Ephraim Williams House

The Location

All WEPO students live at the EWH complex. The EWH is made up of 3 residential buildings, plus the house where the faculty director lives, connected by a large garden. It's located in near Summertown, about 1.5 miles north of the city centre, where you will find the Exeter College/University of Oxford buildings. There are regular buses that take about 10 minutes between the two locations, but many students opt to walk (30 minutes) or cycle (10 minutes). Summertown itself is a great neighborhood, with several pubs, restaurants, cafés, and several grocery stores, all within a five minute walk of EWH.

All WEPO students have the option of using a programme bike during their stay for an annual fee. There are bike racks in the garden for secure storage, as well as secure storage at Exeter College at Turl St. WEPO staff will be in touch with you over the summer to confirm whether you'd like to reserve a bike.

Whilst Summertown is a great neighbourhood in Oxford, it is important to understand that it is not directly in the city centre. Students should consider the distance between EWH and the city centre when planning schedules, and should expect to commute into the city centre most days (taking anywhere from 10-30 minutes, depending on how you travel). Both Exeter College buildings and most Oxford University buildings (including libraries) are all located in the city centre, as are all College and University events and activities.

The Accommodation

All WEPO students are accommodated in generously-sized double rooms within EWH. Each student is provided with a chair, desk, wardrobe, and bed in the room. Everyone has access to shared bathrooms and kitchens. Kitchens are fully-stocked with cooking equipment and basic dishes. Most floors have their own kitchens and each floor has its own bathroom, so facilities are generally shared between 4 or 5 students. Each house of the EWH also has its own common room with a dining table and sofas for students to use in their free time. These rooms are open to all WEPO students, wherever in the EWR they live. There is also a library, two laundry rooms, a computer room, and a larger dining room where we have our group meals.

Students are provided with towels and bedding, so there is no need to bring your own. The bedding is in the British/European style of having a fitted sheet and duvet with a cover, so you will not be provided with flat sheets. You'll have access to free washers, dryers, and drying racks to wash your own clothing and bedding.

We will have five Exeter College third or fourth year students residing at EWH, generally one on each floor. This means that typically four WEPO students and one Exeter student will share a floor and all common facilities.

Meals

We have dinner each week as a group, during term time, usually on Thursdays. All other meals are the responsibility of the individual student. Many WEPO students find themselves cooking with each other at the EWH, but you'll also have access to the Exeter College dining hall and cafés. These are great for breakfast, lunch, and dinner when you're downtown, as they're affordable and allow you to connect with other Exeter students at the College. All WEPO students are provided with £100 in credit per term on their 'Bod Card' (student card) to use at the College dining hall. Whilst that may not seem like a huge amount, it's usually sufficient as most WEPO students cook many of their own meals at EWH, and meals at Exeter are heavily subsidized.

Note that the College dining hall is not similar to the Williams dining hall, in that students don't usually spend hours there with a laptop. The Exeter dining hall has smaller windows when it's open for meals, and students then study and socialize elsewhere around the city or college outside of those times. Formal dinners (every Wednesday and Sunday, at least) start promptly and last at least a full hour, on some occasions, up to three hours. It is unacceptable to arrive late for a formal dinner, or to leave early.  

There is also a café at Exeter College, where you can use your credit in a more relaxed setting and where you can study for longer stretches of time.

Subsidies

All WEPO students are provided with £500 per year to use for expenses in three categories: Culture, Sport, and Extracurricular activities. The culture subsidy includes things like theatre or concert tickets, gallery/museum entrance, or even going to watch a football (soccer) match at the local stadium. The sport subsidy includes things like your kit (uniform) if you join a sport team, fees to participate in a sport, or gym fees. Extracurricular activities would include language lessons, music lessons, etc. Students can decide how they'd like to spend their subsidy, and submit receipts throughout the year for reimbursement (you must open a UK bank account for this). 

Most clubs and societies charge fees to join, which range from £70/term for sports teams to £10-30/year for non-sports clubs and societies. The Oxford Union, another society on campus, also has a higher fee to join but provides you with many amenities like libraries and interesting lectures. Remember to budget these things in, which can all be taken from your subsidy funds.