Magdalen Freshers’ Handbook 2020-21 Contents
The Freshers’ Reps 6
Preparation 8
Accommodation 8
Packing List 9
Finance 11
Freshers’ Week 12
College life 13
The Junior Common Room (JCR) 13
Food And Drink 13
Library 13
Laundry 14
IT 14
Sports 14
Societies 18
University Challenge 20
Welfare 21
Faith 21
Living In Oxford 22
Shopping 22
Food 22
Pubs And Bars 23
2 Nightlife 23
The JCR Committee 25
President 25
Vice President 25
Secretary 26
Treasurer 26
Access And Admissions Trustee 26
Welfare Team 27
Women’s Officer 27
Disabled Students Officer 27
RaEM Officer 28
OUSU And Academic Affairs Trustee 28
LGBTQ+ Officers 29
Subject Introductions 30
Ancient And Modern History 30
Archaeology And Anthropology 30
Biochemistry 31
Biology 31
Biomedical Sciences 32
Chemistry 33
Classics 33
Classics And English 34
Computer Science 35
Engineering Science 35
3 English And Modern Languages 36
English Language And Literature 37
Experimental Psychology 37
Fine Art 38
History 38
History And Modern Languages 39
History And Politics 40
Human Sciences 40
Law 41
Maths 41
Maths And Computer Science 42
Maths And Philosophy 43
Medicine 43
Modern Languages 44
Modern Languages And Linguistics 44
Music 45
Philosophy And Modern Languages 45
Philosophy, Politics And Economics 46
Physics 46
Psychology, Philosophy And Linguistics 47
Jargon Buster 48
4 Welcome! Welcome to Magdalen and congratulations on getting your offer to study at what is easily the best college in Oxford! As Freshers’ Reps our job is to ease your transition into uni life. It is perfectly normal to feel anxious or nervous about going from school to university – especially when moving away from home. Initially, the range of new experiences here may seem overwhelming, but try to view them instead as great opportunities to try new things and meet amazing people!
The staff and the students here at Magdalen are some of the most welcoming around, so if you ever need anything just ask and they’ll be more than happy to help! Magdalen caters for the majority of your needs, with College staff helping with matters ranging from giving directions, to welfare and financial assistance, so you’ll never be on your own. As Freshers’ Reps we work with the college to help you in Freshers’ Week and beyond, so never feel worried about reaching out to us about anything, no matter how big or small.
Oxford is not just about the historic buildings or the beautiful colleges (amongst which Magdalen is easily the winner) – it’s the people which make it. Oxford generally is filled with all different kinds of people, catered to by a range of societies and events serving almost every interest. As Freshers you have the chance to throw yourself into as many societies as you desire – be bold and try things you might otherwise not have had the chance or the courage to do, but don’t feel pressured to stay involved in all (or even any) of them, its ultimately all up to you!
Being a Fresher is all about meeting new people and making great friends, but it’s normal to make mistakes – it’s how we learn after all! Within no time you’ll find your place in the wonderful Oxford community and add to its vibrancy and opportunities. Don’t worry if this doesn’t happen straight away, Oxford is a big place so just give it some time and you’ll soon see it as your home away from home!
We’re sure that your time at Oxford will be a fun, intellectually challenging and all- round magical experience and look forward to seeing you all soon!
Jess, Mihir, Anvee, Sushrut and Brandon
5 The Freshers’ Reps
Jess Harborne (Freshers’ Trustee) History // British [email protected]
Hey! I’m Jess, your Head Fresher’s Rep. During Freshers Week you’ll be seeing me around a lot, but feel free to reach out to me any time after this even if you just want to chat. I study History which means that my contact hours are minimal (to say the least) so I have plenty of time to spare to help with anything at all! I’m an active member of Magdalen’s History Society (The Macintyre Society) as well as the Oxford-wide one, so if you ever want to nerd-out about the past then feel free to come along! I look forward to seeing you all very soon, but for now, enjoy your holidays!
Mihir Rajamane Law // Indian [email protected]
Hey! I do the 3 year law degree which (as you would think) takes up most of my time. Besides that, I take part in debating at the Union, quiz society and India society while surviving on Ahmed’s chips, cheese and beans (you can bully me for this choice only after you try it). Like the other Fresher’s Reps, I’m glad to help out with any questions or doubts you might have. I’m also an international student, so if you have any particular concerns about that, feel free to ask!
Anvee Bhutani Human Sciences // American [email protected]
Hey guys! I’m Anvee and I’m so incredibly excited to meet you all I am genuinely always available for a chat and you’re more than welcome to message me at anytime! On a given day I can be found pretty much anywhere in Oxford, from getting chips at Ahmed’s to bridge on a Thursday night to frantically printing out a last minute essay in the library. I’m involved with a variety of societies and I’m sure you’ll run into me at events and socials. Can’t wait to see you in October!!
6 Sushrut Royyuru Law // British [email protected]
Hi, I’m Sush. As a law student I’m either avoiding work all over Oxford or rotating between libraries. I can also be found playing rugby or occasionally using my union membership. Feel free to stop me if you see me or add me on Facebook!
Brandon Smith Physics // British [email protected]
Hi, I'm Brandon. Unlike most of my physicist friends I regularly go to political societies and random events that appear locally on Facebook. You'll probably bump into me as I'm running from one thing to another but feel free to stop me for a chat. You can also message me through Facebook but do say you're a fresher so I don't ignore the message thinking you're a 'hack' (if you don't know what a 'hack' is yet you'll find out soon). Looking forward to seeing you all here!
7 Preparation
Accommodation
All Freshers either live in the Waynflete or one of the Houses; 62 High Street, 71 High Street and Longwall Annexe. Rooms are allocated randomly, with the exception of musicians, who are all in the Longwall Annexe. All rooms have a bed, a desk, shelves, chairs, a coffee table, lamps, a mini fridge and plenty of storage space.
The Waynflete is the largest Fresher accommodation building and is a delightful 1960s monstrosity located across Magdalen Bridge. Handily situated above a Sainsbury’s Local, the “Flete” soon becomes a beloved home. It’s a very communal environment with around twenty people on each mixed-gender floor. Every corridor has a bathroom with sinks and showers, and there is a kitchen on each floor. Each room has a sink and if you’re lucky you’ll also get a view of the river Isis and towering spires of Magdalen.
^ A typical Waynflete Room
A smaller number of people live in the Houses, which are situated on High Street and Longwall Street. Closer to College and to town, each House has around ten people, so you have a friendship group from the moment you arrive! There is a shared kitchen in each house, if you’re in 71 High Street you will have to borrow the washing and drying facilities of another house, but none are too far away so don’t worry about it! Rooms in the Houses also all have sinks and tend to be larger.
^ A room in 62 HS A room in 71 HSˇ
< A room in Longwall Annexe
8 Packing List Must-Haves: ● Clothes and hangers ○ The more clothes you bring, the less laundry you have to do, and there’s plenty of storage space in each room. It’s also worth bringing some smarter clothes for Formal Halls and dinners, along with your favourite fancy dress items for Bops! ● Toiletries ○ Don’t forget any medication and consider stocking up on paracetamol. Freshers’ Flu is real and does not discriminate. ● Washing basket and detergent ○ Powdered detergent is what the machines suggest but all types work ● Stationery ○ There are plenty of stationery shops in Oxford, but bring some pens, pencils, notebooks, folders and calculators (if needed). ● Towels Technology: ● Laptop and charger ● Extension cable ○ There are plug sockets in each room, but they can be in inconvenient places. International students should also bring adaptors. ● USB stick ○ Useful for printing and keeping track of essays. Every student’s nightmare is losing their work just before deadline, so also consider investing in both a hard drive and cloud storage to back up your laptop. ● Printer ○ There are several printers around College, but some people prefer to have one in their room – especially for printing last minute documents! Kitchenware: ● Saucepan, frying pan, roasting tray, chopping board, sharp knife and spatula ○ The Dining Hall is open for every meal, but most people cook at some point during the term. The kitchens aren’t stocked with pots, pans, plates, bowls or spatulas, so it’s worth bringing some kitchenware with you. ● Plates, bowls, mugs and cutlery ○ The main diet of many Oxford students is coffee, tea and cereal. We suspect that there may some serious underlying caffeine addictions. ● Kettle and other small appliances ○ Kettles are allowed in your room. Any other small appliances, such as toasters (although most kitchens have one) and toastie machines, need to be kept in the kitchens. Each room already has a mini fridge. ● Tea towels and washing up liquid Optional: ● Bed linen ○ College provides duvets, pillows and bed linen. The sheets and duvet cover are changed and washed every week by the Scouts. You can bring your own bed linen if
9 you’d like to personalise your room a bit more but be aware that the Scouts are only able to wash College-provided bed linen. ● Sports kit ○ There are loads of opportunities to get involved in sport. Even if your last memory of sport is being made to run gruelling laps in school, there are plenty of fun new sports here so arrive with an open mind – you might find a new hobby! ● Musical instruments ○ There’s no time like university to rekindle that creative spark, even if it’s been years since you’ve played. ● Bike, bike lock, helmet and lights. ○ Magdalen is pretty central, but you may have tutorials or lectures across town. There’s plenty of space to store bikes around College, but it’s well-worth investing in a D-lock. Make sure to bring white front and red back lights, as after dark police will fine cyclists without them. ● Decorations ○ College rooms can be a bit bare, so it’s well worth bringing photos, posters, throws and pillows.
Note on sub fusc:
Sub fusc is the “uniform” of Oxford and is worn to Matriculation, exams and some university events. It’s very stereotypically ‘Oxford’ and has a tendency to transform you into a bit of a tourist spectacle. This doesn’t have to be packed – you will pick it up from College when you arrive during Fresher’s Week.
However, academic dress is taken very seriously and you’ll get a stern talking-to if you don’t stick to the dress code – there is more detail on this and how to order sub fusc in the Freshers’ Pack that you have been sent.
10 Finance
All undergraduate rooms are charged at the same rate, which is currently £22.91 per night. Over a term, this totals to £1,351.69, and includes utilities, weekly cleaning and bedding. College charges a £100 deposit, which is returned at the end of your time at Magdalen (unless you tend to break a lot of things). There is also a fixed catering charge of £71.95 per term, which helps fund the upkeep of the kitchens around College. These costs are charged to you through “batells”, which are termly bills, and are normally payable by the Friday of 1st Week, although you should get in touch with the Deans if you cannot pay for them by that date, for instance if your student loan has not come through yet.
The University has tabulated approximate costs of living, based off of a survey of current students, in the Oxford Students section under Fees and Funding. Monthly costs are likely to fall in the range of £1,014 to £1,556.
Magdalen is determined that none of their students will have to struggle financially whilst at the College so there is much financial support available. The main sources of which are detailed below:
Student Loans All Home and EU students can apply for a tuition fee loan, administered by the UK government. If you are eligible and would like to apply but haven’t already, do this as soon as possible. Home students can also apply for living cost loans and may also be eligible for grants or loans from respective local funding agencies. Again, you should apply as soon as possible.
Oxford Bursary The Oxford Bursary is available to Home and EU students and is the most generous University support in the country. Eligibility criteria can be found on the University website. There is no separate application for the Oxford Bursary but when you apply for UK government funding you should ensure that you have given consent for the University to access your household income figure.
Magdalen’s Student Support Fund (SSF) The SSF was created with the aim of helping current Magdalen students with the cost of living and studying at Oxford during their course. Applications are made at the start of each term and the Deans interview each applicant to assess their financial situation. Awards vary in size according to each applicant’s particular needs and in the past most awards have ranged from £200 to £2,000.
Magdalen’s Junior Member Funds These are administered to overcome unforeseen and one-off financial hardship, and are small sums of money given on a case-by-case basis. Application forms are available from the window ledge on the ground floor of Grammar Hall and should be discussed at a Deans’ Hour.
Magdalen’s Travel and/or Research Grants If you need to travel for your degree or incur cost while researching, the college will assist you by subsidising up to £1,050 over the course of your studies. Application forms are available from the window ledge on the ground floor of Grammar Hall. 11 Other funding sources There are many other funds and grants that will be available to you during your time at Magdalen, such as the Creative Project Fund, awards for academic excellence, book grants and Vacation Study Grants. You will be informed of these when their application windows arise or if you become eligible.
Freshers’ Week
You should arrive by 5pm on Sunday 4 October 2020. Students arriving by car will be able to park briefly outside College or the Waynflete building to drop off luggage, but there is no parking in College. You should come directly to the Porters’ Lodge, where there will be plenty of current students on hand to guide you in the right direction and help you settle in.
Moving In
Parking when moving in can be a little stressful – as you live outside of college during your first year there are a very limited number of places where you can park. To make your life a little easier we have put together a map (shown below) which indicates where each accommodation building is located and the nearby parking areas.
Areas of solid colour are official car parks and those of hashed colour are areas where parking may be possible depending on time of arrival and the length of time for which you will be parked there.
12 College Life
The Junior Common Room (JCR)
The JCR is an annually elected committee that represents the interests of undergraduate students to the College. Slightly confusingly, the JCR is also the name of our physical common room, which is located in Cloisters I and has just been refurbished. To quote our JCR Refurbishment Reps:
“The JCR recently undertook a serious £35k renovation last year, as it is one of the key social hubs in College and was in dire need of improvement. If you remember it from interviews you’ll see we have redone the walls and floors on top of adding a host of games and facilities including table tennis, darts, air hockey, as well as a 75 inch 4k TV with surround sound and Netflix. Now that we have a dank JCR, keep on the look-out for Bop, movie nights, watching sports fixtures, and intra- College tournaments for darts, Mario Kart, etc..., or just go and hang out there with a friend. If you have any other questions or fancy playing pool for pints please contact Lucas Danson or Ben Kirwan.”
Food and Drink The Dining Hall is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day except Sunday morning. Breakfast is served from 8:00 am to 9:30 am, lunch is from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm and dinner is from 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm. Meals can be paid for with card, cash or your Bod Card via the Upay system. On Sunday mornings, the Dining Hall is closed but instead our lovely catering reps put on a brunch in the JCR Dining Room.
There are Formal Halls on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays every week, as well as for special occasions. Formal Halls are a served three-course meal and the dress code is smart casual with a gown, or black tie on Sundays. Wine is often served on Sundays and for special occasions; at other Formal Halls, you can bring your own wine to drink with the meal. Formal Halls must be booked and paid for in advance via the Upay system.
The Old Kitchen Bar (OKB) is also open during the day, serving paninis, made-to-order baguettes, jacket potatoes, soups and cakes. During the evening, Nick the bartender takes over and the OKB becomes a great place to relax with a pint.
Library Longwall Library is open 24 hours a day, with plenty of study carrels and unlimited book loans. Check your Freshers’ Week timetable for your introductory tour.
13 Laundry The Waynflete has two washing machines and two dryers whilst the Houses have their own separate laundry facilities. You need to buy a laundry card from the machine in the Porters’ Lodge. After this, you can top it up online. Infamously, the washing machines have a habit of taking money without starting the machine. The trick is to switch the machine on and off before paying, and if you lose money then you can take your laundry card to the Porters’ Lodge for a refund.
IT
Oxford IT Services has a Getting Started section on their website that details all the essential IT information you need to know. Your Oxford Single Sign-On (SSO) account entitles you to use all University resources provided by Oxford IT Services, whilst Nexus365 is the University’s version of Office365, with email, calendars and Skype. Eduroam is the most common way to connect to the Internet. With your Remote Access credentials, you can use eduroam across further education institutions worldwide. It’s also worth knowing that there’s plenty of software available to download for free or at discounted prices from the Oxford IT Services, such as Microsoft Office and Mathematica.
Details of what’s happening in College will be sent out by email and also often on Facebook, so make sure you’ve been added to the Magdalen JCR Facebook group.
Post Every student has their own pigeon hole (otherwise known as a “pidge”) in the Post Room, located in Chaplain’s Quad. For any parcels delivered to college, there will be a note in your pidge for you to take to the Porters in return for your parcel.
Sports
Members of the College get free membership at Iffley Gym, which is newly remodelled and complete with a 50m swimming pool. Speak to the receptionist and show your Bod Card for your gym wristband.
There are also loads of sports to get involved in around College. There is definitely something for everyone, regardless of ability level, and it’s a great way to meet people and keep fit.
Basketball College basketball is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to get involved with basketball – no matter what the skill level. There is the college league, where there are weekly games and the winner decided by the end of Hilary term. A cuppers tournament held in Trinity is a slightly more formal tournament but still great fun. Having played as a fresher myself I found it was a great way to get involved in college life and meet other freshers and students. So if you’re looking to continue playing after high school or just want to give it a go, just message me on Facebook or drop me an email at [email protected] to get involved.
14 Lacrosse Widely considered to be the most fun college sport at Magdalen, Mixed Lacrosse has an excellent social: training ratio, a very friendly team, and is really welcoming. Traditionally lots of freshers sign up for this one, and almost everyone starts as an absolute beginner- I promise! The only requirements are trainers and not enough to do on Sunday afternoons. We play a league match every week, plus tournaments (Magdalen v Magdalen in Hilary Term and cuppers in Trinity term). Sign up for a super fun sport, great crew dates, and a chill way to meet new people.
Football Anyone can play football at Magdalen and people of all abilities are welcome, whether it’s for the 1s or the highly successful 2s. Due to people’s busy schedules it’s always nice to have as many eager people as possible to rely on. In Michaelmas and Hilary we have 11-a -side games mostly once a week but more frequent when cup competitions come around, and we play futsal in Trinity. Last season our 1s secured promotion after two years of final day disappointments, coming first in our division without losing a league game all year. We also managed to have a great cup run getting to the semi finals of the plate. With a new intake of freshers we stand a great chance of going back to back promotions. The 2s are the best 2s team in Oxford, having won their first division two years ago. It’s a great blend of competitiveness and a good laugh, along with getting to know many people in all years who you’ll be seeing around college a lot, so make sure not to forget your boots and shin pads for our training session in Freshers’ week. If you have any questions please email Ben Fisher ([email protected]) Jonathan Akande ([email protected]) or Parth Agarwal ([email protected])
Women’s football is a brilliant team sport to get involved in, whether you’ve previously played for your school team, or if you’ve never kicked a ball about before (which is how most of our team started out!). The environment is super relaxed and the girls are extremely friendly. This makes college football a great way to get some exercise in and make friends with other people in Magdalen at the same time. If you have any questions please feel free to message me, Dilpreet Bahia on Facebook or at [email protected]
15 Hockey Hockey at Magdalen is a lot of fun, very little commitment and really social- so please sign up in freshers week join and just give it a go, there’s absolutely no pressure to play in every match as long as you let us know!
The team is very friendly made up of undergrads and postgrads, so is a really good opportunity for getting to know people outside your year and subject - all abilities are most welcome. We will be hosting a practice session in freshers week (typically the only one that happens in the year!) so do come along. We can provide sticks but you’ll need to bring your own shin pads and mouthguard.
We play mixed matches against other colleges on Sundays and take part in the mixed hockey cuppers, which is a friendly and informal competition against other college teams in Trinity term. Hockey at Magdalen is very relaxed and a great way to run off those post-Bop hangovers! (If necessary!) Also a lovely way to get some exercise and spend time with friends - so do get involved!
If you’ve got any questions please get in touch [email protected] [email protected] You can also message us on Facebook, if that’s more convenient for you!
Rowing Rowing is definitely the sport Oxford is known for, with millions viewing the Boat Race around the world and over 10,000 people coming down to watch college bumps racing in Trinity term (yes, that could be you they are watching!) Learning to row at Magdalen is a great experience, as you can benefit from access to a well-equiped rowing gym under the Waynflete, a fleet of every class of rowing boat and a fantastic social scene, with both termly formal dinners, and plenty of crewdates too! At the end of your first term learning to row, there is a novice-only competition for you to put what you have learned into practice. Training can be as frequent as you like, depending on the commitment level you opt for, and consists of both sessions on the water and land training. Many friendships have been made in the boat club, both between and within crews, and it is a great way to expand your social circle, as well as keep fit and learn a new sport. Experienced rowers are also welcome to join the senior squad, please let one of the vice-captains know.
Rugby College rugby is a great way to keep active, meet new people and play rugby in a relaxed environment. Whether you have never played before or are an experienced player, rugby at Magdalen is open to everyone. Every year, we welcome a range of people of all abilities. We train once a week with our professional coach, Simon, and you will undoubtedly see great improvements to your game in your time here. Matches are played every Saturday in Michaelmas and Hilary terms against other college teams. In Trinity term, we play rugby sevens. The rugby club has a vibrant
16 social life and we aim to host as many social events as possible. There are weekly socials with other sports teams from Magdalen and other colleges, and there is also the opportunity to go on a tour. We hope you will make great friends and memories both on and off the pitch and look forward to welcoming you to the MCRFC family. [email protected]
Tennis Most of the tennis at Magdalen takes place during Trinity term when the Cuppers and League tournaments take place and Magdalen's six lovely grass courts open up. However, Magdalen also has three hard courts on which sporadic training takes place during the rest of the year. The Magdalen team currently sits in the first division of the league, however, the team switches around quite a lot and hence there are plenty of opportunities for players of any level to have a go at representing the college. If you have any questions, contact Max Cloud via email ([email protected]) or Facebook.
ALTS Ice Hockey ALTS Ice Hockey, is non-contact, beginner friendly icehockey. It usually happens twice a week during term, on Wednesdays and Fridays late in the evening. You don’t need to know how to skate, and you can rent skates at the rink. The college pays both for the rink fee and the skate rental. ALTS is a great way to get involved with Ice Hockey on a no-commitment, beginner friendly basis. All abilities welcome! You can find us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/247984088937725/
17 Societies Drama (Magdalen Players) The Magdalen Players do two main things: firstly, we loan money to shows in Oxford with the aims of promoting student drama, and secondly, we’re responsible for the annual Magdalen Garden Play – a fantastic summer production set in the beautiful President’s Garden. Within that, we also organise drama at Magdalen, such as the annual intercollegiate Drama Cuppers competition in Michaelmas. Being a part of the Oxford Drama scene is so incredibly exciting and challenging, and can very quickly become the most fantastic rabbit hole to fall down. The Players want to make it accessible, whether that be in the form of helping shows gain funding, or putting them on ourselves to encourage new talent to have a go.
Faith Discussion (Addison’s Society) Addison's Society is a multi-faith religious discussion group which meets over (free!) lunch to talk about various things. It is run by our very lovely Dean of Divinity. No religious affiliation is required. There is always a speaker or alternatively a point of discussion. Whether you're hungry or looking for an interesting and eye opening conversation, you should definitely drop in at least once. We have had some great speakers such as John Simpson talking about his time in the BBC, a Tibetan monk and a Jesuit priest.
Film (Magdalen Film Society) Magdalen Film Society is a long established club in College that screens a wide variety of films in the Grove Auditorium. We invite everyone to join us on Sundays for big-flicks, and film nerds and enthusiasts to join us on Wednesdays for arthouse cinema. We also collaborate with other Oxford societies on Mondays for talks and panel discussions. If you are interested in joining our committee, we are always happy to have freshers onboard! Follow and message us on Magdalen Film Society on Facebook and @mfs_oxford on Instagram.
History (Macintyre Society) The Macintyre Society is the college history society and is designed to bring together all years doing history and joint schools. We run a few events per term, sometimes inviting outside speakers (famous previous guests include George Osborne) and sometimes doing more relaxed social events in college. Most importantly, the Macintyre Society can hold any event you feel is interesting and important, so if you get involved it is a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in your subject and explore your niche! [email protected]
Law (Atkin Society) The Atkin Society is Magdalen’s law society and contributes to the closeness of Magdalen’s lawyers. The Society puts on regular informal social events throughout the year, including our legendary curry nights, which often end up with the whole Society going out together!
The Society also puts on three annual formal events. First is the Atkin Christmas Dinner, a black-tie event where each year group has a different role, from cooking to decorating to singing (and clearing up...), and the tutors attend - we’re one of only two subjects permitted to hold an event like this. In Hilary Term, there is the annual Atkin Moot, a full mock case on a point of law in front of a
18 senior - often Supreme Court - judge, followed by a black-tie dinner. Finally, there is the Trinity Term Garden Party in the President’s Garden, to finish the year and say goodbye to the finalists. [email protected]
Medicine (Sherrington Society) Sherrington Society is the Magdalen medicine and biomed society. Anyone is more than welcome to come to our talks - this year we've had talks about what it's like to work for Doctors without Borders, how Ketamine can be used to treat anxiety, treating PTSD, looking after your mental wellbeing as a clinical medic, and much more. Our social events include a christmas dinner, curries, welfare teas and a fancy end-of-term dinner (pictured to the right), so that you can get to know students in years above!
Music The Magdalen Music Society comprises a number of student-led ensembles and aims to be inclusive of a wide variety of musical genres. Along with the termly concerts, each week there are two informal recitals taking place in the college auditorium and chapel that anyone can play in or attend. Among the ensembles run by the society are: Magdalen Big Band and Magdalen Singers, neither of which are auditioning and are both welcoming of students from across the university, not just Magdalen.
Poetry (Florio Society) Magdalen’s poetry society, named after John Florio, meets every Sunday night to discuss poetry over a glass of red wine. Not just any poetry: poetry written by its society members. Every week the secretary of the society (currently Iona Rangeley-Wilson) choose a theme – however the poet is allowed to do their own thing if they prefer. Poems are submitted directly to Iona’s email. They are photocopied or printed anonymously, allowing poets to really express themselves and fearlessly show their true colours. Last year, a poetry pamphlet compiling the best poems of the past year was printed and published by Hurst Street Press, and we are currently arranging for the third Florio Pamphlet to be published. We hope to see you sign up at the Magdalen Fresher’s Fair in October!
The Choir The Choir of men and boys at Magdalen College is one of the three foundation choirs within Oxford University, although most other colleges now have their own choirs. Founded by statute in 1480, provision was made for the eight singing-men, four chaplains and sixteen choristers of Magdalen College Choir.
19 More recently, an additional four singing men (Academical Clerks) and two Organ Scholars were added to the complement, and this tradition has been maintained to this day. The Choristers are part of the College Foundation, receiving their academic education at Magdalen College School. The Academical Clerks and Organ Scholars are undergraduates at the College, reading for degrees in a variety of subjects.
The Choir sing at least one service in the Chapel daily - you may also be familiar with their role in singing from the top of Magdalen tower at 6am every year on May Morning!
If you have any questions, feel free to email [email protected].
University Challenge
Want to appear on BBC2? Dreaming of becoming an internet meme? Hoping to make grandma proud [citation needed]? If so, look no further than University Challenge! In October, as usual, we’ll be looking for 4 players to represent Magdalen and apply for the 2020-21 edition of this iconic inter- university quiz show. If you’re interested, don’t be shy – plenty of players who don’t think they know much turn out to be brilliant at general knowledge, and the fact that it’s a team competition means that knowing absolutely nothing about physics/football/Classical music isn’t a problem! UC team tryouts will be advertised at the start of Michaelmas Term; for more information, feel free to get in touch with Alexander Hardwick ([email protected]).
20 What’s more, there are other opportunities to try out competitive quizzing. Every year, Magdalen enters several teams for the Inter-Collegiate Quiz competitions (freshers-only in November, and the main competition from January-March). You’ll play group-stage (and if you’re lucky, knockout) matches against teams from other colleges. Most of the teams are novices, so this is a great way to try out University Challenge-style quizzing in a more relaxed setting – and maybe win glory for Magdalen! Again, the person to contact about this is Alexander Hardwick (email above).
Welfare
Welfare is taken very seriously at Magdalen and the College has gone to considerable lengths to cater for the wellbeing of its students (though of course it’s always a work in progress and the team is always open to criticisms and suggestions for improvement). The Welfare Team is a mix of senior tutors, medical professionals, counsellors, JCR Welfare reps and Peer Supporters, all of whom are great, highly trained people to talk to about any concerns.
There are weekly Welfare Teas, alongside dog walks and yoga sessions, to provide time for relaxation and de-stressing in a wholesome, welcoming environment. The College also has comprehensive sexual health provisions, such as free condoms and pregnancy tests in Pidge, and will also reimburse a number of items such as MoonCups.
Faith
Magdalen College welcomes everyone, irrespective of religious belief. The Dean of Divinity, Andrew Bowyer ([email protected]), is available as appropriate to all students, and Chapel services are open to everyone.
Magdalen also has a Muslim Society, open to non-Muslims and Muslims alike, which focuses on socials, discussion groups and speaker events, aiming at sharing and celebrating Islamic culture.
21 Living in Oxford
Shopping
Magdalen is based on the edge of Cowley, which is a great neighbourhood for bargains and charity shops galore. It’s a very artsy vibe with lots of kooky little cafes and restaurants. Walking into Oxford, the High Street has more upmarket shops such as Crew, LK Bennet, Jack Wills, Coast and Karen Millen. Just off the High Street is the Covered Market, which is bursting with stalls of fresh produce and good, surprisingly cheap cafes.
At the top of the High Street, you will find Cornmarket Street, which is home to your standard high street shops such as River Island, Boots, Topshop, Starbucks and Pret. There are often lots of street performers and buskers, which certainly livens up any shopping trip. Just off of Cornmarket Street is the Clarendon Centre, with more high street shops such as French Connection, Zara, Millie’s Cookies and Ann Summers. Further west from Cornmarket Street is the newly remodelled Westgate Centre, complete with a rooftop patio, slightly upscale restaurants and a giant Primark.
Food
For groceries, the obvious choice is the Sainsbury’s Local underneath the Waynflete. For cheaper alternatives, there is a Tesco on Cornmarket Street and another in Cowley. More importantly, the JCR shop is open 6 to 9pm every night for all your essay crisis needs.
For lunch, there is always Hall and the OKB. Outside of College, take a trip to Olives on the High Street or to the Alternative Tuck Shop (ATS) on Hollywell Street for delicious baguettes and paninis. There is also Taylors, a local chain dotted about Oxford, who will give you a free cookie with your coffee after 2pm. The Covered Market is also a good place for lunch; Sasi’s Thai, Pieminister, Alpha Bar and Brothers are particular favourites, as well as the best cookie shop you will ever find, Ben’s Cookies. Other recommendations for lunch are Couscous Cafe or Pomegranate, both Lebanese restaurants in Cowley. For dinner, most people dine in Hall or cook, but if you want to go out then there are all the usual chains in the city centre, such as Wagamama’s, Pizza Express, GBK, Côté Brasserie, Nando’s and Itsu, as well as fast food’s finest: KFC, McDonald’s and Burger King. If you’re looking for something more upmarket, head to Chiang Mai Kitchen on the High Street, Pierre Victoire in Jericho or Quod for delicious food and cocktails. For a truly unique Oxford experience, nothing beats Cowley Road’s Mario’s Pizzeria followed by G&D’s ice cream.
22 Finally, to satisfy your need for grease after a heavy night out, the only place a self-respecting Magdalen student would go is Ahmed’s. Recently voted the best kebab van in the country, awarded by Jeremy Corbyn himself, they offer a plethora of inexpensive, quality kebabs, burgers and wraps.
Pubs and Bars
There are hundreds of pubs in Oxford. Turf Tavern is an Oxford favourite with its friendly atmosphere and large beer garden for sunny afternoons. For your standard Wetherspoons, there’s The Four Candles on George Street and for your standard Beefeater, there’s The Mitre on the High Street. The Half Moon is super close to the Waynflete, stays open till late and is pleasantly quaint with its fairy lights and small rooms. Further afield, the White Rabbit offers excellent pizza and the Jam Factory is known for its international selection of beers, ales and lagers.
For bars, the good news is there are lots of cocktail bars that do discounts! House does scrummy drinks and gives a permanent happy hour to anyone with an Oxford Union card, and the Grand Café on the High Street also does weeknight happy hours (and it’s rather nice inside so does make one feel rather posh). Right by the Waynflete, Be At One serves two-for-one cocktails before 10pm and then £5 cocktails after if you show your student ID. If you can make the trek to Jericho, then Angel’s and Raoul’s (one of the top 50 bars on Earth according to the Sunday Times) are also great. There’s also Mad Hatters, down Iffley Road at a two-minute walk from the Flete. It’s an awesome little bar with an Alice in Wonderland theme that serves drinks in top hats, suitcases and jam jars.
Nightlife Monday Atik, nicknamed “Park End” and located on Park End Street, hosts “Broke Mondays” where entry is £1. Park End is one of the most popular venues in Oxford, spread out across three floors. Most notably, the ground floor is a “cheese floor” dedicated to playing the most embarrassing tunes of the 80s, 90s and 00s. Expect Bonnie Tyler, S Club 7, the Pokémon theme tune and similar classics.
Tuesday Plush is the LGBTQ venue in Oxford and has some of the cheapest nights in Oxford. The dedicated Oxford LGBTQ Society night is “Skittles” after University-wide pres at a College bar listed on Facebook. Otherwise, head to Fever for “Boozeday Tuesday” and cheap drink deals.
Wednesday Park End’s Wednesday night “Fuzzy Ducks” is one of the most popular nights in Oxford, with different themes every week (think “ABBA Night” or “Chicken Nugget Party”). If you’re feeling slightly more edgy, head to Cornmarket’s nocturnal hotspot, the Cellar, for an underground, slightly grimy and very sweaty night with objectively better music.
Thursday Bridge Thursday is arguably the biggest night of the week. More than just a glorified smoking area, Bridge has two levels, a VIP area and is connected to Anuba bar. Whilst Anuba is the place to go for funk and disco music, head to the top floor if you’re looking for upbeat chart music remixes and 00s
23 Kanye. The drinks are slightly more expensive here, but all in all Bridge Thursdays always tend to be good nights.
Friday “Retox Friday” at Fever is the main choice for Friday night unless there’s an event at Emporium, the prime venue for rowing and other Varsity events.
Saturday Bops are held in the OKB (with pres in the JCR) by the Entz team every other Saturday. Bops are extremely fun college parties - think school discos with more alcohol, marginally better music and hilarious themes. They tend to quite early, around 11:30 pm or 12:30 pm with a termly late-license, so it’s best to treat Bops as pres before going out.
The best place to go on a Saturday night is undoubtedly the Bullingdon, otherwise known as “Bully”. Bullingdon is unlike other nightclubs, as they often have host performers and professional DJS, so you often have to buy tickets in advance. It’s also located in Cowley, so much more convenient for Magdalen students, but Cowley Road is not always the safest at night so make sure you walk in a group.
Otherwise, for a post-bop good time, look out for discounted entry wristbands from Entz for Fever or Bridge.
Sunday Zzz... and brunch!
24 The JCR Committee
President Daisy Jowers “Welcome to Magdalen, and congratulations for making it through what is possibly the strangest admissions cycle Oxford has ever seen! I’m Daisy, a 3rd year PPEist and the President of the JCR (‘Junior Common Room’) which is the undergraduate body in college, and where you’ll make the first of your new friends in Oxford—you automatically become a member when you start.
We’re very excited to be welcoming you to Magdalen in October, and to share our beautiful college with you. I know that coming to university can be a daunting experience, but we all truly believe you are about to embark on some of the most exciting, formative, and rewarding three or more years of your life. There are a fantastic group of people to make sure you’re able to make the most of your time here—trust me (as an old 3rd year), it’ll go quicker than you could imagine. You’ve just become part of a fantastic community that will be a massive part of that journey, and part of your life even once you’ve left!
It seems like there’s a lot of administration to get through. Try not to be too intimidated or stressed out by the abundance of information contained in this pack, don’t feel like you have to remember it all, you can always look back at it once you’re here, and everyone will be more than happy to answer any questions you have. Set yourself aside some time to fill out the forms, and make sure you send in your photos with the names on the back (this photo goes on your university ID (‘Bodcard’) by the way—I didn’t realise this when I sent mine in). If you’re unsure about anything, do reach out to either me or the Freshers’ Reps.
Finally, to reiterate, the most important part of my role is to be available to all undergraduates at Magdalen, whatever their needs. I’m glad to say this now includes you; so, do not hesitate to get in touch. See you during Freshers’ Week!”
Vice President Maximiliam Cloud Hi, I'm Max, this year's JCR Vice President. I am involved in various things but overall I am there to make sure the student body is represented fairly and everyone gets their say. This mainly involves sending out emails about votes, meetings, and electing new committee members, so expect me to be in your inbox a lot. In addition to all this I am in charge of organising the Creative Projects Fund. You'll get to know more about this in my future emails, but it is essentially just money given by college to students in order to pursue any creative hobbies. If you ever need anything you can find me in the Library, JCR or Bear Pit . There is a 99% chance I'll be in one of those places but if not you can always drop me a message.
25 Secretary Adam Millard “Hi, I’m Adam, a 2nd year PPEist and I’m currently the JCR Secretary. The Secretary is responsible for taking minutes in all the committee meetings and JCR meetings, sending out weekly notices with details the events and opportunities going on outside college, and putting together and distributing the term card at the start of each term. It’s a great way to be involved in the JCR and to see what goes on in committee, though it’s definitely best suited to people who can type quickly. I hope you have a great summer and we’re all looking forward to meeting you come October."
Treasurer Jackson Asaro “I’m Jackson, and I’m a second year PPEist and currently Treasurer of the JCR, which is one of the positions on the executive team. I’m in charge of reimbursing people for JCR expenditure, and managing the JCR accounts. The college gives us a generous budget to spend on many different things, from paying the college counsellor through to getting pizza to encourage attendance at GMs, and it’s my job to keep track of it all. While this may not sound very exciting, it’s a necessary role to the functioning of the JCR, gives me a lot of insight into what the JCR actually spends its money on, and has given me great experience of complicated spreadsheets. Being on committee is a great way to get to know other members of the college, and to get heavily involved in college life – whatever position takes your fancy, I’d really encourage you to give it a go!”
Access and Admissions Trustee Eve McMullen “Hi! My name is Eve and I’m the student Access and Admissions Officer for Magdalen. This means that I help run outreach programmes in college, aimed at students prospective students, particularly those from under- represented backgrounds. I also help organise and run our college Open Days and the interview process which means that hopefully some of you might have seen me around before! A big part of my job is making Magdalen feel like an inclusive place where everyone can study, regardless of what school you went to, so I am really excited to meet you all in first year. Don’t underestimate how big of an achievement it is getting in here- you should all be really proud of yourselves. I know that before I came here I was worried I wouldn’t fit in with the people at Magdalen, or that I was missing out on a ‘fun’ uni experience somewhere else. The truth is that people come to Oxford from all over, the thing that ties you together is that you are all incredibly passionate and interesting people! Oxford is nothing like other uni experiences, but that is absolutely the best thing about it. Besides, part of my job is helping you guys feel comfortable here, so if you have any questions, even before you arrive, find me at ‘chat to students’ on our website, or through messaging Magdalenjcr Instagram. Can’t wait to see you all next year!” 26 Welfare Team Ellie Redpath (Welfare Officer), Mattie Hayes (Male Welfare Trustee) and Catrin Williams (Female Welfare Trustee) “We’re Ellie, Mattie, and Catrin, your welfare team for Michaelmas. If you would like to talk about anything no matter how big or small in a confidential and supportive environment, if you’d like access to further support from college or the university, we are one of your first ports of call. We also run weekly welfare teas and welfare dinners - basically an excuse to grab some free food and catch up with other members of the JCR - and other events such as dog walks and self care nights! If you’d like support or a chat, often over tea and biscuits, don’t hesitate to contact us.”
Women’s Officer Sophie Littlewood "Hi, I’m Sophie! My role as Women’s Officer is to support and foster a dynamic and inclusive community of women at Magdalen, for anyone whose identity includes female. I organise regular social events and Gender Equality-Teas, share information on women- related events and gender activism with the JCR, and work with the Welfare team at Magdalen to ensure that all women are supported, including those facing the consequences of sexual violence, harassment, discrimination or period poverty. In Freshers’ Week, I’ll be leading some workshops on equality and consent. I’m very excited to meet you all, and please do reach out at any time for a chat!"
Disabled Students Officer At the time of writing we are in the process of electing a new Disabled Students Officer, so here is what our previous Officer had to say about the role:
“Hey, I’m Magdalen’s rep for students with disabilities. My role basically involves anything related to disabilities in college, including ensuring access and organising events. I’m always available if you have any concerns about student support, access or ideas about how we can make Magdalen an even more accommodating and inclusive environment.”
27 RaEM Officer Magdalen College is a place where everyone is welcome. Now, that might seem like common sense but if recent events have shown us anything it is important an active role is taken in tackling racism. I’m Kesaia, a second year English student, and I’m proud to say our college has a Racial and Ethnic Minorities officer (RaEM). And this isn’t just a role so that students who belong to those groups know they have someone to go to, it’s that all students know we take racial inequality very seriously. That statement is not to scare you, it’s so you trust we as a college are on your side.
As a JCR we have united in condemning racial inequality. That body is made up of all undergraduate students. With the help of our JCR President, I was able to call an Extra General Meeting to discuss and condemn an incident of racism. In all honesty, I had been sceptical but seeing so many of my peers turn up and vote in support left me feeling proud.
Coming here, I was in love with the old buildings and our college’s rich history. But, with that history comes a responsibility to do better than our forefathers did. You, as first year students, have the opportunity to make your mark on an institution that has been around for many years and will continue on for many more. I am a black female student here, but first and foremost I am a member of Magdalen College. It may seem scary, and some of you may struggle to believe this at first, but you belong here. I know I did.
Professor Sian Pooley is our Tutor for Equality and Diversity, and as someone who has personally needed her support, she is a real champion of students. The RaEM officer is there as a student support, because it can be daunting to talk to senior members of staff about concerns regarding race. The welfare team is always on hand, however it is important to recognise the importance of racial inequality in particular and the unique issues it concerns. The governing body are well aware that they can and must tackle racisms in all its pervasive forms.
If I could tell fresher Kesaia anything, firstly it would be to not drink too much and secondly it would be to not be so suspicious of the senior leadership here. They, just as much as you, want to make Magdalen College go down in history for all the right reasons.
OUSU and Academic Affairs Trustees Adam Norton-Steele and Joe Baden-Powell “The role of the Academic Affairs Trustees is to report academic feedback from the JCR to the senior tutors, and to run the annual careers fair. Each term we send around a feedback form, incentivising responses with a raffle for a bottle of champagne. We compile a report based on these responses and discuss our findings with the President and senior tutors. Organising the careers fair is an incredibly rewarding experience, and the role is an excellent way to contribute to the JCR.”
28 LGBTQ+ Officers Bailey Finchey (LGBT Trustee) and Heather Wood (LGBT Officer) “We are the LGBTQ+ Trustee and Officer for Magdalen, and our role in college is to represent and support anyone who identifies as LGBTQ+, and to serve as a link to the wider univer sity LGBTQ+Soc. We work to ensure the college remains a friendly, welcoming environment where you can be who you are, free from discrimination. We look after the welfare of every LGBTQ+ student, we’re always available to chat about anything, LGBTQ+ related or not, and have trained rainbow peer supporters for you to talk to as well. There is also the role of Trans Rep, though it is currently unfilled. However, Heather, our LGBTQ+ Officer, is trans and will be more than happy to offer support to trans students and help deal with any trans related issues.
In terms of events, the main feature is chill drinks in the college bar every Tuesday before joining the much more hectic LGBTQ+Soc uni wide drinks, then on to the student night at Plush (the most blessed club in Oxford). There are also many other events such as film nights and brunches to give people a chance to get together, relax, and have fun. We also run the annual black-tie Oscar Wilde Dinner, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community of Magdalen. And, of course, we organise celebrations for Pride month, including going out to the parade together!
We are very proud of the diverse, wholesome, wonderful LGBTQ+ community at Magdalen and we look forward to seeing new faces join the crowd! If you want to be added to the secret Magdalen LGBTQ Facebook page, where you can keep up to date with events, or have any questions, feel free to message either of us on Facebook or email us at [email protected] or [email protected] “
29 Subject Introductions
Ancient and Modern History
Welcome to Oxford, and even better, Oxford’s best college! You’ve also had the wisdom to choose the best course. As an AMH student, you have the all the good options of straight History, as well as the opportunity to study Rome, Greece, and a classical language. These are some of the best courses around, and massively better than having to look at the beast that is British history.
You’ll also no doubt be delighted to hear that, despite the Oxford reputation, the workload for AMH is definitely one of the most manageable. You will study four papers over three terms, which for most will end up as 3 essays every fortnight throughout Michaelmas and Hilary (the first two terms) and one a week in Trinity. This may sound daunting, and when your tutor emails you in freshers’ week with a huge reading list it will definitely feel daunting, but the truth is it’s nothing to worry about. You’re never expected to get through the whole reading list (online book reviews will be your guardian angels) and you’ll quickly get to grips with doing essays in good time.
As a Magdalen student, the majority of your lectures (which you may or may not attend…) will be in Exam Schools, which is a five-minute walk from your bedroom, or at the Ioannou Centre, which is maybe fifteen-minute walk. These lectures are usually very helpful in giving you a wider perspective and context of what you’ve read. You may find that they don’t always line up exactly with your essay for that week, but I’d advise that you definitely go to the ones in the early weeks, and at least plan which ones you’ll be attending after that by looking at your reading list. If you know you’re going to have to do a topic later, attend the lecture.
Without doubt, AMH is the way to do History when at Oxford! There’s a huge amount of choice so you basically always get to study something you are actually interested in. Good luck! [email protected]
Archaeology and Anthropology
Hello! First of all, congratulations for getting a place. There aren’t many Archaeology & Anthropology students at Oxford, but what we lack in numbers, we sure do make up for in personality and friendliness, and we can’t wait to meet you come October! We hope you’re excited to begin your studies here and to begin your experience as an Oxford student. The change can be a little overwhelming (or exciting, depending on how you’re inclined) but you certainly won’t be bored.
Archaeology & Anthropology is definitely one of the most interesting and exciting courses this university offers (we’re not biased, we swear!). In your first year your studies will be split into 4 modules (or “mods”) which let you study humans in all their many varieties – from our early human ancestors, to the archaeological remains left by people living in ancient Peru, to contemporary groups in Melanesia and even your peers at university! A typical week will usually feature about 6- 7 lectures, 1-2 tutorials (for each of which you'll have to write an essay), and possibly a lab activity. You’ll find most of the books you’ll need in the library (Magdalen’s library is well-stocked and
30 should contain most of the stuff you need) or on the university’s online system. Tutorials are a great chance to express your opinions, ask questions and hear interesting and new ideas both from your tutors and your tutorial partner(s). They are honestly nothing to worry about, and can even be really fun. You will likely have already met some of the lovely people who’ll be teaching you during interviews, namely Neil and Linda, who you’ll have ¾ of your tutorials with this year. Both are absolutely wonderful, and are understanding tutors.
The two pieces of advice I’d give you are to try and attend as many lectures as possible, and to not worry too much about the workload. I’ll be honest, the reading and writing of essays can be tiring at first, but when you get into the rhythm of it, it gets much easier and even very enjoyable. One week you could be talking about the archaeology of the ancient Maya and the next week considering why humans have language, and how it came about. The avenues for study are truly endless with this degree.
Good luck, and have a great summer! Feel free to get in touch with me ([email protected]) if you have any other questions about the course or about Oxford in general!
Biochemistry
Congratulations on making it into biochemistry at Magdalen! All your hard work has finally paid off, and you have made it in to both the best college and the best subject at Oxford. Magdalen is an amazing place to study and live, with expansive grounds, a newly refurbished JCR and a 24-hour library, invaluable when finishing those late-night essays. Biochemists are easily one of the most sociable groups within Magdalen- with all of the contact hours you spend together, within less than a term you’ll feel like you’ve known each other for years. Biochemists from older years are always very happy to offer support and frequently organise events such as Biochem pizza nights and Biochem drinks.
In your first term, you are likely to have lectures 9am-12am Monday to Friday, along with Labs every Friday from 10am-3pm. On top of this, you will have around two tutorials a week. One will be with either Dom or Rob (who are definitely not as scary as they may have seemed at interviews), as well as an organic chemistry tutorial within college. Along with additional problem classes twice a week, you will usually have around one essay and 3 problem sheets to complete a week. Although this may seem like a lot, do not worry- the workload is completely manageable, and it is still possible to go out the night before and make it up for 9 am lectures (most of the time). Do not stress about the quality of your first essay or problem sheet- the tutors are here to help you and are really not expecting you to hand in anything perfect.
Overall, we hope you are all excited to come to Magdalen and we look forward to meeting you! [email protected]
Biology
Congratulations on receiving an offer to study here at Magdalen! Undoubtedly the most beautiful and friendliest college in Oxford Its also a pretty amazing place to study biology what with the
31 deer park in college (!) the botanical gardens just over the road and the department just a 10 minutes walk away. Academically speaking our tutors are fantastic, very well informed yet very approachable and teaching in department is extremely interesting. So honestly you couldn’t be in a better place.
I have personally found my first year (or should I say two terms!) at Oxford a truly rewarding and enjoyable experience, it sounds cliched but honestly first year is the time to try out new things, meet new people, join the massive range of weird and wonderful societies that Oxford has to offer - whatever your interests there is something here for everyone. Its the time to find your feet and settle in, especially as first year exams don’t actually contribute towards your overall degree - so make the most of it!
So what does the typical life of a biologist look like? In first year we have weekly tutorial which lasts for about an hour. Sometimes you meet as a whole tutor group and sometimes split into smaller groups. Typically we have a weekly essay which set by one of our 2 tutors about something which usually relates to something we have covered in lectures or sometimes just an interesting aside. Wednesdays are free of departmental teaching so this is the day that tutorials are usually held.
Don’t worry about tutorial essays and tutorials - the tutors give clear guidance and are happy to answer your questions (Tim our tutor often provides tea and biscuits - so it feels more like an informal chat!)- its just really an opportunity to explore a topic in a little more detail and also consolidate some content.
In the rest of the week we usually have 2 hours of lectures, 2 lots of labs (scheduled for 3 hours each but sometimes they can be shorter depending on the task) a synthesis session, a seminar type activity often discussion based in mixed groups from different colleges (1 hour) and a computer session (1 hour), which amounts to about 17 hours a week contact time. We have no teaching on weekends so you you’ll get a lie in at least 2 days of the week!
We actually don’t have very many deadlines just an occasional lab write up and one tutorial essay a week - so you have quite a lot of time to explore Oxford, do music, sport … and just chill with friends. Don’t get me wrong there’s always plenty do work-wise if you choose to like talks (Some speakers are really amazing), extra reading, going through lectures etc. so it really just depends how you want to play things - I would just see what works for you. If you ever worried about the work load or meeting deadlines just email tutors they are really sympathetic and very understanding.
Especially after the uncertainty of the last few months, the prospect of change and unfamiliarity can be nerve-racking but I will reassure you now that you are in the very best place, the people are truly lovely and there is so much support and advise available to you if you ever need a hand. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email me at [email protected] On behalf of all of us here we really look forward to welcoming and meeting you soon! also enjoy the rest of the summer - and best of luck with packing…(!)
Biomedical Sciences
Congratulations! You are joining one of the most exclusive courses at Oxford! But seriously, with only around 30 biomeds in each year across the university, and 2 biomeds in each year at Magdalen,
32 you will get to know everyone on your course really well. You will spend around 18 hours a week in lectures, maths classes and practicals with your course mates. Practicals can be everything from looking at slides in histology, studying organ systems in the dissection room, to looking at your own urine! You will have lectures in three threads: body and cells, molecules and genes, brain, and behaviour. You will also have a small number of lectures in and maths, chemistry, and physics. This means that you get to cover an awful lot of varied content, so there should always be something that interests you! You will also have around 12 tutorials each term, supporting and expanding on the lecture material, with one or two each week (although you may end up with more!). You are usually required to write an essay prior to each tutorial but may also have to write some short note questions. Whilst doing work for tutorials can take a long time, you will get to know your essay topic really well, and over time you get much faster at writing essays. You will get to meet all your tutors at Magdalen in your first week, but do not worry, they are all absolutely lovely and very willing to help you with either academic or personal concerns! As you may be aware, there are no second year biomeds at Magdalen, however us third years are also incredibly happy to help and talk to you about anything both before term starts or at any point in the year.
It may all seem a bit daunting now, but I can promise you that you will have a wonderful time! Biomed love – Mary and Heather xx [email protected]
Chemistry
As a subject, Chemistry can be quite intense, with a lot of contact hours, a more significant Maths and Physics component than you might expect and even a bit of Biology. But it can be really fun too - all the time spent together means that you get to know people in your subject better and lab shenanigans naturally follow.
At Magdalen, tutors will get to know you really well throughout the years and be aware of any areas where you’ll need to do more work. Tutorials are actually really important in making you understand all the concepts you will have to cram in a short period of time throughout term and many concepts are revisited as the course progresses, so you will have time to get to grips with the material that might seem overwhelming at first.
In particular, chemists might have a reputation for a slightly over-the-top use of one well-known polar substance, but we like to think that is all a part of the practical experience- and the fun- of studying Chemistry [email protected]
Classics
Congratulations, and welcome to Oxford!
Magdalen’s a great college that counts Oscar Wilde among the ranks of former classics students, a fact of which you’ll no doubt be frequently reminded. The tutors here are lovely, the course is
33 exciting and everyone’s here to make sure you have a good time so rest assured, you’ve got an amazing four years ahead!
Your first year will see you through Homer, Virgil and a philosophy module of your choice, for which you’ll be writing one essay a week and then discussing in a tutorial. You’ll also get language teaching in college, and at least two classes a week with students from other colleges (depending on what your language choice is) – it’s a great way to make friends outside Magdalen! Lectures tend to be in Exam Schools and the Classics Faculty is a short walk away. You don’t have to go to all the lectures, just the ones that look interesting (or your tutor strongly recommends…) There can be a lot to do so I’d advise being organised with your reading, but other than that just enjoy yourself.
Speaking of, make sure to take some time off! Chances are you’ve been set work to do in advance and while it’s definitely worth having a look through, especially if you’re taking up a language from scratch, remember to take a break and enjoy a particularly well-earned summer. Congratulations again, and see you in October! [email protected]
Classics and English
Congratulations on your offers! Not only have you picked the joint honours course which combines the best two subjects, but you’re also coming to the best college! I hope you’re having amazing summers, so far as you can amidst all the chaos, and that you enjoy the time off. Please don’t be nervous about coming to Oxford: tutorials, reading lists, essays, — they can all seem intimidating, but you truly deserve to be here, and you’ll be in exactly the same boat as every other fresher, so don’t panic! The tutors are amazing, and always very helpful if you reach out to them, they just want you to do as well as possible. Oxford is bizarre but wonderful, and I strongly recommend the tried and tested work hard, play hard technique.
What does the life of a Classics and English student at Magdalen look like? Because you’re doing a joint course, your workload will admittedly be a little higher than it is for your single honours’ peers. My advice for how to deal with this is: work hard, but don’t be a perfectionist! Take time off, weekends, evenings or whatever suits you, but do make some time for it. Make sure you have time for social activities, sports, societies or whatever you might be interested in. You’re a first year, and it’s certainly the time to be exploring your interests. If too much work is mounting up, discuss it with your tutors — I promise you they’ll be understanding, everyone needs a little leeway at times. The first and foremost rule is to try to be organised, you may have to email tutors about clashes and things. Your tutors from Classics and English should try to talk to each other, but it is easy for clashes to occur. If they do, let them know as soon as you notice them, so they can sort them out for you! Try to be patient with them.
You’ll do one Classics essay a week, and you’ll have a tutorial to discuss it. You’ll have an English essay every other, also with a tutorial. Alongside this is paper 1, you do language theory in first term, and literary theory in second, with all the English freshers. That’s just building up to two assessed essays in trinity, and so not too strenuous! As a result, that paper can sneak up on you, so do make sure you keep the reading for that ticking along. One of the benefits of the C&E course is that you’ll be studying the Renaissance Paper alongside my year’s English cohort, so you get some
34 classes with them. Don’t be afraid, they’re a decent bunch! Alongside this, you’ll have weekly English seminars, and Classics language classes. Then there are lectures, but these are lowest priority: they’re mostly optional, and you don’t have to go to all of them! (I didn’t go to many in my second term…) Just have a look at the list and see what interests you. You can always talk to your tutors about which they think might be most useful.
For the moment, read around the topics and use the lists sent by the tutors. If you can, get a head start on your set texts, but this isn’t strictly necessary, just saves you a little time. See you soon! If you’ve got any concerns, please email me at [email protected]
Computer Science Congratulations! All your hard work has earned you a spot in the best college in Oxford, studying one of the most exciting field of science. Magdalen looks like it came straight out of a fairytale with its medieval walls, beautiful chapel and deer parks. Plus, we have top-notch tutors and some of the best college parties in Oxford. Even though the Computer Science degree starts off weirdly (you’ll see - the Haskell lecturer sometimes jumps around in excitement), everything will make sense eventually, hopefully before the exam. Don’t worry if you haven’t studied any of the subjects before or don’t know any programming languages. You will learn everything you need here, so try to enjoy the rest of your summer. On top of that, you don’t need a fancy computer, most laptops will do. You can do all your programming work on the machines at the department anyway. In your first term you will probably have early morning lectures every day and around three tutorials a week in the afternoon. A bike can make your daily commuting between the college and the department much faster and earn you a few more minutes of sleep in the morning, but you can easily get by without one. Make sure to go to a lot of the events in Freshers’ Week. It is a great opportunity to meet people around college and make friends. You will also be able to explore the huge variety of societies in Oxford. It’s a good idea to get a hobby that doesn’t involve computers or math and a society is the best way to do it. Between getting used to uni life and meeting problem sheet deadlines, your first term can be stressful. Everyone here wants you to succeed, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. Rahul and Bernard, the CS tutors, are great people and always willing to provide guidance. Looking forward to seeing you around college! [email protected]
Engineering Science First and foremost, congratulations on your offer! You made it into one of the best colleges (if not the best) of Oxford. I remember whenever I told someone I was going to be studying engineering, they replied with “Are you gonna build bridges now?” I always laughed it off, not knowing that one of the first labs of the first year is in fact designing and building a bridge. Labs are an essential part of the course, happening every Monday or Tuesday usually from 11 am to 5 pm. Although that seems intimidating at first, they are kinda fun so time flies, and occasionally you get to take your creations home with you. The only thing you must not forget is the prep work for the lab (which is often done the day before ) and your lab book and you are all set.
35 Labs and lectures are in the Thom building which, unfortunately, is quite far from Magdalen. Life will be significantly easier if you get a bike, but I managed to survive without one (though you need strong willpower as sometimes the weather becomes the perfect excuse to skip lectures.) Before you come to Oxford you will receive an Engineering Induction Pack, which will be the first of many worksheets that you will discuss with your tutors! If you are stressing out about tutorials -I know I did- there is absolutely no reason for that. You are not expected to solve every question on every worksheet or know everything, as long as you give it your best attempt and you are eager to learn the rest you are good. Our tutors are amazing so don’t hesitate to ask your questions and if you need help about anything -course-related or not- they are here to help.
There are usually 2 worksheets, 2 tutorials, 8-10 lectures and a lab per week. Once you get used to this routine (which takes little to no time) you’ll find it’s quite easy to manage the workload and your social life. Stay on top of your work, but don’t overdo it and enjoy the first year as much as you can. For now, just enjoy summer and see you at fresher’s week. Feel free to reach out to me via email at [email protected] if you have any concerns/questions.
English and Modern Languages I like to think of English and French (my chosen modern language) as a literature degree; I’m just lucky that I get two languages’ worth of reading material. As such, it can be pretty overwhelming at the start – especially because it’s down to you to co-ordinate with both your tutors to ensure that things don’t clash – but generally I’ve found that the skills developed in both subjects are transferrable. It’s hard to know what’s expected of you in the first weeks, because you’ll have to learn two new essay-writing formats almost immediately – not to mention the fact that the course structure is just completely different across departments. That said, the one can inform the other: the close linguistic analysis necessary in French commentaries trains you to zoom in on literary texts to inform wider arguments, and the range of knowledge required for an English essay enables you to place your French work in a wider context, and thus understand it more deeply.
You’ll learn Oxford quickly, because you’ll have to visit the English Faculty, the Taylorian and probably the Bodleian – although Longwall Library is also pretty well-stocked (which is a lifesaver in the midst of a late-night essay crisis). It can be a challenge darting from one side of Oxford to the other several times in a day, but to be quite honest I’ve come to love the chance to slip through Lamb and Flag passage or cut down Turl Street between classes. We get to live in a gorgeous city and doing joint honours I think affords you the opportunity to really appreciate that every day: just getting from place to place means we see more of this place.
Lectures are going to clash, and you’ll quickly find yourself having to prioritise and develop pretty good organisational skills. There’ll be the odd week with two essays, a translation and a summary due; there’ll be weeks where you’re running up and down the Flete, begging your single-honours friends to come to Bridge. I would say it’s best to spread out the work as much as you can, but that’s not always realistic. The degree’s a bit of a rollercoaster, and that’s okay. We’re so lucky to be at Magdalen in this respect – because in the brief windows of spare time, there’s this humbling beauty right there to wander in, to restore some sense of peace in a hectic eight-week term. I’ve definitely found I’ve needed this; because it’s a great degree, but it’s not always easy.
English Language and Literature Hello! Welcome to Magdalen! Well done for ending up at the best college in Oxford (not that I’m biased at all, of course…); at the time of writing, I’m not sure what’s going to end up happening with Michaelmas. I don’t think anyone is! This year’s events have been turbulent to say the least and I’m sure you’re feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves. There’s no need to worry, though – you’ve all been selected for a reason and deserve your places. During the first term, you’re likely to have one essay a week and a tutorial for the Victorian paper (1832 to 1910). There will also be classes each week for English Language and Old English – and there might be one or two essays for these throughout the term. These are all in college. Lectures are with the department so are in the English Faculty (about 10 minutes’ walk away and also the police station in Morse) or Exam Schools (two minutes from Magdalen). It is hard work but hopefully you’re here because you like English – if so, it’s definitely manageable. If you are having any difficulties, then just let the tutors know. They’re happy to make accommodations and try to meet you halfway – after all, they are only human! So, what can you be doing now? Relaxing is the most important thing. Starting a term frazzled is never ideal. You’ve certainly earned a rest! In terms of preparation, reading as much as you’re able to is great, with a focus on the Victorian paper and perhaps parsing the Old English key texts (more information on this is in the English course handbook). Anything and everything helps. Don’t force yourself through Middlemarch if you don’t like it. We’re very lucky (both as English students and by being at Magdalen) in that we choose our own essay topics so if you do have a particular area of interest then the summer is the perfect time to do more research. If you have any questions (big or small), you’re welcome to get in touch with me anytime at [email protected]. We can’t wait to meet you (hopefully in October) and hope that you have a brilliant summer!
Experimental Psychology Hey incoming EP freshers, Welcome to Oxford and Magdalen, as well as the EP course! The most notable thing, schedule-wise, about first year Experimental Psychology is that you’ll have the earliest prelims - usually in 8th week Hilary Term. This means that you won’t have Trinity exams, which will hopefully provide for a very enjoyable Trinity Term, but also that you’re going to have to be exam-ready very quickly. Preparing you for this will be approximately three tutorials a week, one for each of your three papers - Introductions to Psychology, Neurophysiology, and Probability Theory and Statistics. The first two will usually expect an essay (although sometimes a presentation instead, and Psychology tutorials may expect short notes as well). There will also be about 5-7 lectures a week.
I found that week-to-week work was quite manageable once you get into the flow, especially in Michaelmas Term. However, Hilary may be a little hectic because if your term is structured like mine was, you won’t get a lot of revision time - you might find yourself sitting your first exam a mere several days after submitting your final tute essay! My advice: prepare well for Hilary Term collections (in week 0), and you’ll feel less stressed out about Michaelmas content! Of course, reach
37 out to me ([email protected]) if you need any help or advice at all - and finally, congratulations on your imminent arrival to a fantastic place to learn and live
Fine Art Studying fine art at Magdalen is a great opportunity as not only do you have the beautiful grounds to inspire you but you are also perfectly in between the Bullingdon road and high street sites of the Ruskin. Make the most of everything the Ruskin has to offer such as your own studio space, the history and theory lectures, anatomy, the library, the media lab, printing facilities and wood workshop as well as the weekly visiting artist speakers at Bullingdon Road. Also get involved in lots of societies that can help inspire your work and meet new people from Magdalen film society to the debates at the feminist society. Studying at the Ruskin puts you in a unique position to have a mostly social life at college and also meet people uni-wide at the Ruskin. Therefore, while also having fun in your studio space you can meet people from different colleges. Most importantly do not put too much pressure on yourself to make work as soon as you get to Oxford, a creative process will take time so make sure to have fun and enjoy the all the city of Oxford has to offer! [email protected]
History Congratulations: you have not only got an offer to come to the best college, but you’re also going to do the best subject! You may be feeling a little bit nervous about coming to university, so here are a few tips about how your next term will be. But don’t panic – everyone is in the same boat, and I can honestly say that Magdalen is one of the friendliest, most welcoming environments and I am sure you will fall in love with it as soon as you arrive.
So, what is the historian lifestyle like at Oxford?
A history degree at Oxford is one of the most independent—and, therefore, creative—courses available. An average week will consist of about 2 or 3 lectures and one or two tutorials, meaning you will have between 4 and 7 contact hours per week. The rest of the time is yours to structure, with trips to the college’s Longwall Library and the Rad Cam making multiple appearances. It’s really important to make sure having fun and taking time off is part of your routine – bear in mind that finding what works for you can take a few weeks to settle, whether it be weekends, evenings or whatever suits you. It is a great idea to get involved in sports teams and societies during this free time, not least to make friends outside of the college bubble. All this independence also means that being a history student can, at times, feel a little bit lonely – but, from my experience, the history students that come to Magdalen are some of the best people out there, and you will all be experiencing the same things so it’s great to chat and get to know them, even if they are doing different courses to you.
While lectures aren’t strictly compulsory, I have found that they’re not only a great way to solidify what you have learnt and get new perspectives on your topics, but they’re also a fab place to new friends from other colleges. Plus, the history faculty hate early-mornings just as much as you, so it’s unlikely that you’ll have any lectures before 12pm!
38 When you come in Michaelmas, you will be studying a British History paper, for which you will have one essay a week, and either an Approaches to History paper or a Foreign Text paper, for which you’ll get an essay once a fortnight. This means that scheduling your time is essential: you do not want to be left with two essays to do every two weeks!
When you’re first faced with a reading list, it can look pretty daunting. But remember: the entire purpose of a reading list is to inspire your own views on a topic, not to confuse or constrain them, and no tutor will ever expect you to read everything. It’s usually a good idea to start with around eight books and articles per essay, reading either more or less depending on how busy you are.
For the moment, try to enjoy your long summer even if it is a bit different to usual! If you like, you can crack on with the summer reading lists your tutors will send you to whet your appetite.
We are all very excited to meet you!
If you have any other questions or concerns, you are very welcome to email me at [email protected]
History and Modern Languages Congratulations on meeting your offer and for choosing the best joint honours degree Oxford has to offer!
If one word could describe the history and modern language combination, it would be flexibility. As a joint school student, you’ll strike a (rough) 50/50 balance between your two subjects which you’ll soon find is very liberating. For example, in the first year, historians study four papers (British, General, Optional and Approaches to History) but you only have to do half as many, leaving you with free rein to choose what interests you and forget the rest! The same principle applies to the Finals School for both history and your chosen language. Studying at the crossroads of history and a language gives you a great opportunity to choose papers which compliment and feed into each other, although you shouldn’t let this restrict your choice, and follow whichever path you’ll enjoy the most.
Your day to day experience of a history and modern language degree, like many humanities, will be flexible too. On an average week, an HML student might have two to four hours of lectures or classes and one or two personal tutes, leaving the rest of the time yours to organise as you please. Most of your working week will be spent on independent reading and writing essays or translations for tutes, but there’s still plenty of free time for societies, volunteering and the all-important Oxford nightlife.
Having classes and tutorials with world-leading experts in your field of study is an experience which is hard to find in many other institutions and for that reason might seem very daunting. However, the tutors are there to help and guide you in any way they can, so don’t pay any attention to the myths about evil, essay-burning old misers, as the reality for every tutor I’ve ever met couldn’t have been more different. As you may be aware, there are no second year history and modern
39 language students at Magdalen, however us third years are also incredibly happy to help and talk to you about anything both before term starts or at any point in the year.
Organise your time, stay on top of your reading lists and you’ll have nothing to worry about, but remember to have a great summer too! Magdalen can’t wait to meet you! [email protected]
History and Politics Congratulations on meeting your offer for history and politics! We can’t wait to meet you!
History and politics is the best of both worlds of history and PPE, it is a small cohort amongst the relatively large number of history and PPE students studying at Magdalen. This means you get the perfect combination of having lots of resources and people doing similar work to you, whilst feeling a little bit special.
Most of your work will be centered around independent reading, with contact hours being limited to a few lectures and tutorials a week, meaning you can structure your days pretty much how you want. Tutorials can be daunting at first, but they’re surprisingly relaxed and you're not marked in any way on what you say, so use it as a good opportunity to talk through your thoughts and consolidate your reading.
In your first year you will take at least two history papers (or modules). You will either study a British or European and World history covering a certain time period, along with either two approaches to history, or a foreign text. This leaves you quite a bit of freedom to pick what tickles your pickle, and some tutors will let you pick the topic of your essays meaning you can tailor modules to your interests. There is one compulsory politics paper, which is The Practice of Politics, and in your final term you can choose either between Theories of State (a history paper), or the Introduction to The Theory of Politics (which is a politics paper). You will also have to do Q-Step, which is a compulsory coding module that does not count towards your grade, but will be useful if you choose to focus more on politics later on in your degree (so don’t worry about it much).
Don’t worry too much about your Summer reading, it might be useful to go through it to get a grasp of what you’ll be studying during your first term but you will be re-reading those texts as and when you need them throughout your modules. If you have any questions, feel free to ask us anytime (contact Svenja Helmold, Nick Keunstler or Bailey Finch-Robinson). Enjoy your Summer and see you soon! [email protected]
Human Sciences Human Sciences is the most amazingly broad course which hardly anyone has heard of, but it usually makes for an amazing conversation starter and by the end, people usually end up jealous! The wide topic areas means that initially the course feels very disjointed and it’s quite hard to see the connections, but I promise it’ll all work out in the end. The large number of niche topics means
40 that you usually have tutorials all over Oxford and get to explore the insides of so many more colleges beyond Magdalen (although ours is obviously the best one!)
The department building is a bit of a walk, but it gives you 25-minutes to just relax and destress on a daily basis. If you’d like, some people do invest in a bike (and lock!) but its generally nice to get a bit of a walk, especially if you head there with the other people on your course! The inside of the department is small but cozy as ever, with a small library and a kitchen with free tea and coffee in it which is amazing for passing time between lectures.
My favourite part about the course is probably the fact that it is such a small course and you’ll quickly know every other student who studies it. The environment is also very friendly nad lovely, and everyone usually helps each other out instead of being competitive. You’ll also be able to share lectures with Biology, Psychology, and Archaeology and Anthropology students, so really you can meet different Magdalen people in all your lectures and become friends with them too! You are really in for the best experience and we cannot wait to meet you! Be prepared to spend most of your time answering, “so what is it you actually do?”, and you’ll nail it! After all, what is human sciences?
Law Law at Magdalen is quite tight-knit, with our own society running events that goes across years. Lawyers pretty much run the show at Magdalen - Dinah Rose QC is our president, while Joe is a Dean and Katharine is our vice-president - so you’re in safe hands no matter what. We’ve got our own library, a law dog (Katsu) and a sense of community unparalleled by all the other subjects so rest assured it’s the best! It can be daunting to start, as law tends to be deeply reading-focused with fewer contact hours than most, but classes and tutorials genuinely do help consolidate the reading you’ve done. The first few weeks will seem overwhelming especially as many of you will have started with no experience in law, but you do settle into a rhythm and learn to plan time effectively - treat it like a 9-5 job is generally the best advice to start then tailor it to your own strengths. You should be given a lesson on how to properly take notes and access the materials you need during Freshers Week, but if not please don’t hesitate to ask your college parents for help! If you have any questions leading up to starting about law make sure to ask them, no matter how trivial! [email protected]
Maths Hey guys! Welcome to the Oxford University! And welcome to the Magdalen college, the most beautiful college in the university ( I rank it~)! Mathematics is thought to be boring, full of equations and proofs, but from now on, you are among the best professors, lovely tutorial partners and wonderful libraries...... Everything around you is amazing. You will definitely enjoy your college life.
Don’t be anxious if you can’t keep up with the lectures at the beginning of the term. It will take you some time to adjust to a completely new studying environment. Remember that it is new for all of your friends and classmates, so just share your feelings with them! Having trouble with a problem
41 sheet? Just ask them! My tutorial partner is a maths genius, I never doubt that he will have great achievements in maths. To my surprise, he is also such a nice guy that every time I ask him some question, he will patiently explain to me as if he is my tutor. Your tutors are also someone that you can always ask for help, no matter in maths or your college life. You will feel that they really care about you, as a person, not just your grade.
There is also a large, and amazing world waiting for you to explore, accept from lectures and sheets. No matter who you are and what you like, you can always find a club or society that fits you well. You will see that Oxford brings you much more happiness than you ever expect. All in all, I wish you an enjoyable and unforgettable Matriculation term! [email protected]
Maths and Computer Science Congratulations on your offers, and welcome to Magdalen! Everyone says this about their own college, but Magdalen truly is the best (I mean, who else has deer), and you’re in for a real treat in the fall! At the moment, I hope you all are enjoying your summers, despite the current situation.
Every week you’ll have about ten hours of lectures and about 4-5 problem sheets. You have probably received some sheets already, as well as a reading list. Our tutors never formally went through these, but the sheets and some of the “strongly recommended” books are very helpful in reviewing A-level material and getting you back into a studying mindset. During term-time, since you have problem sheets from two departments, you’ll get some nice subject variety! For each sheet, you’ll also have a tutorial. These are an opportunity for you to go over the problems with your tutors and to ask questions you have about the material. Any question is fair game—the tutors want to help you understand and will always be happy to answer!
For CS, you’ll also have 1-2 practical sessions a week where you’ll get some hands-on experience with the languages you’ll be learning (in your first term, this will be Haskell)! Some of the CS problem sheets also have some practical coding components. But there’s no need to buy a particularly fancy computer—a standard one works just fine (though a memory stick may come in handy).
Amidst the work, there will still be time for societies, sports teams, or anything else you do in your spare time. Notably, the workload in Freshers Week is relatively light, so use that time to explore and go to some of the Magdalen-specific (and Oxford-wide) events going on! Maintaining a balance between work and downtime is super important—just make sure to stay organized.
If you’re anything like me, the prospect of starting at Oxford is exciting, yes, but also daunting. Just remember that you absolutely deserve your place and that this is not a mistake. Your tutors see something they like in you, and they are looking forward to working with you! The tutorial system; problem sheets; and a shorter, busier term may seem intimidating at first, but if you are struggling, just reach out—the tutors want you to succeed and will be very helpful. You can also email me at [email protected] with any questions. Looking forward to meeting you all in October!
42 Maths and Philosophy First of all, congratulations on getting into Magdalen for Maths and Philosophy!! It’s no easy feat; you really should be proud of what you have achieved.
The maths and philosophy course will mostly comprise of the pure parts of the maths course, and the more technical sections of the philosophy courses. In the first term you will (probably) have five main courses: logic; linear algebra; analysis; probability; introductory calculus. In addition to these there are two very short courses: introduction to complex numbers; introduction to university mathematics. These happen at the start of term (for the first week or so) and take the place of the linear algebra and analysis courses. Because of these courses there’s actually a very gentle start to the world of university mathematics (and philosophy), so don’t feel worried about being dropped in at the deep end, you really are taken care of very well! A typical week will have 10 or so lectures in the first term, each one hour long, and five problem sheets – these are basically roughly six questions on the material you covered in lectures that week. (As you progress through the year there will be more essays, roughly one a week, and as a result, fewer problem sheets.) I really would recommend that you actually turn up to lectures; they’re one of the best ways to learn the material, and it’s good to give yourself a bit of time to get your head around what’s going on as well, before having to answer questions. Skipping lectures is an easy habit to get into, but it does catch up with you in the end!
Finally, before you arrive you’ll get a reading list and some problems to do. It’s a good idea to try and read a book (or two) on the reading list and do the problems, just to make sure you know everything you need to before you arrive and to get in the groove. But equally, they’re of no importance at all otherwise, so don’t stress about trying to complete them if you don’t have the time.
All that’s left to say is enjoy your summer holidays! You’ve earned it. [email protected]
Medicine Hi Fresher! Well done on making your offer to study Medicine here at Magdalen aka the best college in Oxford Your tutors at Magdalen are amazing, and not as scary as they may have seemed in your interviews! They will contact you to organise a meeting in Freshers’ week, where you will discuss what your first term at university is going to be like.
So, what will a typical week in your first term look like? You will be given a timetable with all the lectures/labs that you should be attending, including 2-4 lectures per day (1 hour each), 2 labs a week (1.5 hours each), and maybe a practical (up to 4 hours), alongside at least 2 tutorials a week (1/1.5 hour sessions with your tutor). Lectures usually start at 9.00am, and you will only have 1 to 2 lectures (if at all) on days when you have a lab or practical, so you’re often back at college by 2.00pm. Tutorials are organised with your tutors at a time that suits everyone, often in the afternoon/early evening, with an essay set to be handed in before each one.
You’ll need to work hard, but you’ll figure out how you work best and what’s expected of you very quickly, and there’s always someone to talk to if you need any help. The motto ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ is especially true for medics, and we have fantastic, uni-wide social events that can be as wild 43 as you want them to be! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or your medic college parent. Otherwise, enjoy the rest of your summer, and see you soon! My email: [email protected] P.S. get Facebook, lots of groups are set up on there!
Modern Languages First off, a huge congrats on your offer and welcome to Magdalen! I’m Akshat (Commonly Known as Ash), study German and Beginner’s Russian, and by the time you’re reading this I’ll probably be in Russia! Your post A-Level Language (or languages) will be largely college-based, and you’ll likely have a translation and two literature tutorials a week for these. They’re a great opportunity to discuss an essay that you might have written/ might have to write, and to use your tutor to explain any concepts that might be unfamiliar. Based on your MLAT results, you may be placed into university-wide grammar classes. Whilst these are more work, they’re also a great way to meet people from other colleges! For beginner languages, you’ll have university-wide classes too. Modern languages are demanding but extremely rewarding- At Magdalen you’re likely to have a couple of essays and translations a week, but tutorials will prepare you adequately for these! There’s also almost always enough time to get involved with all the other random stuff that College and Oxford has to offer! [email protected]
Modern Languages and Linguistics First of all: congratulations and welcome to Magdalen! You’ve done an amazing job to get here, and now it is time to enjoy it. Modern Languages (no matter which one you have chosen) and Linguistics is a 4-year-course with your 3rd year abroad (very exciting but be patient!). Your teaching will be in the form of tutorials, lectures and classes for both parts of your degree – including beneficial language classes which help to vastly improve your grammar. As a result, you may find that your schedule is more intense than others’. But don’t worry this means you are saved from having the infinite reading lists that afflict many other subjects – although, we do still have some things to read!
Linguistics is composed of three papers in Year 1: General Linguistics, Grammatical Analysis, and Phonetics and Phonology. Lectures are mandatory. Within each of these papers, there are more diverse topics still, ranging from acoustic phonetics, to psycholinguistics, to syntax and morphology – and many more! Although some things may seem difficult, going through lecture slides and lots of practice will massively help. Homework takes form in readings, essays and grammatical exercises (like solving language puzzles!), and lots of other tasks which you will soon discover.
Modern Languages is composed of both language and literature. Generally, there will be different language classes consisting of listening/speaking, reading/writing, translation (X into English), prose (English into X), and grammar. Depending on your chosen subject, the literature aspect may contain novels, poetry, dramas, films… both modern and classical. The trick is to always thoroughly go through the original text yourself and read lots in advance – otherwise you may become slightly lost in a tutorial.
44 Finally: trust yourselves. Do not hesitate to seek help when in need, everyone here is extremely nice and reliable. The most important thing is to be happy and enjoy your time here. Can’t wait to meet you all in October! [email protected]
Music First of all, congratulations on your offer! Welcome to Magdalen! We are really looking forward to meeting you all and hope that you’re just as excited, it’s going to be great! First year is a great time to explore new things and luckily the first-year course encourages this. You will have tutorials in Special Topics (essentially history topics or an equivalent), Analysis, Foundations in the Study of Music, Techniques of Composition, Keyboard Skills, and, if you choose, Composition. Foundations and Analysis alternate weekly, so you should average 4ish tutorials a week, each of which will require you to prepare an essay/piece of counterpoint etc (don’t worry, you’ll soon get used to this!). In addition to tutorials there are lectures – up to 2 a day in Michelmas, but far fewer in Hilary and Trinity. Although the breadth of first year makes it so engaging, it may also be a little overwhelming, but there’s no need to worry, you’ve lucked out with some incredible tutors who really do care about you (even if they seemed a little intimidating at interviews!). You’ll get to know them quickly, and soon they won’t be half as intimidating. In terms of instrumental/vocal lessons, there is a faculty list of teachers in Oxford who you can contact, or you can find your own – it might be worth thinking about this before, but teachers are generally flexible and it’s fine if you haven’t preorganised anything. Before you arrive, don’t stress about the reading list – it is primarily to give you a flavour of some of the topics you’ll be covering and what academic reading is like – don’t worry too much about it! Enjoy the rest of your summer and looking forward to the many opportunities here. Don’t feel afraid to step out of your comfort zone for auditions or concerts – you’re here to develop in ways outside of the library too and it would be a shame to miss the many opportunities available in Oxford! Finally, remember that the tutors chose you for a reason! None of us are perfect, but that’s ok – you are here for a reason. Can’t wait to meet you in October, Love the 2nd Year Musicians xx [email protected]
Philosophy and Modern Languages Philosophy and Modern Languages combines two areas of study that complement each other in many respects: the study of literature and the study of philosophy. The language side of the course focuses on the close analysis of certain major works of literature: one writes commentaries on two literary works from each of the great genres (poetry, drama and prose) and critical essays on four novels of different literary traditions. The philosophy side of the course is composed of three parts: General, Moral and Logic. While General provides an overview over six fundamental questions of philosophy (dualism, personal identity, Free Will, etc.), the moral side offers an in-depth insight into the utilitarian doctrine as advocated by J.S. Mill. Logic aims to introduce the scientific method into the study of philosophy and allows to establish the validity of an argument.
45 Philosophy, Politics and Economics Congrats on getting an offer for PPE at Magdalen, an incredible accomplishment! We are all very excited to be meeting you in October and hope that you are just as excited to come!
In first year, you will be taught in all three subjects P, P and E. In Philosophy you will have Logic, Moral Philosophy and General Philosophy (can we really know anything? Nope.) In Politics you will have Practice of Politics, which is more empirical, and Theory of Politics, which is more philosophical. Economics will be divided into Micro- and Macroeconomics. All these subjects will be taught by our lovely tutors here at Magdalen who are all incredibly smart and great at giving feedback.
The workload of PPE is manageable (although at times one needs to put it in a long library shift), and you have quite a lot of flexibility regarding when to do your work, which is really nice. The lectures are of varying quality and relevance to your essays; however, I’d still recommend going. Especially the Macroeconomics lectures with Michael are great, you’ll soon find out that he’s been to Zimbabwe and worked for a central bank!
The best and worst thing about PPE is that it’s so varied that you’ll find something you love and quite possibly something you hate – this is alright and really quite normal. You’ll do lots of different, interesting stuff in first year and by second year you’ll have more choice than you know what to do with.
Also, I know how daunting the prospect of going to Oxford might be. You’re probably nervous, excited and feeling a whole bunch of other emotions right now but try not to worry. It’s totally normal and I felt the same way, you’ll be fine! Try to enjoy the summer ahead so that you are ready to start the term enthusiastically. If you’ve got any questions, feel free to ask me (Paul Re on Facebook) or one of my fellow PPEists.
Looking forward to meeting you all in October! - [email protected]
Physics You've worked hard learning and understanding the fundamental laws that govern this universe and it's payed off, welcome to physics at Oxford! By the way, you are one of the specially handpicked students from our tutors. They chose you not because you got 'lucky' in your application but because they saw your potential, whether or not you've seen it yourself yet.
Now this course has many contact hours a week split over lectures, labs and tutorials. You'll usually get 3 tutorials a week with each requiring one completed problem sheet. Good luck trying to do every question on these problem sheets because unless you chose to stay inside all day everyday you won't have time. That's fine, give each question 15 minutes and if you can't do it then move on, after all that's what the tutorials are for. Oh and yes, you have way more work than students from other courses *cough* non-STEM *cough* so don't compare your free time to theirs thinking you work slower, you just have more work.
46 I encourage you to get close with your physicist peers here. There's a good chance at least one of you will solve that one tricky question on your problem sheet and if you all work together you actually can do all the questions. Of course you can always get in touch with upper year physicists who are happy to help.
Have fun getting freshers flu that'll make the Michaelmas lectures unintelligible (don't worry, you always have the lecture notes). Prepare for the tragedy (or comedy if you're edgy) that is labs where you'll spend 6-hours a week trying to understand a lab script written in the 90's that uses equipment that is now different or broken. Shamelessly faking your errors and tweaking your data to be closer to what your theory predicted will be a last resort that'll be used more and more often. It gets better in second year though so look forward to that.
Overall, try to enjoy your first term at Oxford. If you want to go out every night each week then go for it because later on you won't be able to. If you don't then that's fine you'll make friends within college anyway. Let this term be what you want it to be because many challenges will lie ahead in the terms and years to follow.
Email at: [email protected]
Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics Firstly, congratulations on getting your offer at Magdalen! I’m sure with this comes lots of excitement, which I can reassure you is justified, but also inevitable nerves. During the first weeks it is understandable if you experience feelings of imposter syndrome (I know I did), but my key piece of advice on this front would be to have faith in the process that got you this far. In getting an interview, then an offer, and now making that offer, you can know that not only do your tutors think you’re up to the challenge of this course, but also that you are capable of producing the quality of work which can lead to a successful time here.
Freshers week will introduce you to all the facilities you will need for the year: you’ll have tours of your relevant libraries, the college, and the city available to you. First week can seem scary, but be determined to get through it. I was worried that it would get harder as the weeks went on but this didn’t actually seem to be the case. I found getting into a routine as early as I did very helpful (lectures tending to not be until 10am rather than 9 certainly helps with this). In psychology you have two lectures and a tutorial every week, philosophy is three lectures and one tutorial per week, and linguistics is three lectures and two tutes per week. Along with this you’ll have a stats lecture and tutorial every week too. You have to do a piece of work for each tutorial, along with the reading, which will be an essay or set of problems depending on the subject. Although this seems a lot, you will figure out your best way to get it all done. If at any point you are overwhelmed, our tutors at Magdalen (Lucy for psychology, and Paul for philosophy and linguistics) are lovely and you can definitely approach them with any problems you are having, and there are always the students in years above to help you out too. All this makes Oxford, and Magdalen in particular, a great place to be a PPL student, and I’m sure that you’ll really enjoy it! [email protected]
47 Jargon Buster
Batells Your termly College bill. Bear Pit Magdalen’s own sporting grounds, attached to Addison’s Walk. Bod Bodleian Library. Bod card Your University card and main form of student ID. Necessary to get into College, the JCR and the Waynflete. Also can be used as payment in Hall and the OKB via Upay. Bop College parties held in the OKB. Think school discos with more alcohol. Collections Exams held at the beginning of each term. Not to be confused with President’s Collections, which is a short meeting you’ll have with the President and your tutors at the end of Michaelmas. Crew date One of the biggest draws of joining a sports team, besides enjoying the actual sport that is. The meeting of two teams at a ‘classy’ establishment for a meal, copious quantities of alcohol and ‘strong chat’ (or attempts at). Sometimes hilarious, sometimes an ordeal and always messy. A good chance to get to know people from other colleges and not limited just to sports teams (often crew dates involve a group of girls from one college going out with a group of boys from another). It’s also totally fine if you’re not keen—these are optional events and are generally organised more or less at the last minute. Deer park What we have (two of). Casual. Fellow A top academic in College. Some of them (Tutorial Fellows) are responsible for giving you tutorials, marking your essays, setting you collections and marking those too. Apart from that, they are (nominally) running the College. They are the big-wigs of Magdalen and are to be fiercely respected. Finals Exams at the end of your undergrad degree and the dreaded time for any student. The library replaces the pub, books replace friends and revision replaces conversation. Not to worry, they’re an awfully long way off yet. Formal Hall A formal three course meal in the Dining Hall. Gowns must be worn, and Sundays are optional Black Tie. Fun to take your parents/visitors to and a great way to celebrate special occasions. Hack A person involved with student politics (OUSU/Union/JCR) who’s “in it” for the title not the job they’re doing Hall The canteen. Quality is changeable (you are encouraged to give feedback), value for money is pretty good and effort expelled is zero. The draw of a warm meal that doesn’t require you to lift a finger is irresistible. Hilary Spring term (January to March). Arm yourself with chocolate digestives and tea, wrap up well and prepare to face darkness at 4:30 pm... JCR shop Magdalen is the only college to have its own shop, providing essay crisis fuel and weekly essentials. All costs are placed on your batells to worry about later.
48 Paid shifts in the shop are taken on by students and items can be suggested to the Quartermasters (Magdalen’s resident shopkeepers) to order. Late gate key The key that gets you into and out of College after the porters shut the main gate at 11pm. Do not make the mistake of forgetting your key if you plan on essaying in the library into the night. Also allows you entry into nearly every accommodation area in College, the JCR and many, many other places. If you lose it, replacements are expensive and the porters will be very unimpressed, so guard it with your life! Magdalene College Our sister college in Cambridge. We have a tendency to beat them at… well, everything. The annual Magd-Magd pseudo Varsity matches are a great place to show your collegiate pride and the post-match crew dates are always a hilariously raucous affair. Matriculation A formal ceremony in which you become an official member of the university. You have to get up at an ungodly hour, put on your sub fusc and head over to college for roll call and pictures which inevitably turn out horribly (sub fusc is not flattering on anyone). Then you’re marched off to the Sheldonian Theatre, becoming a tourist attraction on the way, and there you have to queue a lot and get spoken at in Latin. After that it’s back to college for a champagne brunch. Michaelmas Winter term (October to December). OKB Old Kitchen Bar, an in-college café that’s brilliant for paninis, jacket potatoes and baguettes and has a lovely outside seating area by the river which is a popular spot in the summer months. Nick the barman takes over at night and it becomes a great place to relax with a pint, play some darts and generally kick back. Also where Bops are held. OUSU Oxford University Student Union, a student union designed to represent views of students to the university and support Common Rooms in their negotiations with Colleges. Membership is free and automatic by virtue of being a member of an affiliated common room. OWR Oscar Wilde Room. Fits around 60 people and has a terrace onto the roof of the OKB. It can be booked out by any student and is frequently used for in- college events and birthday parties, as well as the annual Oscar Wilde dinner organised by the LGBTQ+ reps early on in May. Oxford Union A debating society that invites speakers and host events. Lifetime membership is £270. Pidge The post room. Plodge Porter’s Lodge, the entrance into College. Porters Your best friends in College. The (tend to) know anything and everything about what is going on in College, so if you have any issues or questions then do seek them out. Prelims First year exams.
49 Punting A favourite Magdalenite summer pastime. Take lots of Pimms and strawberries, a positive mental attitude and expect to fall in. Worth remembering to get your phone out of your pocket first. Punts are maintained by Punt Reps. The only other acceptable summer pastime is croquet on the New Building lawn when we’re not throwing money at the poor. Scouts The wonderful people that make your student life so much easier. They’ll clean your room, change your sheets and generally make sure that the accommodation is looking spick and span. Make friends with the Scouts; they know everything that goes on and are most likely going to walk in on you naked. Stash Sportswear that proudly displays your team logo. Arguably one of the best perks of joining a sports team. Tab A student from ‘the other place’. The rivalry is heated as ever. Trinity Summer term (April to July). The best term, despite Prelims. Tute Tutorial. Varsity Anything Oxford vs Cambridge related. Normally applied to annual sports matches. Welfare A source of comfort, advice, copious quantities of free food in the form of pizza and cake-based goodies and providers of all your health needs.
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