Oxford, UK

[brewski]

Hey all.

Just wondering if there's anyone out there who's gone to Oxford or Oxford Brookes and can say a bit about what it's like to live in Oxford.

Is it just as expensive as London? How is the bus/train to and from London? Is there lots to do? On the whole, is housing cheaper than London? Any info anyone can provide would be great..

[tem11]

If you're coming to Oxford, join the Meet and Greet thread here!

I was a visiting student at Oxford in 07/08 and am going back for 2010-2011. Oxford is a lovely, lovely city to live in; I've never been anywhere more beautiful.

It's incredibly easy to get the bus or train into London. There are 2 major buses that run every hour (the Oxford Tube and the Oxford Express). Both have discounted student rates. The train station is within walking distance if you're at Oxford and if you book in advance online you can get really great deals.

There's loads of stuff to do. I can't speak for Brookes but there are a surprising amount of societies and organizations to get involved with (Oxford Union especially) as well as a ton of cultural events, ethnic restaurants, music venues, a few clubs, lots of pubs, etc. There are a handful of museums, a botanical garden, gorgeous parks and countless university events. And you're never more than a bus or train ride away from London if you really want to live it up.

I'm looking into 1 bedroom apartments and the going rate is about 700-750 GBP/month. I'll be living with my husband so this isn't really that bad per person. I'm sure you could find much cheaper housing if you looked for roommates. As for London, it really depends on the area. My husband lived in south London (45 minute commute into central London) and paid 450GBP/month for a room in a shared apartment.

What universities are you looking at? If you have any more questions about Oxford or moving to the UK in general (banking, cell phones, etc.) feel free to ask .

Edited March 31, 2010 by TerriM

[brewski]

If you're coming to Oxford, join the Meet and Greet thread here!

I was a visiting student at Oxford in 07/08 and am going back for 2010-2011. Oxford is a lovely, lovely city to live in; I've never been anywhere more beautiful.

It's incredibly easy to get the bus or train into London. There are 2 major buses that run every hour (the Oxford Tube and the Oxford Express). Both have discounted student rates. The train station is within walking distance if you're at Oxford and if you book in advance online you can get really great deals.

There's loads of stuff to do. I can't speak for Brookes but there are a surprising amount of societies and organizations to get involved with (Oxford Union especially) as well as a ton of cultural events, ethnic restaurants, music venues, a few clubs, lots of pubs, etc. There are a handful of museums, a botanical garden, gorgeous parks and countless university events. And you're never more than a bus or train ride away from London if you really want to live it up.

I'm looking into 1 bedroom apartments and the going rate is about 700-750 GBP/month. I'll be living with my husband so this isn't really that bad per person. I'm sure you could find much cheaper housing if you looked for roommates. As for London, it really depends on the area. My husband lived in south London (45 minute commute into central London) and paid 450GBP/month for a room in a shared apartment.

What universities are you looking at? If you have any more questions about Oxford or moving to the UK in general (banking, cell phones, etc.) feel free to ask .

heyhey thanks so much for sharing your perspective. I am going to Oxford in the fall, I was just wondering what it's like to live there. Your info on the cost of housing is super helpful, so thanks.

Are you an international student? I am. Do you know which banks / cell phone companies are good? I've looked a bit online, and it seems like the co-operative bank has a good student account, and that orange mobile has decent mobile phone plans (then again, I'm Canadian and we for some reason have the most expensive cell phone regime in the world, so anything looks cheap to me).

[tem11]

heyhey thanks so much for sharing your perspective. I am going to Oxford in the fall, I was just wondering what it's like to live there. Your info on the cost of housing is super helpful, so thanks.

Are you an international student? I am. Do you know which banks / cell phone companies are good? I've looked a bit online, and it seems like the co-operative bank has a good student account, and that orange mobile has decent mobile phone plans (then again, I'm Canadian and we for some reason have the most expensive cell phone regime in the world, so anything looks cheap to me).

No problem . I'm also an international student who is coming from the U.S. Natwest and Barclays are the two banks I've always used, though there are other reputable ones. I highly recommend Orange pay as you go, it's SO cheap! I also use Skype to call home to save on international calls, though Orange has an international sim card you can buy that's like 5p/minute.

Any news on what college you'll be at?

[brewski]

No problem . I'm also an international student who is coming from the U.S. Natwest and Barclays are the two banks I've always used, though there are other reputable ones. I highly recommend Orange pay as you go, it's SO cheap! I also use Skype to call home to save on international calls, though Orange has an international sim card you can buy that's like 5p/minute.

Any news on what college you'll be at?

I haven't heard anything from the colleges yet, although my department told me that if I'm accepted at my first choice, I should hear by 30 April. I said my first choice was Nuffield, second choice Balliol.

How about you? Heard anything? What were your choices? Which one did you stay in when you were at Oxford before?

[tem11]

I haven't heard anything from the colleges yet, although my department told me that if I'm accepted at my first choice, I should hear by 30 April. I said my first choice was Nuffield, second choice Balliol.

How about you? Heard anything? What were your choices? Which one did you stay in when you were at Oxford before?

I haven't heard anything yet but I applied by the second deadline and am not really expecting to hear for a few more weeks. I was a visiting student at St Edmund Hall, so I put that as my first choice and Jesus as my second.

[ddnp]

Hey all-- the prior posts have been very helpful. Any ideas on good websites to try and find housing. I'm from the states and will be moving to Oxford in late Aug/Early-Sept and have used Criagslist before to find apartments here stateside. But it looks like Craigslist is dead in the UK.. any suggestions?

[tem11]

Hey all-- the prior posts have been very helpful. Any ideas on good websites to try and find housing. I'm from the states and will be moving to Oxford in late Aug/Early-Sept and have used Criagslist before to find apartments here stateside. But it looks like Craigslist is dead in the UK.. any suggestions?

Gumtree.com is the UK equivalent of Craigslist, but for more Oxford-specific housing, dailyinfo.co.uk is excellent as well. Many colleges offer accommodation, too, which is by far the best way to go. There is also university accommodation, but I hear there is a 6 months-1 year waiting list.

I found out a few weeks ago that I'll definitely be at St Edmund Hall and have been assigned to a married flat! Less than 700 per month- very excited!

[UnlikelyGrad]

It's been 30+ years, but I lived there as a kid and have been back to visit since. I agree with the poster who said that Oxford is the most beautiful city ever. And I've been a lot of places. *sigh* Lucky you! Good luck in your studies.

[sackerma26]

I have family there and the city and surrounding area are so beautiful!! And the campus is just gorgeous. Amazing old style buildings and houses everywhere. If you are a history buff or just have an appreciation for old architecture, then you will be in heaven. The weather is also fairly temperate although it's often overcast.

It takes a bit to get to London. I wouldn't commute from Oxford to London. Regardless, it would be possible to travel to London a few times a week. London is also amazing although I actually prefer the country side.

I wouldn't say Oxford is a great place for going out. It seems like a sleepy town to me.

[wreckofthehope]

Hey all-- the prior posts have been very helpful. Any ideas on good websites to try and find housing. I'm from the states and will be moving to Oxford in late Aug/Early-Sept and have used Criagslist before to find apartments here stateside. But it looks like Craigslist is dead in the UK.. any suggestions?

Sorry - this reply is rather late, but I just came across this thread. I did my undergrad in Oxford 05 - 08, it really is a fantastic city to live in. The best website to use is the daily info: http://www.dailyinfo.co.uk/ - it's Oxford's own version of Craigslist and Timeout combined

The places most people live are Cowley/ St Clements, or Jericho. Jericho is gorgeous, but more expensive - and depending on what college you end up at maybe not the best in terms of location. I lived in St Clements in a shared 4 bed house - which I think was about £1600 a month for all four of us, so £400 a month each. Jericho rents will likely be another £100 per person a month, at least.

Your college will likely have accommodation for postgrads though - and this is often the cheapest and the nicest option. Battles (accommodation payments) include meals, internet, utilities etc so college accommodation usually ends up being a really good deal.

Also... just as a caveat to the above comments - Orange pay as you go mobile is thought of as a truly BAD deal by almost everyone I know - the best value providers are usually either O2, or 3mobile.

Also - TerriM, my boyfriend graduated from the MSc Comparative Social Policy in '08... they're closely allied with your Evidenced Based cohort - so if you needed to know any specifics to do with the course, ask away and I'll ask him for you.

Any specific questions you have about Oxford feel free to ask me.

[slav4eva]

In the words of Flavor Flav: “Don’t believe the hype.” Contrary to what ‘Double Shot’ has said Oxford is a horrible place to live and an even worse place to work. The Oxford Union is an anachronistic, chauvinist, elitist uncomfortable place where once in a while some anachronistic debates will take place. You will pay a ton of money to sit in a stuffy room and maybe get to see Shakira give a motivational speech. The only “ethnic restaurants” are in Cowley – apart from that you are looking at disgusting overpriced pub food and crusty sandwiches. There are many pubs but they all close at 11 and are outrageously overpriced. The “gorgeous parks” are all private and you will not have access to them unless you are part of that college. 12 foot high walls, barbed wire, electric fences and other security systems will ensure that you cannot benefit from the parks– you won’t be able to walk on the grass at most of them even if you manage to sneak inside. There is the University parks which shuts at sundown but it is a soulless boring park. As for the school itself – expect no contact with faculty members and a horrifyingly frustrating bureaucratic system. Your study spaces, while they may appear beautiful on brochures, will in fact be disgusting buildings gutted and “renovated” in the 1970s: many will be filled with black mold and/or asbestos. I’m not kidding – ASBESTOS! The libraries will all have inconvenient hours, shut very early and will be shut for an entire month when you are right in the middle of your dissertation.

Hey all.

Just wondering if there's anyone out there who's gone to Oxford or Oxford Brookes and can say a bit about what it's like to live in Oxford.

Is it just as expensive as London? How is the bus/train to and from London? Is there lots to do? On the whole, is housing cheaper than London? Any info anyone can provide would be great..

[ezypeezy]

Ooh Bazinga. I only ever experienced Oxford as an undergrad so never had to deal with the frustrations of Oxford shutting down during the vacations. What the above poster said about the Oxford Union, I also agree. Most people go in order to see Page 3 girls. But for people who are interested in debating, not celebrities, the Oxford Union has a good team to spar with and was second at the World Debating Championships last year.

The rest of Oxford I remember rather more kindly. Most restaurants in the heart of town are indeed pricey and the English would be the first to admit that their cuisine is absolutely shite. I never want to see another jacket potato or boiled cauliflower ever again. I do however miss the sandwich shops (Mortons), the cafes and tea rooms (Rose Cafe, Puccinos, G&Ds), the panini shops (Alternative Tuck Shop and the little stall in front of the entrance to St John's) and crazily enough, Ahmed's kebab van. His kebabs compared favourably to the ones I had in Spain, Portugal and France, but nowhere near the ones in Turkey. Indian food is hit and miss but tradition for crew dates. Chinese/Thai/Japanese food also not that great, although I did like the dim sum at Liaison (across from Westgate shopping centre). There's a plethora of Italian restaurants. I liked Gino's at Gloucester Green bus station and Branca at Walton Street. Sadly with Oxford, good food doesn't come cheap and you'd be better off cooking your own food.

College parks are private but you can usually get in with a student card. Trinity and Christchurch are annoying about outsiders but I've always been able to wander through New, Magdalen (with the deer park) and Worcester (with the mosquito-infested lake) colleges with impunity. Very few colleges allow you to walk on their carefully manicured lawns. Corpus Christi, St Annes and Trinity are amongst the few and Teddy Hall has a nice graveyard cum garden. I spent a lot of time in the park next to the Science area running and playing frisbee and in summer, during lunch breaks. My favourite part is the section called Mesopotamia because it lies between two branches of the river and it is a gorgeous place to cycle or walk through. However, it's almost completely deserted after sundown.

I had a 24 hour library in my college and most colleges have that. It's great if you live close to your college but not so much if you live out and chances are, graduate students will live out.

Its true that you shouldn't expect fantastic facilities at Oxford. It's very much poorer than the American universities mentioned in the same breath as it. I remember visiting Yale and Stanford and being astounded at how much prettier and modern their buildings were. With Oxford, you get modern buildings that are ugly, poorly heated/ventilated without the compensation of being historically valuable. They're always under some sort of reconstruction and technical capabilities like wireless access and audiovisual equipment are severely lacking. The only state of the art building there is probably the Said Business School.

I can't comment on the graduate teaching and admin. All I can say for the undergrad side was that they were equal parts good and bad. Anyhow, I very much enjoyed my time there and I had teachers who inspired me to do a D Phil. So there.

[slav4eva]

This is a very fair account and gives a balanced picture of what you will and won't get at Oxford. There are definitely some inspiring, brilliant professors who are very supportive- but the overall infrastructure is horrible and can make work very difficult at times. I hope people will read your post when they consider whether or not to go to oxford. The place isn't all about nice gardens and pretty buildings - it has it's major downsides. Especially if you are coming from outside for graduate work. As an education system the place is very unsupportive towards graduates (especially in the humanities): for example, the libraries have very restricted hours when the undergraduates leave. If you are an international student and you haven't made your connections there already as an undergraduate many people won't give a toss about you. Master's degrees are considered "tourist degrees" by some faculty and you won't be taken seriously. That said, there are amazing individuals who will really go all out to help you.

Ooh Bazinga. I only ever experienced Oxford as an undergrad so never had to deal with the frustrations of Oxford shutting down during the vacations. What the above poster said about the Oxford Union, I also agree. Most people go in order to see Page 3 girls. But for people who are interested in debating, not celebrities, the Oxford Union has a good team to spar with and was second at the World Debating Championships last year.

The rest of Oxford I remember rather more kindly. Most restaurants in the heart of town are indeed pricey and the English would be the first to admit that their cuisine is absolutely shite. I never want to see another jacket potato or boiled cauliflower ever again. I do however miss the sandwich shops (Mortons), the cafes and tea rooms (Rose Cafe, Puccinos, G&Ds), the panini shops (Alternative Tuck Shop and the little stall in front of the entrance to St John's) and crazily enough, Ahmed's kebab van. His kebabs compared favourably to the ones I had in Spain, Portugal and France, but nowhere near the ones in Turkey. Indian food is hit and miss but tradition for crew dates. Chinese/Thai/Japanese food also not that great, although I did like the dim sum at Liaison (across from Westgate shopping centre). There's a plethora of Italian restaurants. I liked Gino's at Gloucester Green bus station and Branca at Walton Street. Sadly with Oxford, good food doesn't come cheap and you'd be better off cooking your own food.

College parks are private but you can usually get in with a student card. Trinity and Christchurch are annoying about outsiders but I've always been able to wander through New, Magdalen (with the deer park) and Worcester (with the mosquito-infested lake) colleges with impunity. Very few colleges allow you to walk on their carefully manicured lawns. Corpus Christi, St Annes and Trinity are amongst the few and Teddy Hall has a nice graveyard cum garden. I spent a lot of time in the park next to the Science area running and playing frisbee and in summer, during lunch breaks. My favourite part is the section called Mesopotamia because it lies between two branches of the river and it is a gorgeous place to cycle or walk through. However, it's almost completely deserted after sundown.

I had a 24 hour library in my college and most colleges have that. It's great if you live close to your college but not so much if you live out and chances are, graduate students will live out.

Its true that you shouldn't expect fantastic facilities at Oxford. It's very much poorer than the American universities mentioned in the same breath as it. I remember visiting Yale and Stanford and being astounded at how much prettier and modern their buildings were. With Oxford, you get modern buildings that are ugly, poorly heated/ventilated without the compensation of being historically valuable. They're always under some sort of reconstruction and technical capabilities like wireless access and audiovisual equipment are severely lacking. The only state of the art building there is probably the Said Business School.

I can't comment on the graduate teaching and admin. All I can say for the undergrad side was that they were equal parts good and bad. Anyhow, I very much enjoyed my time there and I had teachers who inspired me to do a D Phil. So there.

[a fragrant plant]

I understand that this post is about Oxford the city, but I'm wondering if people on this thread could share their experience of applying to Oxford. How competitive is their PhD programs? Please PM me if you have first hand information. Thanks so much in advance!

[wreckofthehope]

and crazily enough, Ahmed's kebab van.

Crazily enough would be right... Hassan's Kebab van was clearly superior!

(totally right on the Alt' Tuck though).

On a more serious note, and in reply to slav4eva's original post: I haven't experienced Oxford as a postgrad' only as an undergrad' but I imagine that Oxford's focus on independent learning doesn't change drastically from one to the other. Anyone thinking of applying should bear that focus in mind - you will not be supervised in the manner you may expect to be coming from the American system...

As an undergrad' I had one or two hours of one-on-one tuition a week, (that was it for compulsory classes) in which the essay(s) I had written (with the topic, texts and title chosen by myself) was critiqued by my tutor... that was all. For the rest of the week I was expected to independently research my chosen topic and authors and refine a question to the point where I could write an essay on it. Occasionally, I would attend one of the non-compulsory lectures on a topic related to the period I was studying that term, or just on a topic that interested me generally, but most of the time I was so busy researching my week's essay topics that I did not have time to do so.

Student's that are used to a much more proscriptive method of instruction may find the approach taken at Oxford doesn't suit them or that they feel they are not getting good value for money, what with the discrepancy between the enormous international fees paid out relative to teaching hours received - I tend to think this second complaint is rather missing the point of education, and graduate school in particular, but it's something I heard often enough when I was there.

As to the library situation - as ezypeezy said, most colleges have a 24 hour library, or at the very least one that stays open until midnight. From my experience of other British Universities, I don't think shorter opening hours out of term-time are unusual, you really need to remember, and this related to your complaints about facilities also, that Oxford is a publicly run university in a country with pretty much no private universities - they don't have the budget to spend on extra library opening hours to accomodate a small proportion of their students. It is somewhat unfair to compare its facilities with those of Stanford or Harvard etc - these are universities that can, and do, charge their undergraduates $30,000 a year in tuition. It is even unfair to compare it to public universities in the U.S. - places like Berkeley have to compete with private universities to attract American students, so they have to be comparable; Oxford needs only compete with other publicly funded institutions to attract British undergrads. Of course, the situation becomes far more complicated at the more international graduate level - and here Oxford's publicly funded status damages it, because students do expect the expensive facilities of a Stanford or Harvard from a top-rated university like Oxford. If shiny computer labs are what you need to feel like your graduate degree is worth it, then I wouldn't bother applying to Oxford; I think the value of the education gained during graduate study is not reducable to quantifiables like library opening hours and number of shiny new buildings.

[a fragrant plant]

I'm just curious - what are the major drawbacks of living in Oxford?

[Amine1]

Yes i would agree Oxford is the best one to choose.

[handiya]

Hi All,

I am planning to go to Oxford university at BSG for a yearin September 2015.

I have certain issues which really bother me.

1. University housing v/s private house:which is better and cheaper?I have a family with two kids who will be attending primary school.

2. Public v/s private school for the kids,as I have researched on net it says that the public schools are free and good , also private schools have already done with the admission process and thus very little chance to be in.Please let me know the good public schools in the area.

Any one with the experience of the area to please help me with the queries.

Thanks in anticipation.

[Historystudent626]

Hey-

I was offered admission to University of Oxford, Wolfson College (which is a grad only college)  I was wondering if anyone had advice about living on campus or off campus and how grad students usually do it. 

Thanks!

[iphi]

Read the book "The Last Enchantments" by Charles Finch. I know that sounds off-topic, but I swear its not! It will make you want to live on campus for sure!

[blueivy]

Questions for Oxford students on housing: 

1) uni housing says we can't apply until we receive our college admissions...does this mean we'd have to wait until may/june?

2) how likely/unlikely is it to get college or uni housing if you are a graduate student (overseas, if that makes a difference)?

3) what the heck do i do if i don't get my college or uni housing? When would you even find out about that? I have never rented an apartment before (lived in residence for my undergrad) and am scared about being left homeless or too far off campus

4) what is a reasonable budget for housing costs? I'm a single student but i'd prefer not to have too many roommates. I don't mind sharing baths or kitchens with several people, but i'd like to have a quiet, private bedroom

[libs]

Questions for Oxford students on housing: 

1) uni housing says we can't apply until we receive our college admissions...does this mean we'd have to wait until may/june?

2) how likely/unlikely is it to get college or uni housing if you are a graduate student (overseas, if that makes a difference)?

3) what the heck do i do if i don't get my college or uni housing? When would you even find out about that? I have never rented an apartment before (lived in residence for my undergrad) and am scared about being left homeless or too far off campus

4) what is a reasonable budget for housing costs? I'm a single student but i'd prefer not to have too many roommates. I don't mind sharing baths or kitchens with several people, but i'd like to have a quiet, private bedroom

+1

[Katla]

Questions for Oxford students on housing:

1) uni housing says we can't apply until we receive our college admissions...does this mean we'd have to wait until may/june?

2) how likely/unlikely is it to get college or uni housing if you are a graduate student (overseas, if that makes a difference)?

3) what the heck do i do if i don't get my college or uni housing? When would you even find out about that? I have never rented an apartment before (lived in residence for my undergrad) and am scared about being left homeless or too far off campus

4) what is a reasonable budget for housing costs? I'm a single student but i'd prefer not to have too many roommates. I don't mind sharing baths or kitchens with several people, but i'd like to have a quiet, private bedroom

I didn't use uni accommodation so I'm not entirely sure how things work within the acomodation office but still...

1. I think in most cases you are able to express an interest in accommodation before being allocated a college, at least uni wide accommodation. Obviously you can't start applying for college accommodation before you have a college.

2. There's definitely a very good chance. Obviously no one is guaranteed anything but generally international students are given a preference. I briefly considered uni accommodation and though they didn't have a wide choice left it was still possible to get something as late as August.

3. You check places like spareroom.co.uk and the database accessible through the acomodation office. There are lots of rooms in shared houses or living as a tenant or lodger somewhere.

4. As far as I know you are very unlikely to need to share a room with anybody. You may need to compromise on the size of your room if you're strapped for cash but you'll definitely be able to get something to yourself. Housing is pretty expensive in Oxford, especially if you want to live very central. I had a small room (single bed and small desk) in a shared house in St clements and it was around 400 quid everything included. I think most college halls are likely to be more expensive, though how much more is hard to say.

[Gokotta]

This is probably a stupid question, but seeing as Google has failed me: Can Oxford students visit colleges other than the one to which they've been admitted? Can they visit only within the posted visiting times? Do they have to pay the suggested fees (usually a couple quid, but still)?