Welcome to the JCR!

It is my pleasure as JCR president to welcome you to our community of undergrads here at Jesus, known (and rightfully so) as the friendliest of colleges. My name is Lahari and I, along with the wonderful and dedicated people who make up the JCR committee, can’t wait to meet you in October.

So, what is the JCR? The JCR (or Junior Common Room) is both the population of undergraduate students at the college and an organised body which runs the majority of the social and student-focused events within college. It also refers to a physical space within the college with sofas, a kitchen, and even a pool table!

What does the JCR offer? The first interaction you will have with the JCR is during Freshers’ week. We have a packed schedule to get you fully into swing of term, including a great many social, orientation and information events – so don’t worry about buying tickets for anything in the first week! We’ve done our best to maintain a good balance between drinking and non-drinking events, so everyone can feel welcome and included. After the first week we run weekly events such as welfare teas and hot chocolate nights, and regular events such as ‘bops’ (parties in the JCR) and bar parties in our fantastic underground bar. We also represent the student body to college, so your college experience can be how you want it to be.

How do I get more information? The Jesus college and Jesus JCR websites are both fantastic resources, but if you want specific information, you are always welcome to email me (lahari.paladugu@jesus.ox.ac.uk) There are, of course, additional stresses and concerns for international students, and our international reps Claudia (claudia.lim@jesus.ox.ac.uk) and Catherine (catherine.lau@jesus.ox.ac.uk) are on call to answer any and all of your questions. Finally, our Freshers’ week presidents have made an Instagram account (@jesusfreshers24) and will soon be on the WhatsApp messenger group just for incoming first years (https://chat.whatsapp.com/F025AI29n0lKUxu8ZXBOoc) where they will be providing the most up to date information about your first week here with us, so do give it a look!

How do I make the most of Oxford? This was the biggest question I had when I first joined a couple of years ago. The main thing you can do to ensure you have the best time here is simply to get involved – at Oxford you have access to the greatest academics in the world, but also to one of the most impressive and interesting student bodies you could ask for. It will be overwhelming at first, but remember the JCR is always here to provide opportunities for you to meet people, give support when you need it and hopefully help make your experience at the university the most enjoyable and fruitful it can be.

Can’t wait to welcome you all!

Warmest Regards,

Lahari Paladugu

Jesus College JCR President