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University of Oxford, Pawel-Sytniewski
University of Oxford
Oxford

St Hugh's College (Oxford) Students and Applicants

was thinking of applying to saint hughs and was just wondering how out of the way it is? Also is the gym good or would you have to go all the way to the uni one?

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Reply 1
Also is there an Oxford equivalent to the footlights, obviously not as famous but I was wondering if there is any notable group or society.

I would really to go to cambridge, not least because of the reputation of this group howvever I feel because they demand to see all resits in the UMS sheet I come a across as a weaker candidate to Cam.
University of Oxford, Pawel-Sytniewski
University of Oxford
Oxford
Reply 2
What are you thinking of applying to read at St Hugh's? I have been up to Oxford a couple of times, and St Hugh's is about 10/15 minutes walk from the town centre, and 5/10 from the maths and science buildings, though the cycle lanes would, presumably, cut those times in half.
I recently drove up to Oxford (last Sunday) to go and check out the location of all the colleges. My teacher had suggested St. Hughs to me for Maths and although it's along a quiet, leafy street and the buildings are gorgeous I find that it was a bit out of the way. In the end I have chosen to apply to St. Johns as the campus looks amazing and it's really close to the maths department and not far from the town centre! Check here http://www.ox.ac.uk/aboutoxford/maps/colls.shtml St. Hughs college is number 35 on that map (the second college down from the top) and the main town centre is mainly around the roads coloured pink quite near the bottom and along the High Street! Hope this helps.
Reply 4
I was thinking of applying to St. Hugh's too, but I decided instead to apply to Keble College, as it's nearer to the centre and there seems to be a lot more going on. St. Hugh's is too far out, and I'm afraid of being so isolated from the rest of civilisation.
Hugh's is about 10 minutes' walk from the front door of Keble: hardly the back of beyond.
Reply 6
Hi! i'm thinking of applying to st hughs and was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the college other than the location! thanks.
Reply 7
If you're a History student, then you could be in for one of the infamous St Hughs BBB offers.
Reply 8
nope - maths with computer science!
Reply 9
Jonesy_LJ
If you're a History student, then you could be in for one of the infamous St Hughs BBB offers.


A friend of mine got that. Grrrr damn him! :biggrin:
In response to the OP, when I was there for interviews, the gym was pretty awful. Old, poor condition, little equipment - not the best.
On the other hand, we could go on the grass and stuff.
Reply 11
gtenex
Hi! i'm thinking of applying to st hughs and was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the college other than the location! thanks.


I am an offer-holder, so what I know is based more upon a short stay during interviews than anything...

It's a large, friendly college that lets you go on the grass (it has lovely gardens) and offers accomodation for the duration of your course. The room I stayed in was pretty good, but there was no en-suite, though that isn't something that bothers me. There are en-suite rooms there, though, but, from what I've heard, finalists usually get those.

Oh, and don't let the distance put you off - although it is out of the way, there are no tourists and the walk into the city centre is a brisk 10 minutes - it just looks a lot worse on the map!
Reply 12
Other things to mention are:


-Hall food at St. Hugh's is really quite good. I've eaten at Balliol and Magdalen before and the food tasted over cooked with cheap ingredients, whereas I'm usually very satisfied here. Hugh's always has a meat/veg/pasta/soup option and there's plenty of variety e.g. fajitas/curry/chinese as well as staple stews and stuff. IMO Hugh's food is up there with Lincoln and Mansfield.

-Its location is a long way from Iffley road, but there is the Marston Ferry sports centre 5 minutes up the road where alot of the college teams train. There are also 2 tennis courts within the grounds where you can play for free.

-Incase you'd be envious of Magdalen students having punting on their doorstep, there is another boathouse a few minutes to the east of Hugh's.

-Hugh's students are guaranteed accomodation within college for their entire degree.

-This isn't exactly a fact or anything, but Hugh's does seem to have a political edge to it. I'm not going to claim it has dozens of prime ministers to its name, but there is quite an interest in university politics here. Hugh's had an Oxford union president 2 years ago, and the incoming OUSU president is also from Hugh's.


That's all I can think of right now. Before anyone gets the wrong idea, I'm not trying to state that Hugh's a "better" college than any other, but the bashing it sometimes gets because of its location isn't as big an issue as it seems, and for some people is even preferable thanks to the quietness and space it gives.
Reply 13
Hugh's actually has two gyms - a rowing one, with ergs and stuff, and a 'normal' one (also used by the rowers) with weights, running machine, and the usual. It's not exactly new equipment, but it's better than a lot of the university sports centre stuff, though obv there's less of it!

On the topic of sport, we have our own ground (well, joint with Keble or someone I think) with more tennis/netball/bball courts (as well as our on sight ones), and football and so forth (apparently squash?), about five minutes away, practically next door to Marston sports centre, which has a nice and cheaper pool than the uni one. Dunno about the other facilities.

Hugh's is a bit further out, but you get used to it (and it's always the Keblites/Wadhamers who are late to lectures anyway...), and of course, being in leafy North Oxford is great. It's certainly still pretty close to town, and is probs closer to the science site than Hilda's or Magdalen (four minutes door to door on a bike, but that's assuming a certain amount of 'colour blindness' w/r to traffic lights...).

Oh, and second years can opt for ensuite (we have two ensuite buildings), and I think this year anyway, most people who wanted one got one. There are some lush rooms, but as with most colleges, the best rooms go to finalists/JCR committee. We don't have differential rates, so it's a flat rate.

There's a huge variety of stuff that goes on in college, can't really think of any especial strengths, apart from being famous for being friendly and inclusive, everyone getting to live in, inc a lot of graduates who also get involved in the same sports (well, rowing anyroad!) so it feels quite 'familyish'. Obviously the huge lawns, lots of trees, general beautifulness is a massive factor, or at least it was for me. Plus won Fit College last year! We have a good rowing record in recent years - not quite ChCh or Oriel yet, but a number of our boats are charging up the divisions. Our men beat the university lightweights in Oriel regatta last week!

And we're the only college to have a full time JCR-elected 'Catcher of the Elephants'!

Anything specific you want to know?
Reply 14
thanks 2 everyone who has replied so far - paricularly gruffyddd and madprof for their extensive and detailed comments!!! in response to madprof, specifically i was looking for more information about facilities, accommodation/rooms and atmosphere really. lots of comments on sports facilities but in terms of extra-curricular i have always been more musical than sporty so details on music at st hugh's would also be much appreciated. thanks for your help!
Reply 15
Hmm, music at St Hugh's is not something I know a lot about, despite being an (occasional) saxophonist. We have an orchestra, who are apparently pretty good, and a music concert every term with them and I think other college people who want to/have been asked to play. We have an organ scholarship every year (you apply when you get here) and think they also have to help with choir rehearsals (though might just be a coincidence that the same person seemed to do both last year). And a general music prize too. The university has orchestras etc - you audition once and they place you in an appropriate band. A number of people in college play for various uni bands. Again, I don't so can't really help there.

There are several electric guitar players, and other non-orchesteral 'types'. There's also 'Moon Unit', a band from in college, but I've never heard them play and am not entirely sure even who's in it!

Have you been on hughsjcr.com/forum? People there might be more clued up about music - there's probably a lot more stuff that I'm not aware of.

About rooms, in first year, you pretty much get where you're given, which will most likely be main building (the oldest building, close to hall, chapel, and the lodge, big kitchens. Rooms vary in size quite a bit, but the tiniest ones have been converted into storage areas after people complained), or Kenyon, (a 60s block (every college has them...) which isn't as bad as some. Looks a little like a carpark/upended spaceship built by aliens with a serious concrete fetish, but nice rooms inside, all a reasonable size, some with balconies and all the rest with corner windows and window seats (so all rooms face South). Kitchens can be a bit tiny, but you can still pretty much self-cater if you want to. Hugh's is generally pretty good if you want to save money by cooking for yourself). In other years, you're placed on a room ballot in year and then alphabetical order (A to Z in second year, then Z to A in third year). Like I said, some pretty nice rooms, for second years as well. From first year, music students get pianos, Fine Artists get huge rooms (you have no idea how jealous I am...) to fit easels etc in.
Anyone going to the June 28th open day at St. Hugh's ? :biggrin:

Though I did apply for an open evening place at the St. Hugh's website last night, when can I expect to get a repsonse from the college? If I don't, should I reapply?
Reply 17
history_geek
Anyone going to the June 28th open day at St. Hugh's ? :biggrin:

Though I did apply for an open evening place at the St. Hugh's website last night, when can I expect to get a repsonse from the college? If I don't, should I reapply?


Yeah I went on that open day
The place seemed quite nice and I found a street of pubs behind it so didnt seem to bad because i dont really fancy walking the 10 minutes to town when drunk
Only bad thing about st hughs apart from the guy showing us round was a geek with ginger afro and glasses and very lanky
was it stunk of detergant
god i hate that smell
^did you just call toby a geek? that is so far from the truth as to be utterly ridiculous.

it probably stunk of detergent because certain parts had just been cleaned especially. or something.

anyway, hughs is awesome. the gym is good. it is old, but it has a lot of things. people i know who are total obsessives with weights and **** use it lots, so it cant be too bad.

after your first year, if you want an en-suite room, you will get one. in your first year, theres a good chance you'll get one, and if not, you'll very possibly have a sink. but if you dont you'll probably be in a really social building which also has awesome kitchens, so its all good really.

the location doesnt matter that much really. if you cycle, its really not a problem at all. if you dont, you're lame anyway. also, you'll learn more the longer you're there about the awesome places in oxford that hughs is much closer to than most other colleges. like the jericho cafe. both gardener's arms. pierre victoire. the raddy. things in summertown. ali's kebab van. yeah.

the boathouse was mentioned. it is close. the jcr block books punts for all throughout trinity term, so theyre free to use, which is nice, cos punts are expensive to hire.

the kenyon kitchens were mentioned. yeah, theyre kinda small, and have silly ovens, but i've cooked some awesome stuff in them. if you cant cook in them, its because you're just bad at cooking i think.

if you want to play music, theres an orchestra or something if you're into classical. if you're into rock and indie and ****, well, yknow, it doesnt matter what college youre in. youll find people out of college. there was an all hughs band called moon unit who were... interesting. there are some good bands out there with hughs members though. one of the guys in the young playthings, who are fairly well known, is a hughs postgrad, as well as a junior dean. believe. but yeah, its good for music. we have a practice room. it isnt as good as the band room at, say, new (but that is just ridiculously good), but it has a drumkit and some pianos and an organ. or something. it works. but it isnt soundproofed. silly.

we used to be really good at football, but we've got steadily ****ter, but shfc is still the most awesome thing in the world ever. so play football. the rugby team is annoyingly good. they would have won the league last year, if not for a decision by a referee in the final game of the season that ruled out the winning try, and has been universally accepted as completely wrong. theres rowing or something too. dont row. rowing is lame.
Reply 19
heliotrope
^did you just call toby a geek? that is so far from the truth as to be utterly ridiculous.

it probably stunk of detergent because certain parts had just been cleaned especially. or something.

anyway, hughs is awesome. the gym is good. it is old, but it has a lot of things. people i know who are total obsessives with weights and **** use it lots, so it cant be too bad.

after your first year, if you want an en-suite room, you will get one. in your first year, theres a good chance you'll get one, and if not, you'll very possibly have a sink. but if you dont you'll probably be in a really social building which also has awesome kitchens, so its all good really.

the location doesnt matter that much really. if you cycle, its really not a problem at all. if you dont, you're lame anyway. also, you'll learn more the longer you're there about the awesome places in oxford that hughs is much closer to than most other colleges. like the jericho cafe. both gardener's arms. pierre victoire. the raddy. things in summertown. ali's kebab van. yeah.

the boathouse was mentioned. it is close. the jcr block books punts for all throughout trinity term, so theyre free to use, which is nice, cos punts are expensive to hire.

the kenyon kitchens were mentioned. yeah, theyre kinda small, and have silly ovens, but i've cooked some awesome stuff in them. if you cant cook in them, its because you're just bad at cooking i think.

if you want to play music, theres an orchestra or something if you're into classical. if you're into rock and indie and ****, well, yknow, it doesnt matter what college youre in. youll find people out of college. there was an all hughs band called moon unit but they were really ****. there are some good bands out there with hughs members though. one of the guys in the young playthings, who are fairly well known, is a hughs postgrad, as well as a junior dean. believe. but yeah, its good for music. we have a practice room. it isnt as good as the band room at, say, new (but that is just ridiculously good), but it has a drumkit and some pianos and an organ. or something. it works. but it isnt soundproofed. silly.

we used to be really good at football, but we've got steadily ****ter, but shfc is still the most awesome thing in the world ever. so play football. the rugby team is annoyingly good. they would have won the league last year, if not for a decision by a referee in the final game of the season that ruled out the winning try, and has been universally accepted as completely wrong. theres rowing or something too. dont row. rowing is lame.


Oops lol didnt mean to offend Toby, ha ha
Sorry, yeah I was guessing the detergant was a temporary thing
Lol glad you see rowing is lame though :smile:

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