Exeter

Exeter, Oxford’s fourth oldest college, is in the heart of the city, and takes academic scholarship very seriously. Its community is close but not claustrophobic, and there is a caring atmosphere where people look out for others. Uniquely in Oxford, the college has its own careers advice office and a programme of student internships with employers. It also has a unique programme of in-house seminars, by prominent public figures, with David Attenborough and Philip Pullman among recent speakers. Former undergraduates include JRR Tolkien, Alan Bennett, and Sir Ronald Cohen. It offers financial aid for student hardship and has several graduate scholarships. Exeter encourages strong links with North America, taking 26 students each year from Williams College, a top liberal arts college in Massachusetts.

Exeter is in the centre of Oxford, close to the main libraries, lecture theatres and departments (as well as to shops and pubs).

Almost all undergraduates are offered three or four years in college-owned accommodation. All first-years live on the main site, as do some final-year students. Most college hostels and flats are no more than a mile away. In college, some rooms have their own shower and WC, and there is a bathroom or shower and a WC on every staircase. Three meals a day are provided in hall during term; the hostels and flats also have self-catering arrangements.

The library is generously funded and open for reading and borrowing 24 hours a day during term, with long hours in vacations. It has 40,000 volumes on open shelves and as many again in the stack. Loan periods are long, and borrowings largely unrestricted. Students are encouraged to suggest purchases, and the librarian can react quickly to readers’ needs. There are three reading rooms overlooking the garden. Exeter students can enjoy one of the most beautiful gardens in Oxford.

All rooms in college have internet access, and some have wireless internet access (as does the garden). The computing room contains 14 PCs for general use.

Exeter students participate in a wide variety of student societies, both in college and for the University. Exeter has a strong musical tradition: the mixed choir sings in chapel, the musical society supports everything from jazz through folk to classical and the Rector’s musical evenings are open to all. The bar is an excellent venue for rock, folk, jazz and blues.

Exeter has many sports teams and a well-equipped boathouse on the Thames. Exonians have had much sporting success, but most play for fun and exercise. It is not compulsory!