Undergraduate Prospectus

CONTENTS

ST EDMUND HALL: A QUICK INTRODUCTION 03

UNDERGRADUATE COURSES OFFERED AT ST EDMUND HALL 03

QUICK TOUR OF THE COLLEGE 04

WHERE WILL I LIVE? 05

WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT TEDDY HALL’S JCR? 06

WHAT’S THE FOOD LIKE? 06

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WHAT MAKES ST EDMUND HALL DIFFERENT?

It’s hard to tell without experiencing life at another college first-hand, but…

“After visiting other colleges during my time here, I can say Teddy Hall has a unique feel. It’s the great sense of community, the fact that we live on a compact site despite being so many in numbers, that strengthens the family feel. Everyone is so willing to give anything a go, be it lacrosse, an orchestra or college darts!”

LUCY LANGLEY (3RD YEAR, GEOGRAPHY, FROM CUMBRIA)

“Teddy Hall is a large yet intimate college, with a brilliant library, excellent tutors, and a great atmosphere – helped by the cheap bar and busy common room. The college also provides you with lots of support, and a really tight-knit student community that you would struggle to find anywhere else.”

JOHN WAITE (4TH YEAR, MATERIALS SCIENCE, FROM SWINDON)

“I think the quality of our food is a big bonus. I also really like the fact that we have the graveyard. It is a great place to relax in the summer and it looks gorgeous all year round. It really adds to Teddy Hall’s character.”

CATHERINE CANNING (2ND YEAR, LAW WITH LAW STUDIES IN EUROPE, FROM GLASGOW)

MASTERCLASS FUNDING 06

WHAT KIND OF EXTRA-CURRICULAR INTERESTS ARE CATERED FOR? 07

WHO WAS ST EDMUND? 08

FINANCIAL SUPPORT 08

CAREERS 08

OPEN DAYS 08

CONTACT US 08

Image by Rachael Cross (who graduated in Biomedical Sciences in 2014), prize-winner in the Hall Photography Competition

ST EDMUND HALL UNDERGRADUATE PROSPECTUS 03

UNDERGRADUATE COURSES OFFERED AT ST EDMUND HALL

• Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular

• Biomedical Sciences

• Chemistry

• Earth Sciences

• Economics and Management

• Engineering Science

• English Language and Literature

• English and Modern Languages

• Fine Art

• Geography

• History

• History and Economics

• History and Modern Languages

• History and Politics

• Law (Jurisprudence)

• Law with Law Studies in Europe

• Materials Science

• Mathematics

• Mathematics and Statistics

• Mathematics and Philosophy

• Medicine

• Modern Languages

• Modern Languages and Linguistics

• Philosophy and Modern Languages

• Philosophy, Politics and Economics

• Physics

• Physics and Philosophy

• Psychology (Experimental)

• Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics

ST EDMUND HALL: A QUICK INTRODUCTION

St Edmund Hall is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford, and home to an active and diverse community of just over 400 undergraduates and around 300 postgraduates. We offer outstanding teaching in a wide range of subjects (see below for the full list) and benefit from a central location, just a few minutes’ walk from the Bodleian Library and the science area. Often referred to as ‘Teddy Hall’, we have the sixth largest number of undergraduates of any Oxford college, and their wide range of interests make the College a lively and inspiring place to live and study.

All Oxford colleges have the same academic requirements for their courses, which are listed in the University’s Undergraduate Prospectus.

www.ox.ac.uk/prospectus

BEAR TRUTH

Every Teddy Hall undergraduate can apply for up to £300 a year to help with academic expenses. The College also has nearly 150 prizes, scholarships and travel awards on offer each year.

Students by the main entrance to St Edmund Hall in Queen’s Lane, located close to Oxford’s High Street and the University’s Examination Schools

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QUICK TOUR OF THE COLLEGE

With buildings dating from every century since the 16th, our College is a fine blend of old and new, both beautiful and practical.

1. FRONT QUAD: the much-photographed heart of the College, with its oldest building dating back to the 16th Century and featuring a medieval well. 2 & 3. LIBRARY: housed in a beautiful medieval church, with painted ceiling, and well-stocked with around 40,000 books for all subjects.

4. CHURCHYARD: it may sound unconventional, but our churchyard serves as the main College gardens and is a popular place to study or socialise in the summer.

5. WOLFSON HALL: one of the largest dining halls in Oxford, seating 250 for dinner, and an excellent venue for special events and parties.

6. KELLY AND EMDEN: a modern addition providing our first years with good-size rooms and some great views over Oxford.

7. BAR: two cosy historic rooms, popular with students for socialising and serving as a good meeting place.

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ST EDMUND HALL UNDERGRADUATE PROSPECTUS 05

WHERE WILL I LIVE?

All first years live on our main College site at Queen’s Lane, just off the High Street, in central Oxford.

“I didn’t apply to Teddy Hall as I thought I wanted to go to a college that offered accommodation for all four years – I think the prospect of having to find my own house and deal with landlords seemed daunting aged 17. Having lived out of college in my second year, however, I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world. I became so close to my housemates and we had the most fantastic time.”

MARGERY INFIELD (4TH YEAR, PHYSICS & PHILOSOPHY, FROM LONDON)

The rooms are all single study-bedrooms, each with a sink and internet connection, and close to shared bathrooms and kitchenettes.

We offer College accommodation to all our undergraduates for at least two years, usually their first and final years. All our accommodation annexes are only a short walk from the main site.

“The great thing about Teddy Hall being such a compact site is living close to all the other students. During Freshers’ Week there’s plenty of opportunity to meet new people just wandering around. Now I love having all my friends no more than a couple of minutes away so I can go round to see them in my slippers! It gives Teddy Hall a strong sense of community and I can scarcely walk across the Front Quad without bumping into someone and stopping for a chat!”

SIAN EVANS (4TH YEAR, EARTH SCIENCES, FROM STAFFORDSHIRE)

MAIN COLLEGE SITE OTHER COLLEGE ACCOMMODATION

Map drawn by Alexandra Pullen (who graduated in Fine Art in 2014)

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WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT TEDDY HALL’S JCR?

The Junior Common Room (JCR) is the name of both a room and also the undergraduate population of the College.

The room is comfortable, and offers students tea and coffee, a large TV with satellite channels and various newspaper subscriptions.

Our JCR Committee runs a lot of social events, including a busy Freshers’ Week, film nights, parties and a weekly JCR tea. There is also a termly programme of ‘anti-5th-Week-blues’ events, including lots of free food and

massages – designed to de-stress and relax students as the second half of term gets underway.

The JCR contributes to a charities’ fund and helps to support scholarships, as well as organising a welfare team of peer supporters who are trained in listening by the University’s counselling service.

MASTERCLASS FUNDING

Masterclass Awards are unique to our College. Students can apply for up to £1,000 per year to fund individual coaching to develop their extra-curricular interests, from music, sport and drama to photography, wine-tasting and woodworking.You will be fully catered in your first

year so there is no need to worry about cooking, but there are kitchenettes if you would like an alternative for lunch. You pay for a minimum number of breakfasts and dinners at the start of each term, making it easier for you to budget, and there is no kitchen surcharge. As residents of our Queen’s Lane site, some meals can be refunded to you if not used by the end of the term.

Our award-winning chef provides an excellent quality and choice of meals. Optional Formal Hall dinners take place twice a week, with restaurant-quality food and wine included, to which you can invite guests.

WHAT’S THE FOOD LIKE?

“It took me several days to wind down my eating once I’d gone home after the first term - we’re given so much brilliant food!”

BENJAMIN EVANS (1ST YEAR, MATERIALS SCIENCE, FROM WILTSHIRE)

“Wonderful food, in a close-knit environment.”

YEKUAN SHENTU (1ST YEAR, ENGINEERING SCIENCE, FROM CHINA)

Teddy Hall JCR was the first Oxford college common room to stop subscribing to The Sun, as a protest against Page 3.

BEAR TRUTH

“Teddy Hall is a wonderful place and it’s the famous ‘Hall Spirit’, which comes from the welcoming and friendly student body, that makes it so special. There is something here for everyone and Hall students are passionate about doing as much as they can to the best of their abilities. You’ll meet people here who will blow you away, constantly take you by surprise and be your friends for life.”

JCR PRESIDENT ED BENSON (2ND YEAR, PPE, FROM LONDON)

WHAT KIND OF EXTRA-CURRICULAR INTERESTS ARE CATERED FOR?

St Edmund Hall has a dedicated Clubs Fund to support our existing college clubs and societies, and to help students establish new ones.

WRITINGThere is a strong tradition of writing at the Hall, with regular events and an annual Writers’ Day involving high-profile alumni such as Samira Ahmed and Stewart Lee. One of our English tutors hosts weekly creative writing workshops, open to all our students.

MUSICOur Director of Music Chris Watson is a professional tenor who encourages involvement in music of all kinds. We offer organ and choral scholarships, plus instrumental awards, and have

a well-supported and sociable choir who have recently sung in France and Edinburgh and are currently planning a tour to Poland.

College societies include the Teddy Hall Music Society, an Alternative Choir, and an a cappella singing group.

DRAMAThe College has an active drama society, which has received much acclaim for its recent productions. ‘Act for Change’ is a social initiative born at St Edmund Hall, which has recently seen students travel to Cameroon and India to work with local groups to use interactive theatre to tackle global health and development issues.

SPORTTraditionally, St Edmund Hall has excelled at sport. Today, there are more than 15 college sports clubs and we are currently college league or cup champions in women’s netball and hockey, men’s football, hockey and rugby 7s, and mixed lacrosse.

CHARITY The JCR supports various fundraising activities, including the Venus girls who raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. It also encourages students to take part in activities such as sponsored runs and to volunteer for projects such as Teach Green, a student-run initiative providing environmental education to primary school students.

“Creative writing is one of the Hall’s strongest areas. The weekly writing workshop is extremely friendly and allows anybody to receive deeply nuanced and particular feedback on their work, as well as affording you the chance to be exposed to the work of a large number of extremely talented writers. It almost can’t help but improve your writing, and is great fun in the process.”

ALEX SAVAGE (1ST YEAR, PPE, FROM LEICESTER)

“Teddy Hall is full of incredibly talented, interesting and accommodating people from a huge variety of backgrounds and any worries I had about not fitting in disappeared within a few days of getting here.”

CHRIS WILLIAMSON (3RD YEAR, MATHS, FROM SOUTH WALES)

ST EDMUND HALL UNDERGRADUATE PROSPECTUS 07

BEAR TRUTH

In the last two years, 20 Teddy Hall students won Full Blues and 12 won Half Blues by representing the University in a wide range of sports. 5 of them were awarded the Hall’s prestigious Luddington Prize for achieving Full Blues and Firsts in their degrees.

“I rowed in first year; it did take quite a lot of dedication but it made me really feel like I belonged to Teddy Hall, and I also got very close to all the girls that I rowed with. We had some fantastic opportunities such as training camps abroad and the chance to go to the Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race.”

AMELIA HUGGAN (2ND YEAR, PHYSICS AND PHILOSOPHY, FROM EDINBURGH)

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Oxford University offers a generous support package including fee reductions and bursaries – visit www.ox.ac.uk/feesandfunding for full details.

St Edmund Hall also offers hardship funds for students facing unexpected financial difficulty, plus we have many different scholarships, prizes, book grants, vacation grants and travel awards.

We are keen to support our students in the next stage after their studies, through events such as drop-in sessions with alumni.

For the last few years, we have also offered students an annual ‘Bridge to Business’ programme: four days of transferable business skills taught by leading academics from the Saïd Business School with contributions from our own alumni.

We take part in the University Open Days three times a year in June/July and September.

At our Open Days you will be able to tour the College, view our student accommodation, ask questions and meet our current students and tutors.

Find out more atwww.seh.ox.ac.uk/admissions/ open-days

FINANCIAL SUPPORT CAREERS OPEN DAYS

CONTACT US

www.facebook.com/StEdmundHall @StEdmundHall

WHO WAS ST EDMUND?

The College is named after St Edmund of Abingdon, who lived and taught in a house on the site of the present-day Front Quad, probably in the 1190s. He later became Archbishop of Canterbury.

1317 – earliest surviving written record of St Edmund Hall (although it may be much older). Medieval halls predated Oxford’s colleges, providing undergraduates with accommodation and tuition.

1957 – St Edmund Hall becomes a college, but keeps its original name as a reflection of its long history.

1965 – first postgraduate students admitted.

1978 – the College becomes

co-educational.