Oxford, MS

[sobeobe]

Anyone want to give a rundown of Oxford, MS?

[CML55]

I went to Ole Miss for undergrad.

Are you generally familiar with 'the South'? Be easier to explain if I know you're frame of reference. . . .

[sobeobe]

Ha. No, not familiar at all. Never lived in the south, barely even been there. I'm a westerner at heart and have spent most of my life in or west of the Rockies.

[CML55]

Not sure about the west, but all the Northeastern or Midwestern people from larger cities that I knew then or know now did/would go through minor culture shock. . .

So Oxford has two types of ppl, retirees and college kids.

During breaks (thanksgiving, etc) it is dead.

If I remember correctly, most undergrads were from MS or the south, and I know a good portion of its professional degree population (law, medicine) were grads from ole miss, but a fair percentage of my grad TAs in the sciences or in humanities were from all over the US and international.

Great Things:

- Rent and cost of living in general is unbelievably cheap. When I was there, I could live like a king for less than $900/month.

- Weather is great. But, damn, it's humid. I'm sure you're used to heat, but the stifling humidity of Mississippi summers is like nothing else.

- Live music and cheap entertainment. As far as nightlife, the main staple is 'the square', which has some good bars. I'd just avoid the 18+ ones naturally. They get lots of random bands, and fraternaties have enough money to bring in some pretty good names, too. There are also some great places to eat, if you ask around.

- Beautiful campus. I'm sure you visited, but it is quite pretty, isn't it?

- Most people are quite friendly and will "speak" when they pass you.

Not so Great Things:

- It's quite hard not having a car. Unless you live on campus and have a meal plan, you'll probably need a car or buddy with a car. Biking wasn't that big back when I was there, but hopefully it's better. At the time, I wanted to bike, but I did NOT feel comfortable based on the streets and the crap drivers.

- There is ONE cab in the whole town.

- It's a generalization, but Ole Miss student are known for being stuck up. Many undergrads come from old Southern money or are rich legacies. The freshman dorm parking lots could be confused for a luxury car dealership. Nothing wrong with being rich of course, but some of these kids aren't so down to earth.

- Also generalization, Ole Miss is deeply self-segregated.

Depends on what you think is great:

- Football. The town shuts down on Saturdays. Remember that if there is a big game (LSU, Alabama, Florida, etc.) to do what you need to do on Friday morning or something. The town isn't really equipt to handle as many people come in for games, so basic errands and short trips take a lifetime.Tailgating is suppose to be top notch, however.

- Obviously, people are quite conservative. Southern conservative.

- Dry Sundays. Don't sell alcohol on Sundays and they won't sell beer cold. (unless they've changed it. or a football game is on a Sunday) See previous.

I'd say the one thing that 'defines' Oxford/Ole Miss is 'tradition.' Everything is a tradition and everything ties back to something historical (whether in a good or bad way).

Obviously, Oxford, MS has a complicated history. But it was interesting to see constant reminders of history, from confederate monuments on campus to Faulkner's house to tense relations between groups on campus.

oh you'll love it!

[CML55]

Oh. And people are ridiculously good looking, if you care about such things.

Let me know if you have any questions!!

[sobeobe]

Wow, thank you! This is really what I've been looking for: someone who has been there who can give me a rundown like this. I think I will probably have a little culture shock, but it should be cool, once I get used to it. Looking forward to it. A lot.

Campus is gorgeous, by the way. Also, I wonder how my crappy old Volvo wagon will fit in with all these luxury vehicles you speak of... Should be interesting

[Chui]

Bump!  It's 99% certain I'm headed to Ole Miss for grad school this fall.  Anyone familiar with the area still around?

 

How difficult is it going to be to find decent, affordable housing for me and my fiancee?

[Academicat]

Hi everyone. If you're headed to Ole Miss this fall, I live in Oxford now, so I'm happy to offer advice/help with the hunt for housing.

[Academicat]

Not sure about the west, but all the Northeastern or Midwestern people from larger cities that I knew then or know now did/would go through minor culture shock. . .

So Oxford has two types of ppl, retirees and college kids.

During breaks (thanksgiving, etc) it is dead.

If I remember correctly, most undergrads were from MS or the south, and I know a good portion of its professional degree population (law, medicine) were grads from ole miss, but a fair percentage of my grad TAs in the sciences or in humanities were from all over the US and international.

Great Things:

- Rent and cost of living in general is unbelievably cheap. When I was there, I could live like a king for less than $900/month.

- Weather is great. But, damn, it's humid. I'm sure you're used to heat, but the stifling humidity of Mississippi summers is like nothing else.

- Live music and cheap entertainment. As far as nightlife, the main staple is 'the square', which has some good bars. I'd just avoid the 18+ ones naturally. They get lots of random bands, and fraternaties have enough money to bring in some pretty good names, too. There are also some great places to eat, if you ask around.

- Beautiful campus. I'm sure you visited, but it is quite pretty, isn't it?

- Most people are quite friendly and will "speak" when they pass you.

Not so Great Things:

- It's quite hard not having a car. Unless you live on campus and have a meal plan, you'll probably need a car or buddy with a car. Biking wasn't that big back when I was there, but hopefully it's better. At the time, I wanted to bike, but I did NOT feel comfortable based on the streets and the crap drivers.

- There is ONE cab in the whole town.

- It's a generalization, but Ole Miss student are known for being stuck up. Many undergrads come from old Southern money or are rich legacies. The freshman dorm parking lots could be confused for a luxury car dealership. Nothing wrong with being rich of course, but some of these kids aren't so down to earth.

- Also generalization, Ole Miss is deeply self-segregated.

Depends on what you think is great:

- Football. The town shuts down on Saturdays. Remember that if there is a big game (LSU, Alabama, Florida, etc.) to do what you need to do on Friday morning or something. The town isn't really equipt to handle as many people come in for games, so basic errands and short trips take a lifetime.Tailgating is suppose to be top notch, however.

- Obviously, people are quite conservative. Southern conservative.

- Dry Sundays. Don't sell alcohol on Sundays and they won't sell beer cold. (unless they've changed it. or a football game is on a Sunday) See previous.

I'd say the one thing that 'defines' Oxford/Ole Miss is 'tradition.' Everything is a tradition and everything ties back to something historical (whether in a good or bad way).

Obviously, Oxford, MS has a complicated history. But it was interesting to see constant reminders of history, from confederate monuments on campus to Faulkner's house to tense relations between groups on campus.

oh you'll love it!

 

Also - CML55 has it dead right. As a Northeasterner who made the move, adjusting the culture was (and sometimes continues to be) a challenge. You wouldn't think someplace in the same country could be so different, but it is.

[FLbotany]

Hi everyone. If you're headed to Ole Miss this fall, I live in Oxford now, so I'm happy to offer advice/help with the hunt for housing.

.

Hi,

 

I'm attending the University of Mississippi in the fall (I still haven't come around to calling it Ole Miss. It just sounds too Old South for me.)  I visited Oxford a few weeks ago and I already have an apartment selected.  It's called Lafayette Place if you are familiar with it.  Besides what CML55 listed, which was pretty inclusive and detailed, is there anything you could add about the school and Oxford?

 

Thanks

[KWIKKI]

Hi everyone!

 

I accepted my offer and a TA yesterday and I will be attending Ole Miss in the fall! So excited!!!!

Any suggestions on where to live if I do not have a car?

 

 

Anyone who is also attending this school, feel free to PM me. I will be happy to make new friends!!!!

Thanks.

[TeaOverCoffee]

.

Hi,

 

I'm attending the University of Mississippi in the fall (I still haven't come around to calling it Ole Miss. It just sounds too Old South for me.)  I visited Oxford a few weeks ago and I already have an apartment selected.  It's called Lafayette Place if you are familiar with it.  Besides what CML55 listed, which was pretty inclusive and detailed, is there anything you could add about the school and Oxford?

 

Thanks

 

 

I actually attend Ole Miss (you'll get used to calling it that) now. I'm an undergrad in my senior year. It's great that you already have an apartment because students are like vultures trying to find the best place to live. I'm familiar with Lafayette Place; it's really nice, and multiple professors I know even live there (along with a majority of undergrad students, though). I love Oxford. Everywhere you go, the people will smile and speak to you. The Grove (all of the trees in front of the Union) and the Quad (behind the library) are my two top places on campus to relax with friends. I don't care for football, but you must experience tailgating in the Grove at least once in your life. You wear your best clothes to the Grove, visit the tents (multiple tents even have chandeliers handing inside), and gasp for oxygen through the distinct smell of whiskey everywhere.The Square has fantastic food, bars, and shops, but get ready to spend quite money if you do decide to go often. Don't eat on campus unless you want to pay for overpriced food. We're a walking campus, meaning you can't drive from class to class like some other universities. Rarely anyone uses the cross walks, so you really do want to be careful when driving on campus. 

Oh, and parking is horrendous. They're currently building a new parking garage, which should be up by the Fall, but I still don't think that's going to solve the parking problems. I've had people stalk me with their cars for my parking space, and even strangers ask to give me a ride to my car in order to take my parking space. Just be prepared. Take the bus if you can. Unfortunately the bus doesn't come by my apartment complex, so I'm stuck driving every day. 

 

Feel free to PM me with other questions.

[TeaOverCoffee]

Hi everyone!

 

I accepted my offer and a TA yesterday and I will be attending Ole Miss in the fall! So excited!!!!

Any suggestions on where to live if I do not have a car?

 

 

Anyone who is also attending this school, feel free to PM me. I will be happy to make new friends!!!!

Thanks.

 

For graduate students without a car, I think the best place to live is actually Lafayette Place like FLbotany. The bus goes right by the apartment, and all electricity, internet, water, cable is included I hear. 

 

Enjoy Oxford!

[bbdd2]

Just confirmed my acceptance at Ole Miss. Ill be coming over to Oxford this fall. So excited!!

[bbdd2]

How's oxford for an international student?

[InHacSpeVivo]

bbdd2: I was only there for a few days, but everyone seemed very welcoming and friendly. I'd definitely recommend living within walking distance of campus/the Square or on the campus bus line if you won't have a car.

 

I'm also coming to Oxford!

 

Does anyone have recommendations for short term rentals that allow dogs? My fiance and I would like to get a sense of the area/actually look at places before comitting to anything long-term. We're hoping we can move down sometime in July.

[bbdd2]

bbdd2: I was only there for a few days, but everyone seemed very welcoming and friendly. I'd definitely recommend living within walking distance of campus/the Square or on the campus bus line if you won't have a car.

I'm also coming to Oxford!

Does anyone have recommendations for short term rentals that allow dogs? My fiance and I would like to get a sense of the area/actually look at places before comitting to anything long-term. We're hoping we can move down sometime in July.

How short is short?

I'd check ole miss off campus offers and make a selection from there...

[InHacSpeVivo]

I'm thinking it will be a few months, but month to month would be ideal for flexibility purposes.

I actually started with the housing website. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to have much (maybe it's off cycle, as I assume most UGs have locked down housing at this point).

[TeaOverCoffee]

The housing websites typically don't have much. They aren't very updated. I honestly don't know of any place in Oxford that allows for a month to month lease. I haven't heard of any place actually leasing for shorter than 10 months. That's not to say that there isn't, but I haven't heard of anything. If you're lucky, you may find somewhere that allows for a 6 month lease, but that's the shortest I think you'll find in Oxford. 

[bbdd2]

Hi guys. The university housing Law states that all students must live on campus or write a letter of exemption to the housing department by july.

I'll be coming to oxford in august and I really don't want to live with undergrads hence I'd prefer an off campus location

My questions are.

1. What's the best option for off campus housing? I don't have a car and I need to be close to campus and social services.

2. What's the quickest and cheapest way to get to memphis

Edited April 20, 2015 by bbdd2

[InHacSpeVivo]

Hi guys. The university housing Law states that all students must live on campus or write a letter of exemption to the housing department by july.

I'll be coming to oxford in august and I really don't want to live with undergrads hence I'd prefer an off campus location

My questions are.

1. What's the best option for off campus housing? I don't have a car and I need to be close to campus and social services.

2. What's the quickest and cheapest way to get to memphis

Is that rule specific to international students? As far as I knew, the on campus rule only applies to incoming freshman (there's not enough housing to support the entire student body). There are several off campus apartment complexes, most (if not all) are in walking distance or on the bus line. Campus Creek is one, but as I mentioned there are many (search apartment Oxford in Google and tons will come up). That being said, I'm not sure how easy it will be to avoid undergrads looking for off campus housing nearby; every complex I looked at had a section for parents, so I get the feeling there's heavy UG saturation.

I believe there's a bus stop on/near campus, which most certainly would go to Memphis (it's about an hour away).

Of course, if any current Oxford residents have information that contradicts this please chime in! I can only report what I know from my very brief visit and the research I've done.

[bbdd2]

Is that rule specific to international students? As far as I knew, the on campus rule only applies to incoming freshman (there's not enough housing to support the entire student body). There are several off campus apartment complexes, most (if not all) are in walking distance or on the bus line. Campus Creek is one, but as I mentioned there are many (search apartment Oxford in Google and tons will come up). That being said, I'm not sure how easy it will be to avoid undergrads looking for off campus housing nearby; every complex I looked at had a section for parents, so I get the feeling there's heavy UG saturation.

I believe there's a bus stop on/near campus, which most certainly would go to Memphis (it's about an hour away).

Of course, if any current Oxford residents have information that contradicts this please chime in! I can only report what I know from my very brief visit and the research I've done.

Thanks for the info !!!!!

[Academicat]

So sorry y'all but there is no public transit to Memphis. The best you can do is the shuttle service to the airport which costs over $100. However, you make good friends with people carpooling up to Memphis and out to Tupelo for shopping trips.

[bbdd2]

So sorry y'all but there is no public transit to Memphis. The best you can do is the shuttle service to the airport which costs over $100. However, you make good friends with people carpooling up to Memphis and out to Tupelo for shopping trips.

Oh wow!!

Pricey!

[InHacSpeVivo]

Thanks for the correction, Academicat. I'm coming with a car, so I hadn't done tons of research into public transportation.