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	King's College
	Established:	1441
	University:	University of Cambridge
	Address:	King's College, Cambridge, CB2 1ST
	Telephone:	01223 331100
	Website:	www.kings.cam.ac.uk
	Student Union/JCR website:	www.kcsu.org.uk
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Contents 1 Location 2 Accommodation 3 Social Spaces 4 Library and Computing 5 Welfare 6 Atmosphere 7 Facilities 8 Student-eye view

Location

King's College is located in the centre of the university town, on King's Parade, in front of Great St. Mary's Church. It is one of the few colleges situated on The Backs, a strip of land located either side of the River Cam. It shares The Backs with Clare, Trinity Hall, Trinity, St. Johns and Magdalene.

Accommodation

First year accommodation is generally in a Keynes- a modern building with en-suite. Or, if you opt for something cheaper or long-contract, in a hostel either over the road (Market Hostel) or five to ten minutes walk away (Tennis Court Road). Most people tend to have en-suite above King's bar, but it is more expensive and you have to clear out your stuff and go home earlier.

Second and third years have more choice- many live in Garden Hostel (big rooms over the road from King's) or the new extension to it (en-suite with balconies and great kitchens, aptly called New Garden Hostel), others live in college (A-staircase, Webbs Court) without en-suite or back in Keynes building (but on the top floor, which has great rooms with two floors). There is also accommodation available in two other hostels just across the road- Spalding Hostel (which is shared with the graduate students) and St. Edward's Passage which has en suite facilities but lacks a laundry room. Lots of third years get to stay in Bodley's court (you should be able to find a picture of this on google- it's by the river) in the massive old rooms.

I think the rooms with fireplaces tend to be occupied by fellows, though you can get a similar room in your third year- Bodley's court that I mentioned above-(don't think they have fire places, but they are old and nice, often with a bedroom and a sitting room to yourself).

I'd definitely recommend King's in terms of accommodation. Unless you're really unlucky on the ballot (everyone is ranked randomly in order of who chooses their room first in second year, and it is reversed in third year), you could potentially live in en-suite for all three years...or even en-suite for two years and then have a room by the river in third year. Prices can be pricey, but you can also get some OK rooms quite cheaply.

As of this academic year (2007-08), the kitchen facilities available on-site were removed and replaced with combi-microwaves and the occasional hotplate with a timer. The Students' Union tried their best to fight the total removal cooking facilities with some success and compensation. Blame health and safety...

Social Spaces

Library and Computing

Welfare

Atmosphere

Live music in the bar (ska bands, samba bands, jazz bands, rock bands, open mic nights- talent shows, basically- DJs)

We have a cellar bar (basically a dark basement where DJs play once or twice a week...indie nights, cheese nights, a lot of DNB and house)

Live music in the bar and cellar happens on average two to three times a week.

At the end of Michaelmas and Lent term we have 'Mingles' in which most of the big rooms in college (bar, cellar bar, conference rooms) have different kinds of music playing which changes throughout the night. So you might have indie in the bar, dance music in the cellar, and then house in the conference rooms. I love the Mingles because of the music- if you hate a particular type of music you just go into a different room. One of our porters impersonates Elvis and sometimes we have live drumming and bands. Generally though, the main focus is on having a variety of DJs. King's Mingle is generally seen to be one of the best ents in Cambridge. In place of the Mingle at the end of Easter term, there is King's Affair, which is basically the Mingle on a bigger scale (I've not been to one yet as I'm only in the first year). King's Affair is King's (cheaper) alternative to posh May Balls, though obviously many people choose to go to May Balls as well as the affair.

Facilities

We have a seldom used gym with basic multi-gym facilities, access to squash courts in Queens' and Sidney Sussex, a couple of tennis courts, and a very large, nice playing field which we share with Selwyn which is used for rugby in the winter and cricket in the summer.

The college boat-house is situated on the Cam and is about a ten to fifteen minute cycle from college. It is shared with Churchill, Selwyn and the Leys School. For the eager boaties, King's has an erg-room on-site in the basement of the Keynes building, which is accessible to members of the boat club. There are currently three concept 2 erg in use.

There are two music practice rooms situated in the Keynes basement, and the keys can be borrowed from the porters lodge. There are also music practice rooms available for use at the King's School just across the backs.

King's is one of the only colleges to have it's own darkroom. It is situated in the O-staircase basement and is well used by a few people. It's open to everyone who takes a short introductory course conducted by the darkroom committee.

Student-eye view