PERSONAL EXPENSES

A number of students (and parents) have asked us for guidance on personal expenses.

Naturally this will depend on the individual. In general, Oxford is considered very expensive, as expensive as London. (Rents for students are very high - just ask any British student when you arrive).

Roughly speaking, we would say that Oxford is about 60% more expensive than most college towns in the East, such as New Haven, Boston, etc.

You can save a lot of money by avoiding restaurants; an average lunch would cost about 9 pounds (we will use pounds, you can check the current exchange rate in any good newspaper. Pub lunches are a good buy - about 4-5 pounds. College meals are a real bargain - about 3.00 pounds and you can cook meals in your flat (all have kitchens) eat exactly what you want and not go over 3.00 pounds. The college bars sell beer (the drinking age in England is 18) at about a third less than the public bars, "pubs".

A bus ride to London (about 1 1/2 hours) costs about 7.00 pounds return.

We would say a student could live modestly for a week in Oxford, meals, some bus fares, movies, drinks, laundry, etc. for about 80 to 100 pounds. You may wish to plan a budget which will allow you to travel in more of Europe for a week or two after (or before) the end of term.

When you arrive you can open a bank account, with cheques. You can have money sent from the States through your bank or through the American Express office in Oxford. Students are advised to consult with their bank prior to their departure for Oxford to verify whether their automatic teller machine card will be accepted in the United Kingdom and to inquire about other international financial services.