Itunu Oyelade

Date: 14/11/19

Itunu Oyelade

Tell us a bit about yourself
Hi! My name is Itunu and I’m a second year Geographer. I’m from Leeds but originally from Nigeria. I’m also the current JCR BAME Officer

What do you do outside of study?
Apart from being on the JCR I also participate in a few societies such as Bridges for Enterprise.

What is your favourite thing about Selwyn?
There are many things I love about Selwyn but I think the most comforting thing is how nice and supportive everyone is from your Tutors to the Staff to the students themselves. It really helps to make it feel like home.

How did you choose the college you wanted to apply to?
I did an elimination system using variables such as the size of the college, proximity to the department, reputation etc. When it was narrowed down to my last two colleges I simply picked the one I had been able to visit as I hadn’t been able to come to the open days. I was very lucky though that Selwyn, the college I ended up getting pooled to, had been my other shortlisted college and when I came for my interview I actually ended up preferring it!

What has been the most surprising thing about Cambrige?
How willing everyone is to help! Yes it can be an intense environment but there are so many avenues of support you can access.

What are you looking forward to doing over the vacation?
Hopefully doing an internship and travelling a bit. Just looking forward to and being open to any opportunities that come my way really. I also loved doing the Selwyn Access Tour so hopefully I’ll have a chance to do that again.

How do you manage your work with everything else going on?
I try to do the 8/8/8 rule, so 8 hours of sleep, 8 hours of work and 8 hours of everything else (e.g. socialising and miscellaneous tasks). As the term progresses then this can be adjusted to suit the circumstances a that time. I also try and find sources of inspiration to keep me going such as speaking to family and friends and taking out that time to actually recharge.

What do you think the most important thing to know before you arrive at university is?
I think just how diverse it is and that you’re in control of the experience that you have at university. Take this time out to find out what you love, meet people who are diverse in thought and background and just absorb as much as you can.

How do you relax?
I listen to a lot of music but I’ve recently been taking the time to do something creative such as learning graphic design and developing my language skills. I also love being around my friends and talking with my family

What do you hope to do after graduating?
I’m very open to where life might take me. At this moment I hope to work in consulting and open up my own social enterprise aimed at helping students from the North and underrepresented (e.g. minority ethnic, working class) students gain the skills to be able to get into top universities and professions.