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Preparing for the Summer School

28th June 2019

The Oxbridge International Summer School is nearly upon us so we’ve come up with a list of handy hints to help make sure you have a wonderful stay with us in July.

Expert tutor teaching a summer school student in Oxford

Bring a laptop or tablet

Remember to bring a laptop or tablet with you – your tutor will email your assignments to you, and it is also a handy way to keep your parents up to date with all your OISS news! All our rooms have WiFi access. This will allow you to work electronically, and receive emails and work from tutors but will also allow you to keep in touch with friends and family at home. For students coming from abroad, you’ll need to check that your laptop will work in the UK (where voltage is c.230 V). The UK has three-pronged plug sockets, so you may also need to buy a plug adaptor at the airport or in Oxford. 

Bring a mobile phone

We also suggest that students bring a mobile phone (if it has a roaming option that means it will work in the UK). This means that our staff are able to contact students at any point – we will give all students the staff phone details at the beginning of the summer school.

Alternatively, there are local shops selling cheap phones and SIM cards. It is important that we have some means of communicating with you at all times, especially for trips and outings.   

Summer school students on trip around Oxford University sites
Two summer school students socialize in Oxford

pack Appropriate clothing and footwear

You have packed timetable and when you are not hard at work studying, you will be taking in the sights of Oxford and Cambridge. Don’t forget to bring some comfortable shoes of trainers!

The weather in Oxford in the summer tends to be warm, but the British weather can be unpredictable so we recommend you also bring sufficiently warm and water-proof clothes including an umbrella! Sun cream, sunglasses, clothes suitable for activities (sports) and that might get wet (at our punting outing) and a swimming costume (optional).
  

spending money

You will need to bring spending money for lunch and for any shopping you want to do. You can check exchange rates online for a rough idea of how much British Pound Sterling (GBP) you should bring. We advise always having a bit of money on you (e.g., £20) in case of emergencies, but it is obviously important not to carry round large amounts for security reasons. Oxford has lots of ATM cash machines available, and we can point you to the nearest ones. Note that some banks will charge you to withdraw money. If you do not have a bank card which can make withdrawals in the UK, you may want to investigate pre-paid international cash cards which are often available in travel shops. 

British pounds cash
Summer school accommodation in Lincoln college, part of the University of Oxford

there is no need to bring...

Your room will be cared for by college “scouts”, who will change sheets, clean and empty bins. Bed linen and towels are provided by the college, so there is no need to bring these. Each room has plenty of power sockets. Internet is also available in your rooms.

Our accommodation includes communal dining room where we all eat together. The college also houses a comfortable common room, which students can use at any time. Students will be able to use this space to socialise, study in groups, talk to our staff members for help, and watch TV. There is also an outdoor area with a little pond and some space for working outside on sunny days. 

If you have any questions please feel free to get in touch with one of the team.