I woke on 9th January 2024 to an email notification on my laptop, saying that there is an update in my UCAS application. I didn't know which university it was, or if it was an acceptance or rejection. so I logged in and everything and the first thing I see is "Congratulations, you have received a conditional offer to study maths at the University of Oxford" I was beyond thrilled because I've dreamt of studying at Oxford for as long as I can remember. Fast forward to September 2024, the first day of classes. So I wake up on time, dip my wide tooth comb in water and parted my hair, make two pigtails and tie them with a ribbon, wear a grey tunic and white shirt underneath, and the black shoes that I polished the night before. I skipped gleefully with my school bag all the way up to the first lecture on Differential Equations. everyone else was dressed normally, like how university students dress. I was the only one who wore a school uniform-like outfit, looking like a stereotypical Indian schoolgirl. I instantly felt out of place. But I set that thought aside and sat on my seat. While the professor was teaching and asking us questions, I raised my hand to answer every single one of them, and I got every one of them right. while the professor was very happy with my work and was very welcoming of my answers, the other kids in the class were giving me disgusted looks, and some were making fun of my outfit, while others were saying subtly racist things about my skin colour. I thought that they were just joking and that I had forgotten that, unlike school, no one raises hands in a college lecture just to answer every single question that the teacher asks. So I again picked up my bag and gleefully skipped to my dorm room. when I opened the door, I saw a dismantled dorm with books and notebooks scattered all around the floor, my mattress and blanket that I brought from India all torn, my Taylor Swift posters stripped from the walls, and the worst part was the people that were behind me and recording everything on their phones. Normally I'm a very logical person and I would have tried to find out who did this, but I just sat on the floor and cried while the people in the back kept recording me and yelling mean things. Then some guy came from the crowd and entered my room and closed the door. He was tall, roughly 6ft from what I could tell, and very handsome with piercing green eyes and beautiful brown hair. He sat on the floor next to me and consoled me. I didn't know who this guy was or what he wanted from me. usually, people my age only talk to me when they need help studying for an exam. I wasn't even looking directly at him and started rambling "I don't understand why people are being this way with me. I worked just as hard as you or anyone else to be here, how am I any different? I'm never mean to anyone, hell I don't even know their names, but why are they being like this to me? I don't even come from a rich family and I got here on a scholarship" Then he answered "Because this is a confusing age, you know 18, 19 year-olds, who are living away from home for the first time, don't really know the difference between what kind of behaviour to leave for school and when to grow up and start acting mature for the sake of college. Please don't take it to heart. It's just your first day, you'll grow to love this place. I mean it's Oxford, for heaven's sake! people would kill to be where you are" After that, I was a bit okay and wasn't crying as much. then we asked each other our names, and he told me he was a law major, a point by which I was very impressed because law is a very competitive major at Oxford, more so than math. he noticed my torn taylor swift posters and picked up a piece, exclaiming "You like taylor swift too? I love Taylor Swift! What's your favourite album?" I said it was reputation and he said that his was Red. then we started talking about taylor swift things, I was very happy I found someone who liked the same music as me. while talking to him, I felt really warm in my stomach and a bit restless, but still comfortable, my heart was beating really fast. I wanted to sit as close to him as possible, I don't know why "You know I always wanted to see Taylor Swift perform live ever since I watched her reputation stadium tour on Netflix. I've never been to a concert before. How about you?" he said that he had been to her lover Fest concert in London. "you know, ill take you to a concert sometime. I hear that Taylor is announcing Europe dates soon." he said. then I was like really? but at the back of my mind, I thought, what if he's being nice to me just to pacify me? what if he takes me to the concert and tries to take advantage of me? I mean he's so charming and attractive, anyone would fall for him and say yes. I can't trust this guy. Is he even a real taylor swift fan? What's her cats name? but I asked him why he was being so nice to me and that I looked weird and spoke weirdly. he just smiled, like I was being stupid and looked at me like how I imagined men would look at their love interests in romance novels.
This dream may reflect some anxieties and hopes related to the dreamer's desire to achieve success in academia and pursue a passion for math at a leading institution like the University of Oxford. The dreamer feels proud and happy about receiving a conditional offer, but on the first day of classes, they realize they are the only one dressed in a school uniform. This may symbolize their feeling of being an outsider or a misfit in this new environment. Furthermore, the dreamer's classmates' racist remarks and cyberbullying may indicate their underlying fear of facing discrimination and not being accepted by their peers or the institution.
The presence of a handsome and kind stranger could represent the dreamer's idealized hope for making new friends and finding someone who shares their interests and values. However, the dreamer's wariness about this stranger's motives and possible ulterior motives can reflect their fear of being taken advantage of or betrayed, either socially or romantically. The discussion about Taylor Swift's music and a possible concert could symbolize a desire for shared experiences and the hope for new friendships or relationships. In all, this dream reflects some of the dreamer's hopes, anxieties, and fears related to entering a new academic and social environment, as well as their search for acceptance and belonging.