Hello and welcome to the Queen's Access podcast. It's so lovely to have you here.
And I hope you find this a useful resource in learning more about life at Oxford.
But more specifically about life at the Queen's College.
My guests this week are Martha van der Graaf, who's just finished her third year studying German and Azmeh Weeks,
who's just finished half hour yesterday, medicine. We'll have a chat about general life in college and go through some very important FHC use.
My apologies for any poor audio. These interviews have all been conducted over Zoome, and the Internet connexion isn't always completely reliable.
For a transcript of this episode, please visit the Queen's Web site. I hope you enjoy.
Hi, guys. Thank you so, so much for being here. I really appreciate you guys taking time out to do this podcast.
I'm sure you'll be really interested in gas, and I'm sure it will be really helpful for all the listeners.
First of all, can we just start by each of you telling me a little bit about your queen's journey, so how you ended up at college?
Martha, can you start now, please? Yes, I when I kind of never thought I would go to Oxfords and I went to the open day,
just kind of just to see to Drizzt increases actually the first college I went to and I just loved it so much, everyone that was so friendly.
And then I went to lose like loads of other colleges afterwards and none of them really compared.
Yeah. And I went through the interview process. I did. I was little bit scared and got an offer.
Yeah. I really I really loved it so far. I love Queens so much. Oh, fantastic.
And that's my. How about you. Mine's a very different story to marketers.
And so I actually didn't look around Queens any as I knew until today, but I didn't look around Queens.
It's hard to see other colleges. They're all already nice. Pretty pricey. Really set my sights on.
I randomly picked Pembrook and I put the Pember.
I thought I was a times Tambra. I haven't ever told wants you to say this, but I'm sending finds queens of sand on you.
And then I was kind of wound to like whatever I was really I on any anyway.
But then when I came to NC, I found an offer that I thought was Sobeys for such a nicer case than just being really in awe of it.
I'm like amazed by him for interviews. And then it's been, you know, such a happy mistake that you lost means so much to sustain.
I'm like, wow, I've never heard. We've got people be like, yeah, I got pool the I got over it all.
I had everyone. I just quit there on the very big boat.
So we'll get into the main kind of like topic for this episode, which is I called it domestic life,
but it's basically just a lot of the frequently asked questions about what it's
like to actually live in college and kind of the practicalities of living here.
So first of all, Martha, do you mind explaining just how accommodation works at Queen's?
Let me know a little bit about what your experience has been like of college accommodation.
Yes. Say Queens actually provides accommodation the whole way through.
No colleges do. The queen does. It's very nice.
So, I mean, as we had a bit of a different situation than fresh, as you know, because we lived in the old building, refreshes now.
Lives in college or on the building in the building next to college.
And then in second year, you see the lives you still live, see essentially.
But you have a little bit farther away from college. Like a ten minute walk.
See the light down the road and Cowley or like in another building, close it all dates.
And then in your final year, you can also go back to college or live in two dates.
I, like college accommodation, has been really great so far. I think what I've loved about it is especially so I lived in the Calder Building.
I'm in my second year, which is the one in Cowley, and it's just really it's just really nice.
And you live with like 50 people. So it's quite a nice community.
And yeah, I've never actually lived in college, but sure is nice to live in college.
And yes, like Ripple's TV experience. Oh, brilliant.
Do you want to expand a little bit about how the room ballot works? Yes.
So the room ballot is basically a way that the students make it fair to live in college route
to like who gets what college room is when firstly you kind of get randomly assigned to rooms.
It's kind of like lucky if you get a good read one.
And then in second in your final year, you get put into a ballot, let's say in second year you kind of get randomly assigned a place.
You might be like really high up, which means you get first pick in second year or you might be really low down, which means you get lost pay.
But basically what happens make it sad is that the ballot flips around so that it's in secondary.
You got fast pick. It means in final year you get lost pay.
So it kind of means that basically everyone gets a fairly similar standard of college accommodation.
Yeah. And you kind of have like a day where everyone sits and you all look on this Google document, see who's got what room and.
Yes. A good system. Yeah. I think that was one of the things that highlighted to me about Queens on the open day.
I went to some other colleges that pay their accommodation so they might have kind of a GPA.
And it's all different prices depending on why you want to live. And that can be good because that follows the ethos of you get what you pay for.
But equally,
the fact that everybody plays the same base rent at Queens means there's no kind of like socio economic hierarchy in terms of where anyone lives,
because it all has to do with what position you got on the ballot.
And also, it's worth noting that you can swap positions on the ballot with somebody before rooms have been allocated.
You can only swap in. But you can decide to be higher up or lower down, depending on where it would be best, what for you?
So, for example, someone I know swapped higher up the ballot because they they go to a department that's
like a really particularly far walk from CARDO just within exactly the opposite direction.
So they swapped move farther up in order and all that stands up and.
Yeah, but they've also now forfeited potentially the chance of getting a college criminal.
So I'm also saying it's just kind of a way open to it, the way the students make sure that it's the fastest and for everybody.
It's probably also working so that you can live out so like big as me and I living out next year, even though college provides the rooms,
like there is still the option to live out, which I know that quite a lot of people might want to do.
Mm hmm. Yeah, definitely. I yakkers I'm doing a I'm getting integrated matthes.
So because my focus research, you'll likely be living out as well.
Yeah.
I think it's nice because when you with the fall back on college accommodation, you don't have the stress of having to move out somebody somewhere.
So you only move out if you want to. And if you have five people that you want to live with.
So I feel like people definitely find living out a more pleasant experience than they might do other universities where they don't get the option.
Yeah, one hundred percent. And especially because there's no pressure.
And second, in first year to meet loads of friends to find people to live with in second year.
Yeah, exactly. It's quite it takes the pressure off of it. Mm hmm.
And see, I remember when I first started Queens, I had no idea what would happen to my posts.
And that's all but a really small thing. But when I had like a distant relative being like, oh, I want to send you a congratulations card,
like, well, God, I was like, do I put my room number on? Like, well, I have a letter box.
How does it work? I saw all my other university friends giving me, like, flat numbers and things like that.
And I was like, how on earth does this work? So as an.
Do you mind explaining a little bit about how the post system works in college and just generally what the role of the polls is?
Yes, it is actually really confusing. And like you said, you don't really get like a slot number to some your post to.
And no matter where you're living in college accommodation, you're in the main college site on an Onyx buildings.
All of your posts will get directed to the main college site. And it's picked up here.
I'm sort of into a special bearing those two rooms as the influx of letters and parcels.
And that's kind of collectively called the pages.
And these are kind of like pigeon holes that your have your last name on it and you let us get slotted into.
And that's kind of great because it means that stuff can arrive at any time.
And the porters will talk about in a second and we'll take up and so out the post.
And so you don't need to put any specific details other than your name on the college on the college address, which is great, really.
And it meant that you could order courses anytime of the day and you don't have to be in and waiting for them,
which is quite handy and which I'll miss when I'm living out. And then put, as I mentioned before, a kindness like.
And the gatekeepers to the college. So they set in what's called the porter's lodge,
right at the entrance of the main college and that kind of a cesspool of calls and general
enquiries so they can direct you to all sorts of other people in the OXA and the colleges.
You need specific things. They take the post. They are responsible for booking of rooms within conures.
If you need to hire out music, practise room, for example, or use the sports facilities that needs to be booked and that 24/7 as well.
So that kind of heavy security practise as well in that if you're within college, over in central X,
that there are pools cool for you to go to if you're in distress or just need to have any kind of security concerns.
So, yeah, they're really, really useful figures around college. I'm very friendly, too.
Yeah, they are. They're all really, really nice. So, Martha, do you mind talking to listeners through the process of moving?
And it's kind of crazy. I remember doing it for the first time.
A swarm of second is descended on my dogs, call for help, move myself in and it's all a little bit mental.
And also what you can call it, take the college accommodation. Yeah.
So is it. So when you're moving into college,
it's quite difficult because there's not very much space to play cause so I remember when I was this, I could do it.
I was healthy. All the fresh is like a light. Quickly alert the stuff from the call of AC.
You have a system so you can come in at like a specific time and then you can kind of people help you unload when you
first arrive and wallies when you first arrive is a pressure and then you can go past your parents and go somewhere else.
Yeah. I know I don't know how it works because there isn't really much space for people to park, but somehow it all works quite smoothly.
Yeah. And then stuff that you can and can't take.
I mean I don't know, like maybe you see for we can't really take like electorates like specific electricals and stuff.
So like Mike.
Waves like you have to get permission to be able to take microwaves and stuff you can't have, like Kandos, basically like fire hazards inshore.
And then dinner as me. Can you think of any other things you can't take? No, I think there's many.
I have heard stories of people trying to sneak back hot plates and grills, and I would say that's probably not a good idea,
especially as Gleans is trying to like improve the cooking facilities, which I think until quite a bit.
And but apart from that, firehoses is a pretty good way to put it.
Yeah. I think be sensible. So you do get some information that is in there, the specific things that are prohibited.
And if you are anything, you can cheque it. And then when you get kind of information.
Yeah. Perfect. I think as well. Yeah. It's worth checking that information like not ready yet, but yeah.
Each time you move in beganto acres. I moved in infectiously with my brand new shiny toaster.
I got an offer out there and then in like fourth week they were like, yep, toast is an album.
Take your Titus's home. You kind of a toast worn out by outsiders. So.
So they can. The requirements kind of also depending on kind of what they believe is like.
Yeah. Any kind of breath probably. Firehouse is the main thing. That's a typo.
Okay. I can change their mind on toasters and rooms. Yeah.
Which is which is unfortunate for me. Okay.
Perfect. So as me. Do you mind walking us through like how health care works in Oxford Street and why you go if something's gone wrong.
Yeah. So. And that's kind of two main ports of call and queens.
And one of your first one is that's kind of more of a minor concern and less immediate or needing specific doctor's attention.
We have a college nurse who is onsite, unset days of the week.
I think those are subject to change sometimes. But you do get told and it's made clear when you advise.
And also, it's a times of a change. What? Mornings are often physical.
Is nurses available and you can pop into her in her room onsite, which is one of the things that again gets pointed out when you start.
And she can help with any kind of minor concerns or niggling things.
And always you're not sure why you should go next. You can direct each other services, which is great for all sorts of things.
And she is also available by email. And so that's the first very helpful thing.
And then also every college in Oxford will be every student in Oxford.
So I will be assigned to a GP practise through that Coneys and different colleges
are associated or affiliated with different GP surgeries around Oxford.
And Aussies on Beaumont Street, which isn't too far from the call.
It is a really nice practise. So many nice doctors there.
And when you say this register with Oxford University, you're encouraged to register with that GP surgery there.
And then and that's part of the registration process. And it's really strongly encouraged that you do register with you college doctor,
because it means that you've got a port of call for a GP very immediately in Oxford for any health concerns.
And I know people might be a bit concerned about then be able to access a doctor back at home during the box.
And I've had no issues with that. I've been able to register both as a temporary patient at home.
Really easy. Be seen just as easily.
But it means that when you move stocks that you're in a new face, you already talk with access to a GP if you need it.
And I think one of the great things about Beaumont Street is, well, it it's it's huge. And it has a full nurse's station as well.
So sometimes even if the doctors are all fully booked, if you don't need to, that necessarily requires a doctor.
You can go to the nurse's station and they have like a lot of appointments available.
So I've been there a couple of times that like freshers, flu kind of things to cheque if I got a chest infection or anything like that.
And they're really good for that. And they have an in-house pharmacist as well, which I hope so.
So anything out?
And then in terms of the other services and prox, it has like a lot of sexual health services, the same as kind of any big city would.
So there's different sexual health clinics. You can also go to college and ask for two months straight if you have any kind of concern.
I believe the college nurse can prescribe contraception that is within her remit so she can help you with that.
And also, there's a student dental service called Student until that on the Oxford Brookes
campus on you can register there for an emergency appointment of a temporary patient.
So I had a Western tooth infection last time, which was upsetting for me, but thankfully, rather, admen free.
And I went online and my appointment that I just got a the books and yeah, that was really, really simple and.
To sort out so I didn't have to worry about registering as a permanent patient identifier upset because I tend to have my cheque ups at home.
Yeah, you can if any, you have any kind of immediate concern. That is always there.
So if ever you've been to Oxford, either on an open day or anything like that, you probably have heard people referencing board.
So, Martha, can you explain the importance of a board card and what you actually need it for?
Yes, whole goal. Go to kind of you just need it for everything in oxfords, which is kind of annoying because you lose one all the time.
If they I've had three world calls and two point BRK as well, but basically they just like little cards that you use to get into the library today.
I think technically that I mean, the board is referring to the body.
It's like the library. So it's technically a library card, but you kind of did use it for everything.
So, like, you can use it to take out books and like get into the library and stuff, but also to pay for college lunch, to pay for drinks at Bucella.
Yeah. To get into various college buildings is kind of like your little pass to show that you go to Oxford and that gives you access to everything.
So, yeah. Pretty important college. Yeah, definitely.
And yeah, pick a good photo.
I chose my passport photo and it's not flattering and I didn't realise that you are actually allowed to smile on a postcard photo.
And now I wish I'd taken a separate one with no Arab.
That's what I submitted my paper. So Azmeh, do I'm talking you through kind of the two major domestic concerns that tend to hit students?
Well, I guarantee to it about day. So laundry and cooking.
Yes. So laundry. There's a designated room in each annexe and or in the main college site.
There's also a big laundry room as well. And I think there's a few washes and a few dryas.
And each of those rooms, which doesn't sound like a lot Botley is quite easy to find time to do laundry.
It's never it's never like you ask to wait too long. And it's done through an app called Sacket Laundry.
So you get the app on a tablet or sign and you upload you put some money in your account on the second laundry out,
and then you just use the app to scan a QR code on the washer dryer.
And then also elsea it's quite self-explanatory, unlike in each of the laundry rooms as post as I explain how to use the QR codes and stuff.
So this assignment's you're not if you're a bit confused or not super familiar with it.
I think at the minute it's two pound, 10 from standard wash and one pound.
Forty four dry.
Which again, sounds like a lot, but I found you can put two loads of washing into one dryer because the dry is having his face so it's not too bad.
And they're all very, very big washing machines,
which meant sometimes I would save up loads of washing and just do it on a Monday and to save costs on this is an easy system to use.
The only hesitation I say is you get like a timer on the app that tells you how much longer there is for your washing.
And sometimes if you're not very quick at the end of that time, it's pick up.
You're watching people that want to use the machines will take your stuff out. So I've found that to get in quick can move it.
But that's I think that's the same anywhere you go as a student. And then cooking, it really varies depending on where you're living.
And the main college site, there's one small kitchen which doesn't have an oven, but it has some hobs.
I know a lot of the families this year did a lot of cooking in there and you can make some really nice meals.
And there is also got a grill and is right next to the common room.
So a lot of people would cook dinner and then eat in the evenings together.
And which is really nice, especially now that families are living on the main college site and then another Onex.
Again, it varies. So and the condo building has one slightly better equipped kitchen with more hogs and an oven, but that's still a communal kitchen.
And then the sun on its house building has several kitchens that kind of shared between between maybe four and 10 Marines,
six and 10 rooms, something like that. So it's MU. Individual kitchens is not makes sense.
And then on the kitchen floor, you know, so, yeah, that was a really good explanation.
Thank you. So Martha Matriculation is a really traditional ceremony.
It often massively confuses people, especially for assets before they've actually done it.
So could you explain what it is on what your experience of it was?
Yeah, it's basically just a really fun day where you get to officially become a member of.
It's I think you kind of spend like two weeks at Oxford where you're not officially a member, and then Matriculation Day, you are officially issued.
And basically all that happens is that you dress up in what's called your subclass,
which is like a white girl that's like white blouse, black ribbon, you gown and like black bottoms.
And for guys, it's like white tall order. You know what they were like, little white bow tie, like a suit kind of thing.
And yes, you go dressed up, you have your photo taken in college, and then you go to this Sheldonian Theatre,
which is like around the corner from Queens, and you have this, like ceremony with ceremony in Latin, which is really sure.
It's like I think it's like ten minutes or something. And I remember your room.
Is it ten minutes, really? So. Yeah. Yeah.
Like, really. Sure. Yeah. And then after that you're kind of like free to go anywhere.
So like I think we just went spoon's like some people we see didn't Belbeisi.
We just spent ages like hanging around Oxford and then. Yeah, just really just a really fun day.
And like she made some very good friends on that day as well. So yes. Riegert.
Fantastic, Azmeh, what was your experience, matriculation like and kind of seminar?
Yeah, the ceremony itself is very short, but it's quite exciting to get all dressed up in the morning,
kind of as the first time you're properly kitted out in the sun fast, which isn't unusual, but quite an exciting experience.
And you get your photo taken and it's nice to look back on that, as I recently finished, Sergeant, who's like moving on to clinical schools.
And it's kind of fun to look back at me just starting as I'm about to start a new chapter and kind of zeros come from.
And you got like a really nice picture. They got professional photographers in to and take pictures of everyone.
And then there's also a big group photo of everyone that's matriculating that.
Yes. And the college kind of like schools today, but with fancy friends and then as mom does, that is so nice.
So then spend the afternoon with your kind of new peers exploring that a little bit, getting to chat to everyone.
It feels like quite a celebration, even though you've kind of just started, it seems, but quite good rites of passage and to university.
That be my. Yeah, it's really nice.
And I remember I remember like being so shocked when the my college parents said, like, oh, as a general rule, nobody works.
I said, wow, that's so exciting.
Yeah. I'd say that I did not pull out a textbook on matriculation. Me too.
Too busy having fun. Yeah. And then one of the final things I just wanted to mention is to do with financial support.
So I'm not going to go super in-depth for that. But I would encourage you if you're looking for anything to find out to support the Queen's website.
APSEY far in terms of going into stuff that is queen specific, say things like book grants, Campbell grants, all that kind of thing.
If you live more than, I believe, one hundred and sixty miles outside of college, I know that whatever it is, I'm just over it.
Maybe it's 100th birthday. They give you live X amount of miles outside of college.
You get given a travel grant every time. Which can you can you go back and they don't Jack.
If you go back or not. So that's nice. Yeah.
Baby is like a book grant where you can get money off textbooks that you buy.
There's different kind of grants so you can apply there if you have some kind of like passion project that you'd like to fulfil.
And then university wide, it's really worth looking into. A lot of the really generous bursaries available.
So I'm on the crack start scholarship, which is a super generous bursary for low income students.
There's also the Loyde scholarship. So if you are concerned or just wanting to know a little bit more about financing your way through Oxford,
there are tons of resources available online. And I also mentioned it in my profile on the ambassador platform on the Queen's website.
Did you have any questions? You can message me directly on that and I can sign post use any kind of financial resources that you might be asked.
So thank you so much, guys. That was great. You provided loads of information as a closing question.
I'd just like to find out from you both. What is your favourite thing about college and why?
So, Martha, can you sort of go, oh, that's a hard one.
I just like General College, like so like I played college for.
I actually have my say college football. College football is so much fun. So, you know, you're just like the community of Queens, like college.
That was part of that. So you have like centred dinner, which is this crazy dinner.
Everyone dresses up the centre and you will get is like 90. Santer's walking around in November, which is pretty funny.
And then you have like three nice back tie dinner. And then you go on Twitter to Cambridge as well.
So I just love it.
I've got so much from Polish that I like, which is really fun to get to know people from other years as well, because Queens is quite small, like.
And then through football I could just get to know people in the abelow and like yeah it's like I'd say that's for you.
My favourite thing so far. How about you have my and when I kind of agree on the general community side, Quin's has a lovely community,
but to extend on that and they say something a bit more different, a bit more practical.
And it's really nice being in such a pretty central college that isn't open to tourists, kind of from a practical level.
And I know a lot of the bigger colleges like Kronstadt and Trinity have tourists kind of walking in and out jump throughout the day, and that's fine.
I think, you know, some people that doesn't bother them. But I mean, that's really nice to have this kind of.
It's almost like a mini little you walk in from the really bustling high street and then there's this beautiful building full of people that
you nine am and you kind of it feels like a very welcoming place to end to and conveniently located right in the middle of High Street.
So, yeah, probably couple of my favourite things. Yeah.
Yeah. That's a good point about the tour I thought was a really big pull for me was like,
I'm not feeling the porters do as well, but not that tourist stuff. So they say, yeah, that, that can be really, really good.
Okay, perfect. Well, thank you so, so much for both speaking to me. I really appreciate that.
And I'm sure everybody who like. Land absolutely loads, yeah.
Thank you so much and I'll speak to you guys soon.
Thank you so much to Martha and Azmeh for that amazing conversation and a massive thank you to all of you who listened.
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