So, I'm thinking of applying to oxford in the future to study chemistry and I was wondering if anyone could recommend colleges to me?
So far, I think merton seems like the best suited to me
Some things I'd like-
-cheap accomodation
-accomodation for entire duration of course
-decent food
-beautiful architecture and scenery
-good academic record
-quite a small college
Merton certainly fits the bill. Henryt will no doubt recommend Merton enthusiastically; others will recommend their own colleges too. I thought Merton was wonderful when I was there last year, even if my room was like a freezer.
Merton certainly fits the bill. Henryt will no doubt recommend Merton enthusiastically; others will recommend their own colleges too. I thought Merton was wonderful when I was there last year, even if my room was like a freezer.
Haha - perhaps think of the wider implications (or, rather, the normal implication!) of the phrase 'I really like Jesus'
But, yes, as BJack has already pointed out, I'll offer you a first-hand view of Merton. You can PM me, or you can look at the thousands of other threads I've talked about Merton on, or I can post again here - whatever! It sounds, however, like you've already partially made up your mind!
Anyway, based on those criteria, I'd take a good look at Brasenose too. I think they're good academically, don't know if Norrington shows that or not though...
I've just never seen the point of Peter's. It seems really nondescript. Basically, there are quite a lot of colleges with far more selling points.
Hehe. At Westminster it's where the teachers encourage you to apply if you've got no intellectual capacity. That naturally doesn't reflect the overall nature of the college, but vacuous Westminsters do seem to end up there over other places...
So, I'm thinking of applying to oxford in the future to study chemistry and I was wondering if anyone could recommend colleges to me?
So far, I think merton seems like the best suited to me
Some things I'd like-
-cheap accomodation
-accomodation for entire duration of course
-decent food
-beautiful architecture and scenery
-good academic record
-quite a small college
Jesus are about 28th in the ranking of rents (i.e. of 30-odd colleges the rents are right at the bottom). Back in my day they were 800 a term, although it's gone up a little since then, but it's hard to compare rents because the ones printed in the Alternative Prospectus are completely and utterly out of date.
Jesus accomodate you for your first year in college, and then in your 2nd and 3rd year in the flats at Stevens and Barts. That's lovely, because you get to live with the rest of your yeargroup and don't have the hassle of househunting in December (and don't have to pick your housemates until June) but you also get the joy of sharing a flat with other people, having a lounge and kitchen etc.
Food is fine - and we're PAYG on your Bod card. None of this paying upfront for 50 dinners, which if you don't eat you're still bound to.
Lovely architecture (although right now 2nd quad has a huge marquee in it )
Generally good academic record - for Chemistry exceptional. Our Chemists don't get made scholars automatically for a first in Prelims, like most colleges, because uh... they all get them. I remember being introduced to 3 3rd year chemists who were in my chapel choir and told that between the 3 of them they'd got something like 3rd place, 7th place and 9th place in the year in mods. So either we're really good at picking up talent or the Chemistry tutor at Jesus must just be very good! We're consistently (one of) the top scoring colleges in terms of Chemistry firsts at finals.
And the college body is 350 undergrads - i.e. 100 to a year, and then 4th year linguists / classicists / physicists / chemists / mathmos make up the 50 that hang around.
I've just never seen the point of Peter's. It seems really nondescript. Basically, there are quite a lot of colleges with far more selling points.
Indeed. In fact, why don't we just abolish all colleges which aren't pretty, central and at least 400 years old? They serve no purpose anyway, do they?
Accommodation was always reasonably cheap when I was there; you're in Trinity for the first two years and then (probably) not too far up the Woodstock Rd for year(s) 3/4. The food is excellent. The grounds are some of the most spacious and picturesque yet it's also one of the smallest colleges in terms of student numbers.
It's not the most academically competitive of colleges but does quite well, usually in the top 10 of the Norrington.
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