Sayers enjoyed her years at Oxford though she later said that she never particularly wished for an academic career, that she preferred working outside Oxford.
In 1914, during the summer break, she and a friend took a holiday in France and were caught out by the sudden outbreak of war. Like many people in England she didn’t seem to be that well aware of how serious the international situation was, and during World War One, she was busy with her student life and didn’t take much part in war work. She and her friend got home safely and she returned to her studies. But apart from helping to provide for Belgian refugees, she did not get involved with anything to do with the war.
She had cousins who were in the Army and some of her women friends at Oxford had brothers who were serving.. but she had noone very close to her who was in danger. Her attitude was somewhat detached, which was common for civilians in the early years of the War.
When she finished her degree, she toyed with the idea of taking up some kind of work to help the war, such as nursing, but unlike her fellow writer Vera Brittain she did not follow through. She talked of other social services but ended up deciding to get some experience in teaching.. which was the most common profession for women graduates.
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