All our 2024 Freshers’ Resources are available here!

Freshers

Firstly, congratulations on having received an offer from the University and fulfilling any conditions – and for being accepted by Merton, of course!

On this page you will find some useful information on preparing for your arrival in Oxford as well as what to expect from your first few weeks at Merton.

Make sure to check the College Intranet once you are given access (you will be emailed on how to access the Intranet by College over the summer) for comprehensive instructions on what you must do before arriving in Oxford. Much of this information will be emailed to you if it has not been already, but for ease of reference you can find it here as well.

Pre-arrival

 
 

To pack:

  • Letters of acceptance from the University/Faculty/Department and College

  • Bank statement (if opening a new bank account)

  • Proof of funding, eg stipend, scholarship, bursary, etc (for your bank)

  • Cash to cover the time between arriving in Oxford and setting up a bank account

  • A laptop

  • Bedding, towels, toiletries and coat-hangers (these items are not provided in College accommodation)

  • Kitchenware, eg pots, pans, dishes, mugs, cutlery, etc (NB the kitchen hobs only work with induction pots and pans)

  • Suitable attire for sub fusc (for details on sub fusc and academic dress at Oxford, click here)

  • Clothes and a few formal clothes (jacket and tie or equivalent)

  • Prescriptions, driving licence, passport-sized photos

 

To do:

  • Send in your University Card Form, so that your University ID (‘Bod card’) can be made and will be ready for you to collect

  • Complete Student Self-Service registration

  • Set up your Oxford Nexus email account, where you will be contacted by College, the MCR and your Faculty/Department

  • Join the Merton Freshers’ Facebook group (optional) where we can answer any queries (if you do not use Facebook, feel free to contact the MCR President at mcr.president@merton.ox.ac.uk)

On Arrival

Go to:

  • Holywell Lodge (7 Holywell Street, Oxford OX1 3SA) to introduce yourself to the Porters and collect your room key. If you’re living in Couples’ Accommodation, go to the Main Lodge (Merton Street, Oxford OX1 4JD)

  • Your room to unpack

  • Join the Orientation Tour around the College led by the MCR President or another Committee member to complete registration at the Academic Office.

Internet, Wi-Fi and Single-Sign On

As an Oxford student, you will have access to a plentiful range of online resources. To access these, you will of course need access to the internet as well as what is called you Single Sign-On (SSO).

The SSO consists of a username which you are assigned (if Merton is your first Oxford college, which is be the case for most Freshers, then it will look like this: mert1264) and a password which you are able to set yourself.

 

Eduroam

Eduroam is the University’s own Wi-Fi network. It provides secure network access for students and staff and is most students’ default network. You may have used Eduroam at a previous institute of higher education and so you may be familiar with it, but in any case you will have to use your new Oxford Eduroam log-in to access it.

Your Eduroam username and password is different from your SSO! Your username will be the same (eg, mert1264), however you will have different passwords for your Eduroam account and SSO.

The Cloud

The Cloud is another common Wi-Fi network across the UK. The Cloud is a company that provides public access Wi-Fi hotspots. Unlike Eduroam, it is not secured and monitored by the University’s IT Services.

To access The Cloud, you will need to make an account. Once you select it as a network, it will prompt a pop-up window where you can create an account. Once you are logged-on, however, you will be able to access all The Cloud hotspots across the country.

Getting Started

On Arrival:

  • Activate and manage your Oxford account at https://webauth.ox.ac.uk.

  • Access your Oxford email account at https://owa.nexus.ox.ac.uk.

  • Book into meals in Hall at https://epos.merton.ox.ac.uk.

Web/Email Access Pre-registration:

  • Should you need to get online in order to activate accounts and set passwords, ‘Kiosk’ computers are located in the OWL, Lower Mob and Holywell A Block computers rooms.

Wireless Network Access:

  • Use ‘eduroam’ available across Oxford

  • Your username is automatically generated in the form: mert1264@ox.ac.uk

  • Your password must be a Remote Access password: https://register.it.ox.ac.uk

Computer Rooms:

  • OWL and Lower Mob libraries and Holywell A Block’s basement computer rooms

  • Log-on using your SSO

IT Questions and Help:

  • Check the College IT pages on the Merton Intranet

  • Contact it-support@merton.ox.ac.uk