Oxford: Student Life

Housing

Students generally live in singles with en suite bathrooms and shared kitchen access. Like everything else at Oxford, housing is college dependent. Questions to ask might include:

Does the college offer housing during breaks (eg. Easter Holiday between Hilary and Trinity terms) and is at an additional cost?
Is housing for visiting students integrated or separate from degree student housing?
Is college housing located at the college or off-site?

Dining

Unlike Harvard, college dining hall meals are pay-as-you-go. This means you have more flexibility to eat out in town, attend formal dinners at other colleges, and cook for yourself. Dining hall meals are heavily subsidized (~ £5), though formal dinners can range from £20-30.

Returned Student Tip: Pack formalwear if you already have it. Otherwise, there are tons of used-clothing shops around town to get what you need for formal dinners and balls. Most formals aren’t black tie – just ‘jacket and tie’ and equivalent. Oxford balls are the epitome of posh and glamor — but be prepared to splurge for tickets well ahead of time.

Clubs & Societies

Social life at Oxford is largely college-centered. Visiting students can participate in their college’s clubs, societies, and sports as well as any university-wide clubs and societies. Unlike Harvard, there are generally no barriers to entry and the focus is on socializing rather than resume building. Extracurriculars represent a great opportunity to try out new activities and build relationships.

Student Testimonials

I have gotten to perform in theater productions every term, join the novice rowing and college tennis teams, participate in societies (clubs) like French, Energy, and Sustainable Finance, as well as brush up my Italian through outside classes offered by Italian society. As part of the Sustainable Finance society, I even attended a fully funded field trip to London, meeting industry leaders and startups in the field.

One aspect that stands out to me is the inclusivity of clubs and activities at Oxford, with no "comp" process. This made joining clubs more enjoyable and accessible. Additionally, as a visiting student, I had full access to career services, which I found invaluable for future plans, especially for those considering opportunities in Europe post-graduation.

St. Peter’s College is incredibly social (our college bar is the best at Oxford) and it is incredibly easy to make friends and join activities. We have two formal dinners a week in our dining hall (with incredible food), weekly BOPS (big organized parties) and a tight-knit community. One of my favorite memories was Engineers Formal where we had a formal dinner and drinks with Engineering students, professors, tutors, and alumni. I also loved matriculation and punting afterward.

-Alice Goyer, Academic Year, St. Peter’s College

Social life at Teddy Hall revolves a lot around sports. Students are very passionate about football and rugby and make a big deal out of going to the matches to support the college. There are also a lot of opportunities for visiting students to participate in the friendly matches even if they are not big players.

-Nayeli Cardozo, Spring, St. Edmund’s Hall

As a study abroad student, you instantly fall into a bigger group of study abroad students which can be a great social drop off point. The university and individual colleges have an abundance of clubs which I'd recommend joining to get to know even more people (and real Brits).

-Anonymous