LOCATION

Oxford is an historic city in the middle of southern England. It’s located northwest of London about an hour (sometimes more or less) by train. There’s also a bus called the Oxford Tube that travels back and forth regularly between the two cities. It’s cradled between the green spaces of the Cotswolds and the undulating Chiltern Hills.

STUDYING ABROAD IN OXFORD

When you study abroad with ASA in Oxford, you’ll attend Oxford Brookes University and be fully integrated with around 17,800 other students, 2,500 international students among them. 

Oxford Brookes is the only UK university in the QS ranking of top 50 institutions under 50 years old and recently ranked first in the UK for teaching and research. It’s committed to being an environmentally sustainable and ethically responsible place to study; in fact, it’s the first university in the world to be awarded Fair Trade status and 100% of electricity on campus comes from renewable resources.

There’s a very active Student Union with over 100 societies (clubs) to join, including more than 30 different sports clubs (even American football!).

You’ll live in one of the Oxford Brookes University halls of residence. In the halls are flats which are groups of 4-8 single bedrooms (most are all-gender flats). Some of the rooms have their own small “pod” bathrooms and in others the bathrooms are shared among the students who live in the flat. Each flat also has a shared kitchen and common area.

WHAT’S OXFORD LIKE?

Oxford is a captivating city, intellectually charged, student-oriented and dotted with breathtaking Gothic architecture. It’s famous for its universities and is often bustling with students; around 27% of people who live in the city are full-time students. While it’s bursting with historical buildings, it’s also buzzing with exciting nightlife, lively music venues, and restaurants that support a rich, newly invigorated and diversified local food scene. Harry Potter fans may occasionally feel like they’re strolling through a film set!

Rivers (Thames and Cherwell––or Isis as it’s sometimes called locally), streams and canals flow through and around the city and it’s dotted with green spaces, from local parks to rolling countryside on the outskirts.

Oxford is small enough to explore by foot or by bike, and a beautiful place to make your own as you get to know it over the course of a semester or academic year.

HOW CAN I SPEND MY FREE TIME?

Boredom won’t be a word that crosses your lips in Oxford; it’s a very cosmopolitan city with plenty to do in your spare time. Depending on your interests, you’ll have shops, theatres, museums and galleries, pubs, cinemas, restaurants and cafes, clubs, parks and riverside walks to explore and plenty more. There’s also a packed calendar of events throughout the year.

PUNTING. What would a post about Oxford be without a mention of one of its most famous traditional pastimes: punting! A long, narrow boat called a punt is guided down the river with a quant pole by you, a friend or a chauffeur. The Cherwell Boathouse and Magdalen Bridge are two places you can hire one, or enjoy other river related activities like pedalos or rowing boats.

TOURS. Bus and cycling tours will give you a great overview of the city and some fascinating insight along the way. There are other more niche tour experiences too, like a wander around the many buildings of Oxford University with an expert guide, Bill Spectre’s Ghost Tour for a look at some of Oxford’s haunted places, a Harry Potter Locations Tour, an Inspector Morse Locations Tour and a visit to see inside C. S. Lewis’ house (on the outskirts of the city) to name a few.

MOVIE THEATERS. This is England after all, so you’re bound to have a few rainy afternoons that make perfect opportunities to spend a few hours in a cinema. Oxford has the big names like Vue, Curzon and Odeon, but students really love the smaller venues too. Try the cozy Pheonix Picturehouse or The Ultimate Picture Palace which is the city’s only surviving independent and is hosted in a Grade II listed building.

HISTORY. Oxford’s historical sights could easily fill a book, but to mention a couple, be sure to take in the views from the14th-century Carfax Tower, wander down the pretty high street (which Nathaniel Hawthorne described as "the finest street in England”), admire the features of the 12th century Christ Church Cathedral, see Sir Christopher Wren’s Sheldonian Theatre, walk through the oldest museum in the country—the Ashmolean, explore Oxford Castle, and visit Radcliffe Square where you’ll find the famous Radcliffe Camera and nearby Bridge of Sighs.

OUTDOOR SPACES. Escape for some fresh air and tranquility or a picnic with friends in Christ Church Meadow (where you may even spot the herd of longhorn cattle that lives there), explore University Parks with tree-lined pathways and sports hubs, spend some time fascinated by the Oxford Botanic Gardens (the oldest in Britain), and take in the river views and wildlife in Port Meadow. 

If you’re feeling very adventurous and have a week or two free, you can even follow the Thames Path all the way down through London to its source at Thamesmead, booking cheap accommodation along the way.

MARKETS. See the life of the city converge in a mix of cultures and controlled chaos at one of Oxford’s markets. Take a hungry tummy to Gloucester Green Outdoor Market for fresh produce and street food from every corner of the globe: Hungarian, Tibetan, Ethiopian, Greek, Eritrean, Italian, Mexican and more. The beloved Oxford Covered Market has been around since 1774. It touts itself as a “one stop shop” and you can search for treasures from over 50 traders.

GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS. See the Oxford Dodo (or more likely a replica as the real one is usually not visible to the public) at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. The dodo parts in the museum’s collection are the only surviving remains of dodo soft tissue in the world. The Pitt Rivers Museum has a fascinating collection of artefacts, including a collection of shrunken heads. Modern Art Oxford is one of the best free places to visit for art lovers in Oxford.

BOOKS. Oxford is a literature lover’s delight with many relevant historical locations which could fill a whole blog post alone. The bookshop Blackwells is an Oxford icon with more than two miles worth of shelves. Lord of the Rings fans can pay homage at J.R.R. Tolkien’s grave at Wolvercote Cemetery. The Story Museum is a fun and interactive place to visit too.

WHAT (AND WHERE) SHOULD I EAT?

As you’d expect with the high number of students around, Oxford has a lot of budget options to offer when it comes to food and drink. There are also some quirky places that combine the joys of food and play like the sci-fi themed Atomic Burger with its 80s music and action figures or Thirsty Meeples, a board game cafe with over 2,700 games to try. Cowley Road is a great starting point for discovering the gems beyond the chain brands.

CAFES. Head to Vaults & Garden in the 1320’s building of the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin. They serve a great full Oxford breakfast and a vegan breakfast too. Colombia Coffee Roasters in the Covered Market has excellent coffee, as does Society Cafe, The Handlebar, Jericho Coffee Traders and The Missing Bean.

FOOD. Try a falafel wrap from Najar’s Place on St. Giles’ (but plan for a queue - always a good sign!), eat a hearty Eastern European meal at the Polish Kitchen, indulge in pizza and Nutella doughballs from White Rabbit, and chow down on fish and chips from the Royal Standard. Lula’s is a must for vegan and vegetarian options. Other great choices are Pho, George Street Social, Shoryu Ramen and Taylor’s.

MUST TRY. Don’t miss a pie from Pieminster, a cream tea from The Grand Cafe on High Street (which has been around since 1650 and is known to be the oldest coffee house in England), and a refreshing ice cream from G&Ds.

ANY OTHER TIPS?

A few other things to keep in mind to make the most of a study abroad experience in Oxford…

1. MEGABUS. To travel to and from Oxford in the UK, Megabus is a great way to save money if you don’t mind a bit of a roundabout journey.

2. PUNTING. If you’re a punting newbie, choose the Cherwell rather than the Isis for your first experience.

3. MUSEUMS. Most of the museums in Oxford are free! Make the most of them.

4. TIPPING. Tipping amount typical in Oxford is between 10-15%.