Oxford
110 Reviews by Students #123 out of 422 University locations
So expensive to live but also love living here so does have its perks- good vibes all round really minus the extortionate rent
By member753223 On 23rd December 20
Study in Oxford
The University of Oxford is arguably the most famous university in the English-speaking world. Combined with the more recent addition of Oxford Brookes University, the city quite rightly takes a lot of pride in its academic excellence.
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University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is the second oldest university in the world, dating back to 1096 and is renowned for being one of the top research institutions, globally. The university is situated around central Oxford, featuring stunning architecture and alluring surroundings. There are 24,500 students enrolled at the university and it has a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.
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Oxford Brookes University
Founded in 1865, Oxford Brookes University is made up of four campuses, three of which are based in the historic city of Oxford and the other in Swindon. The 17,000 students are divided into four major faculties: the business school, the faculty of health and life sciences, the faculty of humanities and social sciences and the faculty of technology, design and environment. They were awarded with a Silver rating in the TEF.
Study in Oxford? Review your location
Oxford Student Life
Almost a quarter of the Oxford population are students resulting in a buzzing student community. A lot is going on for students especially the traditions and events that you won’t get in any other city, so make sure you get involved!
Cost of Living
Rent is very expensive…
Great city. But rent is very expensive.
An expensive city…
Oxford is an expensive city to live in
Cost of living is relatively high…
Cost of living is relatively high. Public transport is really good, especially if you are a Brookes student, you can benefit from U busses.
Quite expensive in general…
Quite expensive in general. Most shopping can be done in the city centre but some key areas missing, e.g. no large sports shop (such as sports direct).
Nights Out
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Fuzzy Ducks is a notorious club night that takes place every Wednesday at Atik. It is the city’s longest-running and most raved about student night! Expect cheesy music and be prepared for when the Baywatch theme ‘I’m Always Here’ comes on…
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The Bullingdon, in the student area of Cowley, is Oxford’s best independent live music venue that has been going for over 20 years. It is the perfect place to go for a more casual night and to listen to some great music from local, national and international acts.
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The Bridge Club is one of the classier clubs in Oxford even boasting bookable booths and a VIP lounge. Monday Night Bridge (MNB) is the popular student night that you don’t want to miss out on and has drinks promotions running all night.
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Public Transport
It is best to get around Oxford by foot, bike or bus. You won’t need a car, especially as there’s not a lot of parking. The city bus service is very efficient, and there’s also the BROOKESbus. This goes between the halls at Oxford Brookes, the train station, and the city centre.
Oxford is incredibly well connected to the rest of the UK. To get to London there is the Oxford London Tube, which is a coach service that runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is a budget-friendly way to get to the capital. Oxford has great rail connections to London, Southampton, Bournemouth, Manchester, Edinburgh, and many other places.
Eating Out
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Oli’s Thai is a student favourite, based in Cowley, and has had a lot of hype around it thanks to its delicious short, daily menu. You can even do a lunch or dinner for under a tenner. Due to its popularity, it is advised to book well in advance!
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If you are after a much-needed caffeine fix make sure you head to The Missing Bean, which is rated as the best coffee in Oxford. They have two cafes, one in the city centre and the other in Cowley. It will be your go-to whether it’s for a coffee catch up or a much-needed hangover breakfast.
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Gee’s is the place to go for a treat or when the parents are visiting (and paying!). It’s famous for its location in a grade II listed Victorian conservatory and is certainly the most beautiful restaurant in Oxford. They offer Mediterranean style food for weekend brunch, express lunch, dishes for sharing and Sunday roasts.
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Shopping
The Covered Market, in the city centre, is a favourite among locals and tourists. It is a historic market with permanent stalls of local traders selling groceries, cheese, meat, clothing, flowers, jewellery and much more. Make sure to take a break from shopping and try one of the mouth-watering restaurants, cafes or bars.
You will find all the high-street chain stores concentrated around Cornmarket and Queen Street, as well as Westgate Shopping Centre, which puts on student discount nights.
Top 5 Historical Pubs
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You’ll find this pub tucked behind the medieval city wall, and down a narrow winding alleyway. With its foundations dating back to the 1300s, it’s an iconic pub steeped in history and today can be found bustling with students. Enjoy their wide range of guest ales and beer garden.
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The Bear Inn is one of Oxford’s oldest surviving pubs. Known for its historic significance, this traditional English pub is known for its unexpected yet impressive collection of old ties. Sports teams, colleges and university clubs, and global visitors have dropped by and contributed a snippet of their tie, since the 1950s, resulting in over 4,500 ties!
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In trendy and historic Jericho, you’ll find this 19th Century family-run pub. It is on a quiet small street away from the bustling Walton Street and is known for its good ale and good food. What more can you ask for?!
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Found opposite the Bodleian Library, The Kings Arms proudly claim that they have the highest IQ per square foot of any pub in the world! It is also the oldest pub in Oxford, built-in 1607 and is a popular student hang out with hearty pub food and you guessed it, great real ale.
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Apparently frequented by Shakespeare and his acting troupe on their journeys to London, The Crown is a central spot for a pint, hidden away down an alley next to McDonalds on Cornmarket Street.
Top 10 Oxford Accommodation
Canterbury House
Stayed in the mature halls block after staying opposite the halls in a house in second year. Definitely the right choice. Worked out cheaper (bills in...
Slade Park
After spending 4 years at Slade Park, I have nothing short of praise, not just the facility itself but also to the entire management team who keep the...
Sinnet Court
I lived at Sinnet for 2 years (would have been 3 but for Covid), and It was a great experience. The facilities are great and the response times are qu...
Edna Rose and Champneys Court
The A2Dominion is great and the Edna Rose Court is the best accommodation I ever had. I really appreciate all the kindness, help and support that I ...
Cheney Student Village
This is right next to the sports facilities and bar so perfect for the gym and socialising. The accommodation is amazing to stay in and the rooms are ...
Clive Booth Student Village
The new block (A) is great! Spacious kitchens with seating area- great for socialising. Nice modern rooms and proper showers, not just a wet room. ...
Westminster Hall
Love living in these halls!! So warm and cleaned weekly for a bit of support! The halls have a welcoming environment and areas to suit all kind of per...
Paul Kent Hall
This hall has recently been refurbished, I was one of the first to live here after the refurbishment, hence, everything was clean and new (smelt fresh...
Crescent Hall
What can I say... Something broke literally every week, the showers were freezing 80% of the time, everything was mouldy and we had a psycho cleaner. ...
Read Oxford Reviews
Great public transport...
Great public transport links but no parking unless you are rich read more
Although the actual Oxford...
Although the actual Oxford nightlife is expensive and not great, as a student club events and sports nights were amazing and I loved them. read more
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Oxford is good if you...
Oxford is good if you cycle but not if you drive as hard to find parking spaces but being on a bike is easy. read more
I love oxford and live...
I love oxford and live in Oxford its the best place read more
What can I say about...
What can I say about Oxford? It has now become one of my favorite cities in the world, and though small in size in comparison to London, it has its own flair that one can keep coming back to, and always booming with tourists and visitors alike. read more
quite expensive, but...
quite expensive, but has a few decent nights out and the good thing is no matter where you go you’re guaranteed to run into a few students read more
Fun city, limited by...
Fun city, limited by COVID19 with many things not open read more
Oxford is beautiful,...
Oxford is beautiful, it’s a nice stepping stone between a town and a larger city because it feels like a large town. There aren’t many places to go out and dance but you can definitely make your own fun in pubs and bars etc. Overall I’d recommend living in Oxford if you’d like a quiet city life experience. read more
Very nice city to live...
Very nice city to live in. Student friendly (most people are between 20 and 30) read more
Oxford is a nice place....
Oxford is a nice place. Not really the sort of place for night life as only a couple of spots and it is very expensive to live here especially when organisations like Brookes are sniffing around your financial pockets like they do read more
Slightly expensive than...
Slightly expensive than my home town but all in all I would still recommend Oxford read more
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Oxford has had everything...
Oxford has had everything I could ever ask for, with shopping and the nights out being spot on read more
Oxford are very student...
Oxford are very student like city with a great nightlife and culture read more
Expensive, but alot to...
Expensive, but alot to do in town in terms of clubs and places to eat etc. read more
Nice place, crazy expensive...
Nice place, crazy expensive but it is what it is, great transport links to London but getting around Oxford can be frustrating with regular late and missing buses. Only a few nice places out, but does the job, great shopping in the centre, and down in Cowley too. read more
Oxford is a lovely, pretty...
Oxford is a lovely, pretty city and has lots of culture and individuality. There are plenty of places to go on nice walks or go for a day out. There are many shops, although in the centre of oxford a lot of the shops are locals, there are some bigger supermarkets not too far away read more
Oxford is a beautiful...
Oxford is a beautiful city, with a lot to offer. However, it is very expensive to live in read more
Oxford is amazing place...
Oxford is amazing place to study. Lots to do and plenty of places to explore read more
Expensive place to live...
Expensive place to live as a student, house prices rather steep. Pay for what you get however as it is a really nice city to go to uni. read more
Super expensive city...
Super expensive city to live in, but absolutely wonderful. read more
It's a very nice experience...
It's a very nice experience living in Oxford read more
Town centre is easily...
Town centre is easily accessible due to the brookes bus service read more
Oxford is a great city,...
Oxford is a great city, bustling with so many different characters! Very accessible due to the frequent buses and so many things to experience! read more
Amazing transport and...
Amazing transport and clubs, very expensive for eating and cosy of living so make sure you have savings to fall back on read more
Oxford is a nice middle...
Oxford is a nice middle class area read more
A really expensive city...
A really expensive city - especially since the university provides very little financial assistance. read more
East Oxford (where Brookes...
East Oxford (where Brookes is) is impoverished with a crime rate through the roof. Not like central or north oxford at all. read more
Town centre is nice,...
Town centre is nice, particularly since the new westgate centre opened. read more
So expensive to live...
So expensive to live but also love living here so does have its perks- good vibes all round really minus the extortionate rent read more
I love the city, although...
I love the city, although it is very expensive. read more
u1 and u5 bus goes to...
u1 and u5 bus goes to mast places through oxford so would recommend getting the £8 ticket that lasts the year read more
Oxford is a nice city....
Oxford is a nice city. Lots of homeless people though. read more
London is the city that...
London is the city that everyone knows read more
I love Oxford. Its not...
I love Oxford. Its not great for clubbing but for everything else its wonderful. read more
Great city, very overpriced...
Great city, very overpriced but that is expected so it is not a surprise. read more
Great city. But rent...
Great city. But rent is very expensive. read more
Great place to live and...
Great place to live and stay. Crowded enough to have fun but quite enough to study and stay a relaxable life read more
Oxford is an expensive...
Oxford is an expensive city to live in read more
Cost of living is relatively...
Cost of living is relatively high. Public transport is really good, especially if you are a Brookes student, you can benefit from U busses. read more
Very expensive but lots...
Very expensive but lots of things to do, U1 is free but irregular timings and nights out can be quite fun. read more
Oxford is a charming...
Oxford is a charming place to live but very expensive. Good luck finding parking. read more
A magnificent city with...
A magnificent city with everything you need read more
I was enrolled at MSc...
I was enrolled at MSc Quantity surveying online degree. I started my program 2 weeks late as they had some IT issues, couldn't catch up with my studies. I had questions posted on the student forum, the professor replied after 4 weeks after I complained to my student advisor. They just take your money and offer 0 support. I had to quit after 4 months. I strongly recommend avoiding Oxford Brookes. read more
Quite expensive in general....
Quite expensive in general. Most shopping can be done in the city centre but some key areas missing, e.g. no large sports shop (such as sports direct). Night life and social aspects are good read more
Very expensive and little...
Very expensive and little parking! read more
A good social scene with...
A good social scene with a large number of students in the city. read more
Lots of busses and public...
Lots of busses and public transport and always a club to go to even after you get thrown out of one read more
Oxford is an expensive...
Oxford is an expensive place to live and there is a lack of shops in the city centre. On the other hand it is beautiful with lots to do with friends, such as restaurants, tourist attractions and clubbing. read more
There are a lot of buses...
There are a lot of buses in oxford but there needs to be more uni buses available! read more
Very good public transport...
Very good public transport due to free brookes busses for students. Shopping is poor but I am aware this will be improved. Cost of living is very high and house prices for next year are very expensive. Restaurants and clubs are very good although I have experienced better. read more
Oxford is beautiful!...
Oxford is beautiful! So much to do! read more
Oxford is a wonderful...
Oxford is a wonderful city and I will really miss it when I leave read more
In order to do the majority...
In order to do the majority of the list above, you must take the bus into Oxford. And unfortunately it being Oxford the cost of living here is very expensive, which is why I prefer living in Halls, as it is all inclusive! read more
Oxford tube is very good,...
Oxford tube is very good, and free bus between campuses, halls and city centre helps. Although U5 is rather unreliable on the Cowley road - so I would recommend downloading the Oxford bus app. Shopping is rather limited - but Reading, London and Biceter Village are close. read more
OXFORD is a perfect student...
OXFORD is a perfect student city with a plethora of clubs, bars, shops and restaurants :) only let down is the lack of massive supermarkets available to those who don't have good transport links... read more