PERSONAL: What to Bring

First of all you should shop around to find the best discounted airline ticket. Normally, if you pay three weeks in advance you will get an automatic discount.

Travel as light as possible. If you come in the first two terms (Fall and Winter) you will need two kinds of clothing for each term (Fall-Winter and Winter-Spring). In the Spring term, after April 15 to the end of June, you should only need Spring clothing. Since you buy clothes periodically anyway you may wish to bring clothes for one season and buy the others in Oxford (British clothes have a good reputation).

"OSAP has been very helpful as a support system for the Oxford experience."

TB, Allegheny College

Basically, southern England has about the same weather as New England except that it is a bit colder and it rains more often. For the Winter season (after about November 1) you will need an overcoat and a sweater. Fall and Spring clothing would be just what you need for the northern U.S. Most Oxford students dress casually but you will need a jacket and tie at least - a dark suit will probably be needed once in a while (or the women's equivalent).

Visiting Students will need to wear subfusc once or twice - a dark suit or dress with a white tie (which can be bought in Oxford) and black academic gowns.

Most clubs have termly black tie dinners and there are Balls. You could buy a used tuxedo in Oxford (the British prefer them - they look older, etc). Women could get by with a party dress - a long gown is rarely necessary. You will need all the personal items (razor, etc.) that you would normally take to your home college.

In most cases, U.S. electrical equipment, including computers, may be used in England with an attachment you can buy on arrival. You may wish to rent a computer if you come for only one term. You will not need a computer (you may prefer one) since most Oxford students still write their essays by hand (some use typewriters). Email, by the way, is available in most (but not all) colleges and in the OSAP office.

You could have some goods sent on ahead. You may mail or ship a box or two to our office in Oxford (we have someone there to accept it almost all the time). Shipping agents vary from city to city but almost every town has a UPS (United Parcel Service) and if they cannot ship your box or trunk themselves they ought to be able to suggest the best way of doing it. You are welcome to use e-mail, faxes and computers in our office.

If you have a specific question, please call the OSAP office in Washington and someone there will do his or her best to help or will be able to find the answer to your question.