St Hilda's College
By JCR President 2026-27 Jonathan Fry (Law, 2025)
Balls, Cuppers finals, May Day: just some of the summertime spectacles that cause hordes of Oxford students to crown Trinity as Oxford’s foremost term. Perhaps blinded by the sunny contrast with the rain-soaked weeks of Hilary, these students conveniently forget the end-of-year exams that turn Trinity into a fiendish balancing act between cramming in revision and soaking up some Vitamin D.
Nevertheless, there exists a term, tucked between the early sunsets of October and December, that strikes this balance just right. Michaelmas, the start of every great year at Oxford, offers a term unlike any other, jam-packed with opportunity, festivity and quintessential Oxford tradition. Don’t believe me? Here are ten of the strongest reasons why Michaelmas sits atop the termly throne.
1. New Faces
The most obvious feature of Michaelmas is the arrival of thousands of new faces, livening up October as hordes of freshers navigate an activity-filled first few weeks. Freshers’ Fair gives students the chance to join the myriad of societies Oxford has to offer (often leaving them a few pens, bags of sweets and Domino’s vouchers richer), while college-run events allow first-years to befriend a huge number of peers - or at least come away with a few more Instagram followers. As a new student, this can be a daunting time that goes by in a flash, but many meaningful friendships begin to blossom as the term progresses.
2. Get That Gown On
Another hallmark of Michaelmas for first-years is matriculation, a barmy day of ceremony that few understand beforehand, but nearly all love afterwards. Falling on the Saturday of Week 1, college cohorts clad in poorly fitting gowns and wonky ties traverse Oxford’s cobbles to reach the Sheldonian Theatre, where they listen (or pretend to) to words of Latin uttered to generations of great minds before them. Though the ceremony itself is surreal, many look forward most to the carnage on the Cherwell that follows, with hundreds of freshers clocking up dry-cleaning bills as they punt in their academic dress. It is a hilarious day to spend with new friends and can provide many an anecdote to laugh about later.
3. Academic Optimism
For all years, Michaelmas provides the sense of a fresh academic start, with any underwhelming marks or difficult modules left behind in the previous year. Students can dive into exciting new topics with a whole year of potential success ahead of them. They may also meet fascinating new tutors, absorbing their knowledge and discovering their specialist working methods (I still struggle to understand how one of my former tutors could teach all day while sitting on an exercise ball!).
4. Oxford in Autumn
It is hard to argue that many British cities are more historic, architecturally impressive or centred upon a university than Oxford, making us incredibly lucky to live and work here. Autumn only heightens this privilege, with orange leaves and early dusks elevating the grandeur of the city to another level. The intensity of the dark academia vibes across Oxford could send a Harry Potter superfan into a state of physical shock.
5. What’s an Exam?
One distinct benefit is the relative lack of exams during the eight weeks of Michaelmas. Only a select few subjects (this one hurts as a second-year law student) have collections when they return, while the pressure of Finals or Prelims remains a whole world away. If you don’t take your foot off the gas, cramming should feel like a foreign concept this term.
6. Formal Dinners
A personal favourite of Michaelmas is the frequency of formal dinners and guest nights, as colleges and societies begin their years with a flurry of three-course meals and drinks receptions. Formals simply feel better in Michaelmas: a candlelit hall is infinitely more atmospheric when surrounded by darkness (shards of bright sunlight can slightly dampen the illusion in Trinity).
7. Evening Activity
Although Oxford is renowned for academic excellence, we all need time off, and there is no better term for socialising than Michaelmas. Pubs and college bars are often at their busiest as people seek refuge from both the cold and their work (if you are sitting by the pub’s outside heater, please keep it on). Club nights are also typically at their best, with sports socials and BOPs leaving Bridge and Plush crammed with students dressed as everything from lobsters to Minions.
8. Libraries at Their Best
Like the city around them, Oxford’s libraries take on a heightened beauty during Michaelmas. The warmth of these wood-panelled time capsules offers a comforting (though sleep-inducing) escape from the bitter weather, while the combination of raindrops outside and quiet bustle amongst the rows of books provides a wonderful backing track to a productive study session.
9. League Action
Though the trophies may be fought for during Varsity season or Trinity term, the real heart of college and university sporting life lies in the first term. There is nothing like kitting up in the thick mist of a weekday morning, ready to play on a pitch seemingly lifted straight from the Battle of Agincourt. Whether training under floodlights or taking team photos clad in mud, Michaelmas captures the essence of Oxford sporting life.
10. Oxmas
Arguably the strongest reason for Michaelmas’ superiority is the bizarre, single-city celebration that is Oxmas. With our terms far too short to come anywhere close to the 25th of December, the great minds of this university decided to shift Christmas a whole month earlier so Oxford students wouldn’t miss out on the festivities. Around the 25th of November, colleges put up trees and decorations, while students tuck into Christmas dinners in hall or mince pies at carol services. It is an odd but fitting end to a brilliant term.
There you have it: ten irrefutable reasons for the supremacy of Michaelmas. Trinity may have its sunshine and parties, and Hilary may have… well, not very much, to be honest. But Michaelmas stands above them both: a term that, like no other, captures just how special it is to be at Oxford.