If I were to sum up the Oxford social life into a phrase it would be ‘work hard, play hard’! Contrary to popular belief, most Oxford students have a decent social life. It is a common misconception that Oxford students work day and night, live in the libraries and barely see the sun. Truth be told, we do work hard and most students will tell you that they spend a lot of time in the library, but after a hard day’s work you have to let off steam – and the Oxford nightlife is the perfect thing for it.
(Here is a lil picture of the SILENT DISCO when Abs and Jack came down to visit me at Oxford during my first year)
Clubs
Oxford has a large number of nightclubs. The biggest nights to go out on are:
· Plush Tuesdays – Plush is an LGBTQ+ bar and club in central Oxford and is known for having amazing drink deals and a dynamic dance floor.
· Park End Wednesdays – On Wednesdays Atik becomes ‘Park End’ and opens its doors to huge swarms of Oxford students. If you’re quite picky about music, fear not, Park End has 4 dance rooms playing different music – my favourite being the ‘cheese’ floor (think Abba and S Club 7).
· Bridge Thursdays – Thursday night is Bridge night! Located in ‘The Bridge’ club, there are 3 bars and 3 dancefloors – what more could you ask for? The music, like park end, varies depending on which room you’re in. You can almost guarantee that you’ll see friends from other colleges as you're dancing from room to room.
· Fever Fridays – Fever is an underground club with one dance floor and two bars. People have a love-hate relationship with Fever but it’s a brilliant club to go to with a group after a large social (it does tend to get quite sweaty! It pays to have tall friends who’ll lift you up to the air vent - you know who you are!).
As well as the clubs in the centre of the of the city, there are also some great places in Cowley (just outside the centre). These include ‘The Bullingdon’ which holds the famous ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’ indie music nights and the O2 Academy Oxford which is popular for its silent discos and live gigs.
Bars, Pubs and Social Hubs
Oxford is full of pubs and bars. Whether you’re looking for a cold one after a hard day or you want to go on a crazy pub crawl with your mates, Oxford has all the pubs and bars you could ever need right in the centre. Most colleges also have bars where the drinks are, generally, cheaper – The best college bar has to be ‘St Peter’s College Bar’ with its famous drink selection… ‘the Crosskeys’ (Sorry Somerville but you need to up your game)! The only downside to college bars is that you normally need a friend in that college to let you in!
Crewdates and Socials
Crewdates are very unique – and very Oxford! Crewdates present the opportunity for societies to get together and… well… let’s just say you start off with a whole bottle of wine and walk out with it empty! Crewdates don’t happen often so it’s nice to make the most of them when they do occur. Socials are tamer versions of crewdates.
The most drunk I have ever been has to be after the Biochemistry crewdate in my first year! I drank a whole bottle of wine in about half an hour and then started on another. It’s safe to say that I slept next to the toilet that night! I even had to be put on the pavement by the bouncer because I was walking in the middle of the road alone (I am an embarrassment & a liability). Pace yourself at crewdates - I learnt my lesson the hard way:(
Shows and Plays
Throughout the terms there are always amazing shows that you can go and watch. These shows range from low-cost, one-night events to plays and musicals that have had months of planning go into them. The level of performance from the students is very impressive and many of the plays are professionally done. These can be viewed in small venues, colleges or even theatres such as the Oxford Playhouse. The drama highlights for me have been ‘Things I Know To Be True’ directed by my very talented friend (I was sobbing – it was incredible), 'Spring Awakening' and 'The Threepenny Opera'!
Readings, talks and Seminars
If you’re not a fan of clubbing, going to the pub or watching shows, there are many talks and seminars you can attend. These talks are often held by different university societies but can also be provided by visiting speakers. Facebook is the best place to find out about these events! I love going to the Oxford Women in Business events. A really great one I went to this academic year was a panel of young women who had founded their own start-ups. It was SO inspiring!
Bops (scroll for some embarrassing photos)
‘Bops’ is the term used in Oxford to describe college parties. Once every fortnight or so (this does vary), the college will hold a bop for all the students at the college. Bops are great social events where you can drink and have fun but in the safe college environment (perfect for those who don’t like clubbing). Most of the time, different colleges hold the bops on site. However, there are occasions where two colleges may join together to hire out a different venue for a bop. Merton have their bops in their sports pavilion which sounds so cool – I am very jealous!
(here are some pictures of me and my besties all dressed up in fancy dress for bops)
Does Oxford have a richer social life than you initially thought? I’m guessing that for most of you this will be a yes! A student’s social life in Oxford is entirely what they make it, and whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, I can almost guarantee that you’ll have a fun time!
Lots of Love from Maz xxx
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