Students' Voice

The New College Junior Common Room (JCR) is a vibrant and positive community. With students from a range of backgrounds, we pride ourself on conforming to no one stereotype, but on being a home for all. Alongside the fantastic academic opportunities offered by the College, the JCR provides a space for students to pursue their extracurricular interests and to form lifelong friendships. From intimate concerts offered by the New College Music Society and thought-provoking discussion at the New College Essay Society, to our wide range of College sports teams; the JCR community has something to offer for everyone.

Through our regular Welfare-based events and trained Peer Counsellors, the JCR works to support student welfare and to make sure that everyone is able to thrive in the College environment. Life at Oxford can be demanding, and the JCR community allows us all to balance our academic work with time spent socialising and relaxing. The JCR Committee, a group of 21 student representatives elected annually, works hard to make everyone’s time here as enjoyable as possible, hosting regular events like BOPs (College parties) and voicing student concerns to the College and wider University. To make sure everybody’s voice is heard, we also hold fortnightly JCR meetings open to all students, where they can share ideas and propose motions.

If you’d like to know more about the JCR community, feel free to check out our JCR website. 
 

- Izi Cook, JCR President 2020-21
 

"The New College Middle Common Room is made up of over 300 students from more than 25 countries around the world, studying every conceivable academic discipline, each with a unique story all their own. In keeping with our College motto, no matter where you’re from or what brings you to Oxford, what matters here is who you are and how you show it, and living by this principle has helped us create a community of incredible diversity and vitality.
 
The MCR is at the heart of College life, and by extension, the Oxford experience, and the MCR Committee, which administers the facilities and social programming of the MCR, is here to serve the needs and the interests of all members. As well as maintaining our physical common spaces, the Committee organizes a wide range of events throughout the year: formal dinners, exchange nights with other colleges, competitive and recreational sports, artistic and cultural programs, and much more, all designed to foster fellowship and community. The MCR also provides significant resources towards promoting the mental, emotional, and academic welfare of the membership, with our Welfare Representative, our Peer Support Team, representatives for various identity groups, and a company of friends and colleagues all ready to help each other navigate the rocks and shoals of student life.
 
No matter where someone might be in their intellectual journey, their time at Oxford ought to be a challenging and rewarding experience, and the MCR is here to help them get the most out of it. Please feel free to reach out to me with questions, comments, or suggestions about College life or Oxford in general. Coming to this place can seem daunting at first – for my part, I had never lived abroad or even visited this country when I started my degree. But I soon found a home in this community, and I know I’m not the only one." 
 

- Danny Hatem, MCR President 2017 - 2018