I love my college Harris Manchester. I think the right word for it is “quirky”— it’s filled with smart and kind characters and it’s a great fit for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve spent only a tiny fraction of time there compared with hours upon hours spent at the Business School, but whenever I do make it to the college for a meal or an event, it’s always a great experience.

My favorite thing about the college is the amazing people you meet and (even better) they are people who look at you funny when you use B-school words like “value added” and “normal distribution” and “brand recognition.” It’s a great reality check. So far, I’ve met an internationally acclaimed badminton player, a teacher studying the best way to teach theology to kids, a trial lawyer who’s decided to come back to uni after 20 years to get a masters in history, a wine connoisseur, an opera singer, a Latin-speaker, and an elite tennis player. One guy I met was in a band that hit it big at 16. He’s already experienced the rise and fall of his own UK rock band before returning to study at the ripe age of 21. Wow.

It would have been great to live in, but my husband (I’ll call him Tyler from now on) is here in Oxford for the year, and the college doesn’t offer “partnered” housing. (If you’re looking, several colleges do—you just have to do some searching!) We’re living in an apartment near SBS, which is working out great, and we try to make it to the college at least once a week for formal dinner or other events (they host concerts, lectures, parties, etc). Tyler is actually playing on the college football team and has made more friends there than I have, which is great because he introduces me to people!

We had our Christmas dinner the other night, and after a tasty meal and several glasses of wine the entire faculty table stood up, donned Santa hats, and sang us all a Christmas carol. I love this place.