Use of other colleges facilities?

Are you allowed to use other colleges faclities such as a specialist subject library, gym etc. I am assuming the answer will be the same either way for Oxford and Cambridge.

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Reply 1

Ticki

The Cambridge answer:

Probably not the gyms, but you should in theory be able to work in another college's library. Some colleges will require you to get permission beforehand, and you won't be able to borrow books from another college library. You can work in any faculty library though.

Reply 2

Joshworkinghard

WHat about other kinds of facilities.

Reply 3

Ticki

Like what?! I doubt you'd want to go and use anything on your own, and if you have friends at a particular college it's usually not a problem. A number of bars will ask you to be signed in by a college member, ditto bops (some are open to non-college members, sometimes you have to pay a bit extra...), you can eat at another buttery or formal but will need a college member to put it on their college bill. I can't think of any other facilities. Some colleges only open their gardens to college members, or have designated college areas of the gardens. I doubt anyone would mind if you sat in another college's TV room. Laundry facilities are usually locked away, ditto pigeon holes if you wanted to post something through CUSU-UMS. You could stroke another college's cat...

Reply 4

Joshworkinghard

Ticki

Like what?!

I was thinking along th lines of: cinemas, gardens, JCRs, pools, punts, halls, squash courts.

Reply 5

Willa

The general rule with most of those things is: If a member of that college has reasonably free access to that facility, then you should be accompanied by a member of the college...i.e: Use college punts with someone from that college. Use their hall usually with someone from that college (card systems etc). Nobody will stop you "using" a garden by yourself though, you dont need an escort for that one.

Just use your common sense in most cases!

Reply 6

amateurish

Joshworkinghard

I was thinking along th lines of: cinemas, gardens, JCRs, pools, punts, halls, squash courts.

the general answer is probably 'why would you want to?' because most colleges are fairly self-contained in terms of facilities. most of the colleges with cinemas put on film nights that are open to the whole university for 2 or 3 quid. don't know about punts, but i know our squash courts can only be booked out to college members.

Reply 7

Helenia

Joshworkinghard

I was thinking along th lines of: cinemas, gardens, JCRs, pools, punts, halls, squash courts.

Will's basically said it, but to clarify a couple of them:

Cinemas - most college film socs are open to everyone though at some (John's, Christ's and Robinson are ones I've been to) you have to pay.

Gardens are ok I think as long as they're open.

JCR - well, fine, but don't know why you'd want to sit there unless it's with someone at the college.

Don't know about the rules for the pools, I'm afraid. Ditto punts, or squash courts.

You can go to other college halls, but you'll have to have your ticket bought by someone in the college. As for normal college buttery, some colleges have reciprocal rights (e.g. people at Girton can have buttery lunch at some colleges in town) but mostly you'll have to get someone there to buy food on their card.

Reply 8

fleur-de-lis

Joshworkinghard

Are you allowed to use other colleges faclities such as a specialist subject library, gym etc. I am assuming the answer will be the same either way for Oxford and Cambridge.

I know that my college doesn't allow students from other colleges to use the gym or the library EXCEPT in those cases where you take a special permission, in which case you can probably only read the books on site (in the case of the library). However, if you are accompanied by a college member, they won't raise any eyebrows (don't know about gym's stance on that) & you might be able to use the library by yourself too.

Reply 9

Radagasty

I was in the Peterhouse library with a Petrian, and I got kicked out!

Reply 10

lskdgjsj

Helenia

Ditto punts, or squash courts.

As far as John's is concerned, you have to be a member of the college to be given the keys to either a punt or a squash court. I'd imagine this goes for all colleges. Technically you shouldn't use the library or any other facilities without express permission.

Reply 11

Joshworkinghard

Do all colleges have access to punts?

Reply 12

Willa

Joshworkinghard

Do all colleges have access to punts?

johns, trinity, tit hall, kings, magdalene (and clare) all have their own punts. Everyone else uses the student scheme with scudamores.

Reply 13

Mop

Willa

tit hall

We have a single punt. That is always on the verge of sinking. It's called Bungle though, so I guess that makes it better than any other college's punts (Zippy and George are currently sitting in the Fellows' Garden awaiting some sort of repair to prevent them disintegrating whenever someone sets foot in them).

Reply 14

Willa

reminds me that i must go punting soon, i've only been once this year!!!!

Reply 15

~Raphael~

Are punts really expensive, for so few colleges to have their own?

Reply 16

Helenia

~Raphael~

Are punts really expensive, for so few colleges to have their own?

Not really, but not all colleges have river frontage.

Reply 17

~Raphael~

Helenia

Not really, but not all colleges have river frontage.

Yeah, but that makes it more expensive for students of non-river colleges? :frown:

Reply 18

fleur-de-lis

Willa

johns, trinity, tit hall, kings, magdalene (and clare) all have their own punts. Everyone else uses the student scheme with scudamores.

Does that refer to Cambridge?

I know for sure that Magdalen, Wolfson, St Anne's & St John from Oxon have punts. Not many colleges have river access, so they keep their punts elsewhere. Magdalen & Wolfson are really lucky :frown:

Reply 19

fleur-de-lis