Experience in Oxford, United Kingdom by Lezka

Why did you choose to go to Oxford, United Kingdom?

Oxford is a unique place to live in. It's really a university town and I recommend to live there when you are under 30 to really enjoy it. The town is small and it really feels like a small village at times. You know people everywhere you go but at the same time it is a very temporary population since most people go there to study a semester, a 2-year degree or just take an intensive English course for 2 weeks so you social circles will renovate themselves every 6 months which has good and bad things. Lots of farewells, lot of "work" getting to know and introducing yourself to new people but then you end up meeting lots of interesting people and having friends all around the world which is very cool.

For graduated professionals is also a good destination, there are several business parks with very good companies within 10 miles and foreigners are very well accepted in any job.

What is the student lifestyle like in Oxford?

Oxford it's like a huge university campus. So it really is living within the university and you will be hanging out with students all day, everywhere you go and will be able to find lots of people in your same situation. There are plenty of student jobs, lots of movement of people coming and going and again foreigners are really present in every subject. There are a lot of cool initiatives and groups coming from universities, sports and really original activities about things you never thought you would be doing!

How much does it cost to live in Oxford?

Speaking 2012. You can rent a room, sharing the house with another 3 people for something between 300-450£ depending on the area. Oxford is a small town with couple of main streets and bus services so unless you are really out of town it shouldn't be a problem to move around. I did find expensive the public transportation though so you need to make a call about living closer to the city and pay more rent or have to always pay the bus which may be like 3£ return depending on the route of course. Still, Oxford is not too big so you could walk to most places, taxi a cab for an average of 7£ to take you anywhere and you can definitely ride your bike which is very usual.

In terms of groceries I would say is really standard, some things are cheaper some others are more expensive but still you would pay 60p for 1L of milk or 35p for a loaf of bread, etc.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Oxford? Is there any advice you can give?

It depends a lot on the season. A lot of people leave the city in summer to go back to their countries. Then in September a lot of new students come in looking for places to stay. The good thing is that there is a lot of movement. A looot. So houses and rooms come up daily. There are also a couple of backpacker hostels at good price to help you stay while finding a room like the Oxford Backpackers or the YHA hostel near the train station.

There is a good website which is updated continuously with rooms available which is dailyinfo.co.uk

Most people live in Cowley area where you find a good rate price/distance to city centre but be careful because Cowley is ambiguous sometimes, so wherever finding a room in Cowley, do check where exactly as the difference could be significant. Other cheaper areas are Botley or Headington, all not to far, not to close to the centre but well connected by bus or bike. For a more expensive and nice location, look for Jericho.

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What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Well, is hard to say how food is like in Oxford. This town is a mix of everything you can imagine. You find Indian, Lebanese, Jamaican, Latin just o name a few. Typical dish like everywhere in England is fish and chips or Sunday roast.

What places would you recommend visiting in Oxford?

Turf Tavern is a pub hidden in a small alley just below the bridge of sights. You will experience the truly English students atmosphere on a Friday night. An old traditional English pub surrounded by my favourite city spot, with great architecture and just cosy.

You can visit the natural museum, go up the St. Mary's tower and of course the Christ church.

Is it good to eat out in Oxford? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

Again, like most things in Oxford, nothing is really great or plenty but the great things is that you can find at least 1' of anything.

My favourite places to eat in Oxford are:

• Majliss, Indian restaurant in Cowley road with delicious dishes at affordable prices.
• Red Star also in Cowley road, an Asian small place which is very successful, with fast service, tasty dishes and all at 6£ average.
• Thai House in the city centre is very good, stylish and maybe a bit more expensive but still very affordable and very yummy.
• There is also a very good value for money Lebanese place in Jericho, a bit hidden behind the main road Walton street, I can't remember the name but anybody will take you there.

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Is the nightlife good in Oxford? Where is good to go?

I gave 3 stars to party. I didn't know exactly how to rate this. Me coming from Spain, I could think that partying is rubbish in Oxford since there are only a few places to go out and they typically shut early (for Spanish standards) but then you have an infinite range of house parties and that's where Oxford is really amazing. Just imagine a town where every house is held by 4 students, each one form a different place in the world. You have plenty of house parties where people is very creative giving themes to so you will find "Latin party", "Korean party", "move titles party", "apocalypse party", "yellow party", "fairy tale party" and whatever you can imagine, there is no time limit, no food or drinks limit and you will probably end up sleeping over a bunch of people and have breakfast with them next day. Really great to have fun and meet people but be careful, you need to distinguish between party friends and real friends, this is something maybe hard to do in this town.

What advice would you give future students heading to Oxford?

There are a lot of things you won't like or agree with in the English culture but I invite everybody going there to be positive about it and try to meet and get to know a few British to really see what England is about. Believe it or not, you can spend years in Oxford and not make an English friend, it is very easy to fall in the loop of your expat community and never get out of it and while this is fun you're missing a lot too.