Student Profile: Tomi Moronkola, MSc Comparative Social Policy

Green Templeton College at the University of Oxford is home to around 600 students from 79 different countries. In our new Student Profiles series, our students will be introducing themselves and letting you know about their studies and life at Green Templeton.

Can you give us some background about your journey to Oxford?

Having worked for the UK government for the last few years, I made the decision to study at the University of Oxford because I wanted to do more research on what best practice looks like from an international perspective.

Doing a Masters in Comparative Social Policy has enabled me to do exactly that, and over the year I have learned about new policy areas and done further research into my policy field (Economic Growth). However, my experience at Oxford has undoubtedly been so much more than academic.

Taking a year’s sabbatical leave from work has been one of the best decisions I made, because it provided me with the opportunity to move to the beautiful city of Oxford, meet people from all over the world, and remind myself of the importance of taking time out to grow, learn and reflect.

From the moment I arrived here, I was struck by just how friendly everyone at Green Templeton is (both staff and students) and the effort the college puts in to making sure they plan activities that bring us together whether we have a few minutes or few hours to spare.

Green Templeton’s grounds are beautiful and as someone who intentionally takes the time to absorb my surroundings, walking around outside the Observatory has often been a welcome break from studying in the library!

As this year comes to an end, I have so many things to be grateful for. Oxford has opened me up to a world of possibilities and challenged me to continue pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone. As I look back, I have so many fond memories but as I look forward, I’m excited to see what the future will bring.

How would you describe your time at Green Templeton?

I’ve genuinely enjoyed being part of Green Templeton College and if given the opportunity to do it all again, would undoubtedly choose GTC. I think Green Templeton is one of the friendliest colleges there is, which I believe is one of the most important things when choosing a college. I specifically wanted to be part of a postgraduate only college so being part of Green Templeton meant I was often surrounded my like-minded individuals and memories of the formals will certainly stay with me for many years to come.

What has been the best part of your college experience?

Although I didn’t live on the college grounds, I tell everyone that I’ve lived in the best house in Oxford. I’ve had the most wonderful housemates and I would never have imagined that from the beginning of the first term we’d set up a house supper club so we could catch up with each other every week. When you’re moving to a new city, one of the things you think about is who you’ll meet, so the fact that some of the loveliest people I met this year lived in the same house as me was a huge bonus and blessing.

What advice would you give prospective students considering Green Templeton as their college choice?

I’m yet to speak to anyone who doesn’t love Green Templeton. It’s is an incredible college and although it might be a little smaller than some of the older colleges, it’s the perfect size for making friends and being part of a college community. It’s also abundantly clear that Green Templeton cares about the wellbeing of its students and offers unique services like Life Coaching and peer support to help you along the way.

Can you share any hidden gems you’ve discovered at college?

These may be the worst kept secrets but:

• Green Templeton serves the best food of all Oxford’s colleges (and has a reputation for doing so)
• Walking around the grounds never gets boring (especially when it’s sunny)
• We have pet ducks (that I hear come back every year)
• The porters are lovely
• The Radcliffe Observatory is one of the prettiest buildings in Oxford

If you would like to submit a Student Profile, please contact communications@gtc.ox.ac.uk.