You call it Harcourt Hell, we call it Harcourt Heaven

Harcourt is almost exclusively full of insurance choice students, with none of us really choosing to be there. But, over the five months we’ve been here, the place now feels like home. And between having rooms twice the size of most other halls and the low price of £70pw, Harcourt is further up the pecking order than most people think.

The pride

Harcourt has its own prestige, a badge of honour. Nowhere else gets a universal reaction of “sorry” when you say you live there. You’re one of the people that lives in hell and you’ve come to love it. Affectionately dubbed “the ghetto” by residents and outsiders alike, us students who live there enjoy watching people squirm as we describe the small kitchens and shared showers. Some of us may have taken the pride a little too far, but hey, we’re ghetto and proud.

Straight Out of Harcourt

The experience

Harcourt keeps you on your toes, keeps you creative. Maybe we would like to have a bit more space to cook in the kitchen, but who really needs to all eat together? Maybe the common room is a tad cramped, but a bed is comfier than a chair anyway. Windows only single glazed and loose frames? Well, that one we just deal with, but the principle stands. Everyone has the same story here, “Oh I was going to go to Uni of X but I ended up at Brookes”, and because of it we all get along together. Free movement between all the flats is pretty common, and pres are always a multi-flat affair.

Gotta love some cross flat bonding?

The freedom

And the best thing about Harcourt? Its OLD. We don’t break stuff, it breaks itself. We spill something, it barely takes any effort to make it looks like it did before. The walls could do with a paint, the bannisters have 100 names carved into them. Short of smashing windows and ripping off a door, anything goes.

We say the halls have ‘character’

Location Location Location

We are located perfectly for so many things. Domino’s? Nearby and quieter than the one in Headington. Aldi? A five minute bus away and cheaper than anywhere else in Oxford. Need sporting goods or a quick McDonald’s? Both five mins away. Scenic country walks? Bam, you got them. Co-op, Waitrose and Iceland? All nearby. And for the truly drunk and determined, you can walk back from town centre. Just make sure the night bus isn’t a better bet.

So much food, so little travel time

So, maybe we are reliant on the U1. Maybe we can’t get a quiet night if it’s more than gale force 0. Maybe the place is a bit threadbare, but I’d take Harcourt every time.