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Keble College, Oxford
From The Student RoomTSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > Oxford > Keble College, Oxford
LocationKeble is located the top end of Parks Road, about 25 seconds away from the University Parks (on which are also a number of sports pitches, including Keble rugby's pitch) and about 50 yards from the Physics buildings, with the Engineering buildings also very close by. St Giles and Sainsbury’s, along with the Indy club Po Na Na and other amenities are also very easily accessed by using the 'magic gate' at the back of the college. Some say Keble is a bit out of the way, but the ‘magic gate’ puts you right into the mix very quickly given that walking down St Giles' puts you in the centre of Oxford. For those who study and use books at the Bodleian, it’s basically a straight line down Parks Road and then past the History Faculty Library to get to the Bodleian Buildings and the Radcliff Camera (where the History and some English reading rooms are). The journey can be done in about 2 minutes on a bike, if you ignore red lights. AccommodationAccommodation is good in Keble. For the most part Keble can offer accommodation within college for at least 2 years of your course, and possibly for all of it if you are lucky. Accommodation is generally nice as Keble sucks up to the conference trade. Rooms are well furnished and there is a very high proportion of en-suite bathrooms (a relative rarity in Oxford). Every room is on the Oxford phone network and has access to the internet. You will though (as in the case of most colleges) have to completely leave your room at the end of every term, unless you are an international student in which case you may put some of your stuff into storage. Rent isn't too bad (£12-£15 a day at a guess, which is comparable with most of the other colleges in Oxford as far as I know. It also helps you only pay for the time you are here ie 27 weeks a year). It also includes all the water, electricity, net connection (but not food). Kitchen facilities is something that Keble lacks really. The older quads (Pusey and Liddon) have a shared kitchen on each corridor, but a lot of the newer rooms (De Brayne, Sloane Robinson and Hayward) have no kitchen facilities at all, save for possibly a fridge and room for a kettle). Keble is though a fully catered college. In first year you don't get a lot of choice. You can't choose a specific room but I do believe you can choose a type of room and they will try where possible to match you to it. The types being (if I remember correctly)
Library and ComputingKeble has both a 24 hour Library and Computer Room, the convenience of which cannot be over estimated. Books can be borrowed from the Library for a week at a time and easily renewed. Some subject's students however operate 'unwritten rules' in which books shouldn’t be removed given the Library is 24h. This is to avoid the potential frustrations of people urgently needing books that are sitting dormant in other student's rooms. The Library holds a valuable collection of writings from John Keble, a founding member of the College and a leading figure of the Oxford Movement. Like with most college libraries. Keble’s Library has a good, pervasive selection of books for most subjects and will invariably stock several of the introductory or more mainstream texts required for a tutorial essay, with more specialist or less popular texts requiring visits to faculty libraries of the Bodleian. The Computer Room's computer's have recently been upgraded and are invaluable if network connections in student's rooms go down. It is rarely full and so is ideal quickly checking emails. It is, however, quite a small room and the high density of computers within it can create quite a loud atmosphere of computer fans spinning, keyboards being used and people chatting. All students roomed are collected to the college network, and network cables can be bought very cheaply from the Computer Office. The college has a powerful internet so network speeds are fine for surfing and downloading. The Computer Office's staffs are also approachable and willing to fix computer problems (regarding both hardware and software) at short notice. Social SpacesKeble's bar is big and spacious and has recently been overhauled. It's a 70s spacepod type thing, concrete and glass construction but still grade listed for its design. It serves all that you can want and they hold various events and bops in there to keep you occupied. The JCR is also well equipped with the usual sky tv, snooker table, table football and lots of comfy seats etc. WelfareAtmosphereI would say the atmosphere is fairly friendly and informal. I always think of it as a friendly atmosphere (slightly blokey in a way - most the guys are into rugby) but very warm. Being a big college it can be hard to know everyone, but it's really not a problem with a bit of effort. I don't pretend to know everyone at Keble, or even in my year, but I know enough to make my time enjoyable at uni. FacilitiesFood is served in hall 3 times a day during the week and twice a day at weekends for every day during term (Not all colleges offer this). Food in hall is reasonable and reasonably priced). It's generally canteen style food at lunch time - chips, salads, sandwiches, pies, pizzas, pasta + 1 set meal - and a more formal hall in the evening. This will be of the form of meat and vegetables (+ a vegetarian option) and will be served as a formal hall (ie you will be required to wear your gown and stand up while grace is read (or sung from the balcony as on Sundays)). Student-eye view | 
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