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Freshers' Q & A thread

Firstly congrats to you all on joining the greatest university in the world :biggrin:

I figure you lot will start thinking about the big move in a couple of weeks or so, so just to anticipate that I thought I'd start a Q&A thread now, since sometimes questions can get lost in other threads. Ask away, whatever the question is about coming up, and I'm sure all the current students will be only too pleased to help :smile:

Reply 1

priya

14

right boring stuff (havent realy got time to sift through sidney jcr archives lol)

kattles/toasters/microwaves/irons/etc etc....what do we need /not need?

Reply 2

MadNatSci

OP

12

priya

right boring stuff (havent realy got time to sift through sidney jcr archives lol)

kattles/toasters/microwaves/irons/etc etc....what do we need /not need?

Kettles are very useful, nay essential. Tea/coffee is always useful for that caffeine boost at 2am to help you finish off an essay! Kettles are provided in the kitchens but I found it more convenient to have one in my room :smile:

Microwaves - if you're really really lucky you might find one of these in your kitchen. Otherwise you can pick one up relatively cheaply from Argos if you really want one (one of the floors in my year clubbed together so it only cost them a fiver each), but they're not that essential: you'll have a hob and a poor excuse for an oven.

Toasters - again, quite handy but not essential. I brought one and liked having it though :smile:

Iron - I wouldn't bother: there's a laundry room in college, with an iron that isn't particularly good but 'does'. I tended to avoid ironing as much as possible anyway - if you hang your clothes just right and don't tumble them, it's not always necessary :wink:

Other useful stuff - pots and pans definitely, and cutlery. Pretty things to brighten up your room! - student rooms look a bit dreary and empty at first but it's amazing how nice they look if you take a bit of time to make it home. What else... I'll get back to you there :biggrin:

Reply 3

priya

14

MadNatSci

Pretty things to brighten up your room! - student rooms look a bit dreary and empty at first but it's amazing how nice they look if you take a bit of time to make it home. What else... I'll get back to you there :biggrin:

but isn't there a stupid rule about blue tack on walls? am i just gonna have to make do with the one pinboard and many photo frames? :rolleyes:

Reply 4

fishpaste

How do you get your stuff to Cam? Do you just throw it all on the backseat of the car? What about getting it back in holidays? Is there any like commercial storage places in Cam I can put my stuff in holidays, so I don't have to do silly things with trains etc.?

Reply 5

MadNatSci

OP

12

priya

but isn't there a stupid rule about blue tack on walls? am i just gonna have to make do with the one pinboard and many photo frames? :rolleyes:

There is that godddamned rule about blu-tac, yes. BUT there is a picture rail in every room, so you can hang posters and pictures from that; you can buy picture hooks that are designed to go over the rail (I'll find out where mine were from and let you know) and Rymans do some very handy poster frame things: two long plastic slidey-things (I'm so good at jargon), one with string attached to go at the top, so you can hang the poster, and one that goes on the bottom to keep it from curling up.

Plants and cushions look nice too :smile:

Reply 6

Willla2

one thing i want cleared up is: is linen and stuff supplied?

Reply 7

priya

14

MadNatSci

There is that godddamned rule about blu-tac, yes. BUT there is a picture rail in every room, so you can hang posters and pictures from that; you can buy picture hooks that are designed to go over the rail (I'll find out where mine were from and let you know) and Rymans do some very handy poster frame things: two long plastic slidey-things (I'm so good at jargon), one with string attached to go at the top, so you can hang the poster, and one that goes on the bottom to keep it from curling up.

Plants and cushions look nice too :smile:

cushions!! how could i forget about them!! right need to do some shopping!! think i'm gonna go for sunset colours- lotsa nice reddy orangey cushions and stuff. do i need bedding? i remember the room i was in in Blundell had this delightful patterned bedding......

Reply 8

Alaric

1

fishpaste

How do you get your stuff to Cam? Do you just throw it all on the backseat of the car? What about getting it back in holidays? Is there any like commercial storage places in Cam I can put my stuff in holidays, so I don't have to do silly things with trains etc.?

Clare has some storage space in the Attics of Mem court and a room in hillside in the Colony. During vacations it gets quite tight for space up there and is normally reserved for international students, however, if you ask nicely and explain you have no other way of getting it to and fro uni they'll probably let you keep it there.
Maureen in the office will probably be the person to ask, she's very helpful and deals with all the rooms stuff. There should also be some kind of lockable store in most rooms but it isn't usually very large.

Alaric

Reply 9

MadNatSci

OP

12

fishpaste

How do you get your stuff to Cam? Do you just throw it all on the backseat of the car? What about getting it back in holidays? Is there any like commercial storage places in Cam I can put my stuff in holidays, so I don't have to do silly things with trains etc.?

Hehe - we pile as much as we can get in the car at the start of every term - boot and back seat pretty much filled. Because I live so close to Cambridge my parents usually bring my bike up separately the following day (along with all the stuff I've forgotten!). However I had a nasty tendency to accumulate stuff last year, because I was lucky enough to get a room with pretty good storage, so at the end of the Easter Term my parents had to hire a van to bring it all back :redface:

It depends on your college and your room, but most rooms have a limited amount of storage. Your room will be used for interview applicants, open day people and conference people when you're not in it, so the storage area needs to be lockable. As for commercial storage,... hmm, good question. I'm sure our international students store their stuff somewhere but I'm not sure where it is or how much it costs!

Reply 10

MadNatSci

OP

12

Linen: your college will almost certainly supply you with bedding, although you're free to bring your own if you wish. The plus side of college bedding is that your bedder changes it for you every week - oh the laziness! :biggrin:

Yep, priya, the delightful patterned bedding will indeed be supplied... :wink:

Reply 11

Poc ar buile

My friend Kevin says he'd like to get into Clare or Emma... Not sure if he understood when I said they were colleges and not girls though! :smile:

Is a history of going to a special school and being older than me without any formal qualifications frowned upon in applicants?

Reply 12

MadNatSci

OP

12

polthegael

My friend Kevin says he'd like to get into Clare or Emma... Not sure if he understood when I said they were colleges and not girls though! :smile:

Is a history of going to a special school and being older than me without any formal qualifications frowned upon in applicants?

I think I read somewhere that mature applicants don't have to have A levels, actually... Let me check!

edit: The best I've found is that the entry requirements are 'flexible': http://www.cam.ac.uk/cambuniv/ugprospectus/welcome/welcome13c.html
but anyone interested in applying to become a mature student who hasn't got formal qualifications might find it's worth contacting the admissions office: they're very helpful and friendly :smile:

Reply 13

musicbloke

17

is it worth me taking a small filing cabinet? I've promised myself that I will keep organised. Also I will be taking a coffee machine as I drink ridiculous amounts of the stuff and I just don't like instant that much. I will also be taking a tankard with me. I think that's all the important stuff. have I missed anything?

MB

Reply 14

musicbloke

17

Oh yeah, another thing. Are the libraries open 24 hours. I have weird sleeping patters so would find this useful.

MB

Reply 15

MadNatSci

OP

12

musicboy

is it worth me taking a small filing cabinet? I've promised myself that I will keep organised. Also I will be taking a coffee machine as I drink ridiculous amounts of the stuff and I just don't like instant that much. I will also be taking a tankard with me. I think that's all the important stuff. have I missed anything?

MB

It depends on the college, but they might not like you taking furniture; your room should have drawers which you can file in, and also a filing cabinet will take up a lot of extra space in the car! But it might be worth asking.

Coffee machine (wow go you! - I just took instant but then I'm not a coffee drinker), tankard... yep, sounds good. I took tea and coffee and biscuits for the purposes of inviting people round during Freshers' Week - although I never really got round to it, but it's probably a good idea to be prepared... Oh - booze is always good, too :wink:

Reply 16

MadNatSci

OP

12

musicboy

Oh yeah, another thing. Are the libraries open 24 hours. I have weird sleeping patters so would find this useful.

MB

Not sure about other colleges... Sidney's certainly is so I would guess they are. Anyone?

Reply 17

shiny

12

MadNatSci

Not sure about other colleges... Sidney's certainly is so I would guess they are. Anyone?

Not every college.

Reply 18

MadNatSci

OP

12

shiny

Not every college.

Bummer. That would be a question to pose to a Robinson undergrad then...

Reply 19

blissy

15

MadNatSci

Coffee machine (wow go you! - I just took instant but then I'm not a coffee drinker), tankard... yep, sounds good. I took tea and coffee and biscuits for the purposes of inviting people round during Freshers' Week - although I never really got round to it, but it's probably a good idea to be prepared... Oh - booze is always good, too :wink:

I have a cafetiere thingy but my next door neighbour has a coffee machine and I have twinges of jealousy every morning when I get up and I can smell it coming through the walls...

p.s. New Hall's library is 24 hours and I think John's is too because I went at 4am and people were going in and out. Robinson looks modern enough to have a 24 hr library, but I suppose you can't just go from the outside.

p.p.s Damn Robinson is like a rabbit's burrow. Get a map :biggrin:

Freshers' Q & A thread

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