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Trinity College, Cambridge
From The Student RoomTSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > Cambridge > Trinity College, Cambridge
LocationThe bulk of the College (Great, New, and Neville's Courts, and all the important bits) are located in the middle of town -- just north of Market Square and Kings Parade, with Great Gate (the main entrance) set back slightly from Trinity Street. Other bits of College are Whewell's and Blue Boar Courts, and the Wolfson Building (recently refurbished) opposite Great Gate, and Burrell's Field (home to the Second Year in Exile) over the river and Queen's Road, about a five minute walk from Great Gate. Accommodation Accommodation is provided in College for all three (or four) years. Most first years are accommodated in either Angel Court or the Wolfson Building, both of which are pretty decent by Cambridge standards. Expect a room with a bed (funny old thing), desk, sink ... all the usual acoutrements you'd expect. A kitchen (known for archaic Cambridge reasons as a Gyp Room) will be shared between 5 or 6 of you. After that, in the second year you'll either be lucky and get a room in New Court (single sets, with a seperate bedroom and living room, or as a double set, where you and a friend have seperate bedrooms and a common living room), or you'll get a room in Burrell's Field. These come in three general forms -- the modern tower-stylee rooms (built in 1996, very nice), the older 1980s rooms in staircases A-F (still quite pleasant), or the houses on Grange Road, which vary from the lovely, lovely G and X (refurbished last year/the year before) or the slightly older W/V.  Social SpacesLots. The Wolfson Party Room (WPR, pronounced whuper) is a subterranean, troglodytian hole somewhere beneath the Wolfson Building. Generally home to the TCSU-organised Ents. I can't stand upright in there, so I don't know too much about it... There's also the Butler House Party Room in Burrell's Field, where TCSU lay on a Freshers' Ent -- in my second year, I had the 'misfortune' to live not a million miles away from it, so I can testify that the Freshers' ent is loud, and goes on a very long time. GardensTrinity is lucky to have the Backs, and a glorious Fellows' Garden (which, despite the name, is open to us student scum...) The South Paddock is one of the few bits of hallowed turf they let students on, and is usually home in the summer to hoardes of us pretending to revise (and actually watching tourists fail miserably at punting, and generally falling in). The Fellows' Garden, between Burrell's and the main college site, is great on a sunny day to sit in with a book and forget that you're meant to be working. Dining/HallHall is cheap, edible and plentiful. Food is best described as ... variable ... sometimes you luck out and college put on a decent spread, sometimes it's the noxious, questionable mystery meat in brown liquid known as 'Suffolk Stew'. There's a reason Cambridge doesn't have a stray cat problem, and I think that's it. However, one culinary art College excels at is pudding/dessert/afters. Supposedly, Trinity invented Creme Brulee, and the Brown Bread Ice Cream is to die for. Seriously lush. FormalTrinity formals are particularly ... formal ... by Cambridge standards, and happen every night except Monday and Friday, with Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 'special' formal hall (with better food). Dress standards are notionally suit, tie, and a gown for everybody (not just College members, as is common at most other Cambridge colleges), with female equivalent. However, they're fairly lax with enforcing the rules. BarPersonally, the bar reminds me of an airport departure lounge. Little atmosphere, usually heaving before and after Formal and fairly quiet at other times. It's located in Angel Ct, but you can get to it through the passageway between I Great Ct and Angel. You'll need a Buttery card (College ID card) to get in. JCRAbove the bar. TV, papers etc. Not much to say, really. Library and ComputingLibraryIt's big, with everything you could want. Fines can be hefty, so make sure you get your books back on time. Having said that, as a scientist I didn't have cause to go in there until my third year ... Make sure you make at least one trip to the basement, which is actually under the river. Fun games to play include locking your friends in there for fun and profit. Computer SuiteCollege has several computer rooms -- one in I New Court with about 40 PC's/Macs, and another in Burrell's Field Porters' Lodge. Room ConnectionEvery room (apart from a few staircases in Burrell's) have two network points. Make sure you've got an Ethernet card in your computer, although the computer types can lend you one if you cross their palms with silver. AtmosphereTrinity is a damn nice place to live, generally. Although it's the largest college in Cambridge, you'll soon make a group of friends, especially given the way the first years are accommodated. Living in the centre of town is a definite advantage, as if it all gets too much for you there's plenty of spaces to escape to in town. Really, with most colleges, you make them into what you want. It's the people that count, and thankfully Trinity has a lower quotient of numpties and irritating characters than some other colleges do. FacilitiesBeing the largest and most wealthy college has its advantages. We've got a gym (over near Burrell's) which is something like a fiver to use for the year. There's no shortage of washing machines and dryers (yes, you will have to use them, get used to the idea...) Student-eye viewTrinity is an awesome place to live, work and generally experience Cambridge from. But I would say that, I'm biased... :D | 
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