Balls and Events

What you’ll learn quickly is that Oxford is always bustling with life and activity. You’re bound to find an event on any given week. All colleges hold formal dinners in their dining halls, but many colleges and societies also hold balls, a much bigger spectacle. The price of tickets can range from £60 to £250, though most have access tickets in place to ensure anyone can attend, no matter their financial situation.

Balls often feature an open bar and food from many of Oxford’s local vendors. Some may even include a formal sit-down meal! They also involve great entertainment, from well-known artists and student bands to ferris wheels and bumper cars.

toP tIPs For Balls: • Take professional photos early! That way you can relax and not worry about having to look picture perfect after one too many drinks and diving into the ball pit. • To avoid queues for food, go a bit later in the evening and have a light snack before you attend. As soon as the doors open there will likely be a mad rush to the food stalls, so try to space this out if possible. • Enjoy yourself! Oxford balls are a privilege, and are probably unlike any event you’ve ever been to, so make the most of it!

Oxford is so much more than a city of scholars! Our social lives as students are filled with lots of fun and unique events. One of my favourite experiences so far has been attending crewdates. Crewdates are socials between two different societies/subjects/years to encourage interactions between different teams and social groups. They usually involve drinking games, including sconcing (similar to Never Have I Ever).

Oxford has so many events that you would never get to experience elsewhere, so my advice is to take advantage of them all - but stay safe and don’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with. It won’t take long for you to discover your preferences and, once you have, they will make your time here even more memorable.