
Living in Oxford
Teaching is recorded in the city as far back as 1096, which makes Oxford the first university in the English-speaking world. Monastic ‘halls’ were established from the twelfth century, so that students could be accommodated in safety, and these formed the basis of the medieval university’s colleges. Today, the university is made up of 38 colleges and many academic departments.
Oxford University is ranked among the best in the world, and was placed 6th globally by the QS World University Rankings® 2016-2017. In recent centuries, the University has educated 28 Nobel Prize winners, 27 Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, and notable writers such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Interestingly, Oxford has also been the filming location for various films such as “Harry Potter and Philosopher’s Stone” and TV series such as “Inspector Morse”.
City Centre
The centre of Oxford is small enough to explore on foot and within easy walking distance of the bus and railway stations. Oxford is a youthful and cosmopolitan city with plenty to see and do. There are dozens of historic and iconic buildings, including the Bodleian Libraries, Ashmolean Museum, Sheldonian Theatre, the cathedral and the colleges. You can enjoy its bookshops, galleries and museums at your leisure-and even hire a punt or rowing boat over the river that flows through the city.
In the city centre you will find lots of shops, cafés, restaurants, theatres, cinemas, pubs and clubs. There are plenty of green spaces too: riverside walks, England’s oldest botanic garden, the University Parks and college gardens.
While Oxford provides rich opportunities for joining student clubs and societies, the academic life of the College is enhanced by a varied range of extra-curricular activities, including cultural visits, music and sports.
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