Oxford is strongly identifiable as a university town, with its college spires and 30,000 students. Ancient and beautiful buildings dominate the city, but it is also home to a growing number of light-industrial high-technology companies which have developed from University research or are attracted by the proximity of the University.
As a student in Oxford, you can enjoy the city’s centuries-old pleasures: punting on Oxford’s waterways and picnicking in its extensive parks; powering down the river in a rowing boat; browsing the artefacts in the Ashmolean, Britain’s oldest museum; walking through the early morning mist that rises above Christ Church Meadow; hearing the choristers sing from Magdalen Tower on May morning; or downing a pint in the Eagle and Child, where C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien used to meet.
Oxford life
There are over 200 registered clubs and societies at Oxford University. The best-known of these is the Oxford Union, famous for its debates, which attract speakers ranging from the Dalai Lama to Diego Maradonna. Student publications include the Oxford Student, Isis, Cherwell and The Word. Oxford Entrepreneurs is the largest student entrepreneur society in the UK with 1,200 members.
The University has excellent facilities for sports such as athletics, badminton, basketball, fencing, football, judo, swimming, rowing, rugby and volleyball to name but a few. The picturesque University Parks provide the setting not only for the men's cricket club, but also for croquet, lawn tennis, lacrosse and field hockey. The majority of sports clubs at Oxford have an established reputation for sporting excellence and achievement, both nationally and internationally.
Oxford colleges
As an Oxford student, you will belong to one of the University’s 38 colleges. College life will enrich your time at Oxford, offering you the chance to socialise with students and faculty from diverse academic backgrounds in situations ranging from high table dinners to college balls. Colleges are a focus for sporting and cultural activity: teams compete with each other in sports such as rowing, cricket, and rugby; plays and musicalsare staged in college halls and gardens; and concerts take place in college chapels and quadrangles.
Each college has its own distinctive identity. Some, like Christ Church, are grand and ancient; some, like St Catherine’s are modern and friendly; others, like Corpus Christi, are small and beautiful. Whichever college you choose, you will probably develop a strong loyalty to it that will stay with you way beyond graduation. Colleges have their own alumni societies and professional networks, which complement those offered to graduates by Oxford University and the Saïd Business School.