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BRASENOSE COLLEGE, RADCLIFFE SQUARE, OXFORD, OX1 4AJ
Brasenose College
Freshers’ Guide
2017
advice for new students, written by current students
BRASENOSE COLLEGE FRESHERS’ GUIDE 2017
2
This is me at a ball!! ^
Welcome to Brasenose!
Dear Freshers,
Congratulations, first of all, on achieving your offers — and a very warm welcome to Brasenose. I’m Phoebe, Access & Admissions Rep for the JCR (Junior Common Room; a term which applies to all of the undergraduates in a college). I am therefore the person in charge of your Freshers’ Week this year, alongside our wonderful Freshers’ Week Committee, who you can meet on page 7.
The aim of this guide is to provide you with all of the information you need before coming to Brasenose in October and give you a brief overview of what life as a student here is like — so feel free to read it all through, use the contents page, or just pay attention to the essential parts (which will be clearly marked.) I would advise bringing it with you to refer to throughout the week; it covers everything from what to expect academically to what to wear for matriculation or BOPs.
When you arrive to move in, there will be a small army of older students (like at interviews!) to help you unpack, answer questions, and settle you in. You will also, hopefully, have received a letter from your college parents, and, if you’re an international student, another from your godparent too. Please let me know if you haven’t received these! Your parents should be able to answer any queries and help you out, so do contact them to chat.
I will be around for the whole of Freshers’ Week and you can contact me at any time. If I’m not in the JCR, I will be in my room (Staircase VII Room 5, opposite the library.) Feel free to call in! If you have any questions between now and October, you can email me ([email protected]) or feel free to add me on Facebook. Also, do join the Facebook group: “Brasenose College Freshers 2017.” All JCR students are part of it and it will be used throughout the week (and the year) to advertise and remind you of events both in and out of Brasenose; it is an essential part of college life. You can also like the Brasenose JCR page and follow us on Twitter to keep up to date.
I’m so excited for October; I hope you are too!
Phoebe Bradley JCR Access & Admissions Rep [email protected]
College, Staircase VII Room 5; 07960665721
Miles Overton JCR President
[email protected] College, Staircase IV Room 6; 07969114390
BRASENOSE COLLEGE FRESHERS’ GUIDE 2017
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Contents
4 Essential To-Do List 5 Meet the JCR Committee 7 Meet the Freshers’ Week Committee
Life in Brasenose 8 Academic Life 10 Food & Drink 13 Facilities 15 Batels & Finance 16 Discipline & The Blue Book 16 Clubs & Societies 18 Welfare 19 Health & Safety 20 Diversities & Equalities 22 What to Wear (subfusc, dress codes, BOPs etc) 25 Things to do in Oxford
Freshers’ Week 27 Your First Day 29 Information for International Students 30 Matriculation 31 Packing Checklist
32 Oxford & BNC Glossary
BRASENOSE COLLEGE FRESHERS’ GUIDE 2017
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Essential To-Do List
Before you arrive, make sure you have filled in all the forms that college have sent you about residency etc. Doing this straightaway will save you a lot of hassle when you get here so just complete them now! These essential to-dos are all listed with more information on the freshers’ website, under the link ‘UG next steps’ http://freshers.bnc.ox.ac.uk/pages/ug-information.php
□ College contract – print this out, sign it and return it to college via email or post. □ University contract – print this out, sign it and attach a passport photo. This should also be returned via post or email. (Make sure it’s a photo you don’t hate, as this photo will be with you for your entire course at Oxford!) □ Medical information – complete the medical registration form, medical questionnaire form and the vaccination information form. This should be returned to Dr Leaver and Dr O’Shea at the Jericho Health Centre. Information regarding medical registrations is on the Freshers' website. (N.B. there is also a compulsory medical talk in Freshers’ Week so you must be registered by then — please see timetable) □ Freshers’ Week event forms – complete the forms sent by the Entz (Entertainment) reps which can be found in the pack or on the Freshers’ website to book your tickets for the week and order your Freshers’ t-shirt. □ Freshers’ (AKA Tutor’s) Dinner – please enter your details online via the www.freshers.bnc.ox.ac.uk website so that the kitchens can allow for any dietary requirements when planning the menu. □ Online Registration – once you have set up your university email, having returned your university contract, you need to register for your course – this is very important and you need to have done this before you can actually study!
Make sure you fill in
your forms so you
can enjoy Arts Week
on the Quad in
summer!
BRASENOSE COLLEGE FRESHERS’ GUIDE 2017
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Meet the JCR Committee Your JCR Committee are the backbone of student life at college, so don’t hesitate to contact them with any problems or queries you may have: they’ll be willing to help!
JCR President Miles acts as the main point of contact between the student body and
College staff. He also chairs fortnightly meetings of the JCR, and attends OUSU (Oxford
University Student Union) meetings, representing the JCR’s interests in wider university
debates and issues. Come to Miles if you don’t know which member of staff to
contact about an issue, or with any general queries! [email protected]
JCR Vice President Tom is responsible for academic and careers affairs in Brasenose,
frequently liaising with the Alumni Relations and Development Office to organise
events in College. He also assists Miles in a range of roles, stepping in for him when
unavailable and attending a range of meetings. [email protected]
Secretary Jas is responsible for organising and minuting JCR meetings, inviting motions
and sending weekly bulletins that highlight interesting events and opportunities in
Brasenose and the wider University; she is also in charge of looking after our common
room. [email protected]
Treasurer Sean looks after the JCR’s budget and compiles an annual report which
keeps track of our expenditure. He also advises on the cost feasibility of certain
actions or motions at JCR meetings, and is in charge of the JCR’s key insurance and
punt booking schemes. [email protected]
Welfare Reps Brasenose has two welfare reps – one male, Phil, one female,
Bethany – whose role is to counsel, support and be there for the welfare of
all of Brasenose’s undergraduates. They organise events like welfare teas,
massages, yoga and are trained by the University counselling service to
help anybody in need of a chat, however small the issue might appear &
they can also provide discreet sexual health services. [email protected] and
Entz Reps Brasenose’s two Entz Reps Maria & Joey are responsible for
organising college events. The most famous of these are BOPs (biweekly
glorified fancy dress parties just for Brasenose students) and the end of
term parties which are usually black tie. They also organise other events
like pub quizzes, live sports showings and we even had a Brasenose
version of Take Me Out! [email protected] and [email protected]
Access and Admissions Rep Phoebe is responsible for organising Freshers’ Week,
Open Days and the interviews period. She also encourages Brasenose students’
involvement in access and outreach campaigns and activities, such as providing
tours of College for schools. She is your point of contact for Freshers’ Week!
Domestic Rep Lydia liaises with college to maintain standards of food and
accommodation in college and deal with any issues that arise in these areas. She
also organises special dinners in college and runs the room ballot.
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A not-at-all photo -
shopped picture of
the Committee
L-R Top Row: Tom H, Tom
M, Emily, Sean, Phoebe,
Bethany, Phil, Yas, Rachel
Bottom Row: Joey, Letty,
Ella, Miles, Dani, Lydia,
Jas, Maria
Charities Rep Yas is responsible for alerting the student body to exciting opportunities,
liaising with Oxford’s various charities and organising Charity elections, which is where
students vote each term on which charities they would like the JCR to donate to.
yasemin.acikgoz.bnc.ox.ac.uk
Environment Rep Rachel notifies students of things we can do as a JCR to reduce our
environmental impact and also represents Brasenose’s large number of vegetarian
and vegan students by liaising with the kitchens to improve menu choice. She liaises
with college to try and make changes to improve our sustainability and achieve
external accreditation. [email protected]
Women’s Rep Letty represents any students identifying as female in College. She can
provide free sanitary products, be a source of welfare support and is currently
overseeing a project to highlight the achievements of Brasenose’s women alumni.
Diversities and Equalities Rep Emily is responsible for representing the interests of
minorities in College. She liaises with university wide campaigns to reduce
discrimination and increase access and also chairs a subcommittee comprising of
Reps for Disabilities, Religion and Culture, Women of Colour, BAME, Mental Health,
LGBTQ+ and International students. [email protected]
Sports Rep Dani organises college sports events like Pool and Table Tennis
tournaments and a sports dinner celebrating all those in college who play sport either
for Brasenose or the wider University. She also assists students in being reimbursed by
college for sports equipment and can organise a crowd to come along and support
you if you are playing in a big match/event! [email protected]
Arts Rep Ella is responsible for coordinating arts’ events in college, the most famous of
which is Brasenose annual Arts’ Week in Trinity Term. She also subsidises tickets for
performances involving Brasenose students, alerts the JCR to university-wide events
and organises an annual Arts and Societies dinner, as well as overseeing the Arts
Fund. [email protected]
IT Rep Tom maintains the JCR website, uploading Hall menus and acts as a point of
call for any technical issues students may have — especially useful in your first few
weeks at Brasenose! He is also responsible for upkeep of electronic equipment.
BRASENOSE COLLEGE FRESHERS’ GUIDE 2017
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Feel free to
contact any
member of the
Freshers’ Week
Committee with
any concerns, or
general queries.
Most questions will
be best
addressed to me!
(Phoebe)
About 80%
of our
committee –
sorry Emily &
Phil!
Meet the Freshers’ Week
Committee
The Freshers’ Week Committee is a mixture of JCR reps and other students, formed to
make sure that your first week at Brasenose is fun, informative and as stress-free as
possible! Headed up by me (Phoebe), the other members are:
→ Miles (President)
→ Bethany (Female Welfare)
→ Phil (Male Welfare)
→ Emily (Diversities & Equalities)
→ Tom (Vice President) → Maria (Entz Rep)
→ Joey (Entz Rep)
As they’re all JCR committee members, you can read
about them on pages 5 and 6. We also have four other members who are not on the
committee; here are their details:
Freshers’ Week Entz Rep
Freshers’ Week Entz Rep
Freshers’ Week Co-ordinator
Freshers’ Week Co-ordinator
Jacob
Tom
Sam
Colette