Please excuse me if there is a similar thread. I have done some research and found that either the questions weren't answered fully or the answers digressed from the topic.
Questions about Harris Manchester College, Oxford:
1) How do the students of other colleges perceive HMC - socially and academically?
2)Is it actually seen as one of the colleges or as an 'outside' college (because all students are 'mature')? (This question is perhaps related to the first) EDIT: Is it considered 'on par' with other colleges (in terms of prestige, academia, whatever - you may chose the criteria).
3) Is there any other way the student life is different from the rest of the colleges?
Thank you in advance for your responses. If I sound ignorant or ill-informed, I apologise. But I am really looking forward to your responses.
I mean, I've only been there one term, but I've been getting about quite a bit - I've been to loads of different socs, spoken to loads of people on my course and been at loads of different colleges, and I've not met a single student there. Nor has anyone else I've spoken to really met any.
So in answer to your question, we kind of forget that they're there. But we - well, I - am wanting to meet some of the students and see what they have to offer (I want their life experience!)
I mean, I've only been there one term, but I've been getting about quite a bit - I've been to loads of different socs, spoken to loads of people on my course and been at loads of different colleges, and I've not met a single student there. Nor has anyone else I've spoken to really met any.
So in answer to your question, we kind of forget that they're there. But we - well, I - am wanting to meet some of the students and see what they have to offer (I want their life experience!)
I am also really interested in finding out the answers to the OP's questions.The fact that you have never come across one of them seems weird though, as majority of HMC students seem to be between 21-25 years old.I am not a student there yet, but that's what I have gathered while at interviews, so I would imagine that they wouldn't have a major problem mixing with the students from other colleges...Or am I wrong?
As for the prestige, I have read that it doesn't really matter to which college you end up going. It is Oxford after all As for the academia, I believe that, depending on the module of the subject, you can and most likely will be taught at other colleges too, so essentially everyone gets the same kind of teaching...Well, at least similar...Again, I might be wrong and would appreciate it if someone could provide more information...
HMC is a relatively small college, so there's not all that many students to go around. Mature students (along with grads) may have something of a "been there, done that" attitude towards the things that undergraduates get up to. Add that to the fact they're more likely to put their studies ahead of the social side of things (as they may well be putting other aspects of their lives on hold), it's not surprising that many undergraduates may never meet anyone from HMC.
I know 3 people at HMC, and they're great - they seem to fit in better with the rest of us than the mature undergrads I know at other colleges. However, I hear from them that the social life at HMC isn't great (struggle to put up a full JCR committee, bops aren't that well attended, the actual JCR-room is tiny), because - while a lot of the students may be 21-25 - there are still quite a lot of students with partners and families who just aren't interested in the kind of social life you get at a normal undergraduate college. From my visits to HMC, it's very welcoming and friendly, but not quite like other colleges.
I know 3 people at HMC, and they're great - they seem to fit in better with the rest of us than the mature undergrads I know at other colleges. However, I hear from them that the social life at HMC isn't great (struggle to put up a full JCR committee, bops aren't that well attended, the actual JCR-room is tiny), because - while a lot of the students may be 21-25 - there are still quite a lot of students with partners and families who just aren't interested in the kind of social life you get at a normal undergraduate college. From my visits to HMC, it's very welcoming and friendly, but not quite like other colleges.
At other colleges? The number must be tiny - perhaps one at each (depending on the size of the college).
By the way, thank you all for your responses - keep them coming.
Well.. I'm at HMC, and whilst my experience so far has probably been a little different to students at some of the more 'traditional' colleges, I wouldn't change it at all. That seems to be the general consensus within the college as a whole, as well; almost all of us really love the place.
It's true that our JCR is small, but again I quite like that - it's intimate, incredibly friendly, extremely well-used (which suggests that the other students are very fond of it as well), and I can guarantee that I'll always have friends in there if I want to go down, no matter what time of day it is. It reminds me a little of a local pub, to be honest - it's great.
Re: specific social events, our first bop of Michaelmas wasn't that great, but the two after that were absolutely fantastic - they were really well-attended, and turned out to be some of the best nights most of us had in what was a really enjoyable term. We also had no problems with the JCR committee this time around (elections were just at the end of Michaelmas) - we have a great bunch for the next couple of terms, and the last committee was fantastic as well. I can appreciate that we may have had trouble filling the odd post before now, but that's not to say that the committee doesn't do a fantastic job in spite of that.
With regards to being 'seen' by other colleges, I sort of take exception to the idea that we're rarely sighted! Loads of us participate in uni-wide societies and sports (we're great at pool ); a huge bunch of us can be found in the PT most Wednesday and Friday nights, and at the very least most people at HMC have a few friends at Wadham because of the sporting ties. I suspect we might be spotted less often than members of some other colleges for the reasons already suggested (there are fewer students at HMC to begin with, and of the students we do have, probably about 25% are not interested in 'regular' undergrad socialising, perhaps due to age/family commitments/work commitments and so on). It's also probably fair to say that we're pretty close-knit; we tend to really enjoy each other's company, so that may be another reason why we're not seen amongst other students quite so often. But we do go out a lot (as has been pointed out - most of us are 21-25, so we're still pretty young, you know!), and participate in a lot of events, societies and sports. Honestly.
Re: Norrington table - we're at about the same level as several other colleges. In last year's table, we were one of ten or so colleges that gave a very similar performance... which isn't bad considering the enormously disproportionate ratio of arts students to science students.
I can only comment from my personal experiences of HMC bops in my first year, and what I hear from current HMC third years.
For sure; I didn't mean to imply that your comments weren't fair or anything - just that college seems to have changed somewhat since then. Friends in the third year say similar things - by the sounds of it, the college atmosphere really picked up when our current second years started, and things seem to have gone from strength to strength since then.
Who is it that you know at HMC by the way, just out of interest? I'm guessing Phelps is going to be one of them, but I'm curious about the others. I have a few good friends in the third year.
OP: I believe you tried to send me a PM earlier, and it bounced because I didn't have any space in my inbox. Well, I do have space now, so fire away, if you will!
For sure; I didn't mean to imply that your comments weren't fair or anything - just that college seems to have changed somewhat since then. Friends in the third year say similar things - by the sounds of it, the college atmosphere really picked up when our current second years started, and things seem to have gone from strength to strength since then.
Who is it that you know at HMC by the way, just out of interest? I'm guessing Phelps is going to be one of them, but I'm curious about the others. I have a few good friends in the third year.
OP: I believe you tried to send me a PM earlier, and it bounced because I didn't have any space in my inbox. Well, I do have space now, so fire away, if you will!
No, not him/her - the three third year Human Scientists
Can you comment on ages outside the 21-5 range? I'm thinking mostly about graduates but if its true that most students are in the 21-5 age range, then there's little incentive for an 'older' mature gradute student (eg 30s, 40s etc) to pick HMC over another college.
Other than that if you're going to find mature students in the 30+ bracket, you're more likely to find them at HMC than any other college, not withstanding.
Other than that if you're going to find mature students in the 30+ bracket, you're more likely to find them at HMC than any other college, not withstanding.
Hi, I wondered if you might be able to shed any light on how mature students get on in colleges other than HMC? I'll be 25 by the time I get there and chose to go to another college (for english, if that makes any difference)...but slightly concerned re: how easy it is to socialise with people outside of your year and college? nothing against 18 year olds, i just figure i'll have slightly more in common with those nearer my age, like post-grads or HMC people...
Can you comment on ages outside the 21-5 range? I'm thinking mostly about graduates but if its true that most students are in the 21-5 age range, then there's little incentive for an 'older' mature gradute student (eg 30s, 40s etc) to pick HMC over another college.
About 75% of the students are in the 21-25 age range, so a whole 25% are older than that - which is a much, much higher percentage than you would get at any other college. Our oldest student at the moment is in his late 60s, I believe.
Originally Posted by Fox's
Hi, I wondered if you might be able to shed any light on how mature students get on in colleges other than HMC? I'll be 25 by the time I get there and chose to go to another college (for english, if that makes any difference)...but slightly concerned re: how easy it is to socialise with people outside of your year and college? nothing against 18 year olds, i just figure i'll have slightly more in common with those nearer my age, like post-grads or HMC people...
We have a mature students' society to which all mature students are welcome (i.e. not just those at HMC), and our entz co-ordinators are thinking about inviting mature students from other colleges to our bops this term, if that helps. But yeah.. just join the mature students society - you'll meet plenty of us there, and consequently probably be invited to our bar.
Hi, I wondered if you might be able to shed any light on how mature students get on in colleges other than HMC? I'll be 25 by the time I get there and chose to go to another college (for english, if that makes any difference)...but slightly concerned re: how easy it is to socialise with people outside of your year and college? nothing against 18 year olds, i just figure i'll have slightly more in common with those nearer my age, like post-grads or HMC people...
I think most (possibly all) other colleges will let you join the MCR, which is post-grads, 4th year undergrads - generally the older members of the college.
About 75% of the students are in the 21-25 age range, so a whole 25% are older than that - which is a much, much higher percentage than you would get at any other college. Our oldest student at the moment is in his late 60s, I believe.
We have a mature students' society to which all mature students are welcome (i.e. not just those at HMC), and our entz co-ordinators are thinking about inviting mature students from other colleges to our bops this term, if that helps. But yeah.. just join the mature students society - you'll meet plenty of us there, and consequently probably be invited to our bar.
that certainly does help - thank you very much for replying; has made me feel more at ease. had started to worry about my decision a bit...
when you say 'we' have a mature student soc, does that mean you at HMC, or the Uni as a whole? actually, i suppose that's a stupid question, why have one at HMC when you're all mature anyway... momentary lapse. so is that something that would be at the fresher's fair?
I think most (possibly all) other colleges will let you join the MCR, which is post-grads, 4th year undergrads - generally the older members of the college.
oh right that's great, thanks for replying - so i would have to apply or something?
anyway, all sounds a lot less socially isolating than i was beginning to worry it might be.
oh right that's great, thanks for replying - so i would have to apply or something?
anyway, all sounds a lot less socially isolating than i was beginning to worry it might be.
I don't know - I'm just an ordinary undergrad, I only set foot in the MCR if I sneak in there I would think most colleges would arrange it for you, or you could simply google the name of the college you applied to and 'MCR', and contact the MCR president - they'll know how it works
I don't know - I'm just an ordinary undergrad, I only set foot in the MCR if I sneak in there I would think most colleges would arrange it for you, or you could simply google the name of the college you applied to and 'MCR', and contact the MCR president - they'll know how it works
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As for the academia, I believe that, depending on the module of the subject, you can and most likely will be taught at other colleges too, so essentially everyone gets the same kind of teaching...Well, at least similar...Again, I might be wrong and would appreciate it if someone could provide more information...
Loads of us participate in uni-wide societies and sports (we're great at pool 
); a huge bunch of us can be found in the PT most Wednesday and Friday nights, and at the very least most people at HMC have a few friends at Wadham because of the sporting ties. I suspect we might be spotted less often than members of some other colleges for the reasons already suggested (there are fewer students at HMC to begin with, and of the students we do have, probably about 25% are not interested in 'regular' undergrad socialising, perhaps due to age/family commitments/work commitments and so on). It's also probably fair to say that we're pretty close-knit; we tend to really enjoy each other's company, so that may be another reason why we're not seen amongst other students quite so often. But we do go out a lot (as has been pointed out - most of us are 21-25, so we're still pretty young, you know!), and participate in a lot of events, societies and sports. Honestly. 
momentary lapse. so is that something that would be at the fresher's fair?
I would think most colleges would arrange it for you, or you could simply google the name of the college you applied to and 'MCR', and contact the MCR president - they'll know how it works 
