[stratomaster136]

Hi,

I'm applying to Oxford next September, and have been doing college research, however all the official info is very similar - they almost all advertise being good for sport, music, politics, drama, etc.

Could anyone 'in the know' at Oxford advise me as to colleges that are particularly good for:

Geography (not all do it, and i'm sure some are better than others)

Jazz (I play jazz guitar, and would like to join a big band/ensemble)

Football (I'm fairly serious about it, but i'm probably not uni 1st/2nd team level)

In the centre of Oxford city (if possible)

Brasenose seems the best for these so far, but it's hard to tell.

Thanks

[*pitseleh*]

I can't answer your sport and music questions, but none of your options is particularly far-flung; they're all in the centre, or close to it. Seems that you have a choice of Brasenose, Christ Church, Hertford, Jesus, Keble, Mansfield, St. Anne's, St. Catherine's, St. Edmund Hall, St. Hilda's, St. John's, St. Peter's and Worcester.

You might want to look here to see where all the colleges are if you haven't already. The furthest out appears to be St. Anne's, but it's hardly in the back of beyond - a 5/10 minute walk at most.

Edit: that list is of colleges offering Geography, not colleges in the centre of Oxford.

[Aconite]

Seconded on the St Anne's not being terribly far away. I had an interview there and it looked MILES away on the map, but in reality it took me almost dead on 5 minutes to walk there from the Waterstone's in the town centre. So don't let distance put you off the further away colleges. Really.

[Milady de Winter]

I imagine if you play jazz seriously you would want to join a university-wide society or band, rather than a college one?

[Bekaboo]

Originally Posted by stratomaster136

Hi,

I'm applying to Oxford next September, and have been doing college research, however all the official info is very similar - they almost all advertise being good for sport, music, politics, drama, etc.

Could anyone 'in the know' at Oxford advise me as to colleges that are particularly good for:

Geography (not all do it, and i'm sure some are better than others)

Jesus. And I think Catz and Hertford are the other two. But definitely Jesus - we have a BIG rep for it.

Jazz (I play jazz guitar, and would like to join a big band/ensemble)

Irrelevant. No college is big enough to support even a decent small orchestra. Join the donut kings or something else at the uni level.

In the centre of Oxford city (if possible)

Jesus, Exeter, Lincoln, BNC, Balliol, Trinity

[Davetherave]

Originally Posted by Bekaboo

Jesus. And I think Catz and Hertford are the other two. But definitely Jesus - we have a BIG rep for it.


Irrelevant. No college is big enough to support even a decent small orchestra. Join the donut kings or something else at the uni level.


Jesus, Exeter, Lincoln, BNC, Balliol, Trinity

Univ, Queens, Christchurch, Corpus, Merton, Magadalen, Pembroke, Oriel etc etc.

[Bekaboo]

I was going for DEAD centre. As soon as you start expanding it you might as well say "everywhere that's not Hugh's, Anne's, LMH or Hilda's". And as we all know, none of them are more than 20 mins walk away anyway!!

[Milady de Winter]

St Hilda's is only 10 mins from Exam Schools

[Turdburger]

Brasenose would be fine, Hertford is the traditional best college for geography, and very central, but these things vary from year to year

[Mayfly]

Originally Posted by Bekaboo

[color="darkorchid"]

Jesus, Exeter, Lincoln, BNC, Balliol, Trinity

Balliol doesn't do geography.

That, or all our geographers in every year are really anti-social or invisible.

[Davetherave]

Originally Posted by Turdburger

Brasenose would be fine, Hertford is the traditional best college for geography, and very central, but these things vary from year to year

How can something traditional vary from year to year?

[Davetherave]

Originally Posted by Bekaboo

I was going for DEAD centre. As soon as you start expanding it you might as well say "everywhere that's not Hugh's, Anne's, LMH or Hilda's". And as we all know, none of them are more than 20 mins walk away anyway!!

Yea you're right, but people often overestimate the size of Oxford's city centre before they come here, and might not realise that being at Jesus or Univ or Corpus is really neither here nor there.

[jismith1989]

Originally Posted by Davetherave

How can something traditional vary from year to year?

Haha. Quite.

Although it is possible. For example, hypothetically, Manchester could be the traditionally most wet city in the UK. 50 years out the past century it has held this post (say on every even year). Therefore, it has a strong standing to be called the traditionally wet city; however, every other year a different city holds the title, and therefore it is variable.

Sorry for being a smart arse.

[Davetherave]

Originally Posted by jismith1989

Haha. Quite.

Although it is possible. For example, hypothetically, Manchester could be the traditionally most wet city in the UK. 50 years out the past century it has held this post (say on every even year). Therefore, it has a strong standing to be called the traditionally wet city; however, every other year a different city holds the title, and therefore it is variable.

Sorry for being a smart arse.

I will forgive you, even if your example only works if you assume traditionally to mean "on average".

[jismith1989]

Originally Posted by Davetherave

I will forgive you, even if your example only works if you assume traditionally to mean "on average".

Well, it wasn't me that said it; I just wanted to butt in! His wording was a bit ambiguous to be honest, but traditionally tends to mean time-honoured, and I would say that if something happens 50 out of every 100 times then there's a strong argument for saying it is time-honoured.

I like getting things right, it's a neurosis of mine -- I'm not trying to be argumentative for the sake of it!

[stratomaster136]

Thanks everyone

What is the Jazz scene like at Oxford?

If there isn't much going on, then i'll get something together myself, must be plenty of pianists/drummers/bassists/etc

[Milady de Winter]

The Bullingdon (not the dining club!) is a decent jazz and blues bar on Cowley Road... or it was a couple of years ago, as long as it hasn't closed!

[stratomaster136]

Originally Posted by Milady de Winter

The Bullingdon (not the dining club!) is a decent jazz and blues bar on Cowley Road... or it was a couple of years ago, as long as it hasn't closed!

Thank God it's not the dining club! Their ex-members will be running the country by 2010 (PM, Chancellor, and Mayor Of London) - what a thought!

[caustic87]

Exeter doesn't do Geography, but does have a lot of Jazz going on. Sorry, that didn't really help...