Town of the Gown. Oxford is famously known as the “Town of the Gown”—a phrase I initially thought referred simply to it being a university town, home to over 30 colleges across the city, where you’ll find shops selling matriculation and graduation robes, historic libraries, and am influx of new faces and students each term
Town of the Gown is more than just presence of the university
Some of Oxford’s most iconic buildings were commissioned or supported by former students: the Radcliffe Camera was funded by John Radcliffe, the Boldeian Library owes its name to Sir Thomas Bodley, and the Sheldonian Theatre was designed and funded by university alumni. Each year, Oxford receives millions of pounds in donations and in-kind support through mentoring, career guidance, and academic collaboration from its global alumni network, and that is what makes the town, town of the gown
While alumni “give back,” current students often “take away” a little piece of Oxford—or so the locals will tell you! There is the trashing ceremonies where students celebrate the end of exams by dousing each other with confetti and questionable substances before leaping into the canal (I am guilty)
There is also the occasional gargoyle on the Sheldonian Theatre mysteriously donning an orange road cone (those stoppers on the street?) or wearing lipstick—its a town of the gown for all of its tradition, legacy and also mischief
Stranger Things in Oxford. One of the strangest things you’ll stumble upon at Oxford is the Annual Tortoise Race. Every trinity term, Oxford’s colleges race their resident tortoises against one another in the grounds at Corpus Christi college. Some tortoises are even groomed like athletes—fed better greens, exercised in advance, and decorated in tiny college flags or paint-safe college colors. Then there is Mr. Simpkin, Hertford College’s star student - a resident cat. He attends tutorials (uninvited), perches at windows during high-table dinners, and has his own Instagram fan base!
Punting and Rowing; Working out or being royalty?. When I first joined college, one of the top things on my Oxford bucket list was to try punting or rowing with the college team. That ambition lasted all of five minutes—right after I learned that trials happen at 5 a.m. in the freezing canal waters, and more importantly, require strong swimming skills. It didn’t take long to realize this was not for me
So what were my options? Two, actually. First, there’s the indoor rowing simulator at the Oxford Rowing Club. And second—and far more charming—you can rent a punt or rowboat from the Magdalen Bridge Boat house. They offer both self-punting and “hire a punter” options. Its both widely different experiences
On the self-punting side, you’ll get a full-body workout, trying to maneuver the long (and surprisingly heavy) metal pole to push the boat along the canal bed. You’ll likely pant a little, get stuck under a bridge, and maybe even collide with a swan or two. It’s chaotic, draining but fun.
On the other end, hiring a punter means you can lean back, relax with a basket of strawberries and a bottle of champagne, feed the swans, and float along under blue skies like royalty. Having done both on several occasions, I’d honestly recommend trying each—one for the adventure, and the other for the indulgence. There’s an Oxford mood for both
“Water water everywhere, not a drop to drink”. That’s exactly how I felt when I first entered university—swept away by the sheer number of things to do and discover. Maybe every student feels that initial rush?. But what’s not common to everystudent and every other college is the type of activities Oxford offers to choose from
You have to decide between finishing assignments, going to a social mixer, a formal dinner (different dinners at 38 colleges), wine and cheese nights, a chocolate tasting, or playing Quidditch on the Christ Church college grounds (yes, where Harry Potter was filmed)
There is also the quirkiest of societies from Tortoise Keepers' Society, the Oxford Society for the Investigation of the Paranormal, the Tolkien Society, the Oxford Role-Playing Game Society, or the (very real) Harry Potter Society. Its all play and games, untill its not (the night before assignment submissions)
Formal wine and dine. On my very first day at university, we were asked to write a letter to our future selves, listing four or five things we hoped to accomplish over the next year at school. The idea was that this letter would be returned to us at the end of our final term. When I finally read mine at the end of my time at Oxford, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had (almost) completed one of the items on my list: “Try formal dinners at all 38 Oxford colleges.” I made it to a solid 25 out of 38, only interrupted by a global pandemic that shut down colleges during lockdown
So, what was the formal dining experience like across these colleges?
In some ways, it was consistent—each one typically featured a three-course meal served in a grand dining hall, with wine pairings and, more often than not, classical music or an orchestra setting the tone. But every college added its own twist and flair.
Magdalen College (my personal favorite) offered a completely candle-lit dining experience. The walls are lined with portraits of past presidents and scholars, and guests are required to stand in silence while Latin grace is read aloud. It’s deeply traditional, with a medieval charm
New College was equally lavish, especially around the holidays—dessert was served with port wine and Christmas crackers for that extra festive touch
Merton College hosted literary-themed dinners, where excerpts from Shakespeare, Tolkien, and other greats were read aloud between courses
Beyond the food and ceremony, the best part of these formals was the people. You’re seated at communal tables alongside students, faculty, guests, and visiting scholars from across the university.
The conversations—across disciplines, cultures, and ideas—were always fresh and engaging, and so the formal dinners never get old. And yes, for visitors or curious guests, it’s actually possible to attend these formals. You can usually buy tickets from current students or through the Oxford Formal Dinner Marketplace on Facebook (if it still exists!)
Living in Oxford. A truly worthwhile Oxford experience—whether you're a student, visiting family member, friend, or guest—is to stay in one of the university colleges. This is possible through the official Oxford University Rooms booking site, which offers accommodation in student dorms during vacation periods. Many of these stays include access to college dining halls, bars, and even libraries, allowing you to soak in the full collegiate atmosphere
If college accommodation isn't available, there are more traditional (though pricier) options in the city centre. Two of the best-known hotels are, The Old Parsonage Hotel and The Randolph Hotel by Graduate Hotels, both luxury boutique properties with a natural historical charm. For the full Oxford experience, it’s highly recommended to stay in or near the city centre, where you’ll be within walking distance of the colleges, museums, libraries, and historic pubs. Areas like Cowley or Headington, while more affordable, are a bit farther out
Beyond cold sandwiches or fish and chips. As an asian student, one of the top things on my mind on a daily basis was to find great and affordable food (which does not include cold sandwhich or fish and chips) — and ‘Gloucester Green Market’ never dissapointed. An open-air marketplace steps from the city’s main bus station and a short walk from the train station it offers any and every type of food options. Operating from Wednesday to Saturday, it has food stalls ranging from Japanese, Turkish, India, Spanish and also British (if you want the sandwiches and fish and chips- why I will not understand)
Education Outside the Classroom. As a student, the other thing on top of my mind on some days (not everyday, weekends maybe more) was how and where to procure good wine or beer. The first and easiest answer I dicovered was the college bars themselves. Most collegs have these bars underground with 5 euro pints, or wine bottles (or wine cartons when it was acceptable to drink wine from a packaged milk type carton)
Many of these college bars would host pub quizes, cocktail and game nights. I recall this one instance when we had a serious discussion on solving the security crisis in Afghanistan in the law class, and how that discussion spilled over into the bar conversations that night with some of our best ideas and answers only being spoken about at 11pm over billiards!
The other must see bars are the Turf Tavern bar, which is known to have been frequented by Bill Clinton during his Rhodes Scholar days. There is also Eagle and Child Bar which was a regular meeting spot of the Inklings, a literary group that included J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis. You can sit in the oom where early drafts of The Lord of the Rings were read aloud. These bars are believed to have a motto “An Education Outside the Classroom”.
Open air musuem, and museums. The city is an open air musuem with some of its building belonging to 10th centruy. Oford walking tours and guided history walks- often conducted by history students! are a fantastic way to learn about the history of the city and the university. One I recommend is the Uncomfortable Oxford Tour, touches upon how latin was dominant form of education, women were not admitted in most collegs untill much later in history and impact of imperial past of the country. All fascinating. There is also then the museums, Ashmolean, Museum of Natural History, Pitts River Musuem, Musuem of Oxford, Oxford Castle and Prison.
Walks, Pinics and reading spots
There is plenty of scenic walks and picnic spots in Oxford from Port Meadow to Oxford Botanic Gardens, or simply trails by the canal. Port Meadow is also a great picnic spot, for people and for the cows that casually stroll around eating any unattended or even attended food! Oxford Botanic gardens hasa nice display of plants and tour of the glasshouse, and many trails along the canals have boat houses and famous ‘oxford benches’ for reading spots
Oxford Balls. College balls trace their roots back to Victorian-era society events, when Oxford's elite would host formal dinners and dances to mark the end of the academic year. Many versions of these balls are held even today. There is the Trinity Term (May–June) balls when the weather is pleasant, Commemoration Balls (every 3 years) or Annual Balls every year, depending on the college. Then there is festive balls, so Diwali Ball, Christmas ball and the likes. In my case, and since I did school 2019-2020, there was a ‘quarantine-ball’!
Some balls are 12 hour events, starting 9pm and ending 9am the following day. Do not be surprised if you see men in black or white ties, and women in full ball gowns strolling on the streets at 6am, its just another day after the ball.
Outside Oxford and peeking into the early years of great leaders and artists. A short train or car ride away is nice weekend getaways from Oxford. There is Cotswolds, old english countryside town. Blenheim Palace, 2,000 acres of an expansive palace, also birthplace of Winston Churchill’s. Or may be known to the Indian community as the Raichand house from Karan Johar’s K3G’s movie. There is Stonehenge (ancient wonder of the world!) and also Stratford Upon Avon.
Stratford Upon Avon is an old town, also birth place of Shakespere’s where the city’s small theatres perform some of Shakespere’s famous works. The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) brings to the stage the Swan and Royal Shakespeare Theatres
Bath is a small town with beautifully preserved Roman Baths offering mineral soaking spas. The town also honours Jane Austen, and the time she spent in the city. Jane Austen Centre is a museum dedicated to her life and works, and the annual Jane Austen Festival which also takes place here is when fans dress in period costume for parades, dances, and talks
I had time to explore some of these outside Oxford excursions, not all - being a university student is a full time activity in itself and the town has plenty to offer- but if I were to go back, and I plan to for all the re-unions, I would venture out more to the very accessible parts right outside the city
Concluding reflection: You might want to also go to ‘the other place’ (if you know you know), its prettier they say, but Oxford is more fun