The ‘Not Oxford’ Oxford Experience

Words cannot truly capture the odd yet incredible adventure that has been the first five weeks at Oxford Brookes. I’ve lived through moments I could only have ever dreamed of and experienced every emotion under the sun. It has been a roller coaster but I hope these few brief words can do Oxford some justice.

Oxford is a very pleasant two hour coach ride from London, courtesy of the X90. A rather small town, filled with stone buildings on every street is a stark contrast to the rowdy university students that live in its every corner (yes, even the Oxford Oxford students). A short trip on the U1, a bus which has once been described as the cornerstone of Brookes, drops you in the heart of the city that is full of history that us Sydneysiders could have only read about. A quick stroll will land you in the middle of every shop you’ll ever need, surrounded by cows in a paddock or buried in books from one of the oldest libraries in Europe. My first piece of advice is not to hole up in your flat, get out, explore and become a part of what will be your new home.

Freshers week marked the proper start of my Brookes life and I’ll be honest, it was rather intense. I suffered from freshers flu for four and a half weeks but I do not regret a single second. During freshers I met people who I now consider family and really got to know Oxford’s nightlife. Which brings me to my second piece of advice, Monday is the biggest night out for students so be sure to go to skint night at Atik where everything is a pound and always keep 2 pounds for the cab ride home.

Oxford’s amazing location means that day trips to so many places are relatively cheap and easily accessible. London, for only 10 pound return, gives you a nice change of pace from the quiet to the hustle of lots of people (a good cure for homesickness, I’ve found). ISAT, an international team at Brookes, do amazing and cheap trips to places like Bath and Isle of Wight, so be sure to keep an eye out for them.

So here are some practical tips…

• Plastic bags in the UK are either 5 or 10p each so try grab a few canvas bags from freshers fair, use a bag you already have or buy a couple and use them until they break
• Freezing things will be your best friend – prepare a few meals and freeze them, it saves money, time and your food going bad
• Layer, layer, layer and invest in a good coat! Outside gets very cold very quick whilst inside remains boiling hot, so a bulky jumper isn’t ideal for either

Brookes has been the most amazing and unbelievable experience so far and I can’t wait for the rest of my time here!

Isabella Cincotta 98083506 Management