Front Quad of Lincoln College, the walls covered in bright green ivy

Jamie Butler

Second-year undergraduate, Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Profile

Hello! My name is Jamie, and I am a second-year student at Lincoln studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). I grew up in Sheffield and went to a state school. The thing that attracted me to Lincoln above all the other colleges is its fantastic location! The main site is in Turl Street, in the heart of the city, making it very efficient to go to the shops, to go out to eat, or just to go for a walk in one of Oxford’s many parks.

My favourite thing about the PPE course is the variety of papers on offer. In second and third year, PPEists get to chart their own course of study, selecting from over 60 papers. This means I can get world-leading tuition in Microeconomics one term and in British Government and Politics the next, with opportunities to specialise in these topics further or choose something completely new, such as Politics in Japan, in my third year.

The best piece of advice I can give for PPE is to read around all three subject branches. My background is very politics heavy, so I wish I had been more proactive and learnt more about Philosophy and Economics before arriving. However, even if your background in one of the branches is weaker than others there is still lots of support on offer, so it will not hold you back so long as you are happy to put the work in.

It sounds like a cliché, but honestly the best part about being a member of the Lincoln College community is that you are just that: a member of a community. Everyone is incredibly friendly, welcoming, and will go out of their way to help you. While this may not sound like a big thing when comparing colleges – I know ‘friendliness’ was not something I actively searched for – it makes settling into what can, at times, be an intimidating environment that much easier.

In my spare time, I am an amateur runner as it is the only sport I have sufficient hand-eye coordination for. Having gotten a few half marathons under my belt, I am currently planning on training for my first marathon next year. It is also a great way to unplug from the distractions of life and get some ‘me time’. I also am involved in Lincoln’s Junior Common Room (JCR), which I have the pleasure of being President of for this year. This is a great way to get more involved in college life and meet lots of new people.