Jardine entered New College, Oxford, in September 1919 at a time when the university was more crowded than usual due to the arrival of men whose entrance had been delayed due to the war.[17] He took part in several sports, representing New College as goalkeeper in matches between the colleges, and being given a trial for the University football team, although he was not chosen.[18] He continued to play rackets and began to play real tennis,[19] making such progress and showing such promise that he went on to represent the University successfully and won his Blue.[20][21] In cricket, Jardine came under the coaching of Tom Hayward who influenced his footwork and defence.[22] Wisden commented in 1928 that Jardine had come with an excellent reputation, but did not quite achieve the success which was expected. His batting ability, particularly defensively, remained unquestioned.[15]