Does Oxford offer student accommodation

I want to go to Oxford this year, but the off putting thing is the term times - they’re short and it doesn’t state if you can stay in your room over the summer. I won’t be able to return home for Christmas/Easter, so if I can’t stay at Oxford I’d have to find a place to live every term end and that would be very stressful!

Does anyone know what to do in this situation ?

Reply 1

molly_douglas

13

I’m not too well educated on this topic but I have a family friend that goes to Oxford and she is not allowed to stay for any holidays in her accommodation and she has to move all of her possessions out of her accommodation for all of the holidays as I think that the university rents out the rooms to tourists in the holidays.

I would contact the university to see if there’s any accommodations with longer contracts so that you can stay during holidays, but I’m not sure what to suggest if this can’t be arranged

Reply 2

Kerzen

17

I've just looked at the Magdalen website and it is suggesting that students can apply for residence in the vacation when things are normal.

https://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/undergraduate-vacation-residence-form/

I gather that the rules on accommodation have been changed at the moment because of Covid and that colleges are asking students not to stay up if possible.

You say that you want to go to Oxford this year. What is the current status of your application?

Reply 3

gjd800

20

Most colleges will sort something for you if you are in dire straits, but you have to pay above the odds and they will be moving you about every few days (conference bookings etc). I'm in grad accom so don't have to worry about this.

Reply 4

HMDN12

11

Depends which college you’re in. At Jesus for example, in Year 1 had to move out in Christmas and Easter vacs and remove all belongings, but in subsequent years was in college flats which you can stay in from a specified date in September right though to July. Most undergraduate college accommodation, even flats, would expect you to not be there in the summer.

Reply 5

Oxford Mum

21

Original post by ewpfs

I want to go to Oxford this year, but the off putting thing is the term times - they’re short and it doesn’t state if you can stay in your room over the summer. I won’t be able to return home for Christmas/Easter, so if I can’t stay at Oxford I’d have to find a place to live every term end and that would be very stressful!

Does anyone know what to do in this situation ?

Why can you not return? Are you an international student? If you get an offer, you can bring this up with the college. As people below say, you could stay, but you would have to keep paying the college for that extra residential stay and it will be expensive. It would be the same at another uni, surely.

The main concern about Oxford is getting in in the first place. That's the hardest bit. If you are not successful, all this worry will have been for nothing.

Reply 6

harrysbar

21

Original post by Oxford Mum

Why can you not return? Are you an international student? If you get an offer, you can bring this up with the college. As people below say, you could stay, but you would have to keep paying the college for that extra residential stay and it will be expensive. It would be the same at another uni, surely.

It's not necessarily the same at other unis OM as most have accomodation contracts that include the Christmas and Easter holidays at not that much more expense. But it seems from this thread (I was unaware) that Oxford expect students not to stay in the holidays apart from in exceptional cases.

Reply 7

nexttime

22

They are used to this as internationals will regularly have this problem. Its not cheap though, and if you're a domestic it would be quite unusual and not guaranteed. Renting somewhere might even work out better for you. You should get in touch with a few colleges and see what they say.

Original post by Oxford Mum

It would be the same at another uni, surely.

No other places will give you a 10 or 12 month contract.

Original post by harrysbar

But it seems from this thread (I was unaware) that Oxford expect students not to stay in the holidays apart from in exceptional cases.

That is correct - its how they keep the costs so low. A room that you pay £4000 per year for might cost a conference guest £200-300 per night!

Plus they need the rooms for interviews of course.

Exactly nexttime!

My son will hopefully be reading Physics at Univ in October. I have been scouring the TSR chat rooms for some guidance around vacating rooms over the holidays. This thread is very useful so thank you for your comments.One lingering questions: do colleges offer some storage space for students to store their belongings during the holiday at Christmas and Easter, or do students seriously have to bring everything back home including bulkier duvets, pillows, bike?Thank you.

Reply 10

harrysbar

21

Original post by UnivMum

My son will hopefully be reading Physics at Univ in October. I have been scouring the TSR chat rooms for some guidance around vacating rooms over the holidays. This thread is very useful so thank you for your comments.One lingering questions: do colleges offer some storage space for students to store their belongings during the holiday at Christmas and Easter, or do students seriously have to bring everything back home including bulkier duvets, pillows, bike?Thank you.

@Oxford Mum will be recruiting you for her Oxford parents thread!

My understanding is that they offer storage space for international students who can't take their belongings home but not for home students but I could be wrong - the experts will answer later I'm sure :smile:

Reply 11

Oxford Mum

21

There will be a place in college where your son can leave his bike.

Also many colleges provide duvets, so you don’t need them either! Once your son gets his grades and is formally accepted into Oxford they will send him a list of what he needs and doesn’t need to bring. Also he may not need to take a printer, and that is a bulky item.

The colleges don’t have massive storage space, so what they have mostly goes to international students.

Reply 12

Oxford Mum

21

Harrys thanks for tagging me in! Funny but we were both replying to this question at the same time and yes, the poster above would really benefit from joining the Oxford parents association, as this very question is often discussed...

Reply 13

harrysbar

21

Original post by Oxford Mum

Harrys thanks for tagging me in! Funny but we were both replying to this question at the same time and yes, the poster above would really benefit from joining the Oxford parents association, as this very question is often discussed...

Yes and I know you Oxford parents are a friendly bunch

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5893218

Reply 14

UnivMum

3

Thank you Oxford Mum and harrysbar... looking forward to joining the Oxford Parents chat... in hindsight, I hope I haven’t jinxed it with my choice of username 😯

Reply 15

UnivMum

3

Original post by Oxford Mum

Harrys thanks for tagging me in! Funny but we were both replying to this question at the same time and yes, the poster above would really benefit from joining the Oxford parents association, as this very question is often discussed...

I got through the first 50 pages last evening! 😀

Reply 16

Oxford Mum

21

That’s dedication for you @UnivMum

Reply 17

OxFossil

19

Original post by UnivMum

My son will hopefully be reading Physics at Univ in October. I have been scouring the TSR chat rooms for some guidance around vacating rooms over the holidays. This thread is very useful so thank you for your comments.One lingering questions: do colleges offer some storage space for students to store their belongings during the holiday at Christmas and Easter, or do students seriously have to bring everything back home including bulkier duvets, pillows, bike?Thank you.

Yes, as others have said, a typical position is that students can store bikes in a college bikeshed or similar, and may offer minimal storage space for keeping a few other items in the student's room (such as a small locked cupboard). Otherwise, it all goes home. Some colleges/scouts turn a blind eye if students cram a few belongings on top of wardrobes, under beds etc, but it's not a safe option. For unusual situations, you might get special consideration - my daughter had a bulky special adapted chair that she was allowed to keep in a store room - but that is exceptional.

Reply 18

UnivMum

3

Original post by OxFossil

Yes, as others have said, a typical position is that students can store bikes in a college bikeshed or similar, and may offer minimal storage space for keeping a few other items in the student's room (such as a small locked cupboard). Otherwise, it all goes home. Some colleges/scouts turn a blind eye if students cram a few belongings on top of wardrobes, under beds etc, but it's not a safe option. For unusual situations, you might get special consideration - my daughter had a bulky special adapted chair that she was allowed to keep in a store room - but that is exceptional.

Thank you for the advice!

Reply 19

mishieru07

12

Original post by ewpfs

I want to go to Oxford this year, but the off putting thing is the term times - they’re short and it doesn’t state if you can stay in your room over the summer. I won’t be able to return home for Christmas/Easter, so if I can’t stay at Oxford I’d have to find a place to live every term end and that would be very stressful!

Does anyone know what to do in this situation ?

It depends on your college - I went to Brasenose and my college offers 40 week tenancies from second year onwards (i.e. you keep your room for Christmas/ Easter, but you have to vacate for the summer - see https://www.bnc.ox.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate-admissions/179-accommodation-rooms). I was an international student, so it made sense for me since I didn't go home over the Christmas and Easter vacations (didn't fancy a 13 hour flight each way). That said, it is more expensive, so your mileage may vary.

I would specifically target colleges that offer this kind of tenancies (although bear in mind that it might not be available to you as a first year) - get in touch with college admissions/ JCR if this information isn't available online.

Does Oxford offer student accommodation

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