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Motivated participants are required to take part in a 14-session cognitive training experiment.

The study involves 13 daily (Mon-Fri) sessions of cognitive testing in a three-week period including transcranical electrical stimulation (tES) and one short follow-up test three-five weeks later. Training sessions are roughly 90 minutes per day at University College. Times are flexible and participants are reimbursed for their time and effort. 

Training starts on Monday 6 November and ends on 22-24 November. Follow-up tests will be between Wednesday 13 and Friday 21 December.

To get involved, please email [email protected] before Monday 6 November.

Free access to a vast online library of video-based courses at lynda.com.

To aid your studies at Oxford, you have free access to a vast online library of video-based courses at Lynda.com. There are over 4,000 courses, which are perfect for developing IT skills to support your studies or future careers. Courses can be taken anywhere at any time via the free app or by downloading courses in advance. The IT Learning Centre is now running Lynda Labs – sessions in which you can work through courses away from interruptions and distractions. Visit the IT Services website, select ‘book a course’ and search for ‘Lynda Labs’ for more information and dates.

The Nexus365 project to move Nexus email and calendaring to the cloud-based Office 365 service has been re-scheduled.

The delivery of the new service will start in April 2018 and is expected to take three months. The project will liaise with local IT support staff regarding migration and you will receive further details to come including information on what to expect and support for using it. For more information, email [email protected] or visit the IT Services website.

Volunteering with the Environmental Sustainability team is a valuable way to make a difference whilst at Oxford.

You can get involved with projects including:

• Setting up a Green Impact team in your department or college

• Taking part in energy saving with the Student Switch Off

• Volunteering some time at an Edible Community Garden

• Hopping on your bike and earning points for your college with cycle mile tracker, Unicycle.

For more information, visit the Estates Services website.

If your examination timetable clashes with your religious observances, you can apply to the University for an adjustment to your timetable under Part 11 of the Examination Regulations.

To make an application you should speak to your college office (or department if you do not have a college) by the end of Michaelmas term 2017 for exams in Trinity term 2018 so that your timetable can be considered for adjustment. You can find more information about examinations and specific religious observances on the Oxford Students website.

Are you interested in innovation and entrepreneurship?

In October 2017, a new entrepreneurship facility will open for all students, faculty and staff. The Oxford Foundry will become a place for co-working with dedicated areas for idea generation, workshops and mentorship from local and global entrepreneurs, and business skills training in a high-energy environment.

For more information, sign up for the newsletter.

A great way of getting to know Oxford is to contribute to the local community.

With students making up 24% of the city’s population, the positive impact you can make is enormous. Oxford Hub supports students in tackling social challenges, learning about issues and connecting with each other. There are a variety of practical volunteering and skilled placements to get involved in as well as events throughout the year. Whether you want to tutor a child in a local school, become a visiting trustee, befriend an elderly person or help at our food cooperative, there is something foryou. To receive details of social action events and projects, visit the Oxford Hub website.

You can also find volunteering opportunities through the Oxford University Student Union and the University of Oxford website. Volunteering acts as a valuable addition to your CV and can help broaden your horizons with a view to future employment. For more information, see the Oxford Students website.

The Bodleian Libraries run free workshops for postgraduates every term which are a fantastic opportunity to develop your research and study skills.

The sessions range from Open Access publishing; measuring research impact; managing research data; reference management tools, finding relevant material for your research, and more. To view the full programme, visit the LibGuides website. Workshops are free but booking is required. For weekly updates and reminders of upcoming workshops, email [email protected] with ‘Add to mailing list’ in the subject field.

The Oxford Vaccine Centre carries out clinical trials testing vaccines for major global diseases and are looking for people to join their database of healthy volunteers.

Trial participants are reimbursed for their time, travel and inconvenience. Database members will receive a monthly email with details of trials currently recruiting. For more details and to sign up for the newsletter, visit the Oxford Vaccine Centre website and to find out more about the Centre, visit the Jenner Institute or the Oxford Vaccine Group.

Oxford is a safe place to live. However, it is still important to look after yourself and your property, both at home and whilst travelling around the city.

Your property

Always remember to lock doors and windows when you’re out, back up work saved on your laptop and consider a tracking device for phones and computers. For more information on personal safety and protecting your belongings, visit the Oxford Students website. To insure your valuable items, visit Endsleigh.

Cycling

Cycling is a great way to get around Oxford. However when travelling, please remember that it’s a legal requirement to have a working set of lights displayed on your bicycle (a bright white light on the front and a red light on the back). It is also important to wear a cycle helmet, and light coloured or fluorescent clothing. For more information and how to register your bike with the free Bike Register scheme, visit the Security Services website.

If you require alternative arrangements or adjustments whilst at Oxford, you should contact the Disability Support Service (DAS) or your college office.

The deadline for examination adjustments is Friday of Week 4 of the term but the sooner you can get in touch the better. Examination provisions may include:

• extra time
• use of a word processor
• enlarged font papers
• written instructions
• seating arrangements
• scheduling of examinations at a specific time of day
• permission to bring food and drink into an examination

Getting in touch with DAS as soon as you can will allow you to focus on settling in and enjoying your course once you arrive. For more information, visit the Oxford Students website.

Full academic dress, known as sub fusc, must be worn at all formal University ceremonies.

This includes matriculation and degree ceremonies. You’ll also wear sub fusc when sitting examinations. On these occasions, you should wear the appropriate gown (your college/department will advise); a mortar board or soft-cap; a dark suit, skirt or trousers; a dark coat if required; black shoes; a plain white collared shirt or blouse; and a white bow tie, black bow tie, black full-length tie or black ribbon. To find out more about academic dress, visit the Oxford Students website. To buy your academic dress, visit the University of Oxford Shop.

If you have a cause for concern on any matter whilst studying at Oxford, there are a variety of ways to get support.

Depending whether your issue is relating to academic matters, staff and student conduct, research integrity or University services, there will be a different point of contact available to you.

Usually the first step is to raise it with the relevant party who will attempt to resolve the matter directly. For more details and to learn more about the complaints procedure and what to do if the matter can’t be immediately resolved, visit the Oxford Students website.

There are more than 150 officially recognised clubs and societies to choose from.

In addition to sports, you’ll find appreciation clubs representing everything from tea to tango and Doctor Who to drama. See the Oxford Students clubs and societies wepage or for a full list, visit the Oxford Students website. The annual Freshers Fair 2017 will take place on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 October 2017 at the Examination Schools and is a great place to sign up and find out about different clubs and societies.

To support students who are about to have or adopt a child, the University has a Policy on Student Maternity, Extended Paternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave.

This policy has been recently updated, and sets out students’ entitlement to parental leave, funded leave, arrangements for return to study, and access to University graduate accommodation and childcare services. The policy can be found on the Student Parents webpage.

You can access a range of self-help resources to help you address concerns and get the most out of life as a student at Oxford.

There are recommended websites, videos, books and a series of podcasts covering: improving self-esteem; stress management and relaxation; enhancing your revision skills; and preparing for examinations. There are also dedicated podcasts for international and mature students. You can find these resources on the Oxford Students website.

The Student Advice Service is a free and confidential advice, information and signposting service for current or former students, independent of colleges, departments and the central University.

Staffed by a team of qualified, friendly and experienced advisors, the Student Advice Service aims to support and enhance your Oxford experience by helping you find answers to questions, and solutions to problems, including on accommodation, finances, relationships, disability, mental health, academic disputes and appeals. The Advice Team can be contacted via email or telephone to make an appointment. There are also daily Drop-In sessions and a Live Advice web-chat facility when you can speak with an advisor without an appointment.

If you are a national of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland remember to try to get a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before coming to the UK to facilitate access to UK National Health Service (NHS) treatment.

Additionally, please note to qualify for residence in the UK, EEA/Swiss students are required to hold Comprehensive Sickness Insurance (CSI). If you have a valid EHIC issued by an EEA member state other than the UK this satisfies this requirement if you are residing in the UK on a temporary basis as a student. If you are not able to obtain an EHIC from your country of nationality, for example because you are not a resident there, you will need to obtain private Comprehensive Sickness Insurance. The UKCISA website has further information on the need for CSI, please read this so that you are fully aware of the significance of this issue.

The Bodleian libraries iSkills workshops focus on general skills which can be used across a wide range of disciplines, designed to help you to make effective use of scholarly materials.

Access iSkills here. Over 200 different IT courses are available through the IT Services website to help with your studies, research, administration and planning. The Careers Service regularly offers students skills sessions on interview techniques, CV clinics and networking, as well as internship and work experience opportunities.

For those undertaking research, the Research Skills Toolkit explores IT and library tools, tips and techniques, while the Researcher Training website, available to you when you commence your research, lists graduate and post-doctoral training opportunities.

Advice on fees following the outcome of the referendum.

To view the latest information for current students, offer holders and applicants, visit the EU referendum web page.

The result of the UK referendum announced on Friday 24 June 2016 was a vote in favour of the UK leaving European Union (EU) membership. Whilst the UK government will negotiate an exit agreement with the EU, there are no immediate changes to the current situation. The University of Oxford is and intends to remain a thriving, cosmopolitan community of scholars and students united in our commitment to education and research. The UK referendum result will not change this; our students from all across the world are as warmly welcome as ever.