Information for undergraduate freshers
Congratulations on meeting your offer and requirements for study at Hertford – we’re looking forward to welcoming you as a new student in October 2024!
We are committed to providing an exceptional educational and student experience to all our students. We are currently working through the detail of arrangements for the coming academic year, and information on this page will be regularly updated.
Welcome from the Senior Tutor
As Senior Tutor I am delighted to welcome all of you to Hertford. Heading off to university is a huge adventure, and at Hertford you will find a friendly and inclusive community where you can make many new friends to share your journey.
Our students come from many different countries and many different backgrounds, but they also have many things in common. To earn your place here, you have all impressed us with your academic ambition, your ability to work hard, and your passion for your chosen subject. We look forward to working with you to deepen and broaden your knowledge as you progress through your degree course. Our courses are challenging, but we have every faith in your ability to rise to the challenge. You will have to work hard, but your tutors, your peers, our welfare team, and every other member of college staff will support you academically and pastorally every step of the way.
University is not just about academic work. You will find opportunities to engage in almost any activity you can imagine within Hertford and the wider university community. While your main focus needs to be your degree, there is certainly space around the edges to do other things during your time in Oxford. One of the best things about Oxford is that you can do most things at almost any level to suit your ability. No matter how good or bad you are at sport, music, drama, or any other extracurricular activity you’d like to have a go at, you’re almost certain to be able to find like-minded people who share your interests.
To finish, I’d just like to say again how pleased we are that you are joining us, and to encourage you to take every opportunity to make the most of your time at Hertford. It is a time you will remember forever.
Professor Alan Lauder, Senior Tutor
Important information, documents & downloads
Reading lists
Course-specific reading lists will be emailed to you when they become available. Some resources may require single sign-on (SSO) access, so please ensure you return your University Card Form to the Academic Office (academic.office@hertford.ox.ac.uk) as soon as possible.
You can also find useful information in your Undergraduate Course Information Sheet, which offers a brief overview of the course structure and a helpful reminder of what to expect. You can find out more about using the Bodleian Libraries in the video and induction sessions available on their website and in the video below.
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Bodleian Libraries welcome video
Arrivals & accommodation
All first-year undergraduates will be allocated a study bedroom in Hertford accommodation, so you do not need to do anything to register for college accommodation. You will find out which room you have and which building you’ll stay in when you arrive in Freshers’ Week. If you have a disability or a chronic health condition which means that you need specific facilities or a specific location, or that you require your room to be adapted, please contact our Welfare Lead, Jane Corrigan (jane.corrigan@hertford.ox.ac.uk) so that she can help find a solution.
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UK students
The Accommodation team will contact all freshers in September with further information.
The date of arrival for UK-based students is Monday 7th October 2024.
UK Physics students should arrive on Sunday 6th October 2024, between 10.00am and 4.00pm for the Hertford Physics Maths course. We will ask you to confirm your arrival time with the Accommodation Office in due course.
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International students
The Accommodation team will contact all freshers in September with further information.
The date of arrival for international students is from Thursday 3rd of October. We will ask you to confirm your arrival time with the Accommodation Office in due course.
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Freshers' Week
We run an extensive induction for new students early in October, otherwise known as ‘Freshers’ Week’. The programme includes meetings with your tutors and course group, academic skills and college life. Extra-curricular and social activities are organised by the student-run Freshers’ Committee (FComm). You may also be invited to attend induction activities in your subject department or faculty. The complete college programme will be published in late September, while a separate programme of activities will be run for international students who arrive early (please see arrival details above).
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- Holywell Quad bedroom
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- Holywell Quad kitchen
Health, welfare & wellbeing
The health and safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. Please click on the headings below to read more about the University’s immunisation guidelines, how to register with the College Doctors, and how to request any adjustments you may require because of a disability or chronic health condition.
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Vaccinations
Please read the information on the University’s vaccine website and this letter about recommended immunisations.
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Registering with a GP
New students must register with a GP in Oxford, and we strongly encourage all Hertford students to register with the College Doctors at the Northgate Health Center. Further details about the medical registration process are provided in this welcome letter from the surgery.
Please make sure that you register using the Campus Doctor link as soon as possible and by 13th September at the latest.
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Disabilities and chronic conditions
Please let us know if you need support or adjustments on account of a disability or a chronic health condition (including physical and mental health conditions or a specific learning difficulty). Please contact our Welfare Lead Jane Corrigan (jane.corrigan@hertford.ox.ac.uk) to discuss arrangements as early as possible. We will work with you to see how best we can support you, in consultation with University’s Disability Advisory Service.
Similarly, you may contact Jane if you think that you would benefit from additional support as you adapt to student life at Hertford (for example, if you have experienced or are managing a difficult set of circumstances, or have received more structured support at school or college). Jane would be happy to speak with you about welfare and wellbeing support at Hertford. Please address any questions to Jane: jane.corrigan@hertford.ox.ac.uk . Megan, the College Registrar (registrar@hertford.ox.ac.uk) would also be happy to speak to you.
International Students
Please take a look at the University’s pages for new international students, which contain advice on travelling to Oxford, and information about orientation events, finances and banks, and health and insurance. Vital information about visas, including information about applying, and your obligations once you arrive, can be found here.
Financial Information & Support
UK students whose household income is under a certain threshold may be eligible for a Hertford College Undergraduate Bursary, an Oxford Bursary or Crankstart Scholarship.
There is no separate application process for the Hertford Bursary, Oxford Bursary or Crankstart Scholarship as all three are based on the household income assessment carried out by your regional funding agency (e.g. Student Finance England). You just need to ensure both you and your household are financially assessed when you apply for UK government funding, and that you give your regional funding agency permission to share your household income with the University. If you are eligible for an Oxford Bursary or Crankstart Scholarship you can expect to receive information about this in the second half of September. If you are eligible to receive the Hertford Bursary you can expect to receive information about this in January.
More information about other financial support at Hertford can be found on our Undergraduate Financial Support page.
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Understanding payments, fees & "battels"
You can also find more general information on our pages for financial support and living costs.
In Oxford, we use the term “battels” to mean all sums payable to the college by students, including fees.
Students whose fees are funded by a regional funding agency (e.g. if you have a student loan from Student Finance England) have their course/tuition fees paid to the college directly by the agency. Under government rules, student loans are not repaid until after graduation. All students responsible for meeting their own university fees must pay in full at the start of the academic year.
Battels are issued at the start of each term (0th Week) for payment by the end of 3rd Week. Battels include charges for rent and facilities which are paid in advance and vacation rent and other charges incurred during the previous term.
Oxford Academic Dress- “Sub Fusc”
During your time at Oxford you’ll often be required to wear academic dress called “sub fusc”, most notably for matriculation, sitting University examinations and graduation. You can find out more about what sub fusc includes on the University website. Sub fusc items can be purchased second-hand or from various shops in Oxford – please see the links below for more details.
Finding out more
We’ve created an interactive map to help you get your bearings in Oxford: Hertford College sites and transportation are visible but you can see lots more by clicking the tabs on the left-hand side, including shops, banks, healthcare, libraries and directions. You might also like to listen to a guided audio tour of the city and watch our virtual tour of Hertford College.
Meet our Academic Office team
When you arrive at Hertford, the Academic Office will be your first port of call for any academic-related matters – from arranging exams to supporting any adjustments that you require because of a disability. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by emailing academic.office@hertford.ox.ac.uk. Please also make sure that we have an up-to-date email address for you, rather than your school or college one which may expire. We look forward to meeting you in October!