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	New Hall
	Established:	1954
	University:	University of Cambridge
	Address:	Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DF
	Telephone:	01223 762100
	Website:	http://www.newhall.cam.ac.uk
	Student Union/JCR website:	http://www.srcf.ucam.org/nhjcr
	Admittance:	women only

Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 A Women's College 2 Location 3 Accommodation 3.1 Old Block 3.2 New Block 3.3 Buckingham House 3.4 Canning and Eliza House 3.5 College Houses 4 Social Spaces 4.1 Gardens 4.2 Dome Dining 4.3 Bar 4.4 JCR 4.5 Snug 4.6 Froud Room 5 Library and Computing 5.1 Rosemary Murray Library 5.2 Computer Suite 5.3 Room Connection 6 Welfare 7 Atmosphere 8 Facilities 8.1 Tennis Courts 8.2 Squash Court 8.3 Art Room 8.4 Developing Room 8.5 Piano Rooms 8.6 Nearest Shops 8.7 Gym 9 Student-eye view...

Introduction

New Hall College is a women's college of the University of Cambridge. Characterised by its white bricks and dome, it is a modern and progressive college that admits only women. It is the only non-denominational college in Cambridge, so has no religious affiliation or chapel.

In her novel 'An Unsuitable Job For A Woman' P.D.James wrote that New Hall is "too distractingly pretty to be conducive to serious study". Now, this may be seen as quite a subjective statement by many people, but with its Fountain Court, gardens (that you can trample all over and fully enjoy!), Womens' Art Collection and modern buildings it really can be beautiful.

Academically, New Hall is going from strength to strength with their best ever Part II (finals) results achieved in 2007. Going by the rankings, the college tends to lose out because it is a women's college - and women simply don't do as well in finals as men. However, as a woman at New Hall you are likely to do better than women at most other colleges.

On the New Hall Website you can take a virtual tour and read the history of the college.

A Women's College

Undoubtedly the fact that New Hall is a women's college is a strong part of its identity - and a part that causes some people (especially pooled students) some anxiety. There is no need to worry, however. You are very much in control of how much, or how little, contact you want with the opposite sex. New Hall one of the 'hill colleges' in a group with Fitzwilliam and Churchill in the North of the city. Both Fitzwilliam and Churchill are predominantly male colleges, and there is a strong community between the hill colleges, and there are joint orchestra, drama society and sports teams. Fitzwilliam come to dine at New Hall when they have formal hall and the pav of Churchill is strongly attended by New Hall students. Your college is purely a base where you are accommodated, and New Hall in no way bans males from the college. Your supervisions, labs, lectures, classes etc will be organised centrally so you will often be studying with men. Socially, there are many university-wide societies for you to join and socialise with men should you wish to.

Because of the uncertainty that some applicants have, there is an event called "Offer Holders'" where prospective students holding a conditional or unconditional offer are invited to stay at the college overnight. The Offer Holder will generally be put with a student in the first year who is studying their subject. Welcome events are put on, Offer Holders are usually taken to formal and to lectures by their hosts. Many Offer Holders are reassured by the event and look forward to coming to New Hall when they make the grade in the summer.

Location

New Hall is one of the 'hill colleges' in a group with Fitzwilliam and Churchill in the North of the city. There is a strong community between the hill colleges, and there are joint orchestra, drama society and sports teams. Both Churchill and It's a 10-15 minute walk from the centre of town so a bit further than other colleges but really not too bad. New Hall is very close to the Mathematics buildings, Vets centre, (new) Cavendish labs and observatories, but about a half hour walk or ten minute bike ride to the main arts (Sidgwick site) and science (the New Museums Site) teaching areas. The nearest shops are a 5-10 minute walk away and the Doctors Surgery on Huntingdon Road is next door.

Accommodation

Nearly all accommodation (the only expections being one college owned house) are connected to the college network and have high-speed internet access via ethernet. (Images thanks to www.cambridge2000.com)

Old Block

Old Block tends to be the cheaper accommodation with all three years living in it. Most freshers are placed in Old Block. There are just enough kitchen and bathrooms to serve everyone, though there are far more baths than showers at the moment. The college is about to start on a renovation of Old Block to make half the rooms ensuite and install carpets into the rooms (which are now cork floor tiles). Old Block is well heated but the grey brick walls can get depressing, though there are no restrictions on plastering the walls with posters, unlike it other accommodation. An unusual feature of Old Block are the 'split' rooms (split singles and split doubles) which have to be seen to be understood: they are rooms with a mezzanine floor. High speed internet access.

New Block

All rooms are ensuite, but with 12 rooms to a kitchen it can get a little bit cramped. Many second and third year students live in New Block. Also living in New Block is Jake, the college cat (and only resident male). High speed internet access.

Buckingham House

Because Buckingham House (Buck House) is part of the college's development portfolio, and used for conference guests outside of term, you have to move out much sooner than in any of the other accommodation in order to make way for conference guests. This means that you get a better quality accommodation for a slight reduction, but moving out right away is not always convenient - you often can't wait until the Saturday to move, for example. High speed internet access.

Canning and Eliza House

The newest build at New Hall, this is a pricy but luxurious halls - again with ensuite rooms and large social spaces but is reserved mostly for graduate students, though this does not rule out the possibility that undergraduates can live there: though it is mostly finalists who live there. High speed internet access.

College Houses

New Hall owns several houses on Huntingdon Road and a couple within college grounds (Hammond House and Clover House). These are slightly more run-down, but because most people opt into these houses with a group of friends this seems to matter less. Most of the college houses have high speed internet access (only the houses on Huntingdon Road don't).

Social Spaces

Gardens

One of the nicest parts of New Hall is its gardens. They've recently featured in a book, and New Hall made the debut appearance at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2007. You can walk on all the grass and picnic or study to your heart's content, which is a change from many colleges where there are strict instructions to stay off the lawn. The garden parties held in the gardens are often relaxed affairs, very enjoyable and are well attended with a good university-wide reputation

Dome Dining

• Every lunch and evening (except Tuesday and Saturday nights). A very wide selection of warm and cold food. Reasonable value, a bit cheaper than eating out at lunchtime.
• Formal Hall. Every Tuesday, and once a month on a Friday (Superhall). Quite expensive as formal halls go, but has an exceptional reputation. Very good food, all waited silver-service. The puddings are particularly good thanks to New Hall's amazing chef, Bill Proudfoot.

Bar

Generally, I'd go to another college's bar... it's good for the chocolate vending machine though in the middle of an essay crisis. Oh and there's a MASSIVE flat-screen TV.

JCR

Newly relocated to Old Block.

Snug

A room with TV, DVD and video that you can book in advance to watch films with friends if you want a change of scenery for your college room.

Froud Room

The TV room, and also where a selection of daily newspapers are kept. A few large sofas, packed to the brim during Neighbours times.

Library and Computing

Rosemary Murray Library

Open 24 hours a day, you check your books in and out yourself. You are allowed 10 books, but the librarians are lenient if you need to go over. You can keep the books you borrow for the entire term. There is a photocopier conveniently located just outside the library.

Computer Suite

Accessible with your swipe card, it's open 24 hours a day. There are a good amount of terminals and there is usually a free computer.

Room Connection

All college rooms can be connected to the college network, which enables high speed internet access, only the houses on Huntingdon Road don't have access.. It costs about £20 a term, and you are provided with an ethernet cable and a start-up kit (with anti-virus software and a comprehensive guide to getting your computer network ready) for free. There are download restrictions and the inability to use webcam/microphone/skype can be frustrating, but this is the same for many colleges. The computer officers are on hand every week day and are very helpful - you can just pop in and they'll look into to problem almost immediately.

Welfare

The welfare system at Cambridge, and New Hall in particular, is personalised and your success (emotionally and academically) is their primary concern.

• College Mums: As a single-sex college you have to put up with just a mum (rather than a set of parents). She is generally someone in the second year studying your subject. They will usually send you a letter before you come up to Cambridge introducing themselves and trying to put you at ease. There are mother-daughter events during freshers' week, and from there you build the relationship yourself. Some people don't see their college mum much after freshers' week and have had their questions answered, where others maintain strong friendships even after graduation.

• Offer Holders: Because of the uncertainty that some applicants have, there is an event called "Offer Holders'" where prospective students holding a conditional or unconditional offer are invited to stay at the college overnight. The Offer Holder will generally be put with a student in the first year who is studying their subject. Welcome events are put on, Offer Holders are usually taken to formal and to lectures by their hosts. Many Offer Holders are reassured by the event and look forward to coming to New Hall when they make the grade in the summer.

• Directors of Studies: Every student at Cambridge has a DoS, who you will meet in your first week and after that you will generally email them. They are there to organise your studies (supervisions and classes) and will often supervise you themselves at some point. Your DoS is your point of contact for academic issues, and they will support your learning. Sometimes this means they will give you a nudge if your performance could be better, but this is a rareity.

• Tutors: Your tutors and every administrator will help you whereever possible. Every undergraduate is allocated a tutor (who does not teach your subject, for the sake of impartiality) who you'll see a couple of times a term at least, or more if you need it. Again, they are easy to contact through email. The Senior Tutor, Owen Saxton, is genuinely interested in your wellbeing, and will step in to support if things are less than peachy.

• The President: Unusually, the president endeavours to see each student individually each year to have a short chat and keep in touch. This is not standard practise at Cambridge, and shows how New Hall's senior staff are genuinely keen to ensure the welfare of their students.

• College Nurse: The College nurse, Mary, is on hand 2 hours per weekday. She is easily accessible by email and will, in some circumstances, give out her home phone number for emergencies.

• Sexual health: Condoms and pregnancy tests are avaiable for free from the Welfare pigeonhole, which is stocked up by the welfare officer.

• Bursaries: As a small and fairly new college, it doesn't have enormous funds but invariably helps poor students and provides travel bursaries and other funding besides. If you are in genuine trouble it will pull out all the stops. All the usual university wide bursaries (e.g. Isaac Newton bursary) are available to New Hall students.

Atmosphere

Initially strange and daunting, everyone mellows into the single-sex environment fairly swiftly. New Hall soon has a friendly and supportive atmosphere. It's very pro-female and everyone wants you to do the very very best you can. When you first start at the university, snide people from other colleges will say "Oh, were you pooled there?" But they grow out of this by the second year and New Hall is very favourably viewed by those who give it a chance.

Facilities

Tennis Courts

(£1 a go)

Squash Court

Art Room

Developing Room

Piano Rooms

Nearest Shops

The nearest shop is the Nasreen Dar shop on Histon Road (about 2 mins walk from the Porters' Lodge). Nasreen Dar sells nearly everything and is great in an emergency. At the end of Histon Road is Aldi and Iceland - excellent for cheap food deals.

Gym

The Gym is quite good, it only costs about £30 a year for membership.

Student-eye view...

To be completed