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Fed up with pesky applicants?
Ok so this one is mainly aimed at all the regular TSRers, but new applicants and less-than-frequent posters you can help too!!
So here's the deal: we ALL get fed up with applicants asking the same questions over and over and over and clogging up the boards - it takes about a day for the Oxford chat thread (or any other thread) to disappear off the board because so many new threads are being posted and the ridiculous thing is we answer the same questions SO often!
My solution is thus - the wiki. The Oxford section is really not up to scratch. I did a fair bit of work on it last holiday but since I'm madly procrastinating this holiday I can probably get some more done but I need your help. Just answer the following and I will do all the messiness of sorting out wiki pages. Then we can just have one Stickied thread at the top with a link to each page and then Chloe and I can justifiably get irate with anybody and everybody who asks the same questions over and over!
Apologies if some of the questions are very specific, I don't expect anybody to be able to answer all of them. But the more you can do the better!
1. Which college are you at?
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college? Does your college have sports facilities of its own?
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
6. Is there the option of self catering?
7. How much does food cost in college?
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
10. What's your bar like?
11. Does your college take many international students?
12. What subject do you do?
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
14. What choice of modules do you have within your subject or is it all prescribed?
Also just for the purposes of having some kind of statistic when (if you can remember) did you get a reply from Oxford and did it come by mail or did you get a phone call?
Obviously this won't stop the 4960 combinations of anybody applying for X college or Y subject but I'm fed up and this might help SOMEWHAT! Cheers guys - also feel free to suggest other qs and i'll add in where possible
So here's the deal: we ALL get fed up with applicants asking the same questions over and over and over and clogging up the boards - it takes about a day for the Oxford chat thread (or any other thread) to disappear off the board because so many new threads are being posted and the ridiculous thing is we answer the same questions SO often!
My solution is thus - the wiki. The Oxford section is really not up to scratch. I did a fair bit of work on it last holiday but since I'm madly procrastinating this holiday I can probably get some more done but I need your help. Just answer the following and I will do all the messiness of sorting out wiki pages. Then we can just have one Stickied thread at the top with a link to each page and then Chloe and I can justifiably get irate with anybody and everybody who asks the same questions over and over!
Apologies if some of the questions are very specific, I don't expect anybody to be able to answer all of them. But the more you can do the better!
1. Which college are you at?
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college? Does your college have sports facilities of its own?
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
6. Is there the option of self catering?
7. How much does food cost in college?
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
10. What's your bar like?
11. Does your college take many international students?
12. What subject do you do?
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
14. What choice of modules do you have within your subject or is it all prescribed?
Also just for the purposes of having some kind of statistic when (if you can remember) did you get a reply from Oxford and did it come by mail or did you get a phone call?
Obviously this won't stop the 4960 combinations of anybody applying for X college or Y subject but I'm fed up and this might help SOMEWHAT! Cheers guys - also feel free to suggest other qs and i'll add in where possible
Scroll to see replies
I'll start...
1. Which college are you at? Jesus
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
- location, on Turl Street, right in the centre of the city
- accomodation for all three years, but in flats allowing independence
- cheap food and rents
- a wide variety of clubs and societies
- a great JCR
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
- no self-catering in 1st year
- small bar
- bar isn't cheap
- east-facing rooms in old parts of the college are boiling hot
- some of the old parts of college and ship street rooms are tiny!
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college?
Rowing (generally 3 women's and 4 men's crews), Men's and women's football, men's and women's rugby, women's and mixed hockey, mixed lacrosse, tennis in the summer, the college has a membership with iffley gym and the rosenblatt swimming pool.
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
Size very variable from about 4.5 x 4.5m to double that size. Rents are about £800 in college, nearer £1000 in the flats - but that's because the lease is for the whole year. Students are accomodated for all three years but only guaranteed in college for the first year. College owns flats for 2nd and third year. One "annex" - Ship Street but that's literally across the road from te college proper
6. Is there the option of self catering?
Not when living in college
7. How much does food cost in college?
£1.29 all you can eat breakfast
£1.09 for each "main meal" + 30p for each portion of vegetables / rice / chips etc or 17p for salad. Puddings are about 30-45p depending on the time of day
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
Dodd holiday fund (for non-academic only)
A fund for up to £300's worth of music lessons
Various academic prizes
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
Big TV with sky plus projector for films and football; two vending machines (chocolate + drinks and hot stuff) plus the hatch which sells fresh toast, squash, milk, chocolate and sweets etc; a free pool table.
10. What's your bar like?
Cheaper than "normal" more than most students'. 50p for a can, £1.70 for a shot of malibu / archers; about £2 for a pint. Smaller than Lincoln, bigger than Teddy Hall or Mansfield.
11. Does your college take many international students?
Practically none - obviously that's the norm but I mean we don't make any special effort like e.g. Pembroke do
12. What subject do you do?
Biology
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
In the first year 13 lectures, 13 hours of labs and 1-2 tutes a week. This year 10 lectures a week and far less lab time.
14. In brief (because I already wrote the Oxford Bio wiki
) In first year everyone takes Organisms, Populations and Cells&Genes. In 2nd year pic 3 out of Animal Biology, Plant and Microbial Biology, Biology of Animal and Plant Disease, Cells and Development and Environmental biology. In 3rd year drop 1.
And I got my offer by mail on the Saturday.
1. Which college are you at? Jesus
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
- location, on Turl Street, right in the centre of the city
- accomodation for all three years, but in flats allowing independence
- cheap food and rents
- a wide variety of clubs and societies
- a great JCR
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
- no self-catering in 1st year
- small bar
- bar isn't cheap
- east-facing rooms in old parts of the college are boiling hot
- some of the old parts of college and ship street rooms are tiny!
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college?
Rowing (generally 3 women's and 4 men's crews), Men's and women's football, men's and women's rugby, women's and mixed hockey, mixed lacrosse, tennis in the summer, the college has a membership with iffley gym and the rosenblatt swimming pool.
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
Size very variable from about 4.5 x 4.5m to double that size. Rents are about £800 in college, nearer £1000 in the flats - but that's because the lease is for the whole year. Students are accomodated for all three years but only guaranteed in college for the first year. College owns flats for 2nd and third year. One "annex" - Ship Street but that's literally across the road from te college proper
6. Is there the option of self catering?
Not when living in college
7. How much does food cost in college?
£1.29 all you can eat breakfast
£1.09 for each "main meal" + 30p for each portion of vegetables / rice / chips etc or 17p for salad. Puddings are about 30-45p depending on the time of day
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
Dodd holiday fund (for non-academic only)
A fund for up to £300's worth of music lessons
Various academic prizes
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
Big TV with sky plus projector for films and football; two vending machines (chocolate + drinks and hot stuff) plus the hatch which sells fresh toast, squash, milk, chocolate and sweets etc; a free pool table.
10. What's your bar like?
Cheaper than "normal" more than most students'. 50p for a can, £1.70 for a shot of malibu / archers; about £2 for a pint. Smaller than Lincoln, bigger than Teddy Hall or Mansfield.
11. Does your college take many international students?
Practically none - obviously that's the norm but I mean we don't make any special effort like e.g. Pembroke do
12. What subject do you do?
Biology
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
In the first year 13 lectures, 13 hours of labs and 1-2 tutes a week. This year 10 lectures a week and far less lab time.
14. In brief (because I already wrote the Oxford Bio wiki
) In first year everyone takes Organisms, Populations and Cells&Genes. In 2nd year pic 3 out of Animal Biology, Plant and Microbial Biology, Biology of Animal and Plant Disease, Cells and Development and Environmental biology. In 3rd year drop 1. And I got my offer by mail on the Saturday.
1. Which college are you at? Magdalen
2. 5 best things about your college? In no particular order: Aesthetic appeal, kitchens all round combined with cheap food in Hall, accommodation(big rooms, 3 years), location (a small walk from the city centre - I like walking) and opportunities offered (such as the trip to Parliament with a former very senior clerk who is now a fellow)
3. 5 worst things about your college? Can't really think of anything bad.
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college? I don't know, I only do minor sports
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years? First year rooms are just outside the college and are not particularly big, but not small either. Second and third years get rooms inside college which have a reputation for being huge, rooms are assigned by random ballot with third years havingfirst choice and the order being reversed after the second year, so if you come first in the second year you'll be last in the third year (but will still get to choose before all the second years).Accommodation costs approximately £1050 a term and is the same price regardless of your room.
6. Is there the option of self catering?Kitchens are abundant, and the hall food is tolerable and reasonably priced.
7. How much does food cost in college? I don't normally eat college food, but you can get a proper dinner for £2
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?) There are such things, but I'm not sure on the details
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?It's made of two rooms, one has some sofas, a free pool table and a large tv, the other has lots of very comfy chairs, a huge tv and sky including some premium sports I believe.
10. What's your bar like?At the moment large and cavelike, with green walls, but I believe it's being refurbished either over Christmas or over Summer.
11. Does your college take many international students?I haven't met a huge number, but there are certainly a few.
12. What subject do you do?PPE
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week? This term it has been an economics essay every week and an ethics essay every other week along with a logic worksheet every other week. I assume that next term, doing general philosophy and politics or the term after with politics and economics it will be two essays every week.
2. 5 best things about your college? In no particular order: Aesthetic appeal, kitchens all round combined with cheap food in Hall, accommodation(big rooms, 3 years), location (a small walk from the city centre - I like walking) and opportunities offered (such as the trip to Parliament with a former very senior clerk who is now a fellow)
3. 5 worst things about your college? Can't really think of anything bad.
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college? I don't know, I only do minor sports
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years? First year rooms are just outside the college and are not particularly big, but not small either. Second and third years get rooms inside college which have a reputation for being huge, rooms are assigned by random ballot with third years havingfirst choice and the order being reversed after the second year, so if you come first in the second year you'll be last in the third year (but will still get to choose before all the second years).Accommodation costs approximately £1050 a term and is the same price regardless of your room.
6. Is there the option of self catering?Kitchens are abundant, and the hall food is tolerable and reasonably priced.
7. How much does food cost in college? I don't normally eat college food, but you can get a proper dinner for £2
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?) There are such things, but I'm not sure on the details
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?It's made of two rooms, one has some sofas, a free pool table and a large tv, the other has lots of very comfy chairs, a huge tv and sky including some premium sports I believe.
10. What's your bar like?At the moment large and cavelike, with green walls, but I believe it's being refurbished either over Christmas or over Summer.
11. Does your college take many international students?I haven't met a huge number, but there are certainly a few.
12. What subject do you do?PPE
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week? This term it has been an economics essay every week and an ethics essay every other week along with a logic worksheet every other week. I assume that next term, doing general philosophy and politics or the term after with politics and economics it will be two essays every week.
1. Which college are you at?
UNIV!!!
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
Atmosphere - it's horribly, sickeningly nice
Formal hall 6 times a week - soon with completely refurbished kitchen (I say soon, I meant when *next* year's applicants arrive)
Being at the oldest college - gives it a certain prestige with random Americans
Being next door to exam schools (where many lectures and exams take place) - makes early starts not as bad as for many
Bursaries - the college spends *loads* of money on bursaries, more per student than any other higher education institute in the country (so I've heard). Details below in qu. 8
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
Univ doesn't really have bad points, it's just for most things, it's pretty middle-of-the-road. It's not too expensive, foods ok, it's quite pretty, quite large, quite good at sport, societies are reasonable, bar's pretty good, etc. There's nothing bad about it. Except perhaps next year, when there won't be formal in college due to refurbishment.
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college?
Rowing (generally 2-3 women's and 3-4 men's crews, plus novices)
Men's (3 teams) and women's football,
Men's rugby
Women's and mixed hockey
Mixed lacrosse,
Squash courts in college,
Badminton (men's and women's teams),
Basketball (men's),
Pool,
Darts,
~10 Memberships with iffley gym (shared - you book a card out at the lodge).
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
First year expect a slightly small to pretty large room, but only one. Often in our 60s building, but they're warm and quite large, for the most part. Except international students who get an *awesome* 2-room suite in Helen's Court, which are gorgeous.
Second year there's a choice, top of the ballot is a 3 room+ensuite suite, mid-ballot expect a rather large single room or relatively small two-room suite, near the bottom expect a reasonably large single room.
Third years either live out or live in our north Oxford annex. Rooms are reasonable.
Rooms cost £13.49 per day, or around £800 per term (8 weeks plus a few days before term for collections and to get settled).
6. Is there the option of self catering?
If you live in college, only if you have a food allergy, though a few other rooms do. In the annex, all rooms have kitchen access.
7. How much does food cost in college?
£1.55-2.30 for a main course, desserts are usually 60-80p.
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
*Loads*:
There are the old members' trust bursaries, which provide £3000+ per year for three years. There are usually quite a few (10+) of these, all just before you come on the basis of means. If your parents earn less than £25-30k, you're pretty likely to get one.
There are masters bursaries for travelling in North America and Hong Kong/China, to a total of a few thousand pounds a year. Usually they're shared, but you're still likely to get £500+.
There's the JCR hardship grants, made if you get into difficulty. There's over £50,000 a year in this, and in my time here it's *never* been all used up. If you run into financial difficulty, you'll get help.
Music scholarships done by audition and contribution to college music life.
There's also a range of merit scholarships (for the best marks in prelims in PPE, Psychology, Classics and a few others at least).
There's other special ones too, for certain subjects or people with certain backgrounds.
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
Big TV, newspapers, computers with internet - that's about it. Ooooh, plus JCR tea - every weekday at 4pm we have 3p cups of tea and 9p sandwiches, which chatting about everything and doing sudoko/crosswords/reading papers, etc.
10. What's your bar like?
Underground, but quite nice, with a pool table, dart board and cheap drinks - ~£1.50 a pint, less for a spirit & mixer and a few cocktails at £2. Plus nice barmen
11. Does your college take many international students?
Quite a few. We usually have at least 1 Rhodes scholar, and for undergrads we tend to have at least 5-10 a year, not counting EU students. Perhaps even slightly more. All international students get the best rooms too.
12. What subject do you do?
E&M
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
1st year: 6 hours lectures, 4-5 hours tutorials, 1 essay, 1 series of mini-essays and a maths problem sheet a week.
2nd year: 4 hours lectures, 2-3 hours tutorials, 2 essays a week.
3rd year: same as 2nd for the first term, then revision classes for 1 1/2 terms before exams, unless you take silly options (like me) and they run into Hilary.
I should mention that the first year is done by your college (at least the ecoinomics and management parts are, the maths is taught in the department), whereas the second and third year are taught outside college by specialists.
14. What choice of modules do you have within your subject or is it all prescribed?
The first year is all set - intro to econ, management and maths & stats.
For finals you take two core econ papers - micro and macro - and any two management options, plus 4 other options that can be economics or management. So a lot of choice. The usual problem is choosing which subjects you like *not* to take, as there are quite a lot of interesting courses.
My offer (both times) came on a weekday around 21st. All that's ever in the envelope (whatever the outcome) is a sheet of paper, so thickness is the same.
UNIV!!!
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
Atmosphere - it's horribly, sickeningly nice
Formal hall 6 times a week - soon with completely refurbished kitchen (I say soon, I meant when *next* year's applicants arrive)
Being at the oldest college - gives it a certain prestige with random Americans
Being next door to exam schools (where many lectures and exams take place) - makes early starts not as bad as for many
Bursaries - the college spends *loads* of money on bursaries, more per student than any other higher education institute in the country (so I've heard). Details below in qu. 8
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
Univ doesn't really have bad points, it's just for most things, it's pretty middle-of-the-road. It's not too expensive, foods ok, it's quite pretty, quite large, quite good at sport, societies are reasonable, bar's pretty good, etc. There's nothing bad about it. Except perhaps next year, when there won't be formal in college due to refurbishment.
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college?
Rowing (generally 2-3 women's and 3-4 men's crews, plus novices)
Men's (3 teams) and women's football,
Men's rugby
Women's and mixed hockey
Mixed lacrosse,
Squash courts in college,
Badminton (men's and women's teams),
Basketball (men's),
Pool,
Darts,
~10 Memberships with iffley gym (shared - you book a card out at the lodge).
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
First year expect a slightly small to pretty large room, but only one. Often in our 60s building, but they're warm and quite large, for the most part. Except international students who get an *awesome* 2-room suite in Helen's Court, which are gorgeous.
Second year there's a choice, top of the ballot is a 3 room+ensuite suite, mid-ballot expect a rather large single room or relatively small two-room suite, near the bottom expect a reasonably large single room.
Third years either live out or live in our north Oxford annex. Rooms are reasonable.
Rooms cost £13.49 per day, or around £800 per term (8 weeks plus a few days before term for collections and to get settled).
6. Is there the option of self catering?
If you live in college, only if you have a food allergy, though a few other rooms do. In the annex, all rooms have kitchen access.
7. How much does food cost in college?
£1.55-2.30 for a main course, desserts are usually 60-80p.
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
*Loads*:
There are the old members' trust bursaries, which provide £3000+ per year for three years. There are usually quite a few (10+) of these, all just before you come on the basis of means. If your parents earn less than £25-30k, you're pretty likely to get one.
There are masters bursaries for travelling in North America and Hong Kong/China, to a total of a few thousand pounds a year. Usually they're shared, but you're still likely to get £500+.
There's the JCR hardship grants, made if you get into difficulty. There's over £50,000 a year in this, and in my time here it's *never* been all used up. If you run into financial difficulty, you'll get help.
Music scholarships done by audition and contribution to college music life.
There's also a range of merit scholarships (for the best marks in prelims in PPE, Psychology, Classics and a few others at least).
There's other special ones too, for certain subjects or people with certain backgrounds.
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
Big TV, newspapers, computers with internet - that's about it. Ooooh, plus JCR tea - every weekday at 4pm we have 3p cups of tea and 9p sandwiches, which chatting about everything and doing sudoko/crosswords/reading papers, etc.
10. What's your bar like?
Underground, but quite nice, with a pool table, dart board and cheap drinks - ~£1.50 a pint, less for a spirit & mixer and a few cocktails at £2. Plus nice barmen
11. Does your college take many international students?
Quite a few. We usually have at least 1 Rhodes scholar, and for undergrads we tend to have at least 5-10 a year, not counting EU students. Perhaps even slightly more. All international students get the best rooms too.
12. What subject do you do?
E&M
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
1st year: 6 hours lectures, 4-5 hours tutorials, 1 essay, 1 series of mini-essays and a maths problem sheet a week.
2nd year: 4 hours lectures, 2-3 hours tutorials, 2 essays a week.
3rd year: same as 2nd for the first term, then revision classes for 1 1/2 terms before exams, unless you take silly options (like me) and they run into Hilary.
I should mention that the first year is done by your college (at least the ecoinomics and management parts are, the maths is taught in the department), whereas the second and third year are taught outside college by specialists.
14. What choice of modules do you have within your subject or is it all prescribed?
The first year is all set - intro to econ, management and maths & stats.
For finals you take two core econ papers - micro and macro - and any two management options, plus 4 other options that can be economics or management. So a lot of choice. The usual problem is choosing which subjects you like *not* to take, as there are quite a lot of interesting courses.
My offer (both times) came on a weekday around 21st. All that's ever in the envelope (whatever the outcome) is a sheet of paper, so thickness is the same.
Lincoln
5 Best things- small and friendly; centre of town, yet slightly away from the tourists; pretty buildings with no ugly 60s annex on the main site; well stocked library in an amazing building, with a spectacular plaster ceiling; really nice food, especially at formal dinners.
Five worst things- Only half the freshers get to live in the main college (the rest just across the street above the shops); bit expensive- £3.95 for dinner, £104/week rent +utilities (£45/term), college bar more expensive than others, around £2 a drink; college authorities can seem rather at odds with the students at times (like the freshers week clubbing thing); while i like how we're such a small close knit community, it can get a bit claustrophobic at times; almost no self catering facilities for first and (most) second years.
Rooms- college accomodation available certainly for three years, as well as for fourth years at the moment. First years live either in the main college, where the rooms are small, but pretty, with ensuite - apparently some can be a bit noisy in the summer when everyone is sitting out on grove quad while you're trying to revise for exams- or else across the street, in lincoln house/staircase 15. These rooms aren't ensuite, but have sinks in them, and there's about 1 shower and toilet for every 4 people. These rooms aren't the nicest to look at- i have a nice view of the fellows car park- but really big, so it kinda makes up for it. Second years mostly live in the Mitre rooms, which are slightly further down turl street, and aren't anything special, but mostly quite decent; a couple are ensuite, and they all have a sink in them. Third and fourth years mainly live in the college houses slightly out of the town centre (most are right next to the science area). No idea what these are like- never seen them- but they've got proper kitchens. A few undergraduates live in the mainly grad accomodation blocks, which are recently built and have kitchens and seem really nice.
All rooms have ethernet and most have internal phones as well. First year rooms are allocated randomly, while in susequent years, there's a room ballot, and everyone chooses their room in the order they're drawn. Everyone pays the same rent, regardless of what room they're in, but for some reason the cost varies between the years. How this works is being debated by the jcr at the moment. This year rents were £104 a week for first years, with about £45/term for utilities.
Sports- mens and womens boatclub (ie. rowing), men and womens football club, rugby team, pool and darts teams, the chaplain who's just left us organised a basketball team as well, apparently, dunno whether that'll continue. There's a large sports ground up in cowley, and there's supposed to be a small college gym, but it's surrounded by a building site atm, but should be functioning eventually.
self catering- The only proper self catering facilities are in the college houses, which are mainly occupied by the third and fourth years, and bear lane, which is mainly grad accomodation, but a few second and third years live there, too. For the first and second years, there's a "kitchen" in the jcr, which has a couple of microwaves, a sandwich toaster, a fridge and a kettle. We're hoping we can convince the college to let us upgrade it, and get a hob and stuff put in, but don't count on it.
Food- Dinner £3.95, sunday to friday. You pay for 6 dinners a week in advance, but you can get a refund on up to 24 dinners a term if you don't take them. Lunch in hall is £1.60 for a main course, 40p for veg, 50p for pudding. The bar sells baguettes and the like for about £1.80 each. Breakfast is a £1 for small fry up, and another £1 for unlimited toast. There's cereal, croissants and yogurts and stuff avialable as well, about 50p each i think.
Grants- 40% any coursebooks you buy, up to £80 a year; vacation study grants for if you *need* to stay on outside of term time for exams, workshops or anything else; travel grants up to £100 if you want to go on an interesting trip somewhere- you have to write an essay about afterwards, though; hardship grants are available too, if you run in to difficulties- these can be quite generous, apparently. Scholarships and exhibitions for good performance between £50-£200 (and a big gown) awarded after the first year.
JCR- big tv, freeeview, dvd player and sofas. There's a pool table and football table in the bar (20p a game). Full set of newspapers delivered daily- some bastard nicks the times everyday though.
International students- there are some. This year there's about 6 visiting students, and about 8-10 degree course internationals, mainly from europe, a couple from asia, and an american girl.
my course: computer science
8 lectures a week (two a day), 2 hour practical session a week, four tute sheets a week, and about 7 tutorials a fortnight.
My offer came in the post on tuesday the week after i got back after interviews. It was in an a5 envelope, accompanied by a booklet about fees, living costs and bursaries at oxford (published by the university, not lincoln), and a letter from the lincoln bursar about college fees, and asking about how i intend to cover my fees (just tick the lea box- it mainly applied to international students, i think).
boo- i want some of your uber rep for this.
5 Best things- small and friendly; centre of town, yet slightly away from the tourists; pretty buildings with no ugly 60s annex on the main site; well stocked library in an amazing building, with a spectacular plaster ceiling; really nice food, especially at formal dinners.
Five worst things- Only half the freshers get to live in the main college (the rest just across the street above the shops); bit expensive- £3.95 for dinner, £104/week rent +utilities (£45/term), college bar more expensive than others, around £2 a drink; college authorities can seem rather at odds with the students at times (like the freshers week clubbing thing); while i like how we're such a small close knit community, it can get a bit claustrophobic at times; almost no self catering facilities for first and (most) second years.
Rooms- college accomodation available certainly for three years, as well as for fourth years at the moment. First years live either in the main college, where the rooms are small, but pretty, with ensuite - apparently some can be a bit noisy in the summer when everyone is sitting out on grove quad while you're trying to revise for exams- or else across the street, in lincoln house/staircase 15. These rooms aren't ensuite, but have sinks in them, and there's about 1 shower and toilet for every 4 people. These rooms aren't the nicest to look at- i have a nice view of the fellows car park- but really big, so it kinda makes up for it. Second years mostly live in the Mitre rooms, which are slightly further down turl street, and aren't anything special, but mostly quite decent; a couple are ensuite, and they all have a sink in them. Third and fourth years mainly live in the college houses slightly out of the town centre (most are right next to the science area). No idea what these are like- never seen them- but they've got proper kitchens. A few undergraduates live in the mainly grad accomodation blocks, which are recently built and have kitchens and seem really nice.
All rooms have ethernet and most have internal phones as well. First year rooms are allocated randomly, while in susequent years, there's a room ballot, and everyone chooses their room in the order they're drawn. Everyone pays the same rent, regardless of what room they're in, but for some reason the cost varies between the years. How this works is being debated by the jcr at the moment. This year rents were £104 a week for first years, with about £45/term for utilities.
Sports- mens and womens boatclub (ie. rowing), men and womens football club, rugby team, pool and darts teams, the chaplain who's just left us organised a basketball team as well, apparently, dunno whether that'll continue. There's a large sports ground up in cowley, and there's supposed to be a small college gym, but it's surrounded by a building site atm, but should be functioning eventually.
self catering- The only proper self catering facilities are in the college houses, which are mainly occupied by the third and fourth years, and bear lane, which is mainly grad accomodation, but a few second and third years live there, too. For the first and second years, there's a "kitchen" in the jcr, which has a couple of microwaves, a sandwich toaster, a fridge and a kettle. We're hoping we can convince the college to let us upgrade it, and get a hob and stuff put in, but don't count on it.
Food- Dinner £3.95, sunday to friday. You pay for 6 dinners a week in advance, but you can get a refund on up to 24 dinners a term if you don't take them. Lunch in hall is £1.60 for a main course, 40p for veg, 50p for pudding. The bar sells baguettes and the like for about £1.80 each. Breakfast is a £1 for small fry up, and another £1 for unlimited toast. There's cereal, croissants and yogurts and stuff avialable as well, about 50p each i think.
Grants- 40% any coursebooks you buy, up to £80 a year; vacation study grants for if you *need* to stay on outside of term time for exams, workshops or anything else; travel grants up to £100 if you want to go on an interesting trip somewhere- you have to write an essay about afterwards, though; hardship grants are available too, if you run in to difficulties- these can be quite generous, apparently. Scholarships and exhibitions for good performance between £50-£200 (and a big gown) awarded after the first year.
JCR- big tv, freeeview, dvd player and sofas. There's a pool table and football table in the bar (20p a game). Full set of newspapers delivered daily- some bastard nicks the times everyday though.
International students- there are some. This year there's about 6 visiting students, and about 8-10 degree course internationals, mainly from europe, a couple from asia, and an american girl.
my course: computer science
8 lectures a week (two a day), 2 hour practical session a week, four tute sheets a week, and about 7 tutorials a fortnight.
My offer came in the post on tuesday the week after i got back after interviews. It was in an a5 envelope, accompanied by a booklet about fees, living costs and bursaries at oxford (published by the university, not lincoln), and a letter from the lincoln bursar about college fees, and asking about how i intend to cover my fees (just tick the lea box- it mainly applied to international students, i think).
boo- i want some of your uber rep for this.
Fed up with pesky applicants?
www.oxfordgossip.co.uk
www.oxfordgossip.co.uk
Hmm, but people also keep starting threads about individual subjects, so wouldn't it be even more helpful if we could get sections on individual courses started (sort of like the English at Cambridge section, I mean)? I'd be willing to contribute to the English section, but I'm afraid I know next to nothing about course II, so I'd need help with that bit. Not to mention that my wiki-editing skills are appalling to non-existent...
Anyway, as for the questions:
1. Hilda's
2.
- lovely location near the river (and you can rent the college-owned punts during the summer)
- nice college gardens
- not as tourist-infested as some other colleges
- decent dining-hall food at reasonable prices
- the JdP is just round the corner
3.
- stupid and untrue stereotypes about the college perpetuated by the student press and invariably picked up by every new generation of freshers before they even come there (cf. some applicants' posts along the lines of "ooh, I'd rather be rejected altogether than get an offer from Hilda's" - they're not the ones to blame, but it's annoying nevertheless)
- some people at the college are actually led to act apologetic about their own college as a result
- somewhat negative atmosphere since the votes (both the GB and the students were very much divided about the whole going mixed thing; this is bound to improve once the change has actually happened, though)
- not very central, so you might have to get a bike if you're doing certain subjects (most places can easily be reached on foot, though)
- library catalogue isn't listed on OLIS, which can be annoying when you've nearly reached your limit at the faculty library and can't tell which of the three remaining books you can get with less hassle from the college library.
4. Rowing, rugby, pool, football and probably a few more that I'm blissfully unaware of, being a lazy English student.
There's a tennis court, so I assume you can do tennis as well. The gymn is really close.
5. Room size can vary quite a bit, depending on which building you're in, and sometimes even within one building. Rents are somewhere in the £800 range. You usually only live in college rooms during your first and third year, but there are plans to build additional accommodation (which will probably be built just before the college goes mixed)
6. Not really. You have to pay for about £100 worth of meal credits as part of your battels every term, and if you don't use up all your meal credits by the end of the year, it'll be lost.
7. Slightly confusing system which nobody can really remember. It's quite cheap on the whole, though.
8. Uh, I'd need to check the college website for that... the only one I know about for sure is a travel grant and the book grant.
9. There are two of those, actually. One has newspapers, a tv with a video recorder and comfy armchairs, and the other one has a jukebox, vending machines, a pool table, more newspapers, a slightly fancier tv, that sort of thing. Possibly a dvd player, but I don't really go there very often because of all the smoke (the bar is in the same room).
10. Better let somebody who actually drinks answer that one.
11. Lots. International applicants are more likely to make open applications than UK applicants, apparently, and since the college benefits from the pooling system quite a bit it's actually one of the most international colleges.
12-14 aren't really college-specific, are they?
Anyway, as for the questions:
1. Hilda's
2.
- lovely location near the river (and you can rent the college-owned punts during the summer)
- nice college gardens
- not as tourist-infested as some other colleges
- decent dining-hall food at reasonable prices
- the JdP is just round the corner
3.
- stupid and untrue stereotypes about the college perpetuated by the student press and invariably picked up by every new generation of freshers before they even come there (cf. some applicants' posts along the lines of "ooh, I'd rather be rejected altogether than get an offer from Hilda's" - they're not the ones to blame, but it's annoying nevertheless)
- some people at the college are actually led to act apologetic about their own college as a result
- somewhat negative atmosphere since the votes (both the GB and the students were very much divided about the whole going mixed thing; this is bound to improve once the change has actually happened, though)
- not very central, so you might have to get a bike if you're doing certain subjects (most places can easily be reached on foot, though)
- library catalogue isn't listed on OLIS, which can be annoying when you've nearly reached your limit at the faculty library and can't tell which of the three remaining books you can get with less hassle from the college library.
4. Rowing, rugby, pool, football and probably a few more that I'm blissfully unaware of, being a lazy English student.
There's a tennis court, so I assume you can do tennis as well. The gymn is really close.5. Room size can vary quite a bit, depending on which building you're in, and sometimes even within one building. Rents are somewhere in the £800 range. You usually only live in college rooms during your first and third year, but there are plans to build additional accommodation (which will probably be built just before the college goes mixed)
6. Not really. You have to pay for about £100 worth of meal credits as part of your battels every term, and if you don't use up all your meal credits by the end of the year, it'll be lost.
7. Slightly confusing system which nobody can really remember. It's quite cheap on the whole, though.
8. Uh, I'd need to check the college website for that... the only one I know about for sure is a travel grant and the book grant.
9. There are two of those, actually. One has newspapers, a tv with a video recorder and comfy armchairs, and the other one has a jukebox, vending machines, a pool table, more newspapers, a slightly fancier tv, that sort of thing. Possibly a dvd player, but I don't really go there very often because of all the smoke (the bar is in the same room).
10. Better let somebody who actually drinks answer that one.
11. Lots. International applicants are more likely to make open applications than UK applicants, apparently, and since the college benefits from the pooling system quite a bit it's actually one of the most international colleges.
12-14 aren't really college-specific, are they?
Cheers guys keep 'em coming!
hobnob
Hmm, but people also keep starting threads about individual subjects, so wouldn't it be even more helpful if we could get sections on individual courses started (sort of like the English at Cambridge section, I mean)?
12-14 aren't really college-specific, are they?
I think you just answered your own question! I'm going to start the subject specific ones - I already did Biology at Oxford but obviously am completely un-qualified to do the rest of them. I'll concentrate on college for now but am hoping that these replies may form the starting point for the subject threads later on.
Okies, since Jonathan's already beaten me too it, I'm not going to go into great detail in some of my answers as that would be silly!
1. Which college are you at?
Lincoln
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
i) Location - centre of town, but away from most tourists. Covered market and main shopping street 30second walk away!
ii) Atmosphere - everyone knows everyone else in their year (avg. size ~90-100), which made me feel incredibly welcome when I first arrived
iii) Rooms. If you're lucky enough to get houses in the college rooms around the quad in your first year, then they're v.good (ensuite, fabulous views etc). The houses in Museum Rd (just before Keble) are all modern with individual ensuite bathrooms and a reasonable kitchen and best of all provide scientists with only a 2min walk to lectures!
iv) College Bar - pretty and a decent size for such a small college.
v) Food - all dinners (1st & formal hall) are 3courses and aren't fried junk. Always copious vegetables and I find the meals are v.filling and also pretty healthy. Special occaision dinners also incredible! (Chef is rumoured to have previously worked at the Savoy).
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
i) Insular - personally, I don't think it is and I know plenty of people who get involved with friends outside of college, but I know it is a concern others have
ii) Self-Catering - JCR Kitchen for 1st/2nd years really isn't great and most students will not get a kitchen until they're 3rd years at least. Since hall food is pretty good, this isn't too bad, but it can make eating difficult for people with activities/commitments that always clash with hall!
Can't think of anything else.
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college? Does your college have sports facilities of its own?
Just to add to Jonathan's comments, there is now a small gym which is open. It's up in the big housing complex in Museum Rd and has ergs and weights. Believe the JCR might soon be pestering for something like a cross trainer/treadmill too. Still have sports ground off Bartlemas Rd in Cowley (10-15min cycle ride from college).
Official sports teams not included by Jonathan: Cricket, Mixed Lacrosse, Croquet, Netball, Mens & Womens Tennis. I think there may also be many others that aren't official. There use to be an Ice Hockey Team and last year I set up 2 Alternative Ice Hockey teams for cuppers (Sadly we didn't get to play as cuppers was cancelled). I also set up a college riding cuppers team and college were very supportive, paying for our entry fee (of £60!). I know other cuppers teams have been started up too including Sailing, Badminton, Squash and kayaking! Basically, Lincoln likes to get involved in as many cuppers competitions as possible - JCR emails get sent round and whoever wants to take part can take part, irrespective of your experience! We don't have the greatest sporting success, but Lincoln's always prepared to try hard! Our Novice Rowing team, particularly the women, have done consistently well for the last few years, but sadly recently the seniors haven't had the greatest success. However, this is partly because we're such a small college and don't have the funding that other large colleges do. We're pretty good at football I understand and think we might even be in the first division! lol
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
Just to add to Jonathan's info. The houses available primarily to 3rd years (although sometimes 2nd years too) are in a fabulous location and all bedrooms are ensuite. The kitchens are pretty good, but vary enormously in size, depending on number of occupant in house (usually 2-8ppl). The grad EPA Centre is absolutely stunning and all the "flats" (think mostly 3ppl all with separate ensuite bedrooms) have their own little terraces/balconies!!! It is understood that 4th year scientists will be accomodated here too.
6. Is there the option of self catering?
No - see Jonathan's notes
7. How much does food cost in college?
see Jonathan's notes
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
see Jonathan's notes
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
see Jonathan's notes - though also a vending machine.
10. What's your bar like?
Great! Not the cheapest college bar, but still reasonable prices. Think a pints about £2, vodka+coke is £1.79, half-pint of coke 35p. Gorgeous underground bar which is a great size considering how small college is! Most outsiders agree that it is very nice! Also the location of our bops!
11. Does your college take many international students?
see Jonathan's notes - yes, I would say it does. I know quite a few both european, asian and american students in my year and the year below. All seem fairly happy with colleges provision of accomodation and storage during the vacations too.
12. What subject do you do?
Physics - MPhys (4 year)
Just to explain, there are 2 courses available. BA course which takes 3years and the MPhys course which is 4years. About 70% of year go on to do the 4year course, for which you must obtain a 2:1 or higher in your Part A exams at the end of your 2nd year.
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
I think I work harder than a lot of other physicists! We have between 3-4 tutorials a WEEK (I am a 3rd year though and in my 1st year I generall had only 2 tutorials with 3 every few weeks). Labs make up a lot of my work too, First year = 1day a week; 2nd/3rd Year = 2days every fortnight, but no labs at all in one of your terms. In 1st and 2nd year there are compulsory computing practicals, where you have to write a mathematical programme in C. Not compulsory in your 3rd year (infact not sure its even offered!), but opportunties again to do it in your project (BA - in Hilary of 3rd year; MPhys - Hilary of your 4th year). Lectures, about 11hours a week in first year, drops to probably 9-10hours a week in 2nd/3rd year. Tutorial work is always problem sheets (in first year usually one maths and one physics) and generally they are handed in a day/so before the tutorial. Tutorials at my college are often done in a group, since there are only 4 of us, so they're more like classes and one of them frequently goes on longer than an hour! However, some of our tutors still prefer to see us in pairs for one hour slots.
14. What choice of modules do you have within your subject or is it all prescribed?
No choice at all in first and second years except for a short option paper, for which, in the 2nd year, there is a wide range of papers from Financial Physics for those who like the idea of working in the city when they're older to the History of Electromagnetism! Some people also take language options instead and in your 2nd year you can substitute some of the practical work for a "teaching in schools option". The course then splits in 3rd year:
BA
*Take 2 out of a possible 3 modules (Astro/Atmos, Condensed Matter, Atomic & Particle) [btw I might be wrong here...not sure if BA students also offered a 4th module or not]
MPhys
EITHER
*Take 3 out of a possible 4 modules (Astro/Atmos, Condensed Matter, Atomic & Particle, Theoretical).
OR
*Take all 4 modules and NO lab work
*Theoretical Option is available on application only and must be accompanied by tutor's recommendation. Initially was made available to only the top 40 in the year after Part A exams at end of 2nd year.
*Take another short option paper with same choice as 2nd years.
4th Year - MPhys only!
*You take 2major options out of a choice of about 5/6.
***EDIT***
Just realised I missed the last question off:
Also just for the purposes of having some kind of statistic when (if you can remember) did you get a reply from Oxford and did it come by mail or did you get a phone call?
Well, I'm an odd-one here, since I didn't end up at anywhere I was interviewed! Basically, I think it was the Monday after my interviews that I received a letter from St Hilda's telling me I had an Open Offer and I got a letter the next day from New (where I originally applied too) saying they understood another college was going to take me.
For anyone that got an Open Offer. I found out my college allocation the day after (ie. Fri) my A2 Results I came out. I got a letter from St Hilda's telling me that no other colleges had any spaces, so as a result they were obliged to take me. As it turned out, the next day (Sat) I got a letter from Lincoln asking me to send them £200 as an accomodation deposit so after speaking to someone on Lincoln on the phone I discovered that actually I was going there as only 3 out of 5ppl had made their grades! Then got phonecall from St Hilda's apologising profusely! Then the next working day (Mon) I got the letter from Lincoln telling me I had received an offer there!
1. Which college are you at?
Lincoln
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
i) Location - centre of town, but away from most tourists. Covered market and main shopping street 30second walk away!
ii) Atmosphere - everyone knows everyone else in their year (avg. size ~90-100), which made me feel incredibly welcome when I first arrived
iii) Rooms. If you're lucky enough to get houses in the college rooms around the quad in your first year, then they're v.good (ensuite, fabulous views etc). The houses in Museum Rd (just before Keble) are all modern with individual ensuite bathrooms and a reasonable kitchen and best of all provide scientists with only a 2min walk to lectures!
iv) College Bar - pretty and a decent size for such a small college.
v) Food - all dinners (1st & formal hall) are 3courses and aren't fried junk. Always copious vegetables and I find the meals are v.filling and also pretty healthy. Special occaision dinners also incredible! (Chef is rumoured to have previously worked at the Savoy).
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
i) Insular - personally, I don't think it is and I know plenty of people who get involved with friends outside of college, but I know it is a concern others have
ii) Self-Catering - JCR Kitchen for 1st/2nd years really isn't great and most students will not get a kitchen until they're 3rd years at least. Since hall food is pretty good, this isn't too bad, but it can make eating difficult for people with activities/commitments that always clash with hall!
Can't think of anything else.
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college? Does your college have sports facilities of its own?
Just to add to Jonathan's comments, there is now a small gym which is open. It's up in the big housing complex in Museum Rd and has ergs and weights. Believe the JCR might soon be pestering for something like a cross trainer/treadmill too. Still have sports ground off Bartlemas Rd in Cowley (10-15min cycle ride from college).
Official sports teams not included by Jonathan: Cricket, Mixed Lacrosse, Croquet, Netball, Mens & Womens Tennis. I think there may also be many others that aren't official. There use to be an Ice Hockey Team and last year I set up 2 Alternative Ice Hockey teams for cuppers (Sadly we didn't get to play as cuppers was cancelled). I also set up a college riding cuppers team and college were very supportive, paying for our entry fee (of £60!). I know other cuppers teams have been started up too including Sailing, Badminton, Squash and kayaking! Basically, Lincoln likes to get involved in as many cuppers competitions as possible - JCR emails get sent round and whoever wants to take part can take part, irrespective of your experience! We don't have the greatest sporting success, but Lincoln's always prepared to try hard! Our Novice Rowing team, particularly the women, have done consistently well for the last few years, but sadly recently the seniors haven't had the greatest success. However, this is partly because we're such a small college and don't have the funding that other large colleges do. We're pretty good at football I understand and think we might even be in the first division! lol
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
Just to add to Jonathan's info. The houses available primarily to 3rd years (although sometimes 2nd years too) are in a fabulous location and all bedrooms are ensuite. The kitchens are pretty good, but vary enormously in size, depending on number of occupant in house (usually 2-8ppl). The grad EPA Centre is absolutely stunning and all the "flats" (think mostly 3ppl all with separate ensuite bedrooms) have their own little terraces/balconies!!! It is understood that 4th year scientists will be accomodated here too.
6. Is there the option of self catering?
No - see Jonathan's notes
7. How much does food cost in college?
see Jonathan's notes
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
see Jonathan's notes
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
see Jonathan's notes - though also a vending machine.
10. What's your bar like?
Great! Not the cheapest college bar, but still reasonable prices. Think a pints about £2, vodka+coke is £1.79, half-pint of coke 35p. Gorgeous underground bar which is a great size considering how small college is! Most outsiders agree that it is very nice! Also the location of our bops!
11. Does your college take many international students?
see Jonathan's notes - yes, I would say it does. I know quite a few both european, asian and american students in my year and the year below. All seem fairly happy with colleges provision of accomodation and storage during the vacations too.
12. What subject do you do?
Physics - MPhys (4 year)
Just to explain, there are 2 courses available. BA course which takes 3years and the MPhys course which is 4years. About 70% of year go on to do the 4year course, for which you must obtain a 2:1 or higher in your Part A exams at the end of your 2nd year.
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
I think I work harder than a lot of other physicists! We have between 3-4 tutorials a WEEK (I am a 3rd year though and in my 1st year I generall had only 2 tutorials with 3 every few weeks). Labs make up a lot of my work too, First year = 1day a week; 2nd/3rd Year = 2days every fortnight, but no labs at all in one of your terms. In 1st and 2nd year there are compulsory computing practicals, where you have to write a mathematical programme in C. Not compulsory in your 3rd year (infact not sure its even offered!), but opportunties again to do it in your project (BA - in Hilary of 3rd year; MPhys - Hilary of your 4th year). Lectures, about 11hours a week in first year, drops to probably 9-10hours a week in 2nd/3rd year. Tutorial work is always problem sheets (in first year usually one maths and one physics) and generally they are handed in a day/so before the tutorial. Tutorials at my college are often done in a group, since there are only 4 of us, so they're more like classes and one of them frequently goes on longer than an hour! However, some of our tutors still prefer to see us in pairs for one hour slots.
14. What choice of modules do you have within your subject or is it all prescribed?
No choice at all in first and second years except for a short option paper, for which, in the 2nd year, there is a wide range of papers from Financial Physics for those who like the idea of working in the city when they're older to the History of Electromagnetism! Some people also take language options instead and in your 2nd year you can substitute some of the practical work for a "teaching in schools option". The course then splits in 3rd year:
BA
*Take 2 out of a possible 3 modules (Astro/Atmos, Condensed Matter, Atomic & Particle) [btw I might be wrong here...not sure if BA students also offered a 4th module or not]
MPhys
EITHER
*Take 3 out of a possible 4 modules (Astro/Atmos, Condensed Matter, Atomic & Particle, Theoretical).
OR
*Take all 4 modules and NO lab work
*Theoretical Option is available on application only and must be accompanied by tutor's recommendation. Initially was made available to only the top 40 in the year after Part A exams at end of 2nd year.
*Take another short option paper with same choice as 2nd years.
4th Year - MPhys only!
*You take 2major options out of a choice of about 5/6.
***EDIT***
Just realised I missed the last question off:
Also just for the purposes of having some kind of statistic when (if you can remember) did you get a reply from Oxford and did it come by mail or did you get a phone call?
Well, I'm an odd-one here, since I didn't end up at anywhere I was interviewed! Basically, I think it was the Monday after my interviews that I received a letter from St Hilda's telling me I had an Open Offer and I got a letter the next day from New (where I originally applied too) saying they understood another college was going to take me.
For anyone that got an Open Offer. I found out my college allocation the day after (ie. Fri) my A2 Results I came out. I got a letter from St Hilda's telling me that no other colleges had any spaces, so as a result they were obliged to take me. As it turned out, the next day (Sat) I got a letter from Lincoln asking me to send them £200 as an accomodation deposit so after speaking to someone on Lincoln on the phone I discovered that actually I was going there as only 3 out of 5ppl had made their grades! Then got phonecall from St Hilda's apologising profusely! Then the next working day (Mon) I got the letter from Lincoln telling me I had received an offer there!
1. Which college are you at?
Exeter
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
V friendly (smallness means u really get to know people, not isolated as in larger colleges)
wonderful chapel (and a legend of a chaplin)
rector regularly invites interesting speakers 1-2 a week, like a mini oxford union e.g. last term had alan bennet, several heads of newspapers, former head of MI5 etc
location-so central (and right next to the wonderful covered market)
literary fame-morse died in our quad and pullman based jordon college on exeter
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
food not fantastic, bit repetitive
have to live out after first year, not all finalists get accomodation
JCR still waiting for the decorators to finish...
thats about it...
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college? Does your college have sports facilities of its own?
best darts team in oxford...umm boathouse, own football pitch, shared squash courts (i think), possibly tennis courts (not too sure), little way from college
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
vary quite a bit on size, ones with ensuite smaller, rents roughly £12-14 a day, all first years on site, for second/third stapledon house in iffley but lucky to get into. most finalists get bak in (but not all)
6. Is there the option of self catering?
well there is a JCR kitchen which has just been redone and so is v good condition and u pay for all food as u go so you could self cater yes.
7. How much does food cost in college?
breakfast about 30p
lunch roughly £2
dinner £3.10 for 3 courses but less if you only have a main or no starter or no dessert etc
formal is same cost as normal except on wednesdays when its £7 but much better food and wine included
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
not really sure, there are some hardship funds and travel funds i think, could be more...
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
sky tv, kitchen, vending machines thats about all unless u count recycling bins...
10. What's your bar like?
cheapish (although u pay on bod card so u dont really notice), pinball, games machines, pool, darts, cosy
11. Does your college take many international students?
quite a few, we have the williams students (USA) who are here for a year so that adds a dimension but they live seperately, apart from that in my year theres a few americans, swedish, hungarian, greek, russian...
12. What subject do you do?
biochemistry
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
well this is only my first term and i suspect it will go up but so far we've had 3 essays a term, mostly tute stuff is question sheets which are quite quick, in general we have questions for biophysics, biological chem and maths classes and questions for organic chem tutes, labs are 3-5 hours a week but thats picking up next term when we start organic labs
14. What choice of modules do you have within your subject or is it all prescribed?
tis all prescribed
Exeter
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
V friendly (smallness means u really get to know people, not isolated as in larger colleges)
wonderful chapel (and a legend of a chaplin)
rector regularly invites interesting speakers 1-2 a week, like a mini oxford union e.g. last term had alan bennet, several heads of newspapers, former head of MI5 etc
location-so central (and right next to the wonderful covered market)
literary fame-morse died in our quad and pullman based jordon college on exeter
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
food not fantastic, bit repetitive
have to live out after first year, not all finalists get accomodation
JCR still waiting for the decorators to finish...
thats about it...
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college? Does your college have sports facilities of its own?
best darts team in oxford...umm boathouse, own football pitch, shared squash courts (i think), possibly tennis courts (not too sure), little way from college
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
vary quite a bit on size, ones with ensuite smaller, rents roughly £12-14 a day, all first years on site, for second/third stapledon house in iffley but lucky to get into. most finalists get bak in (but not all)
6. Is there the option of self catering?
well there is a JCR kitchen which has just been redone and so is v good condition and u pay for all food as u go so you could self cater yes.
7. How much does food cost in college?
breakfast about 30p
lunch roughly £2
dinner £3.10 for 3 courses but less if you only have a main or no starter or no dessert etc
formal is same cost as normal except on wednesdays when its £7 but much better food and wine included
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
not really sure, there are some hardship funds and travel funds i think, could be more...
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
sky tv, kitchen, vending machines thats about all unless u count recycling bins...
10. What's your bar like?
cheapish (although u pay on bod card so u dont really notice), pinball, games machines, pool, darts, cosy
11. Does your college take many international students?
quite a few, we have the williams students (USA) who are here for a year so that adds a dimension but they live seperately, apart from that in my year theres a few americans, swedish, hungarian, greek, russian...
12. What subject do you do?
biochemistry
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
well this is only my first term and i suspect it will go up but so far we've had 3 essays a term, mostly tute stuff is question sheets which are quite quick, in general we have questions for biophysics, biological chem and maths classes and questions for organic chem tutes, labs are 3-5 hours a week but thats picking up next term when we start organic labs
14. What choice of modules do you have within your subject or is it all prescribed?
tis all prescribed
1. Which college are you at?
St Edmund Hall (Teddy Hall)
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
- Very friendly, welcoming and down-to-earth
- Great location, on the high street close to pretty much everything and just across the road from Exam Schools (so I literally do wake up at 10am for 10am lectures! )
- Very *very* pretty (front quad, graveyard and library- ignore the concrete bit at the back)
- Has a bit of a party college reputation (we like to think so anyway). No-one takes their work too seriously (relatively speaking).
- Rooms in college are really very good (my room is bigger than my one at home and has a balcony!)
- (I know this is more than 5, but we're just so damn good!) The college spirit. You know there are Teddies around when you hear the cry, "HHHHHAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!". At matriculation, our college banner was stolen by St. Peter's students because of our "excessive singing and chanting" at the Turf (our nearest pub). There's an ongoing rivalry with Queen's College next door as well because they used to own us.
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
- Abysmal food (might get better after we revolted, but I doubt it). We call it "ming", and with good reason.
- Very high battels, including high food cost (Teddy Hall is quite poor, having only been (re)made a college 50 years ago)
- Legendary bops have been banned from college following some problems at the summer ball last year. Hopefully we'll get them back soon, but until then, the bops are OK but not great (as opposed to incredible, which is how they used to be)
- The Kelly building is the tallest building in Oxford without a lift. The view from the top is amazing, but you'd better take a mountineering kit if you want to go all the way up there. Other buildings are better, but still a bit of a mission.
- I don't think this is a bad point at all, but you only live in college in your first year for certain. You could live in college-owned accomodation for all three years, but most people do for their first and last year, with lots living out in the second year.
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college? Does your college have sports facilities of its own?
Teddy Hall has a sporting reputation, with concentration on rugby, football and rowing in particular. The teams are as legendary for their socials as much as their sporting prowess, which is of a pretty good standard. We also have a whole range of other sports- basically, if there's a college sport of some kind, Teddy Hall will have a team! Badminton, tennis, pool, lacrosse, darts all feature. I don't know what strength it'll have, but I'm gonna guess that in the summer, the cricket team will be on that list as well. We also own a boathouse by the river (allegedly).
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
(1st Year, on college) Rooms are very nice, although there are a couple which are on the small side because they happen to be on the side of the building. Students there get discounted rent. The rent is stupidly high by Oxford standards, about £17-18 a day, coming to just over £1000 by a term. My first term's battels (including food) cost £1464, which I believe is the highest in the uni.
2nd year- most people live out in private accomodation, as I'm planning on doing (I think, if nothing else, its really important to learn about dealing with arsy landlords and the rest of it). The college does have accomodation for you if you want it though, mainly in the Isis hotel on Iffley Road, which a couple of people take up, as well as the visiting students.
3rd/4th year- Although you could opt out and go for private accomodation, most return to college-owned accomodation. This is either on-site in college or in the Norham Gardens annexes (and possibily somewhere else, but I don't know where that'll be). No idea what any of these are like.
6. Is there the option of self catering?
Sort of... rumour went around that if you told the college you were vegan then you wouldn't have to pay for the food at ming, otherwise its automatically charged. There are kitchens on every floor of the accomodation blocks, which are quite good- kettle, toaster, hobs, sink, fridge. No oven, but all things considered, its pretty good. I do know a guy on my floor who's a professional athelete, so cooks everything himself, and he seems to cope OK.
7. How much does food cost in college?
Too much. £3.37 for dinner, £1.40 for (basically) all-you-can-eat-breakfast. Lunch is pay-as-you-go with a separate account, and actually has the best food by a long way. The real problem is if, like me, you skip many meals (have been to breakfast about 4 times, and for a variety of reasons have had dinner away from hall quite a bit). What you don't eat, you are refunded 2/3 of the cost on your next battels (so you still lose money everytime you skip a meal).
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
- Academic grants (for attendance at conferences, art materials, mapping projects etc.)
- Vacation Grants (for finalists to stay up during their final Easter Vacation to revise)
- The Reggie Alton Prize
- Scholarships for studying abroad
- Plus the usual Oxford bursaries (Oxford bursary scheme, Oxford opportunities bursary, access to learning funds)
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
Pretty good. Apart from the huge TV and projector screen for popular stuff (read football and rugby games), there's comfy chairs, drinks machines, 30p pool (slightly dodgy cue-sticks), there's the free tea and coffee, and the legendary Lucille, without whom life would not be worth living. With her smile and 4p slices of toast all day, she brings meaning to my world. 15p for crumpets as well.
10. What's your bar like?
Cosy, homely, a nice place to hang out with friends. Having been to only a couple of other college bars, I find them a little... plain? boring? sterile? I don't know quite how to say it, but basically Teddy Hall's bar is like a friendly pub. Mike and Clive, our barmen, are always ready to help out whenever.
11. Does your college take many international students?
I can't say in terms of numbers, but they certainly take some. We also have a lot of visiting students (who this year, all happen to be Americans, but I'm assured there's usually a little more variety).
I should say something that probably fits a little better here than anywhere else. I'm British born-and-bred, but of indian-origin. In terms of ethnic minorities, there's not many. (Gonna be a bit crude here) Off the top of my head, I can think of 1 black guy and 3 brown people; one of those is doing a second degree and is never around on weekends so I don't know her at all, whilst the other guy is a bit of loner who I haven't really seen since freshers week. Then there's myself and this black guy who are both PPE-ists (clearly the best subject in the world )
Its not a problem in the slightest, and I've never met anyone who's been anything other than genuinely friendly and interested in these sort of things, but I know its a concern for some who'd prefer a more mixed environment, so there you go.
12. What subject do you do?
PPE, for my sins.
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
This term, its been about 10 lectures a week of all three parts, although by halfway through term, I found myself going to only about 40% of those- many seemed to me a waste of time, which can be so much better spent doing other stuff.
I've only been studying philosophy and economics this term. The latter is split into logic and general philosophy (and also moral philosophy, but we don't get to study that at all, just have to skip those questions in prelims). Logic problems are set for the 2-hour classes I have in alternate weeks. I also have general philosophy essays for the 1-hour tutorials I have on alternate weeks. Unfortunately, both logic and general philosophy happen to be on even weeks, so every fortnight I have essay crises! (This is not fun)
Economics alternate between 1-hour tutorials and 2-hour maths classes everyweek, although the workload is pretty similar for both. They tend to be 2 or 3 long answer questions rather than a single essay.
14. What choice of modules do you have within your subject or is it all prescribed?
In the first year-
Economics: micro and macroeconomics, both of which must be attempted in the prelims at the end of the first year.
Philosophy: General philosophy, logic and moral philosophy (not offered at Teddy Hall). Questions must be answered on 2/3 of the topics in the prelims paper.
Politics: The Government and Politics of the UK, USA, France and Germany (not offered at Teddy Hall). Not certain, but I think questions must be answered on 2/4 of the countries in prelims.
After the first year, PPE really comes into its own. You can drop one of the branches and specialise in a bewildering array of options. If you choose to take Politics and Economics, you are also allowed to take a single Philosophy module as well. Those who continue all three properly are called tri-partite students (also "masochists", "that guy with a death wish" and "who's he? I've never seen him before, he must always be stuck in his room" ) otherwise you're a bi-partite student. There are some compulsary modules in that if you take economics, you do have to make 2 of your modules macroeconomics and microeconomics; philosophy and politics have similar requirements.
Also just for the purposes of having some kind of statistic when (if you can remember) did you get a reply from Oxford and did it come by mail or did you get a phone call?
I received my offer on Monday 19th December by post. There were 2 sheets of paper in the envelope, so it wasn't noticably thicker than any of the others.
Bloody hell, this is a long post!
St Edmund Hall (Teddy Hall)
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
- Very friendly, welcoming and down-to-earth
- Great location, on the high street close to pretty much everything and just across the road from Exam Schools (so I literally do wake up at 10am for 10am lectures!
)- Very *very* pretty (front quad, graveyard and library- ignore the concrete bit at the back)
- Has a bit of a party college reputation (we like to think so anyway). No-one takes their work too seriously (relatively speaking).
- Rooms in college are really very good (my room is bigger than my one at home and has a balcony!)
- (I know this is more than 5, but we're just so damn good!) The college spirit. You know there are Teddies around when you hear the cry, "HHHHHAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!". At matriculation, our college banner was stolen by St. Peter's students because of our "excessive singing and chanting" at the Turf (our nearest pub). There's an ongoing rivalry with Queen's College next door as well because they used to own us.
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
- Abysmal food (might get better after we revolted, but I doubt it). We call it "ming", and with good reason.
- Very high battels, including high food cost (Teddy Hall is quite poor, having only been (re)made a college 50 years ago)
- Legendary bops have been banned from college following some problems at the summer ball last year. Hopefully we'll get them back soon, but until then, the bops are OK but not great (as opposed to incredible, which is how they used to be)
- The Kelly building is the tallest building in Oxford without a lift. The view from the top is amazing, but you'd better take a mountineering kit if you want to go all the way up there. Other buildings are better, but still a bit of a mission.
- I don't think this is a bad point at all, but you only live in college in your first year for certain. You could live in college-owned accomodation for all three years, but most people do for their first and last year, with lots living out in the second year.
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college? Does your college have sports facilities of its own?
Teddy Hall has a sporting reputation, with concentration on rugby, football and rowing in particular. The teams are as legendary for their socials as much as their sporting prowess, which is of a pretty good standard. We also have a whole range of other sports- basically, if there's a college sport of some kind, Teddy Hall will have a team! Badminton, tennis, pool, lacrosse, darts all feature. I don't know what strength it'll have, but I'm gonna guess that in the summer, the cricket team will be on that list as well. We also own a boathouse by the river (allegedly).
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
(1st Year, on college) Rooms are very nice, although there are a couple which are on the small side because they happen to be on the side of the building. Students there get discounted rent. The rent is stupidly high by Oxford standards, about £17-18 a day, coming to just over £1000 by a term. My first term's battels (including food) cost £1464, which I believe is the highest in the uni.
2nd year- most people live out in private accomodation, as I'm planning on doing (I think, if nothing else, its really important to learn about dealing with arsy landlords and the rest of it). The college does have accomodation for you if you want it though, mainly in the Isis hotel on Iffley Road, which a couple of people take up, as well as the visiting students.
3rd/4th year- Although you could opt out and go for private accomodation, most return to college-owned accomodation. This is either on-site in college or in the Norham Gardens annexes (and possibily somewhere else, but I don't know where that'll be). No idea what any of these are like.
6. Is there the option of self catering?
Sort of... rumour went around that if you told the college you were vegan then you wouldn't have to pay for the food at ming, otherwise its automatically charged. There are kitchens on every floor of the accomodation blocks, which are quite good- kettle, toaster, hobs, sink, fridge. No oven, but all things considered, its pretty good. I do know a guy on my floor who's a professional athelete, so cooks everything himself, and he seems to cope OK.
7. How much does food cost in college?
Too much. £3.37 for dinner, £1.40 for (basically) all-you-can-eat-breakfast. Lunch is pay-as-you-go with a separate account, and actually has the best food by a long way. The real problem is if, like me, you skip many meals (have been to breakfast about 4 times, and for a variety of reasons have had dinner away from hall quite a bit). What you don't eat, you are refunded 2/3 of the cost on your next battels (so you still lose money everytime you skip a meal).
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
- Academic grants (for attendance at conferences, art materials, mapping projects etc.)
- Vacation Grants (for finalists to stay up during their final Easter Vacation to revise)
- The Reggie Alton Prize
- Scholarships for studying abroad
- Plus the usual Oxford bursaries (Oxford bursary scheme, Oxford opportunities bursary, access to learning funds)
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
Pretty good. Apart from the huge TV and projector screen for popular stuff (read football and rugby games), there's comfy chairs, drinks machines, 30p pool (slightly dodgy cue-sticks), there's the free tea and coffee, and the legendary Lucille, without whom life would not be worth living. With her smile and 4p slices of toast all day, she brings meaning to my world. 15p for crumpets as well.
10. What's your bar like?
Cosy, homely, a nice place to hang out with friends. Having been to only a couple of other college bars, I find them a little... plain? boring? sterile? I don't know quite how to say it, but basically Teddy Hall's bar is like a friendly pub. Mike and Clive, our barmen, are always ready to help out whenever.
11. Does your college take many international students?
I can't say in terms of numbers, but they certainly take some. We also have a lot of visiting students (who this year, all happen to be Americans, but I'm assured there's usually a little more variety).
I should say something that probably fits a little better here than anywhere else. I'm British born-and-bred, but of indian-origin. In terms of ethnic minorities, there's not many. (Gonna be a bit crude here) Off the top of my head, I can think of 1 black guy and 3 brown people; one of those is doing a second degree and is never around on weekends so I don't know her at all, whilst the other guy is a bit of loner who I haven't really seen since freshers week. Then there's myself and this black guy who are both PPE-ists (clearly the best subject in the world
)Its not a problem in the slightest, and I've never met anyone who's been anything other than genuinely friendly and interested in these sort of things, but I know its a concern for some who'd prefer a more mixed environment, so there you go.
12. What subject do you do?
PPE, for my sins.
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
This term, its been about 10 lectures a week of all three parts, although by halfway through term, I found myself going to only about 40% of those- many seemed to me a waste of time, which can be so much better spent doing other stuff.
I've only been studying philosophy and economics this term. The latter is split into logic and general philosophy (and also moral philosophy, but we don't get to study that at all, just have to skip those questions in prelims). Logic problems are set for the 2-hour classes I have in alternate weeks. I also have general philosophy essays for the 1-hour tutorials I have on alternate weeks. Unfortunately, both logic and general philosophy happen to be on even weeks, so every fortnight I have essay crises! (This is not fun)
Economics alternate between 1-hour tutorials and 2-hour maths classes everyweek, although the workload is pretty similar for both. They tend to be 2 or 3 long answer questions rather than a single essay.
14. What choice of modules do you have within your subject or is it all prescribed?
In the first year-
Economics: micro and macroeconomics, both of which must be attempted in the prelims at the end of the first year.
Philosophy: General philosophy, logic and moral philosophy (not offered at Teddy Hall). Questions must be answered on 2/3 of the topics in the prelims paper.
Politics: The Government and Politics of the UK, USA, France and Germany (not offered at Teddy Hall). Not certain, but I think questions must be answered on 2/4 of the countries in prelims.
After the first year, PPE really comes into its own. You can drop one of the branches and specialise in a bewildering array of options. If you choose to take Politics and Economics, you are also allowed to take a single Philosophy module as well. Those who continue all three properly are called tri-partite students (also "masochists", "that guy with a death wish" and "who's he? I've never seen him before, he must always be stuck in his room"
) otherwise you're a bi-partite student. There are some compulsary modules in that if you take economics, you do have to make 2 of your modules macroeconomics and microeconomics; philosophy and politics have similar requirements.Also just for the purposes of having some kind of statistic when (if you can remember) did you get a reply from Oxford and did it come by mail or did you get a phone call?
I received my offer on Monday 19th December by post. There were 2 sheets of paper in the envelope, so it wasn't noticably thicker than any of the others.
Bloody hell, this is a long post!
Btw Boo, another question you might want to include could be to do with drama/music opportunities within the college especially since you've included stuff about sporting opportunities. Another possible thing would be the "politics" of the JCR etc...we all know that it doesn't make much difference to your experience at Oxford, but the pesky applicants still always ask!
Great job on the Teddy Hall post, Sam. Just a couple of points:
1. We do have quite a few grants / hardship funds available. These include
- Academic grants (for attendance at conferences, art materials, mapping projects etc.)
- Vacation Grants (for finalists to stay up during their final Easter Vacation to revise)
- The Reggie Alton Prize
- Scholarships for studying abroad
- Plus the usual Oxford bursaries (Oxford bursary scheme, Oxford opportunities bursary, access to learning funds)
2. Audrey left a good few years ago now! Our current butler is Lucille, and she's always willing to butter your muffin (thank you, Lindsay Lohan).
1. We do have quite a few grants / hardship funds available. These include
- Academic grants (for attendance at conferences, art materials, mapping projects etc.)
- Vacation Grants (for finalists to stay up during their final Easter Vacation to revise)
- The Reggie Alton Prize
- Scholarships for studying abroad
- Plus the usual Oxford bursaries (Oxford bursary scheme, Oxford opportunities bursary, access to learning funds)
2. Audrey left a good few years ago now! Our current butler is Lucille, and she's always willing to butter your muffin (thank you, Lindsay Lohan).
1. Which college are you at?
Exeter
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
Very central
Like Alispam said, Rector's speakers - Alan Bennet, Matthew Parris, George Webb to name a few this term - like the Union but better because you can meet the speakers properly and really get into discussions with them.
From my POV, the library is fantastic for historians.
Very Friendly + close knit college
Fellows Garden, beautiful + with an amazing view over Radcliffe Square.
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
This term, the filming for Lewis + Northern Lights has been quite disruptive
Accomodation only guarenteed in first year
Sports ground seemingly always flooded!
Large tour groups blocking the front quad between 2 and 5 every day.
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college? Does your college have sports facilities of its own?
Men + Women's football
Men's rugby
Rowing
Sports ground in Marston - about 10-15 mins from college
Bar sports are taken very seriously!
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
Varies a bit - First years will either be sharing a set (2 bedrooms, study/living area + bathroom) or in single rooms which are mostly a decent size. Rents reflect size/standard of room: I'm paying £800/term, plus catering charge of £180/term. Second years live out - some in Stapes on the Iffley Road but the majority rent privately. I think there are about 30 spaces in college for finalists - allocated by ballot. The rest live out.
6. Is there the option of self catering?
There is a kitchen off the JCR, but most people eat in Hall
7. How much does food cost in college?
Breakfast - don't know, yet to get up early enough!
Lunch - £1.50-£2.00
Dinner - £2.00- £3.10, depending on what you have
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
College hardship grants and loans are availiable, Book grant of up to £100, Vacation study grants, Travel grants and Sports + Arts grants.
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
Tea + Coffee
Vending Machine
T.V with Sky
Papers
10. What's your bar like?
Underground, probably the social hub of college. Prices are reasonable, although as you pay with you bod card its easy to not notice how much you are spending! Darts board, pool, pinball, table football, ITBOX!
11. Does your college take many international students?
Every year there is a group of students from Williams maybe about 20 or so, who live on the Woodstock Road. In the first year there are probably about 10international students from all over the place - South Africa, Greece, Hungary, Hong Kong + America.
12. What subject do you do?
History
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
3 essays and tutorials every two weeks
Alternate weeks of 2/5 letures. I've been assured that the first term is as intense as it gets.
14. What choice of modules do you have within your subject or is it all prescribed?
First term we had a choice of 2 papers for British History and either a foreign text or Approaches to History - they prefer to keep teaching within college in the first term. We have a free choice for the rest the year.
Exeter
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
Very central
Like Alispam said, Rector's speakers - Alan Bennet, Matthew Parris, George Webb to name a few this term - like the Union but better because you can meet the speakers properly and really get into discussions with them.
From my POV, the library is fantastic for historians.
Very Friendly + close knit college
Fellows Garden, beautiful + with an amazing view over Radcliffe Square.
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
This term, the filming for Lewis + Northern Lights has been quite disruptive
Accomodation only guarenteed in first year
Sports ground seemingly always flooded!
Large tour groups blocking the front quad between 2 and 5 every day.
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college? Does your college have sports facilities of its own?
Men + Women's football
Men's rugby
Rowing
Sports ground in Marston - about 10-15 mins from college
Bar sports are taken very seriously!
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
Varies a bit - First years will either be sharing a set (2 bedrooms, study/living area + bathroom) or in single rooms which are mostly a decent size. Rents reflect size/standard of room: I'm paying £800/term, plus catering charge of £180/term. Second years live out - some in Stapes on the Iffley Road but the majority rent privately. I think there are about 30 spaces in college for finalists - allocated by ballot. The rest live out.
6. Is there the option of self catering?
There is a kitchen off the JCR, but most people eat in Hall
7. How much does food cost in college?
Breakfast - don't know, yet to get up early enough!
Lunch - £1.50-£2.00
Dinner - £2.00- £3.10, depending on what you have
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
College hardship grants and loans are availiable, Book grant of up to £100, Vacation study grants, Travel grants and Sports + Arts grants.
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
Tea + Coffee
Vending Machine
T.V with Sky
Papers
10. What's your bar like?
Underground, probably the social hub of college. Prices are reasonable, although as you pay with you bod card its easy to not notice how much you are spending! Darts board, pool, pinball, table football, ITBOX!
11. Does your college take many international students?
Every year there is a group of students from Williams maybe about 20 or so, who live on the Woodstock Road. In the first year there are probably about 10international students from all over the place - South Africa, Greece, Hungary, Hong Kong + America.
12. What subject do you do?
History
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
3 essays and tutorials every two weeks
Alternate weeks of 2/5 letures. I've been assured that the first term is as intense as it gets.
14. What choice of modules do you have within your subject or is it all prescribed?
First term we had a choice of 2 papers for British History and either a foreign text or Approaches to History - they prefer to keep teaching within college in the first term. We have a free choice for the rest the year.
A slightly different perspective maybe...
1. Which college are you at?
Trinity College.
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
i) the openness - you can see out from most places in college, as we have railings rather than being behind massive stone walls like most of the other older colleges
ii) the massive back lawns - and that we can walk on them.
iii) the food, which is excellent (if a trifle pricey)
iiii) as with everyone else thus far, the central location - less than ten minutes from my room to my desk in the department, but also about 30 seconds from Cornmarket. The Bod, New Bod and RSL are also excessively close, not that I have any use for them.
v) the friendly MCR-folk
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
i) quite expensive
ii) noisy drunken students on Broad Street late in the evening during term, making sleep rather tricky sometimes.
iii) the security gate at the front entrance - it gets in the way and it's broken half the time anyway
iiii) the small door meaning we have no wicket gate. I like wicket gates.
v) that we can't walk on Front Quad
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college? Does your college have sports facilities of its own?
There's a squash court in the Dolphin Yard, and sports facilities shared with LMH and another college (I forget which, possibly Catz?) somewhere near the Cherwell.
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
Main site rooms are all £113/week plus food plus some kind of electricity charge. offsite rooms are individually priced but usually less than that. First and second year undergraduates live in main college AIUI, third years and fourth years move up to the Staverton Road annexe. Around 20 first year postgrads live in college, with the rest of the first years and all the second and third years up in the Rawlinson Road annexe (apart from a few in Stav, and the Junior Deans in college)
6. Is there the option of self catering?
There's an MCR kitchen and a JCR kitchen (and I think a couple of small pantires elsewhere) on the main site - the MCR kitchen is fantastic, the JCR one looks markedly less so. You pay by the meal, so you can self-cater as much as you want - I eat in Hall most nights during term and cook for myself out of term, whereas others seem to cook every night.
7. How much does food cost in college?
Formal Hall in the evening is £3.20 fixed, for three courses served to th table. Lunch and breakfast are per item, and range from about £1.50-£3.25 depending on what you get. Loads of choice at lunch - usually 7 or 8 options, but Formal Hall you get what's on the menu unless you have a special dietary requirement. Guest Night on a Friday is £13.59, but the food is superlative.
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
Haven't a clue, they don't seem to tell us about these things.
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
They have a pool table and a big telly, and a couple of games machines. There's also a table football table in the beer cellar. There are two MCRS, one on main site which is like a ncie living room (telly, settees, that kind of thing) and one up at Rawly which has three rooms: a conservatory, a sitting room, and a room in the middle with a computer and some more seats in.
10. What's your bar like?
Underground, underneath Hall in the Durham Quad. Seems fairly expensive to me, but then I find everything in Oxford excessively expensive.
11. Does your college take many international students?
Nearly all the postgrads on main site, and a fair number of the ones at Rawly, are international students - half a dozen Rhodes and a couple of Marshall Scholars, plus a few Europeaum scholars and some self-funders. Not sure about the undergraduates - most of the ones I've met have been from abroad, but then I meet them because they're here out of term, which is kind of self-fulfilling.
12. What subject do you do?
Physics (DPhil)
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
I work full time in a nice little office, and occaisonally have to go abroad at the university's or research council's expense to do stuff - oh the hardship
14. What choice of modules do you have within your subject or is it all prescribed?
I have to do one of the fourth year courses in addition to my research, which is a right pain as it swallows up time I could spend much more productively with pointless stuff like problem sheets.
1. Which college are you at?
Trinity College.
2. 5 best things about your college? (hints: location, aesthetic appeal, price of food, regularity of formal, clubs and societies, atmosphere of JCR, college rooms, college bar)
i) the openness - you can see out from most places in college, as we have railings rather than being behind massive stone walls like most of the other older colleges
ii) the massive back lawns - and that we can walk on them.
iii) the food, which is excellent (if a trifle pricey)
iiii) as with everyone else thus far, the central location - less than ten minutes from my room to my desk in the department, but also about 30 seconds from Cornmarket. The Bod, New Bod and RSL are also excessively close, not that I have any use for them.
v) the friendly MCR-folk
3. 5 worst things about your college? (This is for the Pros and Cons wiki I started in the summer)
i) quite expensive
ii) noisy drunken students on Broad Street late in the evening during term, making sleep rather tricky sometimes.
iii) the security gate at the front entrance - it gets in the way and it's broken half the time anyway
iiii) the small door meaning we have no wicket gate. I like wicket gates.
v) that we can't walk on Front Quad
4. Specifically, what sporting opportunities are there at your college? Does your college have sports facilities of its own?
There's a squash court in the Dolphin Yard, and sports facilities shared with LMH and another college (I forget which, possibly Catz?) somewhere near the Cherwell.
5. What are the rooms like at your college? Size, rents, in-college or annexes, how many years?
Main site rooms are all £113/week plus food plus some kind of electricity charge. offsite rooms are individually priced but usually less than that. First and second year undergraduates live in main college AIUI, third years and fourth years move up to the Staverton Road annexe. Around 20 first year postgrads live in college, with the rest of the first years and all the second and third years up in the Rawlinson Road annexe (apart from a few in Stav, and the Junior Deans in college)
6. Is there the option of self catering?
There's an MCR kitchen and a JCR kitchen (and I think a couple of small pantires elsewhere) on the main site - the MCR kitchen is fantastic, the JCR one looks markedly less so. You pay by the meal, so you can self-cater as much as you want - I eat in Hall most nights during term and cook for myself out of term, whereas others seem to cook every night.
7. How much does food cost in college?
Formal Hall in the evening is £3.20 fixed, for three courses served to th table. Lunch and breakfast are per item, and range from about £1.50-£3.25 depending on what you get. Loads of choice at lunch - usually 7 or 8 options, but Formal Hall you get what's on the menu unless you have a special dietary requirement. Guest Night on a Friday is £13.59, but the food is superlative.
8. What funds are available from the college? (e.g. are there hardship funds, holiday funds, funds for music lessons, prizes for essays?)
Haven't a clue, they don't seem to tell us about these things.
9. What facilities are available in your JCR?
They have a pool table and a big telly, and a couple of games machines. There's also a table football table in the beer cellar. There are two MCRS, one on main site which is like a ncie living room (telly, settees, that kind of thing) and one up at Rawly which has three rooms: a conservatory, a sitting room, and a room in the middle with a computer and some more seats in.
10. What's your bar like?
Underground, underneath Hall in the Durham Quad. Seems fairly expensive to me, but then I find everything in Oxford excessively expensive.
11. Does your college take many international students?
Nearly all the postgrads on main site, and a fair number of the ones at Rawly, are international students - half a dozen Rhodes and a couple of Marshall Scholars, plus a few Europeaum scholars and some self-funders. Not sure about the undergraduates - most of the ones I've met have been from abroad, but then I meet them because they're here out of term, which is kind of self-fulfilling
.12. What subject do you do?
Physics (DPhil)
13. What (specifically) is the workload, in terms of number of essays, lectures per week?
I work full time in a nice little office, and occaisonally have to go abroad at the university's or research council's expense to do stuff - oh the hardship
14. What choice of modules do you have within your subject or is it all prescribed?
I have to do one of the fourth year courses in addition to my research, which is a right pain as it swallows up time I could spend much more productively with pointless stuff like problem sheets.
I completely agree with everything Robin and Sam said!! We do have a boat house by the river, was very good as a shelter when cheering on our rowers in ChCh regatta, and I feel a need to menition college drama- John Oldham is our drama society (I'm secratary, hence why I'm selling it!) and we have just put on a brilliant production of Chrisite in Love, and two fantastic cuppers plays (go sam!). We also have Arts week in college, which was a great success. All in all Teddy Hall is pretty darn cool!
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