Oxford 2011 Freshers Chat Thread

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I think mine came from Shepherd & Woodward (see here) but I would wait until you get your freshers pack, if you haven't got it already, because mine had a order form in it, along with one for a college hoodie, college scarf, college cuff links...

Thanks for all of your help! Ran out of rep :frown:

Reply 2901

soutioirsim

Original post by BJack

You'll pay the same (c. £25) wether you order your gown set right now or after you arrive. The benefit of ordering it now is that it's one less thing to have to worry about in freshers' week — some colleges (maybe even all; I don't know, as I only go to one >___&gt :wink:

will have it all waiting for you when you arrive, which means minimum hassle, and you might have a formal meal early in freshers' week that yo

tl;dr - get it now.

Thanks for that :smile:

Reply 2902

bubblle

I didn't by my gown until half way through 1st week - We had a formal in freshers' week but half of us didn't have the gowns yet so we didn't need to wear them. I'd get them earlier on so you don't have to stress though, like BJack said.

Reply 2903

bubblle

Also, any LMH freshers or mathematicians out there?

Reply 2904

sabreese

Original post by dbmag9

0th week (freshers' week) starts on the 2nd, but different colleges will have you arriving on different days, and international students might arrive a bit before that. Merton has us arriving on the 3rd, and freshers' stuff starts that evening.

Matriculation is on the 15th (assuming I'm right in inferring that everyone matriculates together).

It's theoretically possible to hire a gown, but you'll need to wear subfusc (white shirt, black skirt/trousers/shoes, black ribbon), gown and cap (mortarboard) for matriculation and exams, and the gown (on top of regular clothes) for formal hall if you go, so almost everyone buys one. You can order in advance and collect it when you get to Oxford, or buy when you get there.

Thank you.

So what do the college info packs contain exactly? Anyone had a Magdalen one...I'm not home from holiday for another week so won't have it til then :rolleyes:

Reply 2905

deFossard

Original post by sabreese

Thank you.

So what do the college info packs contain exactly? Anyone had a Magdalen one...I'm not home from holiday for another week so won't have it til then :rolleyes:

Yeah, I've got mine from Magdalen. It was a pretty hefty package; handwritten letter from the parents, a nice thick, glossy freshers' booklet written by the students, LOADS of forms to fill in - financial info, library membership, doctor stuff - and instructions for the first week, what to do when we arrive and the date of the first bop of the term.

Offended that the Sub Fusc pack comes with a pre-tied white tie.

Reply 2906

dbmag9

Original post by shinobi93

Strange question, but I was just filling in the internet registration form and it says about restrictions on using p2p software, and I was wondering if anyone knows if Skype is included in this? I only just discovered that it was peer to peer :s-smilie:

Merton allow Skype but it has to be set up to use certain ports, and I think officially you're not supposed to use to for hours on end.

Reply 2907

sleungs

Has anyone got a Financial Undertaking Form to fill in? It says to enclose a copy of the financial notification/registration confirmation from Student Finance.. what exactly is that? Is it all 4 pages from Student Finance outlining grants and loans etc. or just one of those pages? I have no idea!

Thanks for the help whoever replies :smile:

Reply 2908

henryt

Original post by dbmag9

Out of interest, how many people start the year thinking they'll definitely get the promotion compared to how many actually do? Cause I have a feeling I might fall into that category. :p:

I don't really think you can really say. I was convinced that I'd be good enough for a First, but I found the social aspects of university rather too compelling for most of my degree...! (I should say that despite getting properly awful marks in first year, I did manage a First overall, so it's certainly possible, or perhaps the point of university, that you improve during your studies!)

Reply 2909

soutioirsim

Does anyone know when we should hear from Oxford about the Opportunity Bursary?

Reply 2910

pinstriped.flower

Original post by soutioirsim

Does anyone know when we should hear from Oxford about the Opportunity Bursary?

September some time usually..

That's what they said to me anyway.

Reply 2911

dbmag9

Original post by deFossard

Offended that the Sub Fusc pack comes with a pre-tied white tie.

Yeah, I noticed that, although on one of the forms you can get a self-tie one for a slight discount. Gown and tie investigation is by far my favourite part of university preparation so far. :cool:

Reply 2912

deFossard

Original post by dbmag9

Yeah, I noticed that, although on one of the forms you can get a self-tie one for a slight discount. Gown and tie investigation is by far my favourite part of university preparation so far. :cool:

Yeah, for a tenner more, I think that's worth it. I found the site of the company Magdalen use, Walter's of Oxford. Seem pretty much the same as the others, really. It's far more fun looking up this than it is working out how much money I'll need to loan out.

Reply 2913

dbmag9

Original post by deFossard

Yeah, I was complaining the other day here about how Merton sent us three flyers for different companies, all of whom have identical prices and use the same photo on their websites. The genuine alternatives to that are the more expensive one on the Oxford University Shop website (which someone here said was crap) and Ede & Ravenscroft, whom I imagine are quality but expensive.

I can't tell whether the £10.50 for a self-tie "as part of your package" means in addition to a pre-tied or instead of. Even at Oxford I can't see myself needing more than one white bow tie.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 2914

deFossard

Original post by dbmag9

I couldn't find Commoner gowns on Ede & Ravenscroft's site anyway, it was all graduates, clergy and barristers.

I'm sure that they'd work out that if you want a self-tie tie then it would be instead of the pre-tied one. I hope. I actually have a white tie already, but it's one of those starched cotton ones which are probably too delicate.

Oh, is it right that for Formal Hall the code tends to be black tie? Suppose that may change from college to college.

Reply 2915

dbmag9

Original post by deFossard

I couldn't find it on the website, but I know E&R do undergraduate gowns, so I'd imagine it's a matter of buying them in the real world from their Oxford branch.

Formal Hall tends to be lounge suit and necktie with gown on top, although how much this is kept to depends on the college (I recall reading somewhere that said anything sort of running shorts was acceptable). Black tie is only for special dinners (and the less fancy balls, of course), and possibly guest nights and the like.

Reply 2916

sabreese

Original post by deFossard

Thanks - just one more question - what day/time are we meant to arrive?

Reply 2917

sabreese

Anyone know if Magdalen does formal halls/if so how often? I need to get smart clothes haha

Reply 2918

deFossard

Original post by dbmag9

Thanks. As much as I'd like an E&R gown, it just might be a waste of my precious student loans. Just found the Magdalen rules in my fresher's book actually. It's black tie on Sundays only. I suppose it's suits and gowns for the rest of the week. Thanks to my compulsive charity shop and flea market trawling I won't be caught out by a lack of smart clothes.

Going to set up a student bank account tomorrow, with HSBC, because I already bank there. Anyone know anything about this? They have the biggest interest free overdraft, which is appealing.