compsoc-freshers October 2026

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CompSoc Newsletter - MT Week 2!
by Chun Cheung 19 Oct '26

19 Oct '26

[Oxford CompSoc banner graphic] [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/xyi/w3f/ilw/2nd%20week.png] Michaelmas Term Week 2 Newsletter Joint Events, Contest Nights, OxHack!! print *, 'Hello, CompSoc!'; Our second week is packed with even more events! (and most importantly, OxHack 26!!!!!) On Monday, we have our Competitive Programming Bootcamp making a comeback at 7pm in the UGSA. We have our second weekly WTF's a CTF session on forensics in Seminar Room 051 at 6pm on Wednesday. On Thursday, we have a talk by Martin Webb in LTBR at 5pm. Our highly anticipated collab STEM drinks with the Invariants, Physsoc, EngSoc, MatSoc, Mirzakhani, EWBOx is held on Friday from 7pm at the Cosy Club. The sign-up form is further down in the letter. Finishing the week we have a triple: a Learn-To-Code session from 5:30pm at Jesus College, a CTF Night from 6pm in the UGSA, and our Saturday Night Social from 7pm in the UGSA!! OxHack is also running this year from 24 - 25 Oct!! Do check it out<https://26.oxhack.net/> if you're interested. Don't miss this annual event!!!! We also have sign-up links for next week's Ice Skating Social and QRT Hackathon, please fill in the forms asap as spots are first-come-first-serve! — Acie/Amos, CompSoc President Fun Computing Fact will return in week 3 Feel free to contact us if you have any fun facts you want to share in the next newsletter :) Still not a member? How?! Membership only costs £1 for LIFE, with tons of benefits - discounts on merch and tickets, free food at all socials, our exclusive Discord server and more - so it's definitely worth signing up! [Be a member]<https://buy.stripe.com/bJe5kE4os0FzgbF79J48001> or, go to https://buy.stripe.com/bJe5kE4os0FzgbF79J48001 [Term Card] [Term Card Graphic] [Events] Competitive Programming: Week 2 Bootcamp [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/rvh/u46/ife/PNG_CompProg_m…] Competitive Programming Bootcamp is making a return this week! Whether you’re a beginner or an ICPC participant, you are all very much welcome to join us from 7pm Monday in the UGSA! As usual, there will be pizza, snacks, and prizes for the winners of each division. When: 7pm, Monday 19 Oct Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG WTF's a CTF: Forensics [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/efg/utd/20p/PNG_WTFCTF_2.p…] WTF's a CTF?????? If probing through files and source code for hidden information is your thing, this CTF session on forensics will surely be your thing! Join us in the department from 6pm on Wednesday to learn more about analysing hidden messages in files! When: 6pm, Wednesday 21 Oct Where: Seminar Room 051, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Talk by Martin Webb [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/x9y/wb8/qdc/PNG_Talk_mtw2.…] Head down to LTB from 5pm this Thursday for a talk on software developing and projects by Martin Webb! When: 5pm, Thursday 22 Oct Where: Bill Roscoe Lecture Theatre, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG STEM Drinks [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/9y0/h8n/451/PNG_STEM_mtw2.…] We are joined by the Invariants, PhySoc, EngSoc, MatSoc, Mirzakhani, and EWBOx for a collab STEM Drinks this Friday from 7pm at the Cosy Club! This is a great chance to meet other STEM people around Oxford! Don't forget to sign up! When: 7-11pm, Friday 23 Oct Where: Cosy Club, 20 Cornmarket Street Sign up here: https://forms.gle/iPqTsq4qLHhLKUVb6 Learn-To-Code [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/mxf/9vu/yla/PNG_LTC_mtw2.p…] On Saturday, we’ll have our second Learn-To-Code session at Jesus College from 5:30pm. For those of you who’ve asked if you can join CompSoc to learn programming, this is for you When: 5:30-6:30pm, Saturday 24 Oct Where: Jesus College, Turl Street, Oxford, OX1 3DW CTF Night [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/pja/soj/drz/PNG_CTF_mtw2.p…] After our CTF workshops from the past 2 weeks, it's time to put those skills to good use! Join us from 6pm in the UGSA this Saturday for our first CTF contest of the term! When: 6pm, Saturday 24 Oct Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Saturday Night Social [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/5bc/7cw/i7l/PNG_Social_mtw…] Snacks, games, pizza - you know the drill. Head down to the UGSA from 7pm this Saturday for our regular social! When: 7pm, Saturday 24 Oct Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG OxHack 2026 OxHack is back this year!!!! Whether you're looking for an opportunity to shine with your coding skills, or are just free, are in Oxford, and want to tinker with a project this weekend, OxHack is worth checking out! When: 24 - 25 Oct For more information, check out https://26.oxhack.net/ Ice Skating Social Sign-Up Next Friday, we'll be having a joint ice skating social with the Invariants! If you would like to join, please sign up through the below form! Spots are limited and on a first-come-first-serve basis! When: 6:45pm - 8:45pm Where: Oxford Ice Rink, Oxpens Road OX1 1RQ Sign up here: https://forms.gle/twZuERmcUQrWEgvQA QRT x Oxford C3 Hackathon Sign-Up The QRT x Oxford C3 Hackathon with the Oxford Engineering Society and CompSoc is a two-hour coding competition where students work in teams of three or four to solve a series of challenges. Participants must bring their own laptops and chargers. Prizes: 1st place: Branded AirPods 2nd place: QRT poker sets 3rd place: £100 voucher towards a keyboard of your choice The top three teams from each university will also be invited to a Grand Final in spring 2027, where they’ll compete against teams from the other universities. The final will include a competition and an insight day at QRT’s offices and a nearby venue. Students interested in internships can also submit their CVs for fast-track consideration. When: Tuesday 27 October, 5:00–8:30pm (Competition will begin around 5:45pm, with a prize ceremony, presentation, and networking session after) Where: Tsuzuki Lecture Theatre, Ruth Deech Building, St Anne's College (56 Woodstock Road, OX2 6HS) Sign up here: https://forms.gle/88cNAPUXZ76ACTbJ7 Committee Role Sign-Up Following a committee meeting, the CompSoc committee has been updated as follows: President: Amos / Acie Cheung Vice President: Adhish Kancharla Publicity Officer: role vacant We are now recruiting for the roles of Publicity Officer and SWAG Officer for MT26, HT27. If you are interested, please sign up through this form: https://forms.gle/CvK5zRrMGn3JRHzp7 The deadline for sign-up will be Saturday W2 (24/10). We are also seeking interested members to fill the roles of OxHack officer and OxHack committee for OxHack 2027, and a separate form with details on the roles will be published shortly. [And More...] hi yes does anyone actually read this far? good job for checking out what our collaborating societies / sponsors are saying Jane Street Tech Talk and MegaGem at Oxford [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/2r9/9ui/vji/2026%20Fall%20…] Game Night: MegaGem MegaGem™ gives you the opportunity to learn and play a competitive card game designed and played by Jane Streeters. You'll play a few rounds in small groups while Streeters teach the rules and the trading concepts the game is built around. When: 6:00pm - 8:00pm GMT, Tuesday 27th October Where: Oxford, On Campus Interested? Let us know here (https://forms.gle/RYgBEkxS1sLzcNdU8) by Friday 23rd October. All participants will register as individuals, and teams will be created on-site. [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/sqo/0ak/9p9/2026%20Fall%20…] Talk: Why OCaml? Presented by: Walid, Software Engineer What makes a programming language great for building reliable, maintainable systems at scale? We'll explore the properties Jane Street values most in our codebase - and why OCaml delivers on them. When: 6:30pm - 8:00pm GMT, Thursday 29th October Where: Oxford, On Campus Interested? Let us know here (https://forms.gle/CN4g7TeRyvFU38YN7) by Tuesday 27th October. Event From Floxford Name: Free for what? (a comparison of FLOSS communities and their governance) Speaker: Gareth Smith Date: Thursday 22 October Time: 19:00-20:00 Location: Sophia Sheppard Room, Magdalen College More Details: https://events.floxford.org/event/free-for-what-gareth-smith Check Out OxWoCS! Make sure to join OxWoCS (Oxford Women in CS), a society we're working closely with, if you identify as a woman or woman-adjacent person in CS! They have a host of wonderful events on, including talks, panels and socials. Computer Science is unfortunately a subject with one of the biggest gender gaps in Oxford and worldwide, and addressing this is at the core of OxWoCS. A TPP Opportunity A message from our sponsors at TPP: Graduate Software Developer Role: No coding experience required. We’re looking for bright and geeky graduates to join our Software Developer team. No experience is required, and many of our successful applicants have never programmed before. If you think logically and enjoy problem solving, then you have the potential to become a great developer. A career at TPP will challenge you every day. In your first few weeks you will be solving real-world problems as you help to develop software used by healthcare professionals and patients across the world. You’ll be part of an agile development team, working on one of the largest real-time databases in the world. You’ll work on a wide variety of projects, ranging from AI assisting clinicians with early diagnosis of cancer to an iOS app helping patients manage their diabetes. To apply, please visit https://tpp-careers.com/roles/graduate-software-developer/ [Follow Us] [Web Site]<https://ox.compsoc.net/> [Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/oxcompsoc/> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/ox.compsoc/> [Discord] <https://discord.com/invite/cUZFPG5WZ6> [YouTube] <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdzpxzUZ2i84x5WyVR36Cg> [TikTok] <https://www.tiktok.com/@ox.compsoc.net> or, contact us at committee(a)ox.compsoc.net<mailto:committee@ox.compsoc.net> [Our Sponsors] [Jane Street] [Jump Trading] [Jane Street] [QRT] [TPP] Manage your email preferences here<https://lists.ox.compsoc.net/mailman/listinfo>. Unsubscribe by sending an email to the address below this email. [Designed with BEE]<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…> Designed with BEE<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…>

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CompSoc Newsletter - MT26 Week 1!
by Chun Cheung 14 Oct '26

14 Oct '26

[Oxford CompSoc banner graphic] Michaelmas Term Week 1 Newsletter Welcome Back: Cybersecurity, Ice Cream & More! echo "hiya CompSoc!!" We’ll be kicking off the first week of the academic year with the first sessions of our regular event series! On Monday, we'll have the very first session of our competitive programming events from 7-9pm in the UGSA. Wednesday is a security-themed day, with a talk on threat intelligence at 5pm in LTB followed immediately by an introductory session on CTF at 6pm. If you crave a chilly snack and a chill social after your lectures, join our G&D's social at 5pm on Thursday! We'll close off our week with our first Learn-To-Code session at 5:30-6:30pm at Jesus College, followed by a Board Games Night social at 7pm on Saturday. Do check out the latter parts of this newsletter as we've included sign-up forms for some of our events in later weeks! We apologise for the delay in this newsletter. — Acie/Amos, CompSoc Vice President Fun Computing Fact: Here's a fun little puzzle to think about: Given * n non-halting states * one halting state where the program stops when entering * an infinitely long tape of initially blank squares * a tape head that can write 1 or erase the current square (or do nothing) * a starting position for your tape head Can you write a set of rules for the tape head in the form "on reading [symbol] at state [state number], [write / erase / do nothing] at the current square and [move left / right] and transition to state [state number]" such that the program halts and produces the longest chain of 1s before halting? What is the longest chain of 1s produced as a function of n? n5? (n!)? 2n? Surprisingly, the most number of 1s produced by a halting machine with n states following these rules is not a computable function of n! This above puzzle is called the "Busy Beaver Game<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busy_beaver>" and its non-computability has some interesting implications on open mathematics conjectures. Feel free to message us if you have any interesting facts you want to share in our newsletters! Still not a member? How?! Membership only costs £1 for LIFE, with tons of benefits - discounts on merch and tickets, free food at all socials, our exclusive Discord server and more - so it's definitely worth signing up! [Be a member]<https://buy.stripe.com/bJe5kE4os0FzgbF79J48001> or, go to https://buy.stripe.com/bJe5kE4os0FzgbF79J48001 [Term Card] [Term Card Graphic] [Events] Competitive Programming: Week 1 Contest [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/k8p/co3/l2w/PNG_CompProg_m…] Get ready for the first competitive programming event of the year (and term)! Whether you’re a beginner or an ICPC participant, you are all very much welcome to join us from 7pm Monday in the UGSA! As usual, there will be pizza, snacks, and prizes for the winners of each division. When: 7pm, Monday 12 Oct Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Threat Intelligence Talk [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/unm/3l6/ynu/PNG_ThreatTalk…] If you’re into cybersecurity or would like to learn more about what teams do to deal with cyberthreats, head down to LTB from 5pm this Wednesday! Our first talk of the academic year is one on dealing with cyberthreats with available information on them. When: 5pm, Wednesday 14 Oct Where: Bill Roscoe Lecture Theatre, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Intro to CTF [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/ocg/g0a/5ia/PNG_IntroToCTF…] Right after a talk on cybersecurity, we have another security-related event! If you want to probe at vulnerable programs (without pesky legality issues), CTF’s for you! Join us in the department from 6pm on Wednesday for our first CTF event! When: 6pm, Wednesday 14 Oct Where: Seminar Room 051, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG G&D’s Social [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/xb8/69l/ntk/PNG_G%26Ds_1.p…] ICE CREAM!!!!!!!! If you’re looking for a chill social and (more importantly) free chilly ice cream (or other snacks), join us at G&D’s St Aldates from 5pm on Thursday! When: 5-6pm, Thursday 15 Oct Where: George & Danver, 94 St Aldate's, Oxford OX1 1BT Learn-To-Code [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/y7l/sqb/zd4/PNG_LTC_Week1.…] On Saturday, we’ll be kicking off the first LTC session of the year at Jesus College from 5:30pm. For those of you who’ve asked if you can join CompSoc to learn programming, this is for you When: 5:30-6:30pm, Saturday 17 Oct Where: Jesus College, Turl Street, Oxford, OX1 3DW Saturday Night Social: Board Games Night [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/ytd/3ni/04t/PNG_W1Social.p…] For our first (technically second) social of the year, we’ll be chilling with our wide selection of board games in the UGSA cupboard! As per usual, our roster of snacks and pizza will be accompanying us for the evening. When: 7pm, Saturday 17 Oct Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Pareto Social - Sign Up Form Next Tuesday, we'll be having an evening social with Pareto! If you would like to sign up, please do so by the end of the week using the below link. When: 6pm, Tuesday 20 Oct Where: Location TBA Sign up here: https://forms.gle/EY9UyGBS26diCFMn6 [And More...] hi yes does anyone actually read this far? good job for checking out what our collaborating societies / sponsors are saying No meme this week, will return in week 2 :( Jane Street x Oxford Game Night [https://d09868d84b.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/1f2mcots/0it/dft/qq8/image_1.png] Play some of our favorite games, grab food and swag, and meet Streeters. Students of all backgrounds are encouraged to attend. When: Thursday 15th October From 5:30pm BST Where: Oxford (Off Campus) Interested? Let us know here<https://forms.gle/75Z7kh6m1SWHeCKQ7>. An Event from Floxford: Free Software & Open Source Social This is in-person only. Welcome to our first event after the Summer break. We have more coming, but for now let's take it informally. Whoever you are in Oxford, whatever you do (as long as we all follow our code of conduct<https://ox.ogeer.org/p/code-of-conduct>), this is your chance to discuss, chat, or learn more about any technical or non-technical aspect of free, libre and open-source software (FLOSS). Date: Wednesday 14 October 2026 Time: 18:00-19:30 (Europe/London time) Place: Summer Common Room, Magdalen College (different to the last social) Title: Free Software & Open Source Social ("general FLOSS and KDE's anniversary" edition) More Details; Add to Calendar: https://events.floxford.org/event/free-software-and-open-source-social Check Out OxWoCS! Make sure to join OxWoCS (Oxford Women in CS), a society we're working closely with, if you identify as a woman or woman-adjacent person in CS! They have a host of wonderful events on, including talks, panels and socials. Computer Science is unfortunately a subject with one of the biggest gender gaps in Oxford and worldwide, and addressing this is at the core of OxWoCS. A TPP Opportunity A message from our sponsors at TPP: Graduate Software Developer Role: No coding experience required. We’re looking for bright and geeky graduates to join our Software Developer team. No experience is required, and many of our successful applicants have never programmed before. If you think logically and enjoy problem solving, then you have the potential to become a great developer. A career at TPP will challenge you every day. In your first few weeks you will be solving real-world problems as you help to develop software used by healthcare professionals and patients across the world. You’ll be part of an agile development team, working on one of the largest real-time databases in the world. You’ll work on a wide variety of projects, ranging from AI assisting clinicians with early diagnosis of cancer to an iOS app helping patients manage their diabetes. To apply, please visit https://tpp-careers.com/roles/graduate-software-developer/ [Follow Us] [Web Site]<https://ox.compsoc.net/> [Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/oxcompsoc/> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/ox.compsoc/> [Discord] <https://discord.com/invite/cUZFPG5WZ6> [YouTube] <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdzpxzUZ2i84x5WyVR36Cg> [TikTok] <https://www.tiktok.com/@ox.compsoc.net> or, contact us at committee(a)ox.compsoc.net<mailto:committee@ox.compsoc.net> [Our Sponsors] [Jane Street] [Jump Trading] [Jane Street] [QRT] [TPP] Manage your email preferences here<https://lists.ox.compsoc.net/mailman/listinfo>. Unsubscribe by sending an email to the address below this email. [Designed with BEE]<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…> Designed with BEE<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…>

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CompSoc Newsletter - MT26 Week 0!
by Chun Cheung 10 Oct '26

10 Oct '26

[Oxford CompSoc banner graphic] Michaelmas Term Week 0 Newsletter Term Card(!) + 0th(!?) Social of the Term! cout<<"Hi CompSoc!!!\n"; Welcome (back) to Oxford! This Michaelmas will be a packed one, with events almost every day of term! There's also an impromptu-ish social this Saturday for you to have a chance to meet our committee (or see them again, if you were here during HT / TT26) and other CompSoc members (and possibly seek for UKIEPC teammates)! Looking forward to an awesome term with everyone!! ^^ — Acie/Amos, CompSoc Vice President Fun Computing Fact will return in week 1 Feel free to message us if you have any interesting facts you want to share in our newsletters! Still not a member? How?! Membership only costs £1 for LIFE, with tons of benefits - discounts on merch and tickets, free food at all socials, our exclusive Discord server and more - so it's definitely worth signing up! [Be a member]<https://buy.stripe.com/bJe5kE4os0FzgbF79J48001> or, go to https://buy.stripe.com/bJe5kE4os0FzgbF79J48001 [Term Card] [Term Card Graphic] [Events] Saturday Night Social: Meet the Committee! New to CompSoc? Join us from 7pm this Saturday in the UGSA to meet our committee and socialise with other members of CompSoc! Our usual roster of snacks, pizza, and games will be available. When: 7:00pm - 9:00pm, Saturday 10th Oct Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science [And More...] hi yes does anyone actually read this far? good job for checking out what our collaborating societies / sponsors are saying No meme this week, will return in week 1 Check Out OxWoCS! Make sure to join OxWoCS (Oxford Women in CS), a society we're working closely with, if you identify as a woman or woman-adjacent person in CS! They have a host of wonderful events on, including talks, panels and socials. Computer Science is unfortunately a subject with one of the biggest gender gaps in Oxford and worldwide, and addressing this is at the core of OxWoCS. A TPP Opportunity A message from our sponsors at TPP: Graduate Software Developer Role: No coding experience required. We’re looking for bright and geeky graduates to join our Software Developer team. No experience is required, and many of our successful applicants have never programmed before. If you think logically and enjoy problem solving, then you have the potential to become a great developer. A career at TPP will challenge you every day. In your first few weeks you will be solving real-world problems as you help to develop software used by healthcare professionals and patients across the world. You’ll be part of an agile development team, working on one of the largest real-time databases in the world. You’ll work on a wide variety of projects, ranging from AI assisting clinicians with early diagnosis of cancer to an iOS app helping patients manage their diabetes. To apply, please visit https://tpp-careers.com/roles/graduate-software-developer/ [Follow Us] [Web Site]<https://ox.compsoc.net/> [Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/oxcompsoc/> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/ox.compsoc/> [Discord] <https://discord.com/invite/cUZFPG5WZ6> [YouTube] <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdzpxzUZ2i84x5WyVR36Cg> [TikTok] <https://www.tiktok.com/@ox.compsoc.net> or, contact us at committee(a)ox.compsoc.net<mailto:committee@ox.compsoc.net> [Our Sponsors] [Jane Street] [Jump Trading] [Jane Street] [QRT] [TPP] Manage your email preferences here<https://lists.ox.compsoc.net/mailman/listinfo>. Unsubscribe by sending an email to the address below this email. [Designed with BEE]<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…> Designed with BEE<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…>

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compsoc-freshers October 2026