Studying English literature at the University of Oxford as an Irish undergraduate was an education in being an outsider. I felt alienated from the very start.
On my second evening, the college organised a “formal dinner” for us, the new undergraduates, to meet our tutors. We all had to wear “white-tie” and “sub fusc” while we were wined and dined at a three-course meal in the dining hall alongside our tutors.
Many of my peers were from British private schools, so were already comfortable in this world. One of them even corrected my American professor’s table manners, scoffing at her for not using her cutlery in the right order. I identified with the professor, who had also just arrived to the university, feeling reassured that at least o
Continue Reading on The Irish Times
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.