Brasenose College Crest

Brasenose College

Brasenose is one of the old mid-sized colleges. It’s central location in Radcliffe Square mean the stunning Radcliffe Camera and Bodleian library are just on the doorstep. Brasenose consistently places as the ‘happiest college in Oxford’ with its strong and inclusive sense of community. It’s almost impossible to walk across college without bumping into someone (and stopping for an unnecessarily long chat). We are also committed to access, with lots of our students getting involved in tours for school groups, interviews and open days, and are proud of being 80% state school! The 24 hour library means students can work according to their own schedules. The students also engage in sports, plays, music concerts, pub quizzes and the college hosts the biggest Arts Week in Oxford. In its 500 years of history, Brasenose has developed some fun and interesting traditions including Ale Verses, where the students write songs about the college, which are then sung together after dinner in hall.

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Food

Food at Brasenose is delicious and low-cost! All dietary requirements are catered for with amazing veggie, vegan and halal options at every meal. There’s breakfast, lunch and dinner, served in our beautiful dining hall, Monday through Friday. A full English Breakfast costs £1.62, with lunch and dinner being between £3 and £4. On weekends, the college serves brunch! This is a lovely end to the week and a chance to catch up with friends over free tea and coffee and delicious food. We also have takeaway options as well as cold sandwiches and salads if you need a quick lunch. In addition, Brasenose has optional formal dinners on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday, where a three course meal, costing about £9, is served. We also have special themed formals for events like Burns Night, Lunar New Year and Diwali

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Accommodation

Accommodation at Brasenose is guaranteed for all undergraduate students. First years live in college whilst most second years live in one of the Frewin or St Cross accommodation annexes, less than a 5-minute walk from College. Third years can choose whether to live in college or in Frewin. On all sites, there are laundry facilities, some en-suite rooms, and personal fridges are allowed. On the main site, every staircase has a fridge, toaster, kettle and microwave. In the annexes, there are full kitchens. Although there are some en-suite rooms, most students share bathrooms between four people (on average). There are accessible rooms available with height adjustable desks and the college is more than happy to make changes for anyone who requires it. Rooms on all sites are in a banded structure, from A (the best) to F (supposedly the worst, but there are some really nice rooms that are F bands). Which band a room belongs in is judged on things like size, sink/toilet/neither, proximity to bathrooms etc. For fairness, names are drawn from a randomised ballots. In second year, everyone is entered into the B ballot, whereas in third year they are entered onto the A ballot (people in the A ballot get to choose rooms before those in the B ballot). Accommodation for graduate students is at the St Cross and Hollybush Row annexes, so all postgrads live off-site. At each site there are laundry facilities (washers & dryers) and shared kitchens. En-suite rooms are available, as are two self-contained flats for couples

Extracurricular

All students are encouraged to pursue their interests! There’s a really vibrant sports scene at Brasenose. There are numerous college sports teams including rowing, football, hockey, netball, lacrosse, squash and badminton which are all open to players of all abilities. Many BNC folk also play for blues teams including rugby, lacrosse and cycling. We also have regular arts events including open mic nights, jazz nights and concerts and a very active History society. There’s a Brasenose play during Arts Week which all members of the college can get involved with. We also have a non-auditioned chapel choir and a jazz band! Generally, all extracurriculars are catered for: there are music rooms, sports facilities like tennis courts, and more rooms for activities available in College. Whatever you’re into, there’s something for everyone!

Welfare

At Brasenose, student welfare is both fun and important. There are two welfare reps and a team of peer supporters, and their goal is to make sure everything is just fine. We hold weekly welfare teas in our common room where in college and in Frewin where everyone is encouraged to come along, relax, and enjoy some treats and snacks. These are great fun and can help make sure Oxford life doesn’t get too stressful! Brasenose is lucky enough to have a secret Welfare Freddo Fairy, who keeps spirits (and sugar levels) high by anonymously delivering freddos (or a dairy-free alternative) to students in need! Brasenose Welfare also has weekly yoga classes for all to enjoy, and there are also regular welfare walks as well as events like film nights, pizza nights or animal petting sessions. Peer support drop ins are also held twice a week. Getting in touch can be via the senior staff (chaplain, senior tutor for undergrads, tutor for graduates, dean, equality/diversity & fitness to study lead, disability leads), via students (junior deans, student reps, peer supporters), or via the support staff (college nurse, college counsellor, writing support tutor), and there are boards around college that give information on all these contact details, making it super easy to reach out for help when needed.

Entertainment

Our Entz (short for entertainment!) reps love to make sure everyone can have a good time at both alcoholic and non-alcoholic events. We have three BOPs (big organised parties) per term which usually have a fun dress up theme, and are a lot of fun. These are held in clubs but everyone gathers in our college bar beforehand! The bar is student-run, and hence offers an opportunity for causal employment, and is open between 7 and 11:30 each night. It's always well used and generally a great place to be (it's underground!) and, many people who don’t drink are happy to go down the bar because of the friendly atmosphere and wide range of non-alcoholic options. The bi-weekly pub quiz, held down the bar, is always a lot of fun. We also have a computer available so that everyone can queue what they want to listen to (with a fair use policy) and a JCR Spotify account. If people book in advance, most rooms in college are available for student use including the JCR and MCR in main college and the Amersi Room. At the end of every term, there is a black tie party in a venue such as the Isis Farmhouse Brasenose also holds a big ball every two years, so there really is an event for everyone!

The regular open mic nights and the fantastic annual Brasenose Arts Festival have allowed me to band together with a couple of other talented Brasenostrils and showcase my deteriorating guitar skills.
Olivia, Modern Languages

Find out more

Founded: 1509
Undergraduate students per year: 110
Total number of undergraduate students: 350
Famous alumni: David Cameron, William Golding, Michael Palin.

You might also want to take a look at the Brasenose alternative prospectus or the official college website.