Life in Oxford

Merton College

Students in the Oxford Berkeley Program stay in Merton College and are assigned single rooms. Baths and toilets are down the hall and shared by two to four students.

If you have any other preferences or special health requirements with regard to housing, please let us know in advance so we can make the most convenient arrangements possible. There are no elevators in Merton College.

Take a Merton College photo tour. (PDF)

Meals

All meals are taken in Hall, where historical figures such as Elizabeth I have eaten. Full board consists of breakfast and morning coffee every day, lunch on weekdays, and dinner on weekdays and Sundays. Lunch is an informal meal with self-service. Dinner is a formal meal on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and informal on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Vegetarian meals are provided to those who indicate this preference on their accommodation request form.

School staff members dine in Hall at High Table. Each evening, they invite a few students to join them and to have cocktails beforehand. During the course of the program, every student receives an invitation.

Town Life

Mornings are spent in seminar with your fellow students, but you still have plenty of time to enjoy the university, the town and the surrounding countryside. Students always find a fascinating array of extracurricular activities, whether it's attending a concert or sitting in a pub with some newfound friends. Explore the bustling culture of the city, while away the summer hours on a punt in the Cherwell or the Thames or even steal away to London for a glittering night—the possibilities for pleasure are endless.