Oxford Housing

You will be offered housing within a fifteen-minute walk from the central area of the University (as defined on our website). Naturally, charges for local transportation are the responsibility of each student.

You should know that only about half of Oxford’s 20,000 students are able to live within their College’s walls; and most Colleges have to give preference to their first and third year degree candidates. A large number of Oxford students – mainly second years and graduates – live in “digs”, between one and two miles away from the centre.

You must remember that Oxford University is spread over several miles. No matter where you are living, you may have to travel by bicycle (almost all students use bikes, the classic mode of transportation in Oxford) or by bus to libraries, meetings, clubs, the “rooms” of your tutor, or to your College dining hall.

In short, Oxford is not a small, compact liberal arts college.

Each house has wireless Internet access which, along with other utilities, are included in the overall fee. Utilities sometimes break down; when they do they will be repaired as soon as possible.

Most American college students live in double rooms. Most of our housing is in single bedrooms.

The houses and flats are furnished to normal Oxford student standards, down to sheets and blankets. Because of the personal nature of towels, we ask students to bring their own. You will have a fully equipped kitchen with refrigerator, major appliances, and utensils; a dining area; sitting room; and a full bathroom. The housing agent will take care of any repairs on equipment. Houses are cleaned before students arrive. It is the students’ responsibility to keep their house clean in term-time. Sometimes other students are already living in your house, so your house may have a “lived-in-look” when you arrive. You will, of course, be responsible for any damage.

Some students may wish to supplement their furnishings on their own (prints or other decorations, a desk lamp, a shower attachment or an extra chair). Everything outside of normal Oxford student furnishings is the student’s responsibility.

Summer session students who enrol after the middle of June should remember there are only a few British students in residence after June 20 (mainly graduates) and so there are minimal extra-curricular activities in the colleges.

Please note that the housing information listed above is partial and is intended to be supplemented by your acceptance letter, information on the housing pages of our website, and the OSAP Student Handbook.

Shopping in Oxford

Household Items

• Argos – New Inn Hall Street. Very affordable with a large inventory, suitable for everything from electronics, hairdryers, curling irons, drying racks, etc.
• Primark – Westgate Shopping Centre. Akin to a Walmart, affordable bedding and towels, as well as less expensive clothes.

Supermarkets

• Tesco – Magdalen Street. The largest city-centre supermarket, open until 11pm every day except Sunday, when it closes at 5pm.
• Sainsbury’s Local – Magdalen Street. Smaller than Testco, but open every day from 7am – 12am.
• Co-op – Walton Street. Great for those students living in Jericho, and open every day until 12am.

Chemists (Pharmacists)

• Boots – Cornmarket Street. Good overall for medicines, toiletries, etc.
• Boswells – Cornmarket Street. Smaller than Boots, but often quicker for prescriptions.
• Superdrug – Cornmarket Street or Westgate Shopping Centre. Smaller, but cheaper, than Boots.

Newsagents

• WHSmith – Cornmarket Street. The largest newsagent in Oxford, and the first place to try. Can order foreign newspapers and magazines.
• Wendy News – Broad Street. A large range of magazines and sweets.

Stationery

• WHSmith – Cornmarket Street. Should be able to supply most things.
• Rymans – Queen Street. Smaller than WHSmith, but still well stocked.

Oxford Museums

Oxford has one of the finest concentrations of museums anywhere in the world. As well as providing material to help put your literary and historical studies in context, they are also good places to take a break from libraries and essays, to drink coffee (Ashmolean Museum and Modern Art Oxford) and to buy presents. Many of the museum buildings are notable examples of architecture; all of them are treasure houses.

Museums in Oxford include:

• Ashmolean Museum: Beaumont Street, the first public museum in Europe
• Museum of the History of Science: an unrivalled collection of historic scientific instruments in the world‘s oldest surviving purpose-built museum building, est. l935
• Pitt Rivers Museum: Parks Road, anthropology and ethnology, shrunken heads and Cook artefacts
• Natural History Museum: Parks Road, dinosaurs, minerals, crocodiles and butterflies
• Bate Collection of Musical instruments: Faculty of Music, St Aldate’s, European woodwind and brass
• Bodleian Exhibition Room: Bodleian Quadrangle, a changing selection of material from the Bodleian’s massive archives. ln addition to the resources of a copyright library, there are extensive collections of ephemera, from anti-Napoleonic propaganda to shopping, author manuscripts, travel etc.
• Christ Church Picture Gallery: Oriel Square, old master paintings and drawings, as well as collections of English glass and Russian Icons
• Botanic Gardens: High Street, last admission at 4.l5pm all year round
• Harcourt Aboretum: six miles south of Oxford, aboretum means ‘trees’
• Museum of Oxford: St Aldate’s, integrates history of town and university
• Modern Art Oxford: Pembroke St, behind Marks & Spencer, no permanent collections, but a changing display of nationally-acclaimed exhibitions

Further details on university museums can be found at www.ox.ac.uk/museums.

Miscellaneous Information, Tips and Locations

Bicycles
Though Oxford is a small city, the centre of which is accessible by foot, some students which to purchase or rent bicycles during their stay. Below are listed some of the city centre shops which offer cycles for purchase and hire. Please remember that you should wear a helmet whilst cycling, beware of traffic patterns which may be different than those of your home country, that it is mandatory to attach a light to the front and rear of your cycle both before dawn and after dusk, and that you should always lock your cycle when it is not in use.

• Bike Zone: 28-32 St Michael’s Street
• Cycle King Oxford: 128-130 Cowley Road
• Summertown Cycles: 200-202 Banbury Road
• Walton Street Cycles: 78 Walton Street

Bus Passes
City centre Oxford, and the surrounding areas, are serviced principally by two bus companies: the Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach. Tickets for both single (one way) and return journeys can be purchased from the drive, using cash, when you board the bus. For those of you who wish to travel more frequently by bus, you should consider purchasing a bus pass from the Oxford Bus Company shop on Gloucester Green. The staff there can advise you on the best pass for you for both Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach busses.

Gym Membership
Two principle gyms service city centre Oxford. Neither are free and require memberships, but both often have student membership packages which are more affordable and do not require long-term commitments:

• Iffley Road Sports Complex: The main site for university sport, Iffley Road is the closest Oxford University has to a “campus gym”.
• Pure Gym: A public gym in city centre, Pure Gym is smaller than the Iffley Road Complex, but offers monthly memberships.
• Buzz Gym: A public gym in city centre (on the top floor of the Westgate Shopping Centre), which offers monthly memberships.

“Craigslist” for Oxford
Though Craigslist does provide a platform for purchasing some things in Oxford, a far better is Daily Info — https://www.dailyinfo.co.uk/ — a clearinghouse not only for items for sale, but a guide for local events, attractions, and many more things pertinent to living in Oxford.

Mobile Phones & SIM Cards
Many students attest to the value of being able to communicate by phone with their mobile device whilst in Oxford–if only via text. This allows students to more conveniently plan rendezvous for various pub visits, dinners, outings, etc.

If you arrived with a mobile phone which is unlocked, there is a high chance that you will only need to purchase a UK SIM card; otherwise, you may need to purchase a cheap mobile phone and SIM card. Either way, Carphone Warehouse (on Cornmarket Street) offers several different plans. We recommend that you visit this shop, discuss with their staff your specific needs, how long you will be in Oxford, which countries you might wish to call, etc., and then purchase the plan which is best for you.

• Carphone Warehouse: in the Westgate Shopping Centre.

Internet Access
All students are given Wireless Internet access in the OSAP offices and in their Oxford flats. Associate Members with a Bodleian card will be able to access the internet in the Bodleian reading rooms and in their college libraries. Visiting Students will also have access to the “eduroam” network; more details for connecting to this network are available through the University’s IT website at www.it.ox.ac.uk.

Alternatively, there are a number of public wifi spots available throughout Oxford in pubs, coffee shops, and restaurants.

Transport to London
Conveniently, London, Europe’s largest city, is only 60 miles east of Oxford, and is very accessible by both train and coach.

• Via train: Trains depart every 30-45 minutes from the Oxford Railway Station (near Venneit Close and the Said Business School), bound for both London Paddington and London Marylebone stations, and tickets can be purchased directly from the Oxford train station. The journey (on the fast train) is about 60-65 minutes. Both Paddington and Marylebone are serviced by the London Underground, and you will easily be able to take the tube from those stations to almost anywhere in London.
• Via coach: Both the Oxford Tube and the X90 Coach Service provide direct transport from Oxford to city centre London. Coaches depart Oxford every 15-20 minutes from the Gloucester Green bus station, and tickets can be purchased directly (with cash) from the coach driver. Both coach services provide transport to both London Victoria station and Marble Arch; from either stop you can easily take the tube to your final destination. The coach journey from Oxford to London varies depending upon traffic, but usually takes 100-120 minutes.

Note that all tube stops in London now accept contactless card payment, so there is no need to purchase a day pass in advance. However, if are travelling to London by train, you may wish to consider the London Travelcard, a ticket purchased from the Oxford Railway Station which includes not only transport to and from London, but also a day pass for tube and bus transportation once in London. Should you be interested, the ticket attendant at the Oxford station can give you more information.

Tips: Travelling beyond Oxford and London

Hostels

Hostels vary from the very good (clean, inexpensive, and fun) to the very bad (dirty, expensive and unfriendly staff). Also, different hostels cater to different tastes. Some are 24-hour party places, while others serve as more relaxing places to sleep after a long day of travelling. Guidebooks, such as Let’s Go, are useful for finding a place to sleep, but they often don’t give you a feel for the “spirit” of the hostel. The best idea for finding a place that matches your interests is to talk to someone who has visited the city before.

There are also several useful websites where you can book hostels online.

www.hostelwatch.com lists “Europe’s Famous Hostels”. In my experience, these are some of the best places to stay. They are clean, relatively well priced, have great social atmospheres, and have friendly staff that will often help you book tours etc… The Famous hostels are in London, Paris, Brugge (Belgium), Amsterdam, Corfu (Greece), Barcelona, Salzburg (Austria), Interlaken (Switzerland), Berlin, Dublin and Edinburgh. If you are visiting any of these cities, we highly recommend that you consider the Famous Hostel.

www.hostelworld.com is an excellent website that allows you to book hostel rooms in cities throughout Europe. Additionally, this website offers good independent (for the most part) reviews of hostels by people who have stayed there. You need a credit card to book a room, and the online booking is very secure. This is a great place to start looking for cheap accommodation.

Hostels will usually cost you in the neighbourhood of £25 a night. Expect to pay a bit more for nicer places or places that are right in the city centre. Make sure to ask about check-in times, as some hostels will require you to arrive before a certain time.
Also, remember that some hostels have lockouts and curfews, which can be an inconvenience. Find out about this before you book to see if it will interfere with your schedule.

Trains

If you are travelling frequently (every other day or so) then investing in a rail pass (Eurail, Interail etc.) can save you money, time and hassle. However, if you are only travelling for a few days (or weeks) and plan on spending several days in one location, then simply buying point-to-point tickets might be a better option.

If you plan on using trains frequently, try to find a rail schedule (the Eurail one is comprehensive and usually accurate), as it will allow you to plan your travels more easily. Don’t fall asleep on the train without making sure that your valuables are secure!

Money

Travelling in Europe is quite expensive, even for a budget traveller. Remember that you will have to pay for everything when you are on the road (accommodation, food, entertainment, travelling expenses etc…) so costs add up in a hurry. In Western Europe, if you plan on staying in hostels and travelling by train, it would be prudent to budget at least €50 a day (obviously some days are more expensive, and others less). It is possible to travel on less, but you may miss out on some of the experiences that are really worthwhile. Eastern Europe is generally less expensive, so it is possible to travel with less money.

Accessing money in Europe is easy. If you have an ATM card, then for a small fee you can withdraw money from your bank account wherever you go. Traveller’s cheques are also an option; though they should generally be cashed at banks if possible to avoid paying a huge commission. Credit cards give the best exchange rates, and are generally accepted everywhere. Note that some hostels will not accept credit cards.

Bring (and wear) a money belt to store your passport, ATM card etc. Nothing ruins a trip like having all your valuables stolen (and pickpockets are a real threat in many large Europe cities). Hide some cash (maybe £200) in your bag in case of emergencies.

Flights

For discount airlines, e.g. Ryan Air (www.ryanair.com) or EasyJet (www.easyjet.com), the earlier you book, usually the cheaper your flight.

Student Discounts

When visiting museums, art galleries etc. always ask if there is a student discount. This is a great way to save money. Make sure you have some form of student identification (an ISIC card is best).

Safety

Oxford is a relatively safe city with a low incidence of violent crime- you should have nothing to worry about during your time here as long as you follow a few guidelines.

However, your personal property is at risk from the criminal element if you are not careful.

The vast majority of crime involving the theft of personal property is opportunistic–if you make it easy for a prospective thief, they will take advantage of your carelessness.

These simple guidelines should help you to avoid becoming a victim of crime:

• Ensure that your door is locked. When leaving the house, double-check the door, even if other people are at home. Never leave the door ‘on the latch’; it is very easy to forget, or not realise that someone else has done this and then leave the house unsecured.
• The same applies to windows, especially on the ground floor. Check that your windows are secure before leaving the house, especially if you are the last to leave.
• Avoid leaving expensive and easily portable items, such as laptops, cameras and mobile phones in open view from the street–a thief will only go to the trouble of breaking in if they are sure it is worth the effort and risk.
• Bicycles are a common target in Oxford, and no student here does not have some story to tell about a misappropriated bike. Ensure that you have a strong lock (it’s worth spending more money now to avoid later expense and hassle) and that your bike it secured to something, and not merely locked around the wheels. There are bicycle racks all over the city, so it should never be difficult to find one. Under no circumstances should you ever leave an unlocked bike unattended, even for a moment. If possible, keep your bike away from public areas at night–lock it behind your house, away from prying eyes.
• There is little incidence of violent crime in Oxford, so you should not worry unduly about your personal safety. However, do be careful in public places not to make yourself an obvious target for pickpockets or muggers. This can be done easily–appearing confident in your environment will immediately deter a prospective thief, as will keeping cash, wallets and purses out of sight. Do not linger for long periods at ATMs after withdrawing cash, and avoid counting cash out in public. Do not carry large quantities of cash with you, as the number of ATMs in Oxford make this unnecessary, and if you are going out for the night, stay with groups of friends–women especially should avoid walking home alone late at night. If you are obviously the worse for drink and on your own at 1:00 in the morning, you are a very easy target. someone does confront you, use your common sense- don’t make a potentially bad situation worse- in almost all cases any unpleasantness can be avoided.

If you follow these common sense guidelines, you should have no problems with crime during your studies in Oxford. Please do not be overly concerned; as there is no need–in all cases, prevention is better than cure and these few precautionary measures should be all you need to keep yourself and your belongings safe.

One safety issue which can be much more insidious within the student community is that of drug abuse. Like any other city in England, Oxford does have some incidence of illegal drug use, and as a result there are elements of the community who profit from this by dealing in illegal substances. These people should be avoided at all costs–not only are the drugs they sell extremely dangerous, they themselves are dangerous people. Drugs are dangerous, and we cannot and will not be held responsible for the individual actions of any students who choose to disregard these warnings and break the law. These rules also apply to any travel the student embarks on arranged by the Oxford Study Abroad Programme, or arranged independently by the individual student.