Freshers: We're in, now for the practicalities...

Reply 380

13

bethy_uk

M & S for me all the way. And I'll probably pick up some fresh stuff from the market, and maybe tins etc I will pick up from Sainsburys if I can be bothered. I very much doubt I'll have the time or inclination to go looking for out of town supermarkets. I expect my food bills to be huge anyway as I'm going to a self-catered college.

I'd say it's cheaper to be self catered than dine exclusively in college, really.

Reply 381

randomlaughter

Seconded. When you buy the food from a supermarket yourself you're not paying college kitchen staff wages on top of the cost price.

Reply 382

bethy_uk

True...I never really thought about that.

Reply 383

shi

By the way, how do we pay for college meals? Is it included in the price for room?

Reply 384

thefish_uk

14

shi

By the way, how do we pay for college meals? Is it included in the price for room?

Nope.

Your university card will be linked into their computers as a kind of smart card. You'll put money on to it when you need to, and then when you buy food wave it over a sensor which will deduct the amount.

At least it works like that at my college.

You can pay by cash, but you still have to wave your card over the sensor in order to get the student prices rather than the conference guest prices.

Reply 385

generalebriety

16

shi

By the way, how do we pay for college meals? Is it included in the price for room?

I understand you just pay every time you go and get a meal. At least, that's how it seemed to work at Selwyn.

Reply 386

shi

Thanks. It would be too cheap if the price were included :smile:

I've one more question. I found on Cambridge statistics site that there are only 2 persons given a place for Oriental Studies in Queens' this year. Do you think it's possible?

Reply 387

generalebriety

16

shi

Thanks. It would be too cheap if the price were included :smile:

I've one more question. I found on Cambridge statistics site that there are only 2 persons given a place for Oriental Studies in Queens' this year. Do you think it's possible?

Think what's possible? :s-smilie:

That only two people were accepted? Yeah...

Reply 388

Craghyrax

17

There were at least two threads hanging around on college food, and from what I read, colleges differed in systems for payment.

Reply 389

randomlaughter

Indeed they do differ. Magdalene, for example, gives everyone a "Pepys card". Each time you eat in hall you can either use cash, or they swipe your card and it will be charged on next term's bill alongside your room rent, formals etc.

Reply 390

paneity

I've heard in Girton, you get £500 credit on your card. Which is good in a way, apart from having to scrounge up a whole load of money when you get too your limit, when you've already spent the money cause it was just sitting in your account begging to be spent.

Btw, how long do you think I can make £500 last?

Reply 391

FadeToBlackout

15

paneity

I've heard in Girton, you get £500 credit on your card. Which is good in a way, apart from having to scrounge up a whole load of money when you get too your limit, when you've already spent the money cause it was just sitting in your account begging to be spent.

Btw, how long do you think I can make £500 last?

About two terms if you eat in there a lot, a year with plenty to spare if you go in more sparingly- say once a day. :smile:

****

At Clare, your uni card has the amounts for food put on it at the till, then this is added on to your college bill at the end of term.

Seconded. When you buy the food from a supermarket yourself you're not paying college kitchen staff wages on top of the cost price.

That's what the Kitchen Fixed Charge is there for, though. You can always opt out of paying KFC, but then the meals get 50% more expensive. So whilt you do pay for the staff, you pay them seperately rather than directly with each meal.

I've one more question. I found on Cambridge statistics site that there are only 2 persons given a place for Oriental Studies in Queens' this year. Do you think it's possible?

Not only is Oriental Studies a small degree to start off with, it's also on the decline. Several of the component parts of the faculty have been moved into other faculties such as Archaeology, and some people say its lifespan is limited. Ergo a decrease in the number of undergrads taking it wouldn't surprise me. Also, it's such a niche subject that I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Queejns only take 2.

Reply 392

coldfusion

2

Are you suppose to have a black tie or bow tie or does it not matter? If not does it have to be black cos I only have a blue tie and am thinking of buying a black bow tie but if it doesnt matter I wont bother...

Reply 393

Willa

11

if something says "black tie" it means dinner jacket and dark/black BOW TIE.

if you are wearing a suit, you just wear a regular tie, whatever colour you want.

Reply 394

coldfusion

2

what's the difference between a dinner jacket and a suit? I'm sorry but I dont usually have to worry about this stuff before...

Reply 395

Apagg

13

A dinner jacket is also known as a tuxedo, and is basically a penguin suit (black and white, usually).
A suit is tailored differently, and I'd know one from the other, but I'm not sure how to describe the differences.

Reply 396

coldfusion

2

omg so now I need to go out and buy a dinner jacket?!?!

Reply 397

Apagg

13

It's quite likely you'll need one at some point, though you can simply rent one out or borrow someone else's.

Reply 398

Willa

11

coldfusion

omg so now I need to go out and buy a dinner jacket?!?!

yup, but you almost certainly wont need one until the end of term at the earliest....and if you don't join any sports clubs or societies, you probably wont need one until the the end of the year for the may balls. So just keep an eye out for one, you wont want to spend more than about £100 on a 2-piece dinner suit I would say.

Reply 399

Catsmeat

13

You can always rent one.

Freshers: We're in, now for the practicalities...

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