Staying away from Cambridge for a night

So I'm off to Selwyn in October, and I'll be seeing friends go all over the country and leaving my boyfriend behind in London. Now we all know of the rule that says you have to spend a certain number of nights in Cambridge or you can't graduate, but how strictly is this enforced? Because although my friends will be coming to visit me at Cam, it'd be nice to visit them (and I can't force my boyfriend to come up every time I want to see him!).

I know at Selwyn they have the little sliders to show if you're in or out, so if you're out you just put the little slider to say so. Obviously I'll be out clubbing at times, so there will be night where I'm in Cambridge when I won't be in college at 2am/4am/whenever, so they won't be able to tell the difference between me going out for a night and me going to London for a night, will they?

Reply 1

generalebriety

16

The sliders - in Selwyn, at least - are for fire safety. No one will come knocking on your door at 4am if your slider is on 'out', and the sliders are clearly very open to abuse. You might be sleeping in someone else's room in Cambridge, for all they know, and there's no rule against that. As long as you don't miss supervisions or run into your DoS on the train, they have no way of knowing, so just be discreet about it. As I think I said at some point, it's one of those rules that are quite strictly enforced (at least in Selwyn), but everyone breaks them - there are people who've applied through their tutor to go home for legitimate reasons (meaning they might have to miss supervisions or whatever) and been allowed to as long as they stayed an extra few days in Cambridge at the end of term, but if it's just a day trip to London, chances are you won't be noticed.

(By the way, I think the clubs close at 2am / 3am, depending on which you go to.)

Reply 2

coldfish

12

In reality, you can leave Cambridge for a few nights at a time without anybody having a clue. Even if they found out they'd never care unless they felt that you not being in Cambridge was affecting your academic work.

Reply 3

musicbloke

17

Yep, it doesn't matter. If anyone asks you were out clubbing, pulled, and ended up at theirs - and even then you only have to answer in the worst-case scenario of there being a fire or something.

MB

Reply 4

brimstone

OP

7

generalebriety

or run into your DoS on the train

I could probably think of a convincing excuse if that ever happened! And even then, they could never prove anything as it'd be likely I was leaving Cambridge at 6pm or something, more than enough time to get back before midnight or whatever :ninja:

Reply 5

generalebriety

16

brimstone

I could probably think of a convincing excuse if that ever happened! And even then, they could never prove anything as it'd be likely I was leaving Cambridge at 6pm or something, more than enough time to get back before midnight or whatever :ninja:

There you go then. :p:

You can see why everyone breaks the rule. It's one you have to keep in mind, particularly if there's a chance you might have to be away for a couple of days for a legitimate reason, because there's a fair few people who care about it... but other than that, it's not worth fussing over - just do it discreetly. Slightly more dodgy is the idea of having people staying over in your room overnight, but again it's only in case of a fire (or fire drill - they happen once a term) that anyone will care.

Reply 6

Simba

16

generalebriety

Slightly more dodgy is the idea of having people staying over in your room overnight, but again it's only in case of a fire (or fire drill - they happen once a term) that anyone will care.

We're not allowed to have people staying in our room?

Reply 7

Speleo

7

You technically have to sign them in, but no-one does. Pretty much everyone I know has had someone staying in their room without permission.

Reply 8

generalebriety

16

Simba

We're not allowed to have people staying in our room?

Strictly according to the rules: you are, but you have to sign them in, and there's a strict limit on the number of nights per month you can have people staying in your room (I think it's four, but I could just be making that up). As musicbloke says, though, it only matters if there's a fire (or a fire drill) - that's the only time you'll ever be required to open your door late at night / early in the morning to anyone unless you're causing a disturbance or something, they won't just come knocking round randomly to check if you're alone.

Reply 9

brimstone

OP

7

generalebriety

Strictly according to the rules: you are, but you have to sign them in, and there's a strict limit on the number of nights per month you can have people staying in your room (I think it's four, but I could just be making that up). As musicbloke says, though, it only matters if there's a fire (or a fire drill) - that's the only time you'll ever be required to open your door late at night / early in the morning to anyone unless you're causing a disturbance or something, they won't just come knocking round randomly to check if you're alone.

And if you just pretend you've been awake the whole time and quickly hide the campbed/whatever, it's technically not staying over :ninjagirl:

Reply 10

generalebriety

16

brimstone

And if you just pretend you've been awake the whole time and quickly hide the campbed/whatever, it's technically not staying over :ninjagirl:

*shrugs* The rule will probably be here somewhere, or the college equivalent, if you want about 1100 pages of light reading before you get to Cambridge. :p:

Reply 11

Tom4510

8

wow, there was thinking when you go to university you actually gain a certain amount of freedom..

Reply 12

Kyle_S-C

12

The basic idea is not to take the piss...Cambridge only gets annoyed when you start letting your grades slide with your behaviour. As regards having people over, they tend not to care too much either, provided this is on a reasonable level too.

Reply 13

Simba

16

With regards to the fire drill - how does it usually function? In the first week of term? Early hours of the morning? Or does it vary?

brimstone

And if you just pretend you've been awake the whole time and quickly hide the campbed/whatever, it's technically not staying over :ninjagirl:

Hahaha, or have them in the same bed as you if they're someone special :love:

.

Reply 14

Kyle_S-C

12

Tom4510

wow, there was thinking when you go to university you actually gain a certain amount of freedom..

Most universities don't clean your room for you and provide you with food and accommodation almost all of the way through. The limited rules are definitely a worthwhile sacrifice.

Reply 15

generalebriety

16

Simba

With regards to the fire drill - how does it usually function? In the first week of term? Early hours of the morning? Or does it vary?

I can only talk for Selwyn, but: when you least want it. Normally about 6-8am, on (as far as I can tell) a random night in term. Though obviously they won't do it on your first day, they do exercise some discretion... but they may well do it when you're at your drunkest because there was a big event the previous night. :p:

Reply 16

Andy H

6

I know of someone who was away pretty much every weekend: he never had any problems.

His bedder did know; but she didn't care. I guess it depends on how well you get on with bedder.

However generally no problem with going away! :smile:

Reply 17

generalebriety

16

chris1200

Are the more 'traditional' colleges stricter about it?

I bet Trinity will be... :frown:

It's not really anything to do with the college, it's to do with your tutor and DoS (and of course bedder, if your college has such things :p:

). They're all individuals; some of them will be all grumpy about it, some won't care. Of course, if you're letting it interfere with your studies, or you let someone stay over without prior warning and there's a fire, you'll be in trouble.

Reply 18

camstudent123

I find the signing people in and signing yourself out really strange. I have to sign people in from home who stayed becuase of 'fire safety' and the requirement to know how many people are in a burning building. And yet when my gf of the same college stays in my room there is apparently no fire safety issue

Reply 19

MC REN

14

But you're allowed to leave Cambridge for a few nights a term anyway, aren't you?

Don't have any of this signing in/out/sliders, etc, at my college so wouldn't know about that and maybe it is just that no-one cares but I've always got the impression it was fine - and is one of the reasons many people give for full term/residence, etc, all starting at different times, so that people can ensure they keep term even if they leave cambridge for a few nights

camstudent123

I find the signing people in and signing yourself out really strange. I have to sign people in from home who stayed becuase of 'fire safety' and the requirement to know how many people are in a burning building. And yet when my gf of the same college stays in my room there is apparently no fire safety issue

well your college know your girlfriend exists so would know if she were missing presumably? If she lives in a different part of college to you (i.e. an entirely different site) then i guess you have a point

Staying away from Cambridge for a night

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