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This week, Fiona Doran, a second year student at Oxford Brookes studying Culture, Media and Communication, gives her lowdown on Oxford's "other", more modern university

Being a student at Oxford Brookes:

Once described as the “city of dreaming spires” by the poet Matthew Arnold, Oxford still holds strong in its reputation for being quintessentially English. Punting, supping a pint in an historically rich drinking establishment and almost being knocked down by one of the many cyclists can be all in a days work for a Brooke’s student.

The university's three campuses are all located a bus ride away from the city centre. For a relatively small city there is a plethora of good eateries and bars to suit all budgets; it is hard to be disappointed. The city centre is also home to many of the usual high streets shops such as GAP, Topshop and USC, although many students will agree the place is crying out for an H&M to suit quirkier types. Bargain hunters can revel in a large Primark but bear in mind that you will likely spot another ten people wearing the same thing as you while wandering around campus. With London only an hour and a half away by coach however, the more serious shopper can return after a day with a somewhat lighter wallet. With such a fantastic literary background Oxford has many bookshops, a number of them second hand and with regular visits you can hunt down books both for pleasure and for study, although hopefully the two are interlinked! Oxford is culture-rich city and there are museums, art galleries and beautiful architecture aplenty to immerse yourself in.

The university has combined with Stagecoach to provide a service for Brookes students called Brookes Bus. Generally reliable and with stops everywhere you need in Oxford, getting around is easy, with the yearly pass priced around £185. The city train station offers links around the country with regular services, made a third cheaper with a Young Persons Rail Card.

Although Oxford has city status there is a very tight knit feeling to it - its smaller size means bumping into someone on the high street or the local pub is inevitable. Home to two large universities, there are students everywhere and on a sunny day they can be found in droves lounging in the parks or sitting in a beer garden. Oxford is an affluent city and the prices are reflective of this with a pint nudging £3 in more places than not. Nightclub entries can vary widely, the more popular venues such as Park End charging around £5 on student night. However, by making the most of the student deals and discounts available and enjoying some of the cheaper venues in town, finances should still be in order come the end of the academic year. Crime in Oxford is relatively low compared with other UK cities, one of its main problems being bike theft. By taking sensible precautions and using your common sense, Oxford is a very safe place to live and study.

Study time:

Consistently deemed to be the UK’s leading modern university by The Times Good University Guide, Oxford Brookes has stepped out of the shadow of its neighbouring institution Oxford University and achieved excellence in the fields of Business, Architecture and Publishing. With a library on each of the three campuses, the main one being Headington, study resources are never out of reach and a quiet spot can always be found for revision or research. Staff are friendly, knowledgeable and eager to assist and give advice, especially to newer students. Waiting lists can be a problem for the more popular texts; however there is a reservation service through the online library website, Athens, which can prove useful when you need to take out a number of books on loan. The graphics workshop at Headington also offers multimedia software for editing, illustration, CAD and high quality printing facilities and is completely supervised so students less familiar with programmes can find guidance with their work. Many students who have not had access to this technology before can gain some great knowledge and vastly improve the appearance of their work here. However although computer facilities at Brookes are generally good, printing can be a nightmare with up to three-hour queues at peak times. Bringing your own printer or finding a friend you can cajole into letting you use theirs is a good idea, especially when you are having a last minute rush to print off an essay for an impending deadline.

The majority of Brooke’s students are undergraduates on a three year course. Emphasis on coursework and exams varies greatly from course to course but most disciplines will use both at some stage. Tutor and lecture interaction can depend upon the needs of the student; however meeting the assigned tutor is not compulsory and some students will go their first and perhaps second year without ever having a dedicated appointment. Tutors are your first port of call when you are in need of advice or support so it’s best to make face to face contact and the earlier the better. Lecture and seminars take up roughly 9 – 15 hours a week; however you are expected to put in more than this in independent study.

Some lecturers are known to email throughout the week with suggested reading and useful web links however this is not always the case so don’t be afraid to ask them for their advice or search yourself. Students can also make use of the Brookes Personal Information Portal which holds information about modules and timetables, and can contain useful recommended reading lists.

The academic year is broken into two semesters, the first running from mid September to mid December and the second from late January through to May with a break for Easter in between. Many Brookes students find the long gap between the semesters can leave them feeling unmotivated by the time they return from Christmas break, but it can provide more time to work for extra cash so try not to waste the weeks away.

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