Freshers’ e‑Guide: Undergraduates

Welcome to Balliol College and to the University of Oxford

Congratulations on meeting the conditions for your offer. We now look forward to your arrival and the moment at which you become a member of the College. Your next steps are laid out in this e‑Guide.

There are contracts to sign and practical arrangements to make, but alongside these do make sure to read the ‘Academic Essentials for New Students’, which will get your studies off to a flying start.

Once again, a very warm welcome to Balliol.

In this e‑Guide

This e‑Guide is for Balliol offer-holders whose offers are fully unconditional and whose places have been confirmed by the Undergraduate Administrator. Please go through everything in it carefully (and bookmark this page), as it contains very important information about preparing for your arrival at Balliol.

Some pages include mandatory tasks to be completed before 1 September, as indicated. 

You should also regularly monitor your email. Before you get your Oxford email, make sure that we have an up-to-date email address for you.

Pre-arrival: do now

• Contracts and University Registration 
• Medical arrangements
• Accommodation

Pre-arrival orientation

• Must-reads
• Wellbeing and welfare
• Food, IT and domestic information
• International and European students

Arrival and induction

• Arrival and College registration
• Libraries
• Freshers’ events 

This Freshers’ e‑Guide will be available until the end of the 4th week of Michaelmas Term (8 November 2024).

See also

• The Current Members section of the Balliol website
• The University’s general information for new students
• Mature students: details of support and guidance available