Life at New College
Tutorials take up a few hours of the week. The rest of your time is spent in Hall, in the bar, on the river and with the people you live alongside.
The Community
New College was founded in 1379 and is one of the oldest colleges in Oxford. What people remember about it is not the architecture but the people living in it. The JCR is a community of undergraduates from all sorts of backgrounds, and nobody is expected to fit a particular mould.
Student life runs from formal halls by candlelight to BOPs in the bar, and from early morning rowing to late-night rehearsals. The JCR Committee, made up of 21 student representatives elected each year, runs events through the term and takes student concerns to the College and the University.
Where You'll Live
New College provides accommodation in or close to College for all undergraduates in their first, second, and fourth years, with the majority of third years also accommodated at the Gradel Quadrangles. After first year, rooms are chosen through a ballot system.
First Year
All first-years live in New Buildings, a range of accommodation on the main College site. Rooms are allocated at random, so you are in the middle of college life from the start.
Second Year
Returning students choose their rooms through a ballot. Most live in college-owned houses on Holywell Street or Saville Road, which have kitchens and shared common rooms.
Third Year
Most third years live at the Gradel Quadrangles, a 21st-century site a few minutes from the main College and a sharp contrast to the medieval buildings.
Fourth Year
Finalists are guaranteed accommodation and get priority in the ballot for the best rooms, so your last year is settled well before it starts.
Eating Well
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the 14th-century Hall throughout term. Most days that means a quick coffee and a pastry; twice a week it means three courses by candlelight at Formal Hall. Bring your Bod card.
08:00–09:00 Mon–Fri · 11:00–13:00 weekends
Breakfast & Brunch
Mornings in Hall are quiet. Full English, pastries, fruit and coffee, with brunch at the weekend.
12:00–13:30 Mon–Fri
Lunch
Self-service and quick. A sandwich or a hot meal, then back to the library or to work.
17:30 daily
Informal Hall
Self-service dinner, no gown needed. This is the everyday option, and the cheapest.
19:15 Sun, Tue, Thu
Formal Hall
Waiter service, three courses, gowns on. Book by 10am on the day.
19:15 Friday
Guest Night
A dressier evening, alternating between JCR and MCR weeks. Smart dress, wine from the bar, up to two guests.
Catered for
Dietary Needs
Halal options at dinner three nights a week and at every formal hall, plus vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian dishes daily. Allergen arrangements are made individually, so register with the Catering Manager on arrival.
Booking & Battels
Meals are booked through the online system, with the following week's menu available from noon on the preceding Thursday. Payment goes on your battels account through your Bod card. Sign on by 10am on the day for early sitting dinner; Guest Night and Formal Hall bookings close the day before. Guest Night is capped at 150 places, so book early.
Clubs & Societies
New College and the wider University run hundreds of societies, covering most interests you can think of. The JCR funds many of them directly, and if the one you want doesn't exist, we'll help you start it.
Common Questions
Quick answers to the things new students ask most about living and studying at New College.
College Services
The College services you are most likely to need, gathered in one place.
College Library
The College library, with a Welfare and Study Skills Collection, study spaces and the College archives.
Meal Booking
Book Formal Hall, Guest Night, and early sitting dinners. Menus for the following week open from noon on Thursday.
Welfare & Support
College welfare team, peer support, and the Student Welfare and Study Skills Collection. Confidential help when you need it.
Finance & Battels
Check your battels, pay charges, and manage your college account online via the meal and payment site.
Practicalities
IT, mail, room bookings and term dates for current students.