Oxford Odyssey

Author: cowleycorporateclimbers

  • The college dilemma of Gen Z

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    Is a university degree still worth it? For many in Gen Z, the question feels more urgent than ever. Despite skyrocketing tuition fees and growing student debt, university enrolment continues to rise, with a seemingly zero price elasticity of demand. On the surface, this makes sense—higher education has traditionally been seen as the path to…

  • Finding a new job

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    Hate your job and thinking of moving on? We’ve all been there. Around the one-year mark, I found myself in the same situation. I realised I would need to make a change sooner or later, so I thought, why not sooner? But there’s a fine line between making a timely move and rushing into unemployment.…

  • Finance – Why we should look to new asset classes in our career

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    Disclaimer: This is not financial advice – just my thoughts about how I would structure my buyside career. In the early days of private equity, firms like KKR were trailblazers in a largely untapped market. Their landmark deal—the leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco in 1989—set the tone for what private equity could achieve, delivering staggering…

  • Why formatting is important

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    “Investment Banking/Consulting is about moving the logos around a slide for the thirteenth time at 5am”. Formatting seems like the tired, brain-numbing BS that juniors get put through just because they’re paid an above market salary. Being in consulting, this “low-value” work genuinely annoys the crap out of me. With bigger, more strategic challenges on…

  • Exploring the boundaries of cutting-edge science and technology in Oxford

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    Despite the courses in Oxford being quite specialised, the sheer concentration of deep-tech talent in the form of DPhil candidates and advanced research institutes make for an abundant setting of science research. It’s so easy to dabble in the different aspects. While everyone looks in awe at AI, here are some other areas of science…

  • Oxford Travel Grants

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    Travel for free? This is something I wish I knew about a lot earlier. You can receive funding to go abroad – although taking a gap-year to travel might be difficult for those seeking to start their career ASAP, there are many options to seek funding for 3 month stints abroad. While Oxford is nice…

  • Renting a place outside of college

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    Some reminders Starting the process Find your friends Look for folks that you vibe with. And by vibe with, I mean: Have the same lifestyle, similar waking hours, align on views of cleaning the house/sharing groceries etc. These are very important considerations. I know of a friend group that ended in disagreement because one member…

  • The Beauty of Behavioural Economics

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    Behavioural economics is a fascinating field that bridges psychology and economics, offering insights into how people actually make decisions, often in ways that deviate from traditional economic models. Behavioural economics is itself a module in Oxford. However, its influence extends throughout E&M modules – you will touch on behavioural aspects in Strategy, Finance, among others.…

  • The Innovator’s Dilemma – one of the most insightful works I love

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    The Innovator’s Dilemma is a concept popularised by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen. The dilemma refers to the challenges that established companies face when they have to decide between focusing on improving their existing products and services, which are often profitable, or investing in disruptive innovations that may have uncertain returns and could potentially…

  • Being a contrarian in the startup world

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    As an entrepreneur, it’s tempting to ride a wave — Web3, AI, or whatever the current trend may be — but this only works if you’re in early, with a solid understanding of the underlying technology. VCs tend to chase after non-contrarian ideas, especially when driven by a technological shift. If it’s an asymmetric bet,…