Maybe they thought they need to keep an eye on you.........
My daughter's first room had a nice view of the shabby flat roof of college kitchen and industrial-size wheely bins. Luckily she was on the top floor, so also had a great view of their inner court and beyond, but someone below her room was...........
The first room of her friend was on a ground floor facing a bike park. Not nice view to look at but really handy if you overslept. (Which he did almost every day) He just climbed out of his window to get to his bike and go.
Edit: All the ground floor residents of his building were warned by the college's security staff to stop doing it because, when they're checking with cctv camera, they couldn't tell if it's a student taking a 'short-cut' to the bike park or a thief escaping from a crime scene. But not all of them obeyed.............
they're pretty low level tho so u can just throw a pokeball to catch them
If you really want to catch them.......... Actually, you don't even have to try at all. It's very easy to bump into them on King's Parade/Trinity Street. No pokeball needed. They're always within your arm's reach........often very suddenly, whether you like it or not. (usually not....) .
Oh, one thing I forgot regarding an accessory for your bike. Bike bell. The best defense against a collision with wandering tourists and their unexpected moves.
Any recommendations for second-hand bike shops in Cambridge?
There're for bike shops (I think..). I don't think any of them is any better or worse than others. Their stock of second hand bikes varies year to year depending upon who went to them to sell theirs when they left Cambridge at the end of previous academic year, so try the nearest one from your college first, then try others if you can't find one you like. But many other freshers are after second-hand bikes, too. So don't take too long to choose one.
I've not been told but I did figure it out when the map they sent for unloading showed a different place for it than last time!
I have a feeling my room this year will have gorgeous views of the demolition work
Keep going past the buttery in the direction of Selwyn and you'll find it! Bear in mind that it is likely to be manic, parking isn't available within the college for very long at a time. My advice: go to the porters lodge, sign in, find out your room but keep the car running. If you're going to be in Old Hall or RFB, go round and park along Newnham Walk (though only one side - the other is resident parking only); if you're in Clough or Sidgwick, park on Sidgwick Avenue (you can pull up in the car park - v tiny car park - outside the lodge doors to unload but park elsewhere) and if you're in Peile, along Grange Road of Sidg Avenue (I'm not 100% there is parking along Grange Road behind Peile though). It is pay and display, including Sundays, and it's £1/hour iirc. If you're in Clough there are lifts to the upper floors but not elsewhere. Also remember that your uni card will let you open doors around the outside of college, such as on the library side of the buttery, if it's easier to park near that and get in that way.
Do freshers tend to arrive earlier or later in the day? I want to avoid the crowd...
I'm afraid the day freshers descend on their college for the first time when a new academic year starts is the busiest time at any college, not very easy to avoid the crowd (and even worse traffic in Cambridge town) because they're told by their college to arrive on a specific day & during a specific period of time. And some of the older students arrive on the same day, too. But if you live near enough, you may have a better chance if you can get there at the earliest time you're allowed to because people who come from afar can't get there very early. But it won't be a quiet day whenever you arrive............
Keep going past the buttery in the direction of Selwyn and you'll find it! Bear in mind that it is likely to be manic, parking isn't available within the college for very long at a time. My advice: go to the porters lodge, sign in, find out your room but keep the car running. If you're going to be in Old Hall or RFB, go round and park along Newnham Walk (though only one side - the other is resident parking only); if you're in Clough or Sidgwick, park on Sidgwick Avenue (you can pull up in the car park - v tiny car park - outside the lodge doors to unload but park elsewhere) and if you're in Peile, along Grange Road of Sidg Avenue (I'm not 100% there is parking along Grange Road behind Peile though). It is pay and display, including Sundays, and it's £1/hour iirc. If you're in Clough there are lifts to the upper floors but not elsewhere. Also remember that your uni card will let you open doors around the outside of college, such as on the library side of the buttery, if it's easier to park near that and get in that way.
Oooh thanks for the advice!
I'm going to be in RFB, as an email from Wendy yesterday about the card being operational on the building revealed are there no lifts in that? My main suitcase is v heavy
Yeah, I'll get my dad to park alone Newnham walk, it's the side opposite RFB's side that's residential isn't it? Hopefully with the pay and display they can stay a little longer
I'm afraid the day freshers descend on their college for the first time when a new academic year starts is the busiest time at any college, not very easy to avoid the crowd (and even worse traffic in Cambridge town) because they're told by their college to arrive on a specific day & during a specific period of time. And some of the older students arrive on the same day, too. But if you live near enough, you may have a better chance if you can get there at the earliest time you're allowed to because people who come from afar can't get there very early. But it won't be a quiet day whenever you arrive............
Thanks! also, do students need to bring passport and passport photographs? Thanks!
Thanks! also, do students need to bring passport and passport photographs? Thanks!
Can't remember about a passport photograph (sorry it was five yrs ago my daughter went there as a fresher....) but they need to see your passport to make sure you really exist.
I'm going to be in RFB, as an email from Wendy yesterday about the card being operational on the building revealed are there no lifts in that? My main suitcase is v heavy
Yeah, I'll get my dad to park alone Newnham walk, it's the side opposite RFB's side that's residential isn't it? Hopefully with the pay and display they can stay a little longer
Ahhh nice! You have some winning features: free laundry afaik and the rooms are much more modern so yay nicer bathrooms and v nice kitchens , unless you're on the ground floor in which case it's a 2-person flat with a kitchenette (still have an oven though!). View won't be quite so pleasant though, and a bit of a walk to the buttery/library in comparison. But hey, if you don't know any different it's not so bad haha.
No lifts in RFB though. But, as it's more modern it means that the staircases aren't quite so long/as many steps as you would get in the older sections of buildings with high ceilings. Going to the second floor in RFB is much easier than 2nd floor Peile for example.
Yeah, it's the side on the left if you're facing Pfeiffer arch from the road. I was in Old Hall in first year and never had any issues with parking along there so hopefully you'll be alright.