Aula St. Edmundi

Visiting Student

Welcome Pack

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Welcome to Teddy Hall! Welcome to Oxford and St Edmund Hall! In order to help you settle in and find your way around we

have put together this handy welcome pack. Inside this pack you’ll find some useful information for

day-to-day life, important contact details, maps of the College and a plethora of other information.

We hope you find it useful!

Helpful Day to Day Information Despite all the beauty of Oxford and the uniqueness of your experiences here, you will still need to

address some practical concerns. While you wait for formal inductions from the College and your

Faculty, we have prepared a list of useful information to help you adjust to Oxford.

Buying the Essentials Groceries: There are three standard supermarkets in town where you can find most things.

Sainsbury’s, in Westgate Mall, entrance on Queen Street.

Tesco, 1 Magdalen St.

Marks and Spencer, Queen Street.

There are 3 more supermarkets along Cowley Road (closer to the Isis hotel or William R. Miller

building).

Sainsbury’s, 1 Saint Clement's Street.

Sainsbury’s, 134 Cowley Road.

Tesco, 159 Cowley Road.

For a small fee Tesco and Sainsbury’s offer delivery services to your home which allows you to

purchase goods online on an as needed basis. Abel & Cole provides the same service and features

local, organic goods which can be purchased exclusively online.

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Markets:

Covered Market (Off the High Street):

The Covered Market, although often more expensive than standard grocery stores, has various

kiosks selling fruits and vegetables, a butchers, cheese shops, cafes, cobblers, and artisanal clothing

and accessory shops.

Farmers’ Market (Gloucester Green on Wednesday mornings):

There is a farmers’ market in Gloucester Green where you can find reasonably priced (mostly

cheaper than many grocery stores) local produce. There are frequently French markets in the same

location which are periodically advertised signs posted along Cornmarket Street on the day of the

market.

Household Items:

Boswells, southeast corner of Broad St & Cornmarket Street.

Argos, New Inn Hall Street (Cheap!).

Primark, Westgate mall (Cheap!).

Debenhams, Northeast corner of Broad St & Cornmarket Street.

At Boswells, Primark, Argos and Debenhams you can find most of the household goods that you will

need, ranging from cutlery and crockery to clothes hangers, towels, and pillowcases.

Pharmacies:

Boots Pharmacy:

­ 6‐8 Cornmarket Street.

­ 151a Cowley Road.

­ 221 Banbury Road.

Superdrug, 11 Market Street (across from the Boots on Cornmarket Street).

Mobile Phones: Most mobile phone providers can be found on Cornmarket Street and offer either pay‐as‐you-go top

up services or monthly contracts. International students might find the Skype phone provided by The

Carphone Warehouse useful as it allows you to send and receive international calls free using Skype,

while also affording you all the local texts and calls. Commonly used networks in the UK are: Orange,

EE, T‐Mobile, O2, Vodafone, and 3. Carphone Warehouse should be able to give you price and plan

comparisons with different service providers.

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Shopping for Academic Supplies Office and Academic Supplies:

Ryman, 38 Queen Street (* here make sure to show your Oxford University card as you

will always get 10% off).

Staples, 14-16 Park End Street.

Honest Stationery, 151 Cowley Road.

WHSmith, Cornmarket Street.

Bookstores:

Blackwells, 48‐51 Broad Street (good for textbooks).

Waterstones, Broad Street & Cornmarket Street.

Oxfam Books, 56 St Giles Street as well as Turl Street across from Lincoln College.

Getting Around: Transport Bicycles: Bicycles are a hot commodity for students and thieves. Therefore, be sure to buy a good lock and

take a photo of your bike and write down its serial number. New bicycles can be bought from:

The Cycle Centre, 38 Walton St.

Summertown Cycles, 200 Banbury Rd.

Cyclo Analyst, 150 Cowley Road.

Walton Street Bikes, 78 Walton Street.

Beeline Bicycles, 59‐65 Cowley Road.

Second hand bikes can be found at:

Oxford Cycle Workshop, www.ocw.coop

www.backontrax.co.uk

Daily Info, www.dailyinfo.co.uk

For repairs, the Bike Doctor of the Oxford Cycle Workshop does free repairs Wednesday, 10am-4pm

at the University Club on Mansfield Rd & Friday at the Old Rd Campus. They arrive at 10am; be there

at 9:45am.

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Taxis and the Safety Bus:

Radio Taxis, 01865 242 424

001 Taxis, 01865 240 000

Royal Taxis, 01865 777 333

City Taxis, 01865 201 201

The Safety Bus runs throughout term from 9pm-3am, to ensure student safety at night. If

you're out and you fancy a lift home, ring 07714445050. It'll pick you up and take you to

anywhere inside the ring-road, all for just a £1 donation. Put the number in your mobile just

in case. If anyone wants to volunteer to drive or navigate the Safety Bus, or has any

questions, email women@ousu.org.

Trains:

If you’re going to be using the train a lot, get a Young Person’s Railcard (£25 for a year) at

the rail station or online and get 1/3 off trips anywhere in the UK.

Trains to London take approximately 1 hr direct and can be cheaper than the bus with the

Railcard, especially if you book an ‘advance’ ticket more than a week ahead

(www.nationalrail.co.uk).

Buses:

Oxford has two local companies, Oxford Bus Company (www.oxfordbus.co.uk) and

Stagecoach (www.stagecoachbus.com/oxfordshire).

Oxford Express and Oxford Tube buses to London leave every 15 min from Gloucester

Green, High St at Queens Lane, and St Clement’s. The trip takes 1.5-2 hrs (around £11 return

after 3pm, £14 otherwise). Multi-trips (12 single trips, around £60 for with student ID)

tickets can be also bought from the bus driver or at https://www.oxfordkey.co.uk.

www.megabus.com sells coach tickets to London a week in advance for £2.50 return.

The Airline leaves every half hour to Heathrow (1.5 hrs; £29 rtn) and Gatwick (2 hrs; £36 rtn).

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General Information about Life in Oxford &

Teddy Hall

Welfare Needs

Please refer to the JCR website for more information: http://www.teddyhall.co.uk Teddy Hall’s Medical Team: If you have any medical issues, no matter how small, get in touch the college nurse. The nurse can

be contacted most days in college, by email or phoning 01865 279063.

With regards to medical matters she can give advice on treating common ailments, dressings,

removing stitches, and general advice on diet, lifestyle and stress. She is also a trained counsellor

and can help with other problems such as anxiety and depression, eating disorders, homesickness

and bereavement.

JCR Welfare Team: The JCR welfare team has many different responsibilities, one of which is to provide support and

advice to JCR members. Alternatively please contact either of the Visiting Student Junior Advisors

regarding any questions and/or issues you may have regarding welfare at Teddy Hall. You will

receive an email from them prior to your arrival with their contact details and more information

about their role during your stay.

Sexual Health: The JCR provides condoms and lube for all its members. These can be found in the welfare room

above the bar in college. The JCR Women’s Officers are able to provide pregnancy tests and will also

reimburse the cost of the Morning After Pill (although you can get it free from Boots on

Cornmarket). Email them in confidence (go to http://www.teddyhall.co.uk/the-committee.html to

find your welfare officers email!) or put a note in their pigeon hole. Make sure you get a receipt if

you want reimbursing for the Morning After Pill.

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Sports and Music Facilities: Squash courts:

For those that want to play squash, we share some courts with Queen’s College. They're down Iffley

Road and are free for your use. The courts are about a 10-15 minute walk from college. You need to

get a key, which requires a £20 deposit from Queen’s College (which is next to Teddy Hall). Just ask

their incredibly friendly porters who to talk to. You need to book at Queen’s for when you want to

play, but it's usually fairly available. Please respect their courts so we can carry on using them.

Other Sports:

Teddy Hall (as well as the University) offers an array of sports. We highly recommend joining any and

all you are interested in. http://www.teddyhall.co.uk/sports.html

Gym: The Teddy Hall gym is located at Norham Gardens. Even though quite a small facility, it has a

selection of free weights and other gym equipment. You must attend a gym induction to use these

facilities.

Music room: Teddy Hall has a music practice room available for use. It's got a drum kit, pianos, and a few amps.

You can book it at the porters lodge. It's next to Wolfson Hall down some dark stairs, ask for

directions from the porters.

Laundry:

There are laundry facilities in your relevant building. These are paid for using the cash account on

your Bod Card. These are topped up online via the EPOS System, in the same way that you top up to

pay for meals (see below).

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Formal Hall Booking Information: Formal Hall is a wonderful three course dinner held at 19:25 every Tuesday and Friday night during

term time. Formal (as it is referred to) is a great opportunity to enjoy amazing food, socialize with

friends, and meet new individuals. Formal costs £12.75 per person and includes wine.

To book either Formal Hall, go to http://epos.seh.ox.ac.uk/seh/login.php. On this site you will also

be able to stipulate any dietary restrictions. Booking is available four weeks in advance, and it is

recommended to book as far in advance as possible as Formals often book out quickly. Academic

gowns are worn to Formal Hall (see next section). Your account can either be topped up in person at

the bursary or by following the link above.

Subfusc - What It Is & Where to Get It: When buying subfusc you will receive a gown, as well as a mortarboard and either a white bow tie

for men or a black ribbon for women. Full subfusc is worn for matriculation, exams and graduation

ceremonies. The full outfit is detailed on the web, if you type ‘subfusc’ into any search engine you

will be able to find it.

For formal dinners, only gowns are needed. Visiting students do not need to matriculate,

therefore buying subfusc is not that necessary. Gowns can be bought separately for around £25, or

you could just borrow the gown off a matriculated student for Formal…

You can buy Subfusc at:

Shepherd and Woodward, 109-113 High Street.

Walters, 9-11 Turl Street.

Ede & Ravencroft, 119 High Street.

Daily Info: www.dailyinfo.co.uk Daily Info is the Oxford equivalent to Craigslist and Gumtree (although there is also a Gumtree for

Oxford and surrounding areas which you may find productive to look at as well). It is an excellent

place to find used goods for a reasonable price. There are also a number of used bicycles advertised

on this site. Daily Info’s “What’s On” pages also provide information on films, concerts, plays, gigs,

readings and courses in Oxford, and is updated regularly.

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Places to Eat, Drink & Be Merry We have put together a list of some favourite places to eat, drink and be merry. Below are

recommendations from the team for coffee houses, pubs, restaurants, and bars. With these

suggestions we hope you go forth and explore all that Oxford has to offer.

Tea & Coffee:

Vaults and Gardens

The Missing Bean

The Grand Cafe

Pints:

The Anchor

The Royal Oak

The Eagle and Child

Pints – Open Late:

Cape of Good Hope

The KA

The Half Moon

Dinner:

Al Andalus and La Tasca - for Tapas

Red Star

Atomic Burger

The Gardeners Arms (Plantation St) - for vegetarians

Cocktails:

Duke of Cambridge

Angels

Café Tarifa

These are just a couple of ideas to get you started, there are many more interesting places to

discover not included in this list, so go forth and explore.

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Important Contact Details:

Here are some contact details of people you may need throughout your stay in Teddy Hall:

JCR Committee: The students on the JCR Committee organise events in college, provide welfare and peer support and generally try to make your time at Teddy Hall as good as possible. Go to the JCR website to look at their beautiful profiles! (http://www.teddyhall.co.uk). Porters Lodge, Main College Site: 01865 279000

IT and Computers: IT support: it-support@seh.ox.ac.uk

Welfare: Visiting Student Junior Advisors: Dean James: dean.james@seh.ox.ac.uk Mikko Lievonen: mikko.lievonen@seh.ox.ac.uk Tutor for visiting students: Outi Aarnio outi.aarnio@seh.ox.ac.uk Nightline: (2)70270 Student Union Advice Service: advice@ousu.ox.ac.uk

Administration & Maintenance: Accommodation: accommodation.officer@seh.ox.ac.uk Accounts (fees): assistant.accountant-fees@seh.ox.ac.uk Bursary: bursary@seh.ox.ac.uk

Emergency: Emergency Services: 999 Police non-emergency (crime reporting): 101 NHS Direct (for out-of-hours health concerns that do not require an ambulance): 111

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Oxford Glossary:

Battels: Your account in College - covering

food, drinks, stash, and, for those living in,

rent.

Bessie Building: The part of College facing

onto the High Street.

Blue: An award earned for competing in

Varsity sports (usually against Cambridge) at

the highest level. Half-Blues are awarded for

sports where the level of attainment is not

deemed to be of national standard.

Bod: The Bodleian, Oxford’s main research

library, between Broad Street and Radcliffe

Square.

Bop: A college social, usually involving dancing

and booze.

The Cherwell: A tributary of the Isis, popular

for punting. Also a student newspaper.

Congregation: ‘The Parliament of Dons’,

comprised of all academic members of the

University.

Convocation: All those with an Oxford degree

of some kind, or who are members of

Congregation. Elects the Chancellor and

Professor of Poetry.

Cuppers: Inter-collegiate sporting events.

Dean: The senior fellow responsible for

discipline in College.

Don: Fellow or tutor in the University.

Eights Week: Also known as Summer Eights,

this is Oxford’s main intercollegiate rowing

competition held at the end of Trinity term.

Also a popular time for non-rowers to spend

some time boozing by the river before finals.

Emden Building: Past Wolfson Hall, Emden

contains accommodation, a games room, and

the JCR.

Encaenia: The ceremony at the end of Trinity,

awarding honorary doctoral degrees.

Fellow: Member of a College’s Governing

Body, usually an academic.

Full Term: The three eight--‐week periods that

make up the Oxford year. Each is preceded by

nought week, --‐1, and so on, and followed by

ninth and tenth week.

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Going Down: Leaving Oxford, either at the

end of term or at the completion of a degree.

Going Up: Arriving at Oxford, at the start of a

term or beginning of a degree.

Hack: Someone involved in student politics,

most often in the Union or OUSU. Notorious

for schmoozing, nefarious machinations etc,

‘hack’ is both a derogatory term and, for

some, a badge of honour.

Hall: Dining in College. Formal Hall (with

gowns) takes place twice a week in Teddy

Hall. Confusingly, the College as a whole is

sometimes known as ‘The Hall’.

The High: Colloquial name for the High Street,

running between Carfax and Magdalen.

High Table: Where Fellows dine during formal

hall; postgraduates may join them for a small

extra charge. Superior wine.

Hilary: The second term of the academic year.

Isis: The part of the Thames that runs through

Oxford, and also the name of the College

accommodation on Iffley Road. Also a student

magazine.

JCR: The Junior Common Room, primarily for

undergraduates. The room itself is between

Wolfson and Emden; it’s pretty grim, but does

have the biggest telly in College.

Junior Dean: Responsible for working with the

Dean with regard to discipline and welfare

issues.

Kelly Building: The building beside Wolfson

Hall.

Late Gate: Entrance to Teddy Hall from The

High - the only way to get into, or out of,

College after midnight.

Living In: Renting College accommodation.

Living Out: Finding accommodation outside

the University (in digs).

Long Vac: The summer vacation between

Trinity and Michaelmas. For many

postgraduates, not much of a holiday.

Matriculation: The ceremony in which you

formally register as a member of the

University.

MCR: The Middle Common Room, composed

of postgraduates and fourth-year

undergraduates. The room itself is on the

North face of Front Quad, and is the focus of

postgraduate life in College.

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Michaelmas: The first term of the academic

year.

Norham Gardens (NSE): College

accommodation in North Oxford.

ODH: The Old Dining Hall, on the West face of

Front Quad. One of Teddy Hall’s grander

rooms.

OUSU: Oxford University Student Union,

responsible for representing student views in

the University.

Oxmas: Because terms are so short, yuletide

festivities in Oxford have to be brought

forward; hence Oxmas, and mince pies and

carolling at the end of November.

Pidge: Your Pigeonhole, where post arrives.

Located beside the Porter’s Lodge.

Pigeon Post: The intercollegiate postal

service, organised by the Porters.

Porter: Primarily responsible for security, but

also for the smooth running of College life

more generally.

Porter’s Lodge: Found at the main entrance to

College on Queen’s Lane, and home to our

friendly Porters. Sometimes known at the

Plodge.

Principal: Head of the College. Known as

Master, Provost and various other titles at

other colleges.

Proctor: Senior officer responsible for

enforcing discipline at a University, rather

than College, level. They conduct

examinations, and serve as the Fun Police

during trashings.

Quad: Short for quadrangle, these are the

grassy spaces many colleges are organised

around. Teddy Hall only has one, known as

Front Quad. You can’t walk on it.

Rad Cam: The Radcliffe Camera, a landmark

library on Radcliffe Square.

Rustication: Temporary suspension from a

degree, either for academic or disciplinary

reasons; in earlier times, you’d be sent back

to your country home as a result, hence

rustication.

Schools: Examination Schools on the High,

where exams take place and theses are

submitted.

Scout: Cleaners, both within Teddy Hall and in

College accommodation.

SCR: The Senior Common Room, for Fellows

of the College and others with associated

rights. The room itself is next to Wolfson Hall,

and filled with expensive paintings.

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SEH: St. Edmund Hall, obvs.

Sent Down: Permanent expulsion from

Oxford, either for academic or disciplinary

reasons. Visiting students not exempt!

Stash: University or College attire, ranging

from the laddiest rugby shirt to the most

demure Chess Club hoody.

Sub-Fusc: The classic Oxford get‐up of gown

and mortar board. Not worn much these days,

except for matriculation and exams.

Tab: A member of Cambridge University.

“You’d rather be a leper than a tab”. Often

referred to as being filthy.

Torpids: The intercollegiate rowing

competition in Hilary term, so called because

it tends to be slower than Summer Eights (See

Eights Week).

Trashing: Sombre ceremony for those

finishing final exams, usually involving

covering people in silly string, champagne,

flour etc.

Trinity: The third term of the academic year.

Tute: A tutorial.

The Union: The Oxford Union, a jumped--‐up

debating club on Cornmarket.

The Uni Club: University sports club and bar

located on Mansfield Road (not the same as

the uni gym which is located on Iffley Rd).

Visiting Student Junior Advisor: The

effervescent duo who will be looking after you

during your time in Oxford, organising events

etc.

Weeks: The divisions of a term. See Full Term.

Whitehall: Accommodation block, on the right

once you leave Front Quad.

William R. Miller: The College

accommodation on Dawson Street.

Wolfson: The College dining hall, also known

as “Ming”. Not to be confused with Wolfson

College.

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101 things to do before leaving Oxford 1. Become a member of Teddy Hall – the

greatest college in Oxford.

2. Meet thousands of people during freshers’

week, then forget all their names

3. Go to the “Sexy Subfusc” bop

4. Buy a bicycle

5. Try not to get it stolen

6. Try remember where you left it

7. Sign up for every email list during the

freshers fair

8. Go to a high tea

9. Punt

10. Shower the Visiting Student Junior

Advisors in gifts and praise

11. Get locked out of your room and walk to

the porters lodge in your pyjamas

12. Go to a formal hall

13. Sit at the High Table

14. Go to the Pitt Rivers Museum

15. Work in a different library every day of the

week

16. Eat a meal in as many different Colleges as

you can

17. Row

18. Go to the boat races

19. See someone famous speak at the Union

20. Go to a ball

21. Crash a ball

22. Go to the Encaenia

23. Have a bonfire in Port Meadow

24. Go to the Ashmolean Museum

25. Watch a concert in the Sheldonian Theatre

26. Borrow a picture from the art fund

27. See the Dining Hall from Harry Potter

28. Pretend to be a tourist and do the open

bus tour

29. Steal a blue brick from Keble College

30. Scream for the Hall at Summer Eights

31. Have tea in All Souls on Ascension Day

32. Drink too much port

33. Find Shotover country park

34. Stroll around the botanical gardens

35. Compliment chef John on his cuisine

36. Find the pub that the Inklings used to

frequent

37. See the Teddy Hall Crypt

38. Pidge a rose on Valentines Day

39. Waste an entire day on Facebook

40. Attend an exchange dinner

41. Walk over the Bridge of Sighs

42. Buy cheesy chips or a kebab at 3am

43. Have second desserts in the Old Library

44. Visit the pub where Bill Clinton “didn’t

inhale”

45. Climb over the wall into the University

Parks

46. Shoot a Champagne cork over the wall

into New College

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47. Visit every College bar

48. Make a mad hat during Alice’s Day

49. Make, and complete, a wager in the MCR

Wager Book

50. Eat Haggis on Burns Night

51. Speak to Julie about the weather

52. Ask for a two month extension on your

battels

53. Buy ice cream from G&D’s

54. Play tennis on the grass courts

55. Have a picnic in the University Parks while

watching cricket

56. Have a tourist stop you to take your

picture in subfusc

57. Watch a play at the Oxford Playhouse

58. Peruse the Covered Market

59. Buy a book in Blackwells

60. Drink Pimms

61. See Stonehenge

62. Climb the Carfax Tower

63. Walk to the Perch or the Trout for lunch

64. Tell someone you’re a fresher, and get

mistaken for an 18‐year‐old.

65. Buy some “Stash”

66. Win a pub quiz

67. Play Croquet

68. Do a College pub crawl

69. Take a tour of the Oxford University Press

70. Have a photo with St. Edmund

71. Take a study break in the Graveyard

72. Go to Guy Fawkes in South Parks

73. Feed ducklings next to the Isis

74. Buy a Big Issue

75. Spy on Thom Yorke, the Radiohead

Guitarist who lives on Norham Gardens

76. Watch a concert in the O2 Arena

77. Debate religion with Dawkins

78. Win a stuffed toy at the St. Giles Fair

79. Give your family tacky Oxford‐branded

presents

80. Pretend you’re American on the 4th of July

81. Go to an Ice Disco at the Oxford Ice Rink

82. Sing Teddy Bear’s Picnic standing on your

chair

83. Go to a pub with your supervisor

84. Eat turkey on Thanksgiving

85. Go to the Ascension Day service on

Merton Tower

86. Drink mulled wine at the Christmas

markets

87. Visit Blenheim Palace

88. Hold a committee position

89. Get a Blue

90. Sleep in the MCR

91. Sleep in the JCR

92. Spend an hour in the Blackwells Art Store

93. Try to walk down Cornmarket on a

Saturday, during summer

94. Pull an all nighter studying or writing a

report

95. Get “trashed” after exams

96. Climb the tower of the University Church

of St. Mary the Virgin

97. Have a drink at The Bear, a pub

frequented by Inspector Morse

98. Dress up for Halloqueen

99. Build a snowman in the Graveyard

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100. Hear the Magdalen choir on May Day 101. Graduate

Teddy Bear’s Picnic

If you go down in the woods today

you're sure of a big surprise.

If you go down in the woods today

you'd better go in disguise.

For every bear that ever there was

will gather there for certain because,

today's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic.

Every Teddy Bear who's been good

is sure of a treat today.

There's lots of marvelous things to eat

and wonderful games to play.

Beneath the trees where nobody sees

they'll hide and seek as long as they please,

cause that's the way the Teddy Bears have their picnic.

If you go down in the woods today

you better not go alone.

It's lovely down in the woods today

but safer to stay at home.

For every bear that ever there was

will gather there for certain because,

today's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic.

Picnic time for Teddy Bears

The little Teddy Bears are having a lovely time today

Watch them, catch them unawares

and see them picnic on their holiday.

See them gaily gad about

They love to play and shout;

They never have any cares.

At six o'clock their Mummies and Daddies,

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will take them home to bed,

'Cause they're tired little Teddy Bears.

Map of Teddy Hall