Choosing an Oxford College

Magdalen can guarantee you four years of accomodation and while first years are 'outside walls' it's only a five minute walk over the bridge to get to Hall, and you can get amazing views of the deer park. Music scene is busy with a non-auditioning choir, a good orchestra and of course the world-famous college choir...

Yeah, but the Wayneflete is pretty disgusting...

st johns is the worst for car parking, dont apply there

I think all colleges will be "worst" in terms of car parking. What did you expect?

Magdalen has car parking for clinical medics, as does green as do many others. Johns being the richest, does NOTHING. So annoying.

Very few people need car parking, and the people who do tend to live out. Complaining about your college's perks when you're at St. John's is a bit rich.

I see. I think the last thing I really want is to be in a sleepy college where nothing much happens - I know this doesn't really exist in any colleges but I suppose that's why I'm put off the smaller colleges.

Also, I don't fancy the idea of being all the time with exactly the same small group of people that you've found you get on with - there might be a larger group of people of your type at a larger college??

Mainly, what I'm looking for is:
1. decent accommodation for all years with one or two 'in-walls' years
2. a buzzing a sociable atmosphere with plenty of guest nights and a generally hectic social side - but, I suppose, only so much that it can be fit in around all the work!
3. Really quite a central location
4. A fair amount of societies: e.g. music, debating etc. although this comes under social atmosphere.

Now, I know most of the colleges meet this criteria so I think once one has produced a shortlist the only thing to do is to visit them!

What is your view on the small colleges thing?

Yeah, but the Wayneflete is pretty disgusting...

I admit I'm glad I don't have to live there.

Its all well and good to say 'st johns is the richest college' and have a list of perks they offer - but when they dont help you and the one thing you do want they are completely inflexible about, it becomes irrelevant. Correct me if im wrong but people dont need nice on-site accom., en-suite, a big glossy MCR etc. Need is a very subjective thing. Car Parking is very important to me, the college has been so arsy about it, not using any of that financial might that their rich and generous status becomes useless for me.

Blasphemy!

I don't really see what the college can do about it? You're one of a very small minority who need parking except on the first/last days of term when they provide parking permits

You're Brasenose, you would say that.

I think Lincoln's pretty awesome, but then I've only been here four weeks and I'm sure everyone gets to love their college pretty quickly, wherever they are, so...

I think you're totally wrong on the small college thing! Exeter is not big by any means, but wow is it NOT sleepy. So much happens, everyone is busy most nights, there are plenty of college events going on and basically I'd consider it the complete antithesis of 'sleepy.' We have a great social life, it's very 'buzzing' and the atmosphere is very sociable and hectic. Most people get involved with music, drama and sports so there are always social events for those particular groups going on as well.

As for always being with the same small group of people, that's not true either. We have 340 undergraduates (about 115 in each year) and I'm always with different people. Of course, there aren't many people I don't recognise by sight, but there is certainly enough variation in people to find the right ones for everyone, and enough variation that if I don't want to hang out with the same people, then I don't have to, and most people hang out with different people all the time. To be honest, I'd personally hate to be in a vast college where there are loads of people I don't recognise, I think the number of students at Exeter is pretty perfect, it's small enough to be cosy and comfortable, but big enough that there are lots of different groups and people.

I don't think it fits your criteria for accommodation though. All first years are housed in college, which is VERY VERY central, I don't think it gets any more central than Turl Street/Broad Street. However, all second years have to live out. There is college owned accommodation, but it's all the way in Cowley. Half of third years get to live in college. So in this respect, it doesn't fit your criteria.

However, I'd definitely ask you to reconsider your stance on colleges that aren't huge, as it really has zero bearing on the social/atmosphere side of things.