Life in Oxford
Studying at Oxford is a truly special experience where centuries of tradition sit alongside a bustling and modern cosmopolitan city.
There is a vibrant community of friendly and dynamic people from all parts of the world and a multitude of events take place on a daily basis, including art exhibitions, athletics competitions, film screenings, concerts, and student-organised social and cultural events.
For a quieter side of Oxford life, the city boasts many green spaces such as the University Parks where you can enjoy a game of football or a picnic. Port Meadow is a large area of common land by the River Thames with free-roaming cattle and horses.
Museums and culture
Oxford's museums, galleries and botanical gardens, including the University's world-famous Ashmolean Museum, attract millions of visitors annually.
Oxford is also a short distance from London, which is made easily accessible by frequent rail and bus links. London hosts some of the world’s best sightseeing opportunities, including the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, London Zoo, the British Museum and the Tate Galleries.
Oxford Chinese Students and Scholars Association
Established in the late 1980s, the Oxford Chinese Students and Scholars Association (OXCSSA) is the oldest and the largest Chinese society in Oxford, with upwards of 2,000 registered members, about half of whom are currently studying at the University of Oxford and Oxford Brooks University. The Association acts as a support network for its members and a hub for informal contact between Oxford and China. They organise a number of events each year including speakers’ events, sports competitions and various types of social gatherings. Membership is open to academics, researchers, and students at Oxford. While the majority of members are from China, the association also welcomes other members who are interested in Chinese language and culture.
The Society’s members are happy to answer questions from prospective students from China in Mandarin and English by email at oxcssa.committee@gmail.com.
The University also has a Hong Kong Society and Taiwanese Society.
Oxford University Student Union
The Oxford University Student Union (OUSU) represents the student body to the University and the outside world. OUSU offers advice, support and training to students and colleges, as well as a number of other services.
Colleges
As an Oxford graduate student, you will belong to a department which will provide your teaching and supervision. You will also be a member of one of the University’s forty-four colleges.
Being a member of a college is one of the most unique aspects of studying at Oxford. Colleges offer you an immersive community of fellow students and academics from a diverse range of backgrounds and interests.
Colleges offer students a space to study, socialise, and grow. They can also provide:
- Library access
- Dining facilities
- IT provision
- Welfare support
- MCR Membership*
*The MCR, or Middle Common Room, is both a physical space and an organisation that provides graduate students with social events, support, and a community of fellow graduate students.
Seven of Oxford’s colleges are dedicated to graduate students only, providing uniquely tailored college support for over a third of our postgraduate population. In addition, thirty colleges and all six permanent private halls admit students for both graduate and undergraduate degrees.
Do I need to find a college?
Every student who is offered admission by a department will also be accepted by one of the colleges. If you wish to apply to a particular college, you can state one preference on your application form. Alternatively, you can let us find a college for you, as one in three of our applicants did last year. Whichever college you are placed with, you can be assured of a warm, welcoming community. To get an idea of what colleges have to offer, explore a few of their websites via our College Guide.
Visit our Virtual Open Day YouTube playlist for an introduction to all aspects of Oxford life, including a welcome from the Vice Chancellor and insight into academic life, the colleges, living in Oxford and information for international students.
You can also hear our students' perspectives in the Virtual Open Day video on college life.
Health and welfare
You can rest assured that you will be well taken care of as a student in Oxford. The University offers a range of services, from the college porters and security patrols that keep premises safe to the student Counselling Service.
As a student you will also be able to register with a medical doctor, either through your college or at a local health centre. The UK's National Health Service allows you to visit a doctor - known as a General Practitioner, or GP - free of charge. If you need medicine, the GP will issue you with a prescription which can be taken to any nearby pharmacy. 24-hour advice is available via the NHS Direct service.
Main photograph by Nesrine Abdel-Sattar (Mansfield College); Modern Art Oxford photograph by Edward Sanderson