Oxford student housing

[funnyperson]

Where is the best place to find a pleasant student house in Oxford: Large light rooms, large kitchen, heating which works, clean functional showers, period property, safe neighbourhood, walking/cycling distance to Parks Road. How much would normally be paid? Or is anything decent college owned?

Well, the ballot has been held :( .DD and her 5 friends are now house hunting. Are they a long way behind everyone else now?
Is it just Jericho for groups of six?

No it's not just Jericho harbinger, DD2 is in a house with five friends in Cowley - they nabbed it early, as soon as the lists came out this time last year.

They're more usually for five, but there are six beds out there.

DD and friends ( 6 altogether) secured a nice house off the Iffley road- they have their own bathrooms large kitchen dishwasher etc and a large sitting room and a garden and bike shed. A bit of a bike ride to their college but they paid their deposit today- her dad went up yesterday to check it all out.

Its a nice safe road.

She was going for a college owned flat that was for groups of six. There is no point messing with the group,so it stays as six. Thirty first years (5 flats) didn't get in on the ballot.

Any good letting agents? not the cowboy landlords......

if you/dd googles 'prime location' and types in the desired postcode and number of bedrooms needed, all the current places come up regardless of letting agent. (Not private places)

Why is it that students want groups of six? What is magic about that number?

There was a nice looking six bed house with a handwritten notice outside on marston rd off cowley rd.

funny thank you. Didn't realise you could do that.

I think six is regarded as safe in terms of 'bust ups' and other dynamics that can upset a household. (perhaps)

Skip that but thanks.

you're welcome harbinger
thank you betelguese I think it was hard work searching and viewing that got them the house. They saw about 7 houses. Tbh I think it distracted from their studies and was stressful, though every time dd spoke about it the group seemed to be enjoying the whole exercise thoroughly.

That house sounds fabulous. You did very well. 'Pat on the back' :o It's not a huggy subject!
Sure they'll love it:)

Thanks harbinger though I did very little in the end- except to tell them not to compromise. The nicest phone call was out of the blue when they were on the way to see the first house -DD rang and said "quick, mum, what questions should we be asking?" with laughter in the background. Its been lovely with both the DC the way they've got in a group and sorted their housing. Its a very odd thing being a parent of growing up people. Nice but odd. I do feel very lucky.

It will probably be C. P. Snow sort of stuff Betelguese, it happened at a DD's college last year.

You see funny, it's not that bad - her house sounds great :)

Hmm could be the same college I suppose, it may not be endemic....

yellow why? funding? and if it's maths..... peanuts in college. Sad but true.

They possibly also get headhunted and enticed with higher emoluments. CP Snow? Actually the other day I was wondering if there was any fiction with Oxford as the setting apart from Pullman and Inspector Morse and I was wondering about something on the lines of Malcolm Bradbury and Sussex university and the History Man.
It must be strange for the DC if their tutors leave.
Betelguese all the Londoners in their first year think of internships and insight days and scholarships and are forever doing online tests for this or that investment bank. (all except my DS who studies east end rap clubs in detail ). This doesn't happen in Oxford but on the other hand the Oxford students are bombarded with invites to lunches from multinational law companies and invites to chocolate and coffee mornings- there is lots of opportunity to think about jobs.

emoluments- love the word - not heard it for years.

My DF used to use it.

betelguese I am a bit surprised and sorry your DS didn't have a tutor I thought there was a contract one signed, agreeing to pay tuition fees in exchange for teaching.
Even though the admissions tutors say that it doesn't matter which college a student applies to it does seem to make a difference if the student applies to a college with a thriving fellowship in a particular subject. Obviously.

If the teaching fellows are a bit meh then the student can choose to do modules/units taught in another college by a different fellow, no?

Were the Tutors ones with tenure? Or was it just they lost a lot of Fellows a few years ago and have been replacing them (possibly temporarily) with less eminent tutors to save money for a few years? Only the very wealthiest colleges can afford not to do this (and even they are begging their Alumni for funds to keep their fellowships full). Oxford Education does cost more than the fees + government money supplies.

Ths was not the reason for the tutors I referred to leaving (they stayed in Oxford, just went to another college), but in another college around the corner and down the lane there is much discord caused by the proposed banning of smoking anywhere in college, even outside: a Philosophy don has taken umbrage and plenty of students are on side....