Somerville College AlternAtive ProSPeCtuS
Somerville College AlternAtive ProSPeCtuS
Somerville College AlternAtive ProSPeCtuS
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University of Oxford 2010<br />
S o m e r v i l l e C o l l e g e<br />
A l t e r n a t i v e P r o s p e c t u s
Thanks for picking up our Alternative Prospectus!<br />
This is a guide, 100% compiled by students, full of all the things<br />
we wanted to know about an college when we were applying.<br />
From academics to accommodation, a glossary of esoteric Oxford<br />
terms and student profiles, we hope it will help you get a<br />
feel for what it is REALLY like to be a student at <strong>Somerville</strong>.<br />
When applying to Oxford you apply to one of our 33 colleges,<br />
and this choice can seem like an impossible task – they’re all of<br />
different sizes, locations, ages and have distinct atmospheres.<br />
But the thing to remember is you will be taught exactly the<br />
same course wherever you go; syllabuses are centrally regulated,<br />
everyone goes to the same lectures, sits the same exams, it’s<br />
just the tutorials which happen at college level. In addition, 1/5<br />
of all applicants don’t end up at their college of first choice, so<br />
don’t get too caught up in the college decision.<br />
Having said that, we’d obviously love for you to apply here!<br />
Because <strong>Somerville</strong> is relatively young by Oxford standards,<br />
founded in 1879, co-educational in 1994, and is lacking in gothic<br />
spires, it often gets overlooked by applicants. But if you’re feeling<br />
overwhelmed by the Oxford stereotype, or just want to be<br />
somewhere a little more relaxed, then <strong>Somerville</strong> is the perfect<br />
place for you to apply (see ‘Why <strong>Somerville</strong>?’ page). We don’t<br />
need to tell you that we’re ‘The Friendliest <strong>College</strong>’ like most<br />
colleges do in their Alternative Prospectuses, because you will<br />
learn this for yourself when you come and meet students and<br />
tutors on Open Days and at interviews. You can find more information<br />
about making an invaluable trip up on an Open Day<br />
on the ‘What Next’ page.<br />
List of contributors<br />
Masuma Ahuja<br />
Lucy Arora<br />
Jenni Butler<br />
Ceri Cairnduff<br />
Rilly Chen<br />
Nick Cooper<br />
James Corrigan<br />
Jo Holland<br />
Habiba Islam<br />
Alex Lau<br />
Iain Moss<br />
Josie Messa<br />
David Railton<br />
Matt Rattley<br />
Waheed Safi<br />
Laura Schofield<br />
Jane Taylor<br />
Andrea White<br />
Front & back cover<br />
photos:<br />
Grace Benton<br />
Photos:<br />
Members of <strong>Somerville</strong> JCR<br />
Editors:<br />
Masuma Ahuja<br />
Laura Schofield<br />
So all that remains is to wish you all the best with your application,<br />
and enjoy reading what Somervillians have to say about<br />
how much <strong>Somerville</strong> has to offer you,<br />
Laura and Masuma<br />
JCR 2010
contents<br />
Reasons to apply....................................................................................................................................... 2<br />
Student profiles.........................................................................................................................................3<br />
Accomodation..........................................................................................................................4<br />
Accomodation...........................................................................................................................5<br />
Food and facilities.....................................................................................................................................6<br />
Academics....................................................................................................................................7<br />
JCR...........................................................................................................................................8<br />
Charities...................................................................................................................................9<br />
Entz & Freshers.......................................................................................................................................10<br />
Sports.....................................................................................................................................11<br />
Drama & Arts.........................................................................................................................................12<br />
Music.......................................................................................................................................13<br />
Welfare...................................................................................................................................14<br />
Student profiles........................................................................................................................................15<br />
What to do next........................................................................................................................................16<br />
Glossary..................................................................................................................................17
Why somerville?<br />
1. Equality<br />
<strong>Somerville</strong> was originally a college for women, and never conformed to the other college’s 19 th century procedures<br />
of religious tests for entry. Equality and openness are part of our history and not just paraphernalia for a<br />
prospectus. <strong>Somerville</strong> is not at all elitist and you will not get overwhelmed by Oxford stereotypes here.<br />
2. Size<br />
With 350 undergraduates<br />
and 100 graduates,<br />
<strong>Somerville</strong> is one<br />
of Oxford’s larger colleges.<br />
This means you<br />
won’t feel claustrophobic<br />
living and studying<br />
around the same people<br />
all the time (a common<br />
complaint from some<br />
of the smaller colleges).<br />
At the same time you’re<br />
never lost in the crowd<br />
since we have a wealth<br />
of support for students:<br />
personal tutors, college<br />
parents (see *incest in<br />
glossary), incredibly<br />
helpful porters on call for anything 24 hours a day, a peer support team, welfare reps, college doctor, nurse,<br />
and everyone gets an annual meeting with the Principal, which means that everyone in college knows what<br />
you’re up to.<br />
3. Location<br />
So we’re not on the High Street, but our location 10 minutes from the centre of town is in fact incredibly advantageous.<br />
There are no tourists snapping photos of you as you leave for lectures in the morning, and we’re<br />
very close to: university parks (2 minutes), the science area (3 minutes), bars, cafes, restaurants, and shops in<br />
Jericho and Little Clarendon Street (outside our back gate), the Bodleian library (10 minutes), and the train<br />
station (10 minutes). And remember, all of these distances are halved with a bike!<br />
4. Walking on the grass<br />
Would you believe it, walking on the grass can lead to rustication (see glossary) in other colleges. We, however,<br />
can utilise our luscious lawns for snowball fights, garden parties, sunbathing, working...<br />
2<br />
This last one seems a trivial point, but it symbolises <strong>Somerville</strong> as a whole: we are relaxed, liberal<br />
and shun all the unjustifiable pomp and ceremony associated with Oxford, giving you the space to<br />
be yourself, fulfil your potential and have a brilliant time doing it.
Waheed Safi<br />
profiles<br />
Studying at Oxford is a unique experience, and <strong>Somerville</strong> makes it even<br />
more special. <strong>Somerville</strong> is one of the more laid back colleges – you can<br />
walk on the grass, and we don’t wear gowns for dinner! It’s a friendly, liberal<br />
environment, and knowing everyone in halls makes it feel like home.<br />
The Engineering course itself is challenging, but rewarding. At the end of<br />
your second year you can choose from five options of engineering, but until<br />
then you get a really broad perspective of the subject. The workload<br />
involves two sets of questions, which are set for the two tutes per week.<br />
Each set of questions requires roughly five hours. So it’s pretty intensive,<br />
but having applied time with your tutor really helps your academic progress.<br />
You also have two lectures per day and a labs session every week.<br />
Aside from all the work, there’s plenty of time to socialise, with clubs and pubs just down the road from <strong>Somerville</strong>.<br />
I really enjoy the sports side of things too, and do football, rugby, tae kwando and cricket every week. I’m<br />
also president of the Afghan Students’ Society, so I’ve made loads of friends in different groups.<br />
Lucy Arora<br />
My name is Lucy and I’m doing History at <strong>Somerville</strong>.<br />
The course is really interesting, and there aren’t many<br />
hours of contact, meaning that how you organise your<br />
time is really down to you. It’s compulsory to do some<br />
British and European history, but there is a lot of choice.<br />
This year I have been learning Russian, so that I can<br />
study original documents from the Revolution next year,<br />
which should be really cool. The <strong>Somerville</strong> tutors definitely<br />
make half of the course – one of them even sings<br />
for all of his students (although, unfortunately, that only<br />
happens once a year).<br />
There is quite a lot of extra-curricular stuff going on in<br />
the college and on a wider university scale; I tried a brief<br />
stint with the <strong>Somerville</strong> women’s football team, which<br />
was definitely worth it for the socials! I think sadly my tendency to run away from the football prevented me<br />
from being a long-term member of the team though... Now I am the college Environment and Ethics officer,<br />
meaning I am responsible for trying to improve our recycling facilities and running events like Sundae sessions<br />
for Fairtrade Fortnight. Alongside that, I am involved in the central Environment and<br />
Ethics committee of the Student Union, where I have had a chance to meet loads of inspiring<br />
people from other colleges and take part in university-wide campaigns.<br />
3
accomModation<br />
.First Year<br />
This is often the first room outside of home most<br />
people can move into, which can be scary. Wherever<br />
they live, by the end of the first year, most<br />
students have grown attached to their rooms, the<br />
paper thin walls, and the buildings they live in.<br />
Generally, there are three large buildings where<br />
freshers are housed:<br />
Vaughan: This is the largest first-year<br />
building, with 60 rooms. It’s the ugly one, across<br />
from the library. But what it lacks in aesthetics,<br />
it makes up for by being one of the most sociable<br />
areas in college. The rooms are standard: desk,<br />
chair, comfy chair, bed, sink, chest of drawers,<br />
and closet. Because the building is so large, one<br />
shower is shared between ten people, as is one<br />
kitchen. However, because there are so many<br />
people living in this building, someone is always<br />
nearby and up for a tea break or a chat in the<br />
hallway. Also, Vaughan has the Vaughan JCR -<br />
popular for its TV and a good place to hang out<br />
before heading out of college for a night out.<br />
Penrose: A smaller building, this isn’t entirely<br />
occupied by freshers. Having finalists as<br />
neighbours might mean that you have to turn<br />
down the volume on your stereo. But the rooms,<br />
while they come with the same standard furniture,<br />
are much larger. Bathrooms and kitchens<br />
are also shared between fewer people, and the<br />
kitchens are bigger and more useful for cooking<br />
larger meals.<br />
4<br />
Darbishire: Far from the two other big<br />
buildings housing freshers in college distances,<br />
Darbishire is by the Lodge. The rooms vary in<br />
size and are generally nicer than Vaughan rooms.<br />
Bathrooms and kitchens, again are shared between<br />
fewer people than in Vaughan. Because of<br />
its (relative) distance from the rest of the freshers accomodation, the people living in<br />
Darbishire generally grow close. In my year, there were often dinner parties held in the<br />
hallways.
Second Year<br />
Somervillians have generally had to live out in their second year. Most people choose to live in Jericho, the area<br />
right behind college, where rent per person generally varies between £300-£450 per month. At the beginning of<br />
Hilary, most freshers have to have picked a group<br />
to live with and will be signing for houses. Sizes of<br />
houses can vary from 2-person to 7-person houses,<br />
and every house and group of people varies. Living<br />
out has its advantages, people cook more, sometimes<br />
have basements with TVs, and can host<br />
house parties without fears of the Porters asking<br />
them to keep it down. And so , while living out has<br />
its challenges (like who does the dirty dishes), it is<br />
a unique experience and most second-years tend to<br />
enjoy it.<br />
NB: In October 2011, 68 new en suite rooms will<br />
become available and most second-years will be<br />
able to live in college.<br />
Third/Fourth Year<br />
accomModation<br />
Housing in third/fourth year is determined by a randomized<br />
room ballot. Most people tend to pick to<br />
live in Park, Wolfson, or Dorothy Hodgkin Quad<br />
(DHQ).<br />
Park: The rooms in Park are bigger than most<br />
that people had as freshers, and many have a beautiful<br />
view of the quad and window seats. Living<br />
in halls with friends can sometimes be a welcome<br />
change after a year of living in houses. Park is a<br />
comfortable building, with an incredible kitchen, a<br />
newly re-done JCR with leather couches and a TV,<br />
and the computer room in the building. Also, Park<br />
is internally connected to Wolfson and Holtby.<br />
Wolfson: This is the distinct, modern building with the huge windows. The rooms in Wolfson are a nice<br />
large size and every room has a huge window - both a good and bad thing. While the big windows make for an<br />
incredible view, people can also look into your room at night if your blinds/curtains aren’t closed.<br />
DHQ: DHQ has a unique living set-up. Living blocks are divided up into 2-person and 4-person<br />
flats, and people can choose to live with their friends in flats. The rooms are generally very<br />
large and flats all have a kitchen and a bathroom that flatmates will share. While DHQ is across<br />
the quad from the Holtby-Park-Wolfson buildings, many people choose to live in DHQ for the<br />
comfort of barely-shared conveniences and large rooms.<br />
5
Facilities<br />
<strong>Somerville</strong> offers both catering and non-catering facilities to all<br />
its students at all times, and you don’t have to make a decision<br />
either way when you apply.<br />
Food is served in hall 3 times a day during the weekdays and<br />
lunchtime at the weekend. At lunch and dinner there are at least<br />
2 hot food options, vegetarian, jacket potato, salad, soup, sandwiches,<br />
fruit, yoghurts and puddings. A full meal with a drink<br />
and all the trimmings will cost on average £3. For breakfast you<br />
can opt for the full English, or go continental with coffee and<br />
cereal. Full English or brunch at the weekend comes in at a very<br />
reasonable £1.50. On Tuesdays dinner is replaced with Formal,<br />
which is always something to look forward to. They cost a little<br />
more than normal dinner (£8.50) but it’s a sit-down meal, and<br />
you get served three courses, and the food is amongst the best<br />
in Oxford. What’s more, because we don’t have formals every<br />
night like some of the other colleges, lots of people go and everyone<br />
makes an effort to look good, and everyone congregates<br />
in the bar afterwards, so it turns into a real event.<br />
For the Tuesday nights and weekends when you are not eating<br />
in hall, you’ll have to fend for yourself . The size of the kitchen<br />
varies depending on which building you are in. Park, for instance, has a lovely big kitchen with two fridge freezers<br />
and two ovens. Vaughan on the other hand has two kitchenettes on each floor, one with a fridge, a sink and a<br />
microwave, one with a fridge, a sink and a hob and grill. Most of the other first year accommodation has kitchenettes<br />
of a similar standard. They’re all perfectly adequate for pasta and sauce - and really, what more do you need?<br />
For your pleasure and convenience, <strong>Somerville</strong> also has:<br />
• Laundry rooms in every building with massive washing machines (and a dryer too)<br />
• Gym complete with treadmills, weights and rowing machines<br />
• Two music rooms and a grand piano in hall<br />
• JCR common rooms with computers, TVs, games consoles and comfy sofas and chairs<br />
• Computer rooms in Park and the library with reliable, cheap printing facilities<br />
• Dark room and exhibition room<br />
• <strong>College</strong> bar which is not only a place to get cheap drinks (£1.40 for a pint and £1.10 for a glass of wine), but<br />
somewhere you can watch Sky TV, play pool, argue over what song you want the juke box to play...<br />
• Lastly, there are multiple function rooms of varying size that you can book (for free!) for meetings, play<br />
rehearsals or whatever else you’re up to!<br />
6
Academics<br />
I could tell you that the myths are all false, and academic life at Oxford isn’t nearly as much hard work<br />
as people claim. I would, of course, be lying. However what is true is that an Oxford education can<br />
be one of the most rewarding and fascinating times of your life, and <strong>Somerville</strong> provides the best of<br />
atmospheres in which<br />
to experience this. The<br />
<strong>Somerville</strong> attitude to<br />
work is the <strong>Somerville</strong><br />
attitude to everything:<br />
we all love our courses,<br />
and want to do well<br />
(not least to be better<br />
than all those other pesky<br />
colleges), but above<br />
all we want to enjoy<br />
ourselves doing it!<br />
Although the scientists<br />
wish to claim they have<br />
the most work, the arts/<br />
sciences split is more<br />
about how work is<br />
structured. Science students<br />
find themselves<br />
in lectures till 1 most days, labs some afternoons and tutorial sheets to complete in the evenings. A<br />
week for an arts student is far less structured- most lectures are deemed “skippable”, and with the exception<br />
of the odd tutorial, academic life centres itself on private reading and writing essays (which<br />
never, despite best intentions, get completed until at least five minutes before the deadline; five hours<br />
after for some.) However, when you’re reading in one of Oxford’s beautiful libraries, especially the<br />
<strong>Somerville</strong> Library, open 24 hours a day and one of the most well-stocked <strong>College</strong> libraries in town,<br />
the days seem to while themselves away…<br />
I briefly mentioned tutorials, which, if a little daunting, are one of the best parts of being at Oxford.<br />
Most students have between one and three tutorials a week for about an hour at a time. They’re an<br />
opportunity to discuss the topic you’ve studied that week with your tutor, and are generally quite<br />
relaxed. (One of my tutors had a chaise lounge in his room; sofas or chairs are more common.) In the<br />
end, if you’ve read a decent proportion of the reading list each week, you’ll be fine and you may even<br />
enjoy it! Tutors are also really understanding, and will help you if you find yourself going astray (as<br />
will your fellow students- <strong>Somerville</strong> solidarity goes a long way!)<br />
So although each eight-week term is crammed full of academic work, it isn’t nearly as<br />
bad as it seems. And when you’re sitting on the <strong>Somerville</strong> Quad in Trinity, drinking<br />
Pimm’s in one hand, pretending to read in the other, it’ll all seem worth it!<br />
7
JCR<br />
Ahh... the JCR, what can<br />
we say about this august<br />
institution? Short for<br />
Junior Common Room,<br />
it is both the communal<br />
areas of college for undergraduates,<br />
but more<br />
importantly it is essentially<br />
our elected governing<br />
body and mini-parliament<br />
in <strong>Somerville</strong>.<br />
It is essentially a Students’<br />
Union on a very<br />
small scale. There are a<br />
number of elected representatives,<br />
including<br />
Welfare Officers, Admissions<br />
Officer, Academic<br />
Affairs Officer,<br />
International Students<br />
Officer, Lesbian Gay Bisexual<br />
and Transgender<br />
(LGBT) Officer and of<br />
course the big dog itself,<br />
the President.<br />
Between us we do our best to deal with all the problems that you encounter, to set up fun events for everyone,<br />
and just generally try to make your lives as easy, fun, and as smooth as possible during your time here.<br />
We have a fairly decent budget which goes on sports teams, bops, newspapers, and many other things.<br />
Last year, we managed to redecorate one of our common rooms and install a 42-inch television with the<br />
money at our disposal. As well as that we’ve organised our own Arts Week, with a fashion show, an open<br />
mic night, and a film showing, and Charities Week in college. So if you want to get involved with anything<br />
in college, the JCR is the place to be!<br />
As well as serious motions, we like to do some silly ones that are purely for fun. So if we want to make Neil<br />
Buchanan or Dennis the Menace a honourary member of the JCR, we can vote on it! Should we make<br />
every Friday Hawaiian shirt day? Does the college believe that George Harrison was the best Beatle?<br />
Anyone can propose a motion, serious or otherwise, so it’s definitely fun and important to get involved!<br />
8
<strong>Somerville</strong> is one of the most generous colleges when it<br />
comes to charity money. There is a £9 a term JCR charity<br />
contribution on our college bills (although you can opt out<br />
of this if you want). This adds up to give us around about<br />
£3,000 to dish out each term.<br />
Unlike at some other colleges, there are no set causes that<br />
our money always goes to; anyone can propose a charity at<br />
the JCR meeting. It’s a fantastic way to get support for a<br />
project you’re involved in or simply for a charity you think<br />
does great work.<br />
Throughout the year there are <strong>Somerville</strong> versions of entertaining<br />
events run by OUSU’s charity committee, RAG<br />
RAG (raise and give). These include <strong>Somerville</strong>’s got talent<br />
in Michaelmas term and Mr and Miss <strong>Somerville</strong> in Hilary.<br />
Additionally, in Hilary term, the charities officer also hosts<br />
several events for <strong>Somerville</strong>’s Charities week.<br />
The <strong>Somerville</strong> Ghana Library<br />
Project<br />
Every year, a group of <strong>Somerville</strong> students takes<br />
on the task of running ‘The <strong>Somerville</strong> Ghana<br />
Library Project’. <strong>Somerville</strong> student Hattie<br />
Beg set up the charity in 2003, and since then<br />
<strong>Somerville</strong> students have helped run a free public<br />
library for hundreds of children and adults in<br />
Cape Coast, Ghana. Each summer, a group of<br />
enthusiastic Somervillians travel to Ghana to see<br />
and help with the library.<br />
charities<br />
Being able to visit the project is an incredible experience.<br />
We met the two librarians who we employ<br />
and talked to the people who use the library,<br />
as well as improving the library building and discussing how to improve the project. We also got to travel - we saw<br />
the rainforest, crocodile reserves, and beautiful beaches. We were even lucky enough to be in Cape Coast for the<br />
famous Fetu Afahye festival which is celebrated every year.<br />
Being part of the project teaches you skills that you don’t learn in tutorials! Whilst in Oxford, we manage the<br />
finances, organise some amazing fund raising events as well as keeping up to date with the library via email. It’s a<br />
fantastic and impressive project to be involved in.<br />
9
Entz & Freshers<br />
Freshers<br />
“Down it, Freshaaaaaa!” – upon hearing this war cry it would be<br />
easy to fall under the illusion that you are at any other British university,<br />
but there’s no doubt that this is a one-dimensional view<br />
of <strong>Somerville</strong> Fresher life. Sure, Freshers’ week is filled with your<br />
usual blurry stagger from bed to pub to club to bed, but the path of<br />
an incipient alcoholic is definitely not a mandatory lifestyle choice.<br />
However, once the craze of Freshers’ week is reduced to a handful<br />
of embarrassing facebook pictures there will still be endless<br />
opportunities to make friends in less high octane surroundings<br />
through a myriad of clubs and societies.<br />
Freshers’ fair, both on a university and a college level advertise<br />
these clubs in a fun, free-dominos-pizza-vouchers way. You will<br />
never join all of the societies you feverishly sign up to, but the fact<br />
that the medieval re-enactment society does exist is heartening.<br />
Bops<br />
Bops (the slightly eccentric college organised parties of Oxford)<br />
are the ultimate chance to realise your otherwise socially unacceptable<br />
dress-up antics with a series of mad themes- tribal fetishes<br />
anyone? And in Freshers’ week the rightly famed bop juice (with dubious components of suspicious colour)<br />
is available by the bucket load. This combined with atrocious dancing are an essential bond builder<br />
with your fellow students - you will make some of the best friends of your life.<br />
Other Entz events:<br />
Annual garden party (with ice cream vans, barbeque, strawberries<br />
and cream, Pimms, bouncy castle, and sumo suits), and club<br />
nights.<br />
The Ball<br />
Every three years <strong>Somerville</strong> gets together with Jesus college and<br />
we have a huge summer ball. This year’s theme is Paparazzi... for<br />
one night only, the sprawling grounds of <strong>Somerville</strong> <strong>College</strong> will<br />
be transformed into a world of glittering hotspots. Saunter up<br />
the red-carpet whilst sipping wine, win big in Monaco, hang out<br />
in celebrity green rooms and party to some of the best live performances<br />
and biggest names in music.<br />
10
Oxford is a great place to get involved<br />
in a whole range of sports, from the<br />
sublime to the ridiculous, rowing to<br />
extreme Frisbee, there’s bound to be<br />
something you’re into. The great thing<br />
is that with a collegiate structure, you<br />
don’t have to be at Blue (1 st University<br />
team) to get a game. At college level<br />
the emphasis is very much on getting<br />
involved and having fun, with only the<br />
occasional team practice. Most sports<br />
compete against other colleges in ‘cuppers’<br />
matches, so there are always plenty<br />
of games if you want them. <strong>Somerville</strong><br />
has teams in rowing, cricket, rugby,<br />
male and female football, netball, mixed<br />
hockey, pool, foosball, tennis.<br />
And if there’s a sport you feel is underrepresented, then you can start up a team and receive some funding from the<br />
JCR for kit and other sporty expenses.<br />
Rowing<br />
No doubt rowing is one of the most popular sports at Oxford:<br />
and naturally <strong>Somerville</strong> is massively involved in this<br />
with our own Boat Club.<br />
The club is split into men’s and women’s teams, with a first<br />
crew for each gender and then lower boats which are usually<br />
made up of novices. We have a mixture of people who’ve<br />
rowed before and people who don’t even realise how much<br />
lycra is involved in rowing – but absolutely everyone can join<br />
the club (lycra appreciation is preferable, although can be<br />
developed).<br />
Sports<br />
It’s not all about early mornings in the rain (and that only<br />
happens for half the year anyway), rowers are regularly found on crew dates with crews from other colleges, men’s<br />
vs. women’s crew bar crawls, religiously watching of the film True Blue (you’ll know it line for line once you leave)<br />
whilst eating pasta, and other random activities that keep up the fantastic team spirit held within the boat club.<br />
And then there’s the races: the biggest being Christchurch Regatta in Michaelmas which is a novice-only race,<br />
and the two bumps races: Torpids in Hilary and Summer Eights in Trinity term. If you take<br />
“bumps” as literally as it sounds, that might give you an idea of what’s involved. Our women’s first<br />
boat are in the top two divisions for Torpids and Eights, and our men’s first crew is consistently<br />
rising up the ranks in Division III.<br />
11
drama & Arts<br />
Drama<br />
Oxford has a reputation for<br />
some of the best student theatre<br />
in the world. This may make it<br />
seem like it is difficult to get involved.<br />
On the contrary, it is the<br />
perfect opportunity to try something<br />
new. Never before or<br />
again will it be so easy to have a<br />
go at producing a show, directing,<br />
acting, filming marketing<br />
etc. Funding is easy to come<br />
by and pretty much anything<br />
is possible. There are various<br />
levels of student drama and the<br />
University accommodates. You<br />
can experience new roles, or<br />
even use the drama here to get<br />
noticed by agents. <strong>Somerville</strong><br />
has its very own Drama Society<br />
to help out its students. It has<br />
a large fund to invest in shows,<br />
or even put on a <strong>Somerville</strong> show in the Quad. Similarly, <strong>Somerville</strong> has a reputation for producing some<br />
great talent - whether they be producers, directors or actors. For Freshers who need that extra persuasion<br />
to get involved or who just need a place to start, there is Cuppers. Cuppers is an inter-college competition<br />
whereby each college puts on a production, or even more. The results is a huge week-long competition<br />
where at least 40 shows are judged. At the end of the week there is a final to showcase the best 10 shows,<br />
followed by Oxford’s very own Tony Awards.<br />
Arts<br />
<strong>Somerville</strong> Arts culminates in an annual Arts Week, which is either at the end of Hilary (second) term or<br />
the beginning of Trinity (third) term. It’s run by the Arts Officer, and basically tries to fit something from<br />
every art form into one week, and do it stylishly - no mean feat! This year’s Arts week ran, amongst other<br />
things, a photography day, a world music night, a student film screening and a fashion show in the chapel.<br />
As with pretty much everything Arts related, there are loads of opportunities to take part: it takes a whole<br />
heap of micromanagement and production, and well as a small army of musicians, singers, actors, dancers<br />
and models (...and comedians, and photographers). The Arts Officer also helps to publicise various arts<br />
related events, exhibitions, shows and lecture series’ that go on throughout the city, and trust me, there’s<br />
a lot.<br />
12<br />
Essentially, <strong>Somerville</strong> Arts takes what you want to do, and runs with it. There’s endless<br />
possibilities, not only in college but at the various university-wide ensembles, orchestras<br />
and drama productions and all it takes is a little initiative and drive. Enjoy!
music<br />
<strong>Somerville</strong> has a thriving and successful musical<br />
scene, with many students involved to some degree<br />
in the musical life of the college. The <strong>Somerville</strong> Music<br />
Society (SMS) is heavily involved with all aspects<br />
of music within college, and puts on events, socials,<br />
and concerts throughout the year, involving many<br />
different performers and encompassing all genres.<br />
SMS also coordinates opportunities for students to<br />
receive music lessons from other members of college,<br />
provided for free, and the experience is fun and rewarding<br />
for all involved.<br />
<strong>Somerville</strong> also has an excellent chapel choir who<br />
sing evensong every Sunday and perform in concerts<br />
throughout the year. This summer, the choir is touring<br />
Milan for a week, which is sure to be a musical<br />
treat for all involved. They are led by professional<br />
musical director David Crown, one of the few college<br />
choirs to be so, and enjoy singing a wide variety<br />
of music, from sacred all the way through to gospel<br />
and some more modern pieces. The choir is selected<br />
by audition and is currently made up of around 30<br />
members of college, with several choral awards offered<br />
every year, and they are improving as an ensemble<br />
all the time. They take on one large project<br />
every term, ranging from Handel’s Messaiah<br />
to Gluck’s Orfeo and lead evensong in a large cathedral<br />
once a year.<br />
<strong>Somerville</strong> has great facilities, with pianos available<br />
for student use all over college, a dedicated<br />
music room, fully equipped with piano and a new<br />
drum kit, and other rooms which students can<br />
use for music practice.<br />
Altogether, <strong>Somerville</strong> is a great college for musicians<br />
of all levels, and offer opportunities to improve,<br />
perform, or just to enjoy!<br />
13
Welfare<br />
General Welfare, Peer Support<br />
Here at Oxford we realise that the work hard, play hard lifestyle can definitely take its toll on you both mentally<br />
and physically. That’s why we really think that the welfare of students is important here at <strong>Somerville</strong>. We have<br />
two main schemes:<br />
1. Welfare officers: We’re always contactable<br />
for any welfare problems or even just for a friendly face and<br />
a chat. We are on hand to pidge any necessary items for<br />
all kinds of emergencies and organise welfare promoting<br />
activities such as free yoga. We are happy to listen to any<br />
problem and accompany you to university run support<br />
groups<br />
2. Peer supporters: These are students who<br />
are trained by the counselling service. They are also available<br />
to provide support<br />
It’s all about giving you space to chill out and have a good<br />
time but also be here for you when you need it most.<br />
International Students<br />
<strong>Somerville</strong>, being an exceptionally friendly college, is a<br />
good place to start life as an international - it’s easy to feel<br />
welcome and integrated. People are helpful and friendly,<br />
which makes the adjustment easier. And there are a fair<br />
few internationals in every year at <strong>Somerville</strong> (in addition<br />
to university-wide societies for people from certain countries),<br />
so you’ll rarely feel alone in any culture shock or confusion. In addition to that, there is an international<br />
officer on the JCR, so should you run into any problems, there will be help.<br />
Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transexual<br />
<strong>Somerville</strong> is one of the most liberal, tolerant and friendly colleges in Oxford, with the result that everyone, whether<br />
gay, straight, bisexual or unsure can happily be whoever they are. You’ll find lots of opportunities to meet other<br />
LGBT students, both in college and the University at large, with social events put on every term. Every year an<br />
undergraduate is elected the LGBT officer, and puts on these events and is around generally for chats, coffee and<br />
biscuits. For some, the idea of coming out is daunting and scary, but there is no pressure to do so as soon as you<br />
arrive. Above all, it’s about being happy in college – and the LGBT scene at <strong>Somerville</strong> helps you to do this.<br />
Women<br />
14<br />
There’s a special room dedicated to <strong>Somerville</strong> college girls which is a great place to hang out<br />
and relax, maybe have a read of some of the trashy magazines.There is also a good range of rape<br />
alarms, condoms and pregnancy tests that can be delivered free of charge and completely confidentially.
profiles<br />
Josie Messa<br />
Hi, I’m Josie, a second year mathematician, and I’m also <strong>Somerville</strong>’s women’s boat<br />
club captain. Obviously a good few hours of my day are taken up with working – either<br />
going to lectures, sitting in tutorials or avoiding working in the library by religiously<br />
checking facebook/my emails. I usually have around three problem sheets a week to<br />
complete, how they long they take depends on the topic – sometimes I can do one question<br />
in 20 minutes, sometimes it takes a few hours to do some reading and play around<br />
with different solutions.<br />
I don’t just do maths in the library though, I’ve been involved in some maths out reach<br />
work run by Marcus du Sautoy – specifically in helping him develop some interactive<br />
elements for a new book he was writing, which was like jamming but with maths.<br />
I wake up at horrific times in the morning to go down to the river to yell at rowers, and then usually finish off<br />
my days by going on crew dates, hanging out in my friends’ kitchens having bizarre conversations until the early<br />
hours, going to concerts, going to the union, going clubbing…<br />
Matt Rattley<br />
I’m Matt, and I’m a chemist! I’m chosen my subject because there’s something very<br />
rewarding about understanding how all the materials and chemicals around you<br />
work – chemistry is such a vital part of modern society, and it’s incredibly diverse. A<br />
typical week is normally pretty full with labs and lectures (often in the mornings…),<br />
plus preparation for tutorials can take a while – it’s not too bad though, especially if<br />
you’re organised…<br />
I’m also a bassoonist and play a lot of music up here – Oxford’s great for that kinda<br />
thing – and I’m also training to be a Peer Supporter, which is really rewarding.<br />
<strong>Somerville</strong>’s a great college to be at – it’s so laid back and welcoming! There’s not the<br />
same almost-psychotic need to be better than everyone else that some of the other colleges<br />
suffer, and the people here are definitely more fun. There’s a great community<br />
too, we’re pretty small so everyone knows everyone else.<br />
Masuma Ahuja<br />
Hi, I’m Masuma, and I’m an international student from the United States reading PPE.<br />
My course is pretty cool because I have a lot more options and choices than most people.<br />
We can drop (if we want) one of the three subjects in our second year, and with Politics<br />
and Philosophy, there aren’t really any defined structural requirements and you can pretty<br />
much pick and choose what you want to do. Since PPE is so wide, everyone ends up with<br />
a different kind of degree, with emphasis on whatever they care about or are interested in.<br />
We have a couple of lectures a week, but most of your learning (and procrastination) happens<br />
in the library.<br />
Other than PPE, I’m an editor of a student magazine, am being peer support<br />
trained, am a member of the JCR committee, and I like to kickbox<br />
from time to time. My free time (which I manage to make lots of) is spent<br />
with friends watching tv, cooking while having girly chats, and napping.<br />
15
What next?<br />
You’ve decided that <strong>Somerville</strong> and Oxford are the place for you , but there’s still lots to do! Follow these steps to ensure<br />
you’re making the most informed and well prepared application. NB All dates are for 2010.<br />
Research<br />
The course you’re interested in: check out what you’ll be learning, whether it involves a year abroad, if you’ll be assessed<br />
solely on exams or on the basis of a dissertation. Check out the university website: www.ox.ac.uk<br />
‣ Is it something you can see yourself absolutely loving for 3 or more years?<br />
‣ What are the entry requirements, can you satisfy them?<br />
‣ Is it offered at the college you’re interested in?<br />
Open days<br />
They’re the best way to decide whether the place is right for you. On 30 th June, 1 st July and 17 September academic<br />
departments open themselves up for tours, taster lecture and informal chats with tutors, and colleges operate an open<br />
door policy all day also with student run tours, and talks on admissions requirements and the college.<br />
UCAS form<br />
Applications are not separate (as in Cambridge), Oxford receives the same personal statement, reference and grades<br />
as you send your other university choices. Application deadline: 15 th October deadline. Choral and organ scholarship<br />
applications must be in by 1 st September. Tip for your personal statement:<br />
- At least 2/3 needs to be on your subject: why you want to study it, wider reading, special areas of interest.<br />
The remaining third can be about your extra curricular activities but it is imperative that you relate these<br />
experiences to skills that relate to studying your subject. Don’t just list achievements.<br />
Written tests<br />
Oxford requires the completion of Admissions tests for certain subjects. The deadlines are:<br />
- 1 st November: LNAT (Law*)<br />
- 3rd November: BMAT (Medicine*), ELAT (English*), HAT (History), Aptitude test for Mathematics<br />
and Computer Science (Maths and Computer Science – obviously...), Thinking Skills Assessment (Economics<br />
and Management, Experimental Psychology, PPE and Psychology and Philosophy)<br />
*These tests are sat where you take your driving theory test, the others are taken at school.<br />
Written work<br />
Deadlines: 10 th November (check subject requirements), 14 th November for Art portfolios.<br />
Interviews<br />
The interview period is roughly 5th-17th December, and this is split into an Arts week and Science week. You’ll be here<br />
for at most 3-4 days and will have at least 2 interviews at the college you’re staying at, and all scientists are interviewed<br />
at another college too. At <strong>Somerville</strong>, we try to make the interview period as stress-free as possible. We walk you to all<br />
your interviews, and provide entertainment in the evenings, get stuff out for you to do during all your free time, and are<br />
around all the time for a chat if you’re bored.<br />
Some things to remember:<br />
- Interviews are all about thinking laterally. You’re going to be asked questions you don’t know the answers to, so just try<br />
your best to explain how you’re thinking the problem through even if you can’t answer it straight away.<br />
16<br />
- Tutors are looking at your academic potential and suitability to study here and NOTHING<br />
else!<br />
- Be prepared to be flexible, so if you’re proved wrong on a point, adopt the criticism into your<br />
argument and respond constructively to it
Glossary<br />
Battels - Bills paid to college for accommodation and<br />
other college services.<br />
Bops - <strong>College</strong> parties. If you like to dress up, consume<br />
dubious “Bop Juice” and dance all through the<br />
night, then you’ll enjoy a bop.<br />
Cambridge - Essentially a swear word here. Call it<br />
“The Other Place”<br />
The Co-op- Far be it from us to advertise one shop<br />
above others, but this is both the nearest and is open<br />
the latest. It will save your life on a weekly basis.<br />
Deans - In charge of discipline and welfare of students.<br />
Entz - The guys in charge of entertainment and bops<br />
Hilary - A boy’s name, a girl’s name and also the<br />
name of our second term (Winter/spring term)<br />
Incest - Surprisingly frequent. You will have <strong>College</strong><br />
parents, who are second years who look after you.<br />
This also leads to college brothers and sisters and<br />
uncles, aunts and grandparents. Essentially anyone<br />
in college may be distantly related to you. Hence incest.<br />
Jamal’s - The Indian restaurant up the road. Few<br />
questions are asked, BYOB and enjoy it.<br />
JCR - Short for Junior Common Room. Both the name<br />
of a couple of rooms where undergrads can hang out,<br />
and <strong>Somerville</strong>’s own student union organisation.<br />
Jericho - The area behind college in North Oxford.<br />
Fairly affluent- you may well live out here in second<br />
year<br />
Lodge - AKA Porters’ Lodge. This is the front gate<br />
where letters and guests arrive and are looked after<br />
by our Porters.<br />
Library - An enchanted building where days shrink to<br />
mere minutes. Most leave having visibly aged.<br />
Michaelmas - The name of our autumn term.<br />
Mods - Exams taken at the end of first year to ensure<br />
you carry on. (See also: Prelims)<br />
OUSU - Oxford University Student Union. These guys<br />
look after all the students, and organise Fresher’s<br />
fair, RAG week and a bunch of other fun activities<br />
Pidge - Short for pigeonhole, or mailbox. Oxford<br />
stubbornly refuses to use emails for everything and<br />
still uses pigeon post to send notes from time to time.<br />
Porter - The guys who are basically in charge of college.<br />
They cover security, and the general day to<br />
day running of college. <strong>Somerville</strong>’s are notoriously<br />
lovely.<br />
Pogo - The college cat. Feature on the corner of every<br />
page, he’s well loved, and finds his way on top of<br />
all the cosy heaters in college.<br />
Prelims - (See: Mods)<br />
Principal - The biggest of the big cheeses. If the college<br />
was a country, she would totally be the Queen.<br />
You’ll meet her once or twice a year.<br />
Quads - The quadrangle patch of grass in the center<br />
of college. You can walk on it, and will spend lots of<br />
lazy summer afternoons procrastinating here.<br />
Rustication - being sent to the countryside for a lovely<br />
picnic. More commonly used for being removed from<br />
college for being naughty. (see also: Sent Down)<br />
Scouts - The cleaning staff who will take out your<br />
rubbish and periodically clean your room. Some<br />
have been known to make beds and help tidy up, if<br />
you ask nicely.<br />
Sent Down - To be removed from college permanently.<br />
Not a good thing.<br />
Subfusc - The exact meaning is unknown. Some<br />
claim it is Latin for “of a dark/dusky colour”, others<br />
claim it is Greek for “looking ridiculous”, and<br />
others claim it is Mongolian for “tourists are pointing<br />
at me”. Essentially the suit, gown and cap worn<br />
for highly formal occasions including matriculation<br />
and exams.<br />
Thatcher, Margaret - Our most famous alumnus.<br />
We have ambiguous feelings about her.<br />
Trinity - The third and sunniest term at Oxford. Also<br />
the name of a college.<br />
Tute - Short for tutorial or tutor. Essentially where<br />
and with whom most of your learning is done.<br />
Union, the - the University’s debating society that<br />
hosts regular debates and celebrity speakers as well<br />
as balls.<br />
Vaughan - The concrete disaster/delight (delete<br />
as applicable) where most first years live.<br />
You will probably end up loving it..<br />
Walking on the Grass - A crime in<br />
other colleges for which you can be<br />
fined, but in <strong>Somerville</strong> this is not<br />
only legal, it is actively encouraged. 17
<strong>Somerville</strong> <strong>College</strong> - www.some.ox.ac.uk<br />
University of Oxford - www.ox.ac.uk<br />
<strong>Somerville</strong> Admissions - O1865 270619<br />
Email - student.admin@some.ox.ac.uk<br />
laura.schofield@some.ox.ac.uk