What time are meals served?

Monday - Friday:

• Breakfast: 7:45am - 9:15am

• Lunch: 12:30pm - 1:30pm

• Dinner: 6pm - 7pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. 6:45 pm onwards on Mondays and Wednesdays

• Guest Night Dinner: 7:15pm
  (Applies to JCR, MCR and SCR Guest Nights)

Saturday:

• Breakfast: 8:45am - 10:30am

Sunday:

• Brunch: 10:00am - 11:00am

Any other questions?

Please get in touch with the Food and Beverage Officer (jcr.food@hmc.ox.ac.uk).

When are formal dinners?

Formal dinners are held on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:45pm.

When are guest night dinners?

Guest night dinners are held at 7:15pm on selected days. SCR guest nights are held on Wednesday in Week 3, Week 5 and Week 7 of each term.

What is the suggested dress code for formal dinners/guest nights?

For Monday formal dinners: smart casual wear with academic gown.

For Wednesday formal dinners: formal wear with academic gown.

For guest nights (unless otherwise specified): formal wear with optional academic gown.

When can I sign in/sign out for meals?

You can book meals for each day before 2:00pm the day before here.

Is there a gym at HMC?

There are currently no gym facilities on-site within the college. However, the college offers complimentary gym membership at the Oxford University Gym on Iffley Road, and the Willows Leisure Club at the Oxford Spires Four Pillars Hotel (UPDATE 6/2/2023: the Willows Leisure Club is not currently offering complimentary membership.) Our memberships entitle you to use both the swimming and gym facilities free of charge. Show your university card to the gym reception and they'll let you in!

Do I need to bring my own bedding/linen/pillows/duvet?

No, these will be provided for living-in students for a fee.

Is there any storage place to store items over the vacation? 

For international students, a storage area is available to place a small number of items (subject to availability), usually limited to 2 boxes/pieces of luggage per student.

Can students cook in HMC / Are there kitchens provided for students?

Yes. The three common space kitchens throughout college are located in Graham Pye, Sekyra, and the MCR (30 Holywell). Smaller kitchenettes and pantries can be found in the other accommodation buildings. Crockery and cooking utensils are not provided.

Are there laundry facilities in HMC?

There is a fully-equipped, self-serve laundry facility in Graham Pye hall. There are three washers and three dryers.

Is there free internet access in HMC?

Yes, there is Wi-Fi coverage in HMC for current students using Eduroam. Alternatively, guests and visitors are able to use The Cloud, provided by Sky Wi-Fi.

If you require assistance in setting up Eduroam on your device, please get in touch with the IT Officer (jcr.it@hmc.ox.ac.uk), or visit the University IT page.

Where can I see a doctor?

For all medical needs our college doctor is 19 Beaumont Street Surgery. Registration will be conducted in college during the medical induction in Fresher’s week. More information can be found on their website.

Where can I get support about specific issues?

HMC has a variety of support channels available, from peer supporters to JCR officers to college officers. Click here for more information.

0th Week: The week before term begins. You will meet with Tutors to organise the term’s teaching, and will probably sit a collection (see below).​

9th Week: The week after undergraduate term ends.

Battels: The college Bill. For first years, this automatically includes food.

(Oxford) Blue: Award for competing in the Varsity Match in certain major sports.

The Bod: Short for the “Bodleian Library”, the main library at Oxford University. Names after its benefactor, Thomas Bodley (1545-1613).

Bod Card: Your university card; a combination of identity, library and stored value card.

Bop: Parties organised by the JCR. Dress up, dance to cheesy music and enjoy the free food and drink.

Bursary: The reception room at the front of the college where you receive mail, hand in keys, and chat with the college's friendly bursary staff.

Collections: Internal exams set by your tutors at the beginning of each term. Although collections don't count towards your final degree, they show whether you did any work in the vacation...

Entz: Short for entertainment. Any social events organised in college, usually by the JCR and/or MCR Committee.

Finals: Final examinations at the end of 3rd (or 4th) year of an Undergraduate Degree.

Fresher: A first-year student (undergraduate or postgraduate).

Governing Body: The collective name for the fellows of the college who meet two or three times a term to consider all matters of college policy and governance.

JCR: Short for Junior Common Room. Either: (i) the college’s undergraduate student body (though postgraduate students are part of the JCR also); or (ii) the actual common room where students eat pizza, play pool and can buy drinks at the bar.

Matriculation: Ceremony in the Sheldonian Theatre conferring membership of the university. Full sub fusc is worn. The ceremony is mostly spoken in Latin.

MCR: Short for Middle Common Room: either (i) the college’s postgraduate student body; or (ii) the actual common room, with TV and kitchen facilities.

OUSU: (Pronounced 'ow-zoo') Oxford University Students Union. As a member of the JCR, you're a member of OUSU, the student body who represent you at university- and national-level. Not to be confused with The Union (see below).

Pidge: Your mailbox, found in the Bursary.

​Prelims: Short for 'Preliminaries'. Students reading an undergraduate degree will take Prelims at the end of their first year. You must pass to proceed on to the Honour School (2nd, 3rd/4th year).

Sub fusc: Worn to Matriculation and your exams, sub fusc is non gender specific. All students must wear a dark gown, mortar board and black ribbon / bow tie with white shirt and either black trousers or black skirt with black tights.

Term: The academic year is split into three terms – Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity. Dates during the term are commonly defined as the day/week/term ie. ‘Tuesday of 5th Week Trinity Term’.

Tutor: Your teacher in a particular subject. You will likely see you tutor at least once a fortnight for a tutorial, where you will discuss your prepared essay or problem set.

The Union: The famous University debating society, which hosts regular talks and meet-and-greets with world-famous and influential speakers. The Union is free to attend during Freshers’ Week, but you must pay for membership after this time. Some talks can be attended by non-Union members by paying a ticket price of £10 – check events details for more info. ​Not to be confused with OUSU (see above).

Varsity Match: Any sporting fixture between the Oxford and Cambridge University teams.