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Which Oxford college has the best accomodation?

a thread along the lines of this one has probably been already created...but i couldnt find it.

i went to an oxford open day, however after my visit i was still no clearer on my choice of college- they really are more alike than different. but unfortunately, the most important criteria for me when choosing a college is accomodation, which is what i got the least information on. so- i thought you may have some answers...

which college offers the best accomodation (best = spacious, not too monolythic, good location..etc)

thanks

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Reply 1

sophisti_kate

Lincoln! But then, I'm biased! I've been told first-years get rooms round the quads...how cool is that?

Reply 2

Traum

Exeter has good accom, at least what I've seen during the interviews. I was in a room with a living room AND bedroom. The toilet and seperate bathroom is shared between 2 people I think and there is only 2 rooms/floor! (n btw the windows continues to the floor! It's beautiful!)

The doubles are also very nice, with 2 rooms, a living room and showers (in the room).

The singles are ok, reasonable sized with big windows etc.

I think most (all?) 1st years get single rooms and then you get chucked out of college for the 2nd year...apparently some 3rd years get college accom but i'm not sure.

I think the big colleges offer all 3 years though, my friend who's going to St John said so, but she said that her room doing the interview were tiny...

n obviously if you choose a central college you gotta be able to put up with the noise (during the interview some drunk guy keeps on shouting beneath my window...)

Reply 3

dreamqueen

at pembroke you can choose the size of your room and pay more for a big one or one with an ensuite. Nevertheless I would still say don't apply there because the JCR is pretty lame

edit

Out of the few colleges I've seen, I'd say Magdelen, where my cousin goes, seems the nicest. They provide accomodation for all undergraduates so you never have to rent privately, and I think it's all on or right next to the college site. Some rooms are amazing- in her final year my cousin was really high on the room ballot and got a huge room (bedroom plus loungish area) overlooking the deer park. It was massive, you could have fitted a party with fifteen people in there (although there wouldn't have been enough chairs!).

The only disadvantage is that first year rooms aren't on the main site, they are a few minutes walk down a busy road in a modern style building. The rooms facing the road seemed quite noisy and not that large, but on the other hand they are right above an off-license, and the atmosphere is really friendly with so many first years living together.

Reply 6

dreamqueen

magdalen is so competitive though, unless you're really confident I would not advise applying there

Reply 7

mikeyT

Catz has accomodation for all three years. But if you do a four year course then you might have to live out in your final year. The freshers are randomly drawn to whatever rooms are left after the second and third years have chosen their rooms. So this year, a lot of freshers got the ensuite rooms in the old quad because no one chose them.
The second years all live together in the new accomodation that's just been built. These are all ensuite.
All the rooms are on the same site.

Reply 8

RichyP

hermajesty

Out of the few colleges I've seen, I'd say Magdalen, where my cousin goes, seems the nicest. They provide accomodation for all undergraduates so you never have to rent privately, and I think it's all on or right next to the college site. Some rooms are amazing- in her final year my cousin was really high on the room ballot and got a huge room (bedroom plus loungish area) overlooking the deer park. It was massive, you could have fitted a party with fifteen people in there (although there wouldn't have been enough chairs!).

The only disadvantage is that first year rooms aren't on the main site, they are a few minutes walk down a busy road in a modern style building. The rooms facing the road seemed quite noisy and not that large, but on the other hand they are right above an off-license, and the atmosphere is really friendly with so many first years living together.

I've only visited Magdalen for my interview, but from I've seen it does have some very nice rooms, as hermajesty said. Not all the rooms are like that however, you could get billeted in a small room without a sink for your 1st year.

Having said that Magdalen rules, and some of accommodation is amazing.

Reply 9

wilbur

The big, old, rich colleges seem to have the nicest accomodation as a rule. Magdalen was very nice, New was good, as was Merton. Can't say about any of the others...

Reply 10

Sinuhe

Will_

EVERYONE at New gets an en-suite, and the first years get awesome rooms.

That's not entirely true, a friend of mine at New doesn't have an en suite room (and she IS a first year, too).

edit

st johns is nice, bit too much concrete, but otherwise ace. (compared to my expectations of uni accomodation at least...)

Reply 13

wilbur

sea tea

st johns is nice, bit too much concrete, but otherwise ace. (compared to my expectations of uni accomodation at least...)

I was told it wasn't concrete, but actually an extremely expensive imported marble...that looks exactly like concrete :p:

I think I was lied to...

Reply 14

Hoofbeat

Lincoln has guaranteed accomodation for 3years (we're the last year to get it in our 4th year). As Kate said, most first years are accomodated in ensuite accomodation around the main quads (some of my friends were lucky enough to have more than one room...one even had 3 and a hallway!!!!). Second years have good central accomodation on turl st above the shops/mite or above the shops on high st, but most of it is not ensuite (however it's used as a BnB during the hols so it's not that bad and if you're high up the room ballot you can get some pretty awesome sized rooms). Third years are accomodated in Museum Road in brand new houses with kitchens (in 1st/2nd year there are no kitchens accept the one JCR kitchen). If your scientist this is really useful as Museum Road is practically opposite the science park and it's only like an 8min walk from town centre and probs about 5mins from History Fac.

Reply 15

HannahZ

Some pictures of college rooms

Reply 16

sea tea

wilbur

I was told it wasn't concrete, but actually an extremely expensive imported marble...that looks exactly like concrete :p:

I think I was lied to...

haha, i haven't been since my interview, but it sure looked like concrete.

Reply 17

kizer

the beehive is an architectural masterpiece for st johns! And the rooms inside are huge - I loved my room at interview.

Don't know enough about other colleges' accomodation to compare though.

Reply 18

Champagne Breakfast

Will_

EVERYONE at New gets an en-suite, and the first years get awesome rooms. AND they just had them renovated this year AND they just got £55million for selling some land, i daresay some of that will go to making the already amazing accom EVEN BETTER.

Oh oh and we have the Oxford wall and amazing gardens to make the view good as well!

Case closed, eh?

The 'Oxford wall' is a monstrosity of hideousness.