discrimination and providing chances that would not have otherwise been possible.

Amina: We need to tackle the mental perception that people have about themselves and their access to a place like Oxford. When people like me see that others want us to succeed, we are more inclined to apply.