Living in Oxford
General city information can be accessed from the City Council, a tourist site but with some useful information. Also check out the Daily Info.
- Living Out
- If you are not living in Exeter House or university housing, you will need to read the Living Out Guide produced by OUSU (Oxford University Student Union). Further info on graduate accommodation can be got from the Administration Department.
- Bikes
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Buying bikes
You can buy a good secondhand or new bike at one of the many bike shops in town. Used bikes are sold at the Oxford Union on St Michael's Street on Wednesdays; Cycle King on Cowley Road sells both new and used bikes at reasonable prices. Don't forget to buy a lock and lights! Thieves are active in Oxford and you should always lock your bike, preferably to an immovable object. Pick up a UV pen at the Freshers Fair and get the college to mark your bike. You will also want to check out the Oxford Cycle Workshop. It's a non-profit community project that recycles abandoned bikes in Oxford for resale at low cost to local people, while providing work for the homeless, young offenders, and the unemployed. Fully refurbished bikes sell from as little as 35 quid and it's just around the corner from Exeter House at 239 Magdalen Rd.
Registering your bike
If you want to leave your bike inside Exeter College, please register your bike. This is easily done by calling into the porters Lodge and completing a tag. The tag is then attached to the base of your bike saddle. The maintenance department will then arrange for a college number to be allocated to your bicycle.
- Safety Bus
- If you're heading out clubbing and need to get home late at night, you can use the OUSU/OBSU Safety Bus. This service, provided in conjunction with Oxford Brookes Students' Union, is there to make sure you get home safely. It will pick you up from any location within the Oxford Ring road and take you home for a donation of only £1. To call the bus, just ring 07714 445 050 between 9pm and 3am Monday - Saturday and 9pm - 1am on Sunday.
- Local Buses / Coaches
- Local bus companies cover every possible destination. Schedules, routes, timetables and fares are available on their websites:
Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach
Coaches travel direct to London every 15 minutes (24 hours a day), using either the X90/Oxford Bus or the Oxford Tube. Tickets generally cost £11 return, £7 if you depart after 3pm.
- Railway
- Railcards can be bought for £20 at the Oxford rail stations. They entitle full-time students to 1/3 off regular fares for one year.
- Insurance
- It is wise to buy insurance for your possessions, especially if you own a laptop. You can get your possessions insured for approximately £30. Please note that if you live in Exeter House, your possessions are only insured by the college against fire, flood and other natural catastrophes, not theft. Check Endsleigh on the High for reasonable rates. (2 King Edward Street, Oxford, telephone 01865 245311)
- Languages
- You can take classes in several modern languages and use the library for free at the Language Teaching Centre on St Giles. Registration takes place early in 0th Week.
- Gym / Pool
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The University Gym and Pool are located on Iffley Road. Our MCR has membership to both gym and pool. You can book one of the access cards in the lodge (for up to 3 hours consecutively) up to a week before you want to use it, or just try your luck and pick it up without booking beforehand.
If you want your own membership (rather than use the MCR membership): Membership costs £70/year for the pool, £50/year for the gym.
Exeter College has a gym room that students are free to use provided they have been to one of the induction sessions. If you're willing to pay for a membership, you might want to consider the University Club gym, or one of the various commercial gyms that are all over town.
- Public library
- Oxford boasts a lovely large public library where you can check email on free internet terminals (there's usually a queue), get novels and rent videos and DVDs relatively cheaply. It is located in the Westgate Centre on Queen Street, Tel: 01865 815509.
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