After a weekend of culture, history and sport, the students in Balliol returned yesterday to their lessons eager to continue their studies. Morning lessons successfully resumed, with the rest given to students’ brains –despite the homework over the weekend, which they very capably battled through— apparent in the standard of their work.

In the afternoon, students appreciated the hands-on potential of the workshops. The Film students, in particular, enjoyed the chance to head out into Balliol’s passages and leafy gardens to put into practice the techniques they have been studying. Channelling their inner Hitchcocks and Bigelows, and with nary a Michael Bay in sight, some very promising footage was taken. It is encouraging to see how greatly, and how quickly, the students’ abilities behind the lens have developed.

In the evening a University Life seminar was organised, giving students the opportunity to quiz our counsellors on the various aspects of university application, hall life, the experience you get at Oxford, and other important details. With many of the counsellors in Balliol having studied at Oxford or similar universities themselves, they are ideally placed to answer almost every question, and students were grateful to get an insider’s view of the processes and experiences.

In the Common Room, a ping-pong tournament was underway, with the fast-moving variation of Round the World being –suitably, given the international nature of the group!— a popular game.