Oxford postgraduate applicants 2014/15

Wow, crazy. Mine (English) have said they can defer me for at least a semester. I would hate to risk reapplying!

Any students about to start the DPhil/MRes in Surgical Sciences? I am completely new at this and I am just going to start 3rd year at Uni. I hope to meet with my academic advisor at the end of this month to discuss the proposal etc as sadly, term does not start until mid October at my Uni so I am very stressed that I might be too late by then to do something "Oxford worthy".

It seems like the programme is very recent and I have been struggling to find feedback/students on the course etc..

On the website they say we should contact potential supervisoir but I am a complete fraud and I just don't know if I should contact them now or wait until my application + research proposal/CV etc are ready? Also: what the heck should I ask them??

Finally, did many of you had any experience in the field of your PhD? By the time I picked my 2nd year research project and literature review, I was dead set on Infectious disease because I did not even know a DPhil in Surgical sciences existed and now that I found this degree, it is basically the only one I want to apply to (with the MRes and it will either be cardiothoracic trials or immunology/transplantation) but I have 0 experience in this....

I don't even know where to start :/ Is there such a thing as DPhil for the dummies?

It must change from department to department - 'cause I checked and mine is august (plus the department seem pretty uncaring I'm only putting my transcripts in the post this week after they didn't reply to my email for nearly 3 weeks to confirm where to post said transcripts too :P )

What department are you in, if you don't mind me asking? Also I wonder if it's a difference between taught vs. research degrees?

I'm afraid I don't know much about the specific DPhil you're thinking of pursuing, but I will say that it's usually best to contact a potential supervisor sooner rather than later- and certainly not after you've written a research proposal, as the supervisor will probably want to write one with you, or at least influence the direction of the proposal. Of course, nothing wrong with having a few ideas down on paper, but having a proposal written already by the time you approach the supe might make them think that you're very certain as to what you want to study, and if it doesn't match the supe's interests or ideas exactly it might put them off. Best to wait until you've communicated with them and write one together, especially as a criterion for acceptance onto the DPhil is often how well your proposal matches your supervisor's areas of interest.

As to what to ask when you contact the supe, just show that you're keen to go into research and why this area in particular interests you, and also why you've decided to contact this supervisor in particular- is there something that they've done that you like? Do they use certain methods that you're interested in? Did you come across a paper of theirs that particularly stands out? No need to go overboard with brown nosing or anything, but just showing that you're aware of the work they do and that you can bring something to the table is important.

Hope that helps a bit, though sorry I couldn't be any more specific about your area in particular.

You can't imagine how helpful this is to me ! Do you mind if I pm you more questions should the need arise? I don't want to hijack the thread... Thank you SO much again ! I will email the professor I would like to work with

When do you guys plan on arriving at Oxford?
I want to arrive at least a week before orientation for international students, but have concerns regarding accommodation during that time. I know some of the rooms offered by my college will become available mid-August and some only on the 1st of October (orientation is the 2nd!), but I won't know what house I'll be allocated to until the first week of Sept... Anyone have tips?

I'm in History, and it's a taught degree. It might also be due to the fact that I'm International?

When do you guys plan on arriving at Oxford?
I want to arrive at least a week before orientation for international students, but have concerns regarding accommodation during that time. I know some of the rooms offered by my college will become available mid-August and some only on the 1st of October (orientation is the 2nd!), but I won't know what house I'll be allocated to until the first week of Sept... Anyone have tips?

You have a department one too, it's just that the college address is set as your default.

Test it: email yourself:
1. [email protected]
2. [email protected]
3. [OSS username] [email protected]

It's essentially three names for the same account - they all arrive in the same inbox, they're not separate accounts, everything is routed to the same inbox.

I did check these things before I posted - I looked into it and it appears my department have their own IT system and I assume my departmental email address will come from that.

When do you guys plan on arriving at Oxford?
I want to arrive at least a week before orientation for international students, but have concerns regarding accommodation during that time. I know some of the rooms offered by my college will become available mid-August and some only on the 1st of October (orientation is the 2nd!), but I won't know what house I'll be allocated to until the first week of Sept... Anyone have tips?

My move in date is the 19th of September because my course starts on the 22nd, so I only have the weekend to settle in.

What's your course, if you don't mind me asking?

When do you guys plan on arriving at Oxford?
I want to arrive at least a week before orientation for international students, but have concerns regarding accommodation during that time. I know some of the rooms offered by my college will become available mid-August and some only on the 1st of October (orientation is the 2nd!), but I won't know what house I'll be allocated to until the first week of Sept... Anyone have tips?

Hey,
I'm probably arriving around the 18th or so, my accommodation becomes available around then. I would advise waiting til the beginning of September when they tell you about your accommodation, and if it won't be free for a week or so after arrival, I would go on Oxgradhousing on Facebook: it has a lot of people advertising cheap short-term lets, for anything from a week or two to a month. Or I'd try airbnb - there are plenty of short-term lets of rooms advertised (though not always cheap).

See, I have an irrational fear of awkward situations. I don't want to move in to a half-empty college and walk around awkwardly feeling lost... and at the same time I don't want to get there the very day orientation begins, for obvious reasons.

My mum's husband has a very close friend living in Oxford and he emailed her to ask if she could provide accommodation while my college accommodation becomes available... but I really don't want to be a burden to her or her family!

I suppose I'm stressing out about this more than I should.

Also, what banks have you non-UKers looked into? What about mobile phone plans?

See, I have an irrational fear of awkward situations. I don't want to move in to a half-empty college and walk around awkwardly feeling lost... and at the same time I don't want to get there the very day orientation begins, for obvious reasons.

My mum's husband has a very close friend living in Oxford and he emailed her to ask if she could provide accommodation while my college accommodation becomes available... but I really don't want to be a burden to her or her family!

I suppose I'm stressing out about this more than I should.

Also, what banks have you non-UKers looked into? What about mobile phone plans?