The MCR is at the top of staircase VIII in cloisters, and is a place where all members are welcome to go for a cup of tea or coffee and a few biscuits, to chat with fellow graduates, read newspapers, to watch TV, play a board game, or any combination of the above.
The MCR is open 24 hours a day, and all you need to bring is your Bod card to get in the door!
The MCR has a subscription to many of the major daily newspapers, which are kept on the cloisters side of the MCR, near the coffee machine. If today’s papers aren’t there, please ask at the Porters’ Lodge, as they don’t arrive in the MCR until someone gets them from the Lodge!
The MCR is open to considering new subscriptions to newspapers or magazines, so if you have any preferences, please let the Treasurer know!
A PC is available in the TV room of the MCR, and is connected to the internet, so you can check your email, surf the internet, or use some of the standard programmes you usually find on a computer. There is also a TV that you are welcome to use. If you have problems with the computer or TV, please contact the MCR IT Officer.
The MCR has a large (and growing) selection of board games for your enjoyment. All members are welcome to play with them, although please make sure you don’t lose any pieces of the board games! There is almost always someone keen to play a board game or two if you’re looking for people to play with. If you know of a game that the MCR should have, but doesn’t, let a Committee member know, as we’re always interested in building our collection.
The MCR has a number of allotments available for green-fingered members of the MCR to use. There is a small collection of tools that you can use for tending the gardens. If you are interested in getting a plot, please talk to the Facilities and Environment Officer.
There is an MCR BBQ at Holywell Ford that you are welcome to use. You will need to supply your own fuel for the BBQ, and please remember to clean up after yourself! While you wait for the food to cook.
Magdalen has five libraries, Longwall Library, which is the main College library, The Old Library: early printed and manuscript book collection; The Denning Law Library: contemporary reference-only law books and journals; The Daubeny Library: nineteenth-century scientific books; and The McFarlane Library: medieval-history subject collection.
Students mostly use the Longwall Library, as special permission is required to access the Old, Daubney, and McFarlane Libraries.
Longwall Library is open 24 hours a day, and holds a large collection of DVDs as well as books. (Some would say the best in Oxford!)
Books are on loan for up to four weeks, and DVDs for two nights. There are a limited number of workspaces available in the Library.
The Denning Law Library is located in the Grove buildings, and is only for the use of law students. It contains an up-to-date collection of law books and periodicals, and very comfortable chairs!
The college has computer facilities in the Longwall Library and a dedicated computer room in St Swithun’s quad I, with Microsoft Office software, printing, scanning and other facilities.
Please ask the Porters for exact directions to these rooms. Access is via late-gate key and swipe card. If your swipe card does not enable you to access the room, please see the Student Support Administrator.
You have been given computer room accounts automatically. Initial login details are:
- Username: your Oxford Nexus username
- Password: your University card barcode
You will have to change the password to one of your choosing as soon as you login.
Note that even though Computer Room usernames are the same as Nexus usernames, the passwords are not the same. Don’t get the two confused! Ask the Lodge if you need directions to the computer rooms.
Car parking is not easy in Oxford, but graduates at Magdalen are lucky enough to have a number of car parking spots allocated for their use in College. Information is sent around at the start of each academic year about applying for permission to use the car park. There is a cost to this.
The College has a number of music rooms with pianos for any student to use. These are booked in the Porters’ Lodge, although first preference goes to Music Students.
The College has a large fleet of punts available for the exclusive use of members of the College during summer. Being on the Cherwell River, Magdalen is right next to some of the most idyllic parts of Oxford to punt through up into University Parks, or you can punt downstream and onto the Isis for a lazy afternoon’s visit to the Isis Farmhouse. Another great thing is that there’s no need to pay the exorbitant fees of private punt operators, as we get access to the punts for a very small one-off fee!