Oxford University

What's it like as a place to live? Oxford is a very vibrant city, with plenty to do and to see. Not only do you get the city experience, but Oxford is also surrounded by beautiful countryside, which is best experienced during the summer months. So you get a combination of the city and the country.

How's the student accommodation? This very much depends on which college you are in. Some colleges offer you accommodation for all three years of your course, and others don't. College accommodation is pretty standard, but you can get some really nice rooms if you are willing to spend the money. Some colleges also run room allocations on a ballot system, so it may be down to luck as to which room you end up in. College accommodation is pretty reasonable and is much cheaper than private accommodation.

What's the student population like? Student population is pretty diverse, but again, it depends on which college you are in. You bump into many international students, especially post-grads.

How do students and locals get on? In the city centre, you will probably bump into more tourists than locals, as Oxford is swarming with them. Unless they are working in the city centre, locals tend to stay in certain areas, such as Jericho. Being a student, you spend most of your time in the city centre or in libraries or department buildings, so do not really come into much contact with the locals.

What's it like as a place to study? The courses are quite traditional and not as flexible as I had expected. The geography department facilities are pretty bad and in need of an upgrade. However, I have heard that the other science departments and medical facilities are really good. So it depends on which course you pick.

What are the teaching staff like? You get a huge variety of tutors. There are a lot of international academic individuals who you always feel privileged to meet and to learn from. Some tutors are very interested in their students and their progress, and will do their best to help with your degree. However, there will occasionally be tutors who do not care as much about their students and are not as helpful. This may be because they all have their own research to get on with and are as a result very busy people, and cannot spend as much time on their students as tutors from other universities.

What are student societies like? There are loads of student societies covering a whole range of activities, from sports, to music, to art and wine tasting. Law Society is a very popular one as they hold many events and advertise themselves well. I would say that college is a much bigger social centre for students than the student societies, but this is only in my opinion. Many people who are heavily involved in these societies would say the opposite, as most of their friends might not be from the same college.

What's a typical night out? Tuesday would be Camera. Wednesday would be Park End. Thursday would be Bridge. And Friday would be Kukui. Weekdays are much more popular than the weekends, as the locals will tend to go out on the weekends, and there aren't as many student nights.

And how much does it cost? Depends if you drink before you get into the club or not. If you pre-lash with friends beforehand, it doesn't cost much at all, and only a fiver to get into most clubs. If you buy drinks at the club, it will be more expensive, and you might find yourself spending around £25

How can you get home safely? If you're walking back home with a friend, you will be fine. Sometimes, people get taxis back home, which isn't too expensive. There's also a free university bus that goes around picking up drunk people who wouldn't be able to make it home by themselves, but I have never seen this bus.

Is it an expensive place to live? A lot of it is how well you manage your own money. Oxford isn't too expensive for food, so if you are careful with your money, you won't run out. But some careless people who don't manage their accounts properly may end the term with nothing left.

Average price of a pint? £3

And the price of a takeaway? £6

What's the part-time work situation? Being a student at Oxford University doesn't leave you with much spare time to get a part-time job. But sometimes colleges offer jobs during the vacations, such as helping with interviews in December, which is very well paid. The university wouldn't really help you to find work during term time as they recommend you don't get a job while studying here as they want you to focus on your degree.

What's the best feature about the place? The history/tradition of the place and the buildings.

And the worst? Too many tourists who get in your way.

And to sum it all up? Oxford is an inspiring city with a rich historical and cultural background, and any student who gets to study here is very fortunate and should not take it for granted.

Oscar Wilde (author and playwright); Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair (among other former Prime Ministers); Tony Benn, Michael Heseltine, Denis Healey (politicians); Benazir Bhutto (former Prime Minister, Pakistan); Roger Bannister (4-minute mile); Rowan Atkinson, Dudley Moore, Willy Rushton (comedians); Melvyn Bragg (writer and broadcaster); Kris Kristofferson (singer and actor); Bill Clinton (ex-US President).

Get a free Alternative Prospectus from OUSU, Thomas Hull House, New Inn Hall Street, Oxford OX1 2DH, tel 01865 288450, fax 01865 288453, email enquiries@ousu.org, website www.ousu.org.

You no longer need to make a separate application to Oxford as well as to UCAS − you only need to complete a UCAS application, which must be submitted to UCAS by 15 October. International students should check the website (www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/int) for details of international interview arrangements. It is not possible to apply to both Oxford and Cambridge in the same admissions year.

Click the Colleges tab above to see a list of (and links to) the colleges you can apply to. You may choose a college of preference, or put in an open application to the university. Candidates will be allocated second- and third-choice colleges and, if you are not accepted by any of these colleges, your application may then be available to other colleges for consideration.