Oxford 2011 Freshers Chat Thread

Well, I believe Freshers Week to be starting on the 2nd October (the Sunday), but at my college people turned up on the Saturday - if you're an international student it can be different. I would say ask your college if you can as it normally varies.

Without getting involved with the library A vs library B debates (although Exeter's is open 24 hours per day ), I'm really looking forward* to going to the university with "the largest university library system in the UK".

*Pending results, ofc

So you should! Working in the Bodleian, with 117 miles of shelving stretching ten floors beneath the city centre, being able to order any one of about 11 million books to my desk within the week, some of which are stored in a freaking salt mine so they have the room, still gives me chills every time. It's unreal. Plus historians get the Radcliffe Camera as their playground - the entire top floor is our reading material (plus the parlimentary minutes for every year since 1772 ), pretty much most of what you ever need, and it's always there for you since nobody can take it out. And the declaration you have to sign is epic: "I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, nor to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document or other object belonging to it or in its custody; not to bring into the Library, or kindle therein, any fire or flame, and not to smoke in the Library; and I promise to obey all rules of the Library." (I can tell you now that the 'marking or defacing' bit does not get listened to...).

Of course, getting your bag searched on the way in and out is a pain, and it's not open on Sunday (grrrr), but thems the breaks.

...

I got nerd-chills just reading this.

I got nerd-chills just reading this.

Same here

Merton has the oldest continuously functioning academic library in the world.

But Merton looks weird. Apparently you're not allowed to watch telly in your final year.

So you should! Working in the Bodleian, with 117 miles of shelving stretching ten floors beneath the city centre, being able to order any one of about 11 million books to my desk within the week, some of which are stored in a freaking salt mine so they have the room, still gives me chills every time. It's unreal. Plus historians get the Radcliffe Camera as their playground - the entire top floor is our reading material (plus the parlimentary minutes for every year since 1772 ), pretty much most of what you ever need, and it's always there for you since nobody can take it out. And the declaration you have to sign is epic: "I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, nor to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document or other object belonging to it or in its custody; not to bring into the Library, or kindle therein, any fire or flame, and not to smoke in the Library; and I promise to obey all rules of the Library." (I can tell you now that the 'marking or defacing' bit does not get listened to...).

Of course, getting your bag searched on the way in and out is a pain, and it's not open on Sunday (grrrr), but thems the breaks.

Oh good ****ing God, seriously? Words cannot express such joy...

Same, except I actually thought it meant that until somebody said 'debate and discussion' a couple of posts later ...

Yup I got the nerd-chill reaction when I found out, too! I mean, the rest of the Bodliean is arguably prettier, but the Rad Cam has that iconic status. Unfortunately our other library, the History Faculty one, is a complete maze that makes no sense and all the books get nicked milliseconds after the reading lists are published (probably by people from Hertford), so it sort of evens out.

Guessing you're a historian-in-waiting then? What college?

Indeed! It's Magdalen for me. What about you? I like your dig at Hertford, I've a cousin reading History there, in fact.

On an Oxford related note, I've been modifying an old racing bicycle for university. I should really stop acting as if I'm ready to pack my bags and go. Is it easy to take a bike there in the first week? I hope I don't have to fiddle about getting it checked in or something at college.

The small print here mentions "designated cycle bays", so it sounds like you can lock your bike up without trouble. If you have to get a permit or something I can't imagine that taking more than five minutes at the porters' lodge. And even if for some reason they decided to make trouble, it's not like the city is lacking in fences to tie bikes to.

Indeed! It's Magdalen for me. What about you? I like your dig at Hertford, I've a cousin reading History there, in fact.

On an Oxford related note, I've been modifying an old racing bicycle for university. I should really stop acting as if I'm ready to pack my bags and go. Is it easy to take a bike there in the first week? I hope I don't have to fiddle about getting it checked in or something at college.

On an Oxford related note, I've been modifying an old racing bicycle for university. I should really stop acting as if I'm ready to pack my bags and go. Is it easy to take a bike there in the first week? I hope I don't have to fiddle about getting it checked in or something at college.

Thanks for finding that page. I read through that before, it was a painful read, when I was still worrying about having to apply for accommodation. Slightly upset about not being allowed to bring an animal, I wanted a new puppy for Oxford.

Thanks for finding that page. I read through that before, it was a painful read, when I was still worrying about having to apply for accommodation. Slightly upset about not being allowed to bring an animal, I wanted a new puppy for Oxford.

Booo hisss! Not at the historian thing (which is obv the best subject) but at Magdalen. I'm at St Catz, which is Magdalen's deadly rival. Not that it really matters much - I have plenty of friends at both. But it's good to keep up appearances, y'know? Magdalen have never really acknowledged our rivalry in fact, although legend goes that there was an incident a few years ago involving a deer and a couple of cans of spray paint in Catz colours...

Hertford is really beautiful, I've been there for tutes before - your cousin is lucky Anyway, what sort of area are you looking at studying, i.e. what time period? Have you looked at what papers you'd be taking yet?

Most people bring bikes, and the college that doesn't have a dedicated bike shed is very unusual. I wouldn't worry about that, I think Magdalen has a big one, and there's plenty of space outside judging by the number of bikes tethered to the bridge... It's good to get it registered, but that's a security thing. You don't need it right away.

What did you have to do to apply for accomodation for Magdalen? Merton keeps it simple and we basically just turn up in October and get shown our rooms.

Yeah, and they teach you how to write with your non-dominant hand for when you get cramp during essays.

On an Oxford related note, I've been modifying an old racing bicycle for university. I should really stop acting as if I'm ready to pack my bags and go. Is it easy to take a bike there in the first week? I hope I don't have to fiddle about getting it checked in or something at college.

Yeah, Hertford looks wonderful, I've seen that front quad from watching Brideshead countless times!I've heard there was a rivalry, I wondered where it stemmed from, but I never read any more. I kind of wished it was like the (apparently violent) Jesus/Exeter one.

Well I've chosen to study Britain 1685 - 1830 and European 1400 - 1650, as well as translating Alexis de Tocqueville's L'Ancien Regime. I'm a real fan of eighteenths century and imperial British history, and after I studied Philip II of Spain for AS I wanted to get more stuck into Renaissance Europe. I'm plodding through the French translation at the moment. Slow work, but rather fun. What did you study in your first year?