ASA: Academic Study Associates 2008 Programs

ASA in Oxford Student Life

Your summer home will be Lady Margaret Hall (LMH), one of the 39 colleges that make up Oxford University. In LMH, you will have your own bedroom, fully outfitted with a bed, wardrobe, desk and chair; these are the same rooms used by Oxford undergraduates during the academic year. LMH "Scouts" tidy bedrooms daily and supply and replace linens and towels weekly. A team of "porters" staff the lodge at the gated entrance to LMH 24-hours a day and monitor the entrance, sign in visitors, assist with lost keys, answer questions, and provide first-aid response. Living on each floor are Resident Advisors (RAs)—university students who have experience in residence life counseling and studying abroad. Your RAs are there not only to ensure your health and safety, but also to act as community guides and friends, helping you adjust to a new culture and new situations and to get the most out of your stay in Oxford.

LMH occupies a 12-acre site bordered by the River Cherwell and the University Parks, allowing students to enjoy larger grounds than most Oxford colleges and escape some of the city center traffic and congestion. You will have free reign of the college's beautiful gardens, hard tennis courts, a boathouse for punting, and extensive fields for Frisbee, volleyball, or soccer. Students also have access to common rooms with couches, a TV and DVD player, a foosball table, arcade games, and a jukebox, as well as a computer lab for keeping in touch with friends and family. Most classes are conveniently held in LMH or St. Edmund Hall, located immediately adjacent. Breakfast and dinner are eaten in LMH's traditional oak-paneled dining room. Lunch is not provided to encourage students to explore Oxford's restaurants, sandwich shops, and coffeehouses or enjoy a picnic by the river.

All the entertainment and adventure of Oxford's city center is just a short walk away, and students are free to explore in small groups. People-watch on the promenade of Cornmarket Street, where the whole city comes to do their shopping and quirky acts perform in the summer sun. Check out the Covered Market, an arcade of farmer's stalls, small boutiques, flower shops, and sandwich cafes. Investigate the cobblestone lanes that wind between college walls topped with spires and gargoyles. Lounge or play in the greenery and sports fields of the University Parks, the pristine Christ Church Meadows, or the gorgeous Botanical Gardens, all just steps from the bustling city center.