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Freshers' Q & A thread

meepmeep

What exactly do you do in freshers' week? Do you start lectures or is it just admin things and getting used to uni? Or is it a half and half thing? And finally, do the second and third years come back a bit after this confused fresher has settled in or come back straight away? I know they sound stupid questions, but if you don't know the answer.... :rolleyes:

Or maybe this just proves there is such thing as a stupid question.

Just so I don't appear lazy as well as stupid, I did bother to read through the freshers' week thread, but it didn't really help to answer my questions (although it was interesting reading in parts).

Reply 41

Helenia

20

meepmeep

What exactly do you do in freshers' week? Do you start lectures or is it just admin things and getting used to uni? Or is it a half and half thing? And finally, do the second and third years come back a bit after this confused fresher has settled in or come back straight away? I know they sound stupid questions, but if you don't know the answer.... :rolleyes:

Or maybe this just proves there is such thing as a stupid question.

Ok....

Freshers' week starts on Saturday 2nd, most if not all 2nd/3rd years will be around by then, some for college parenting duties (like me :biggrin:

) others just to join in the parties. Lectures properly start on the Thursday after that; but before then you'll have to meet with your DoS, lots of meetings with JCR people and welfare and stuff, probably a subject tour and so on. Expect to meet about 100 people who will tell you "If you ever need to talk to me about anything then you can." On top of that, there'll be lots of socialising, lots of parties etc :biggrin:

It'll be mad, but enjoyable.

Reply 42

meepmeep

Helenia

Ok....

Freshers' week starts on Saturday 2nd, most if not all 2nd/3rd years will be around by then, some for college parenting duties (like me :biggrin:

) others just to join in the parties. Lectures properly start on the Thursday after that; but before then you'll have to meet with your DoS, lots of meetings with JCR people and welfare and stuff, probably a subject tour and so on. Expect to meet about 100 people who will tell you "If you ever need to talk to me about anything then you can." On top of that, there'll be lots of socialising, lots of parties etc :biggrin:

It'll be mad, but enjoyable.

Thank you! That's just about exactly what I wanted to hear really (the thought of jumping in at the deep end on the first day seemed a bit scary) so I'll look forward to it. I guess all that's left for me to say is hope you get a nice son/daughter.

Reply 43

ASNaC

MadNatSci

Why does that seem a bit weird to me..? I'm not sure why it would, but it does! I never noticed the lack of kettles although I did notice all the microwaves! *jealous*

Quite seriously, we have NO kettles provided. This has been very annoying as I do not own one myself. *frustrated*

Reply 44

Alaric

1

fishpaste

Did you bring your own printer? How do you Clare students tend to get things printed? What would Clare say about me plugging in a wireless access point to my ethernet port, in order that I might sit under a tree, or in somebody else's room, or even just on the bed with my laptop should I feel like it? I'm guessing it's banned.

I have my own printer yes, most people tend to email themselves the document then go to one of the 24hr computer rooms (one in Colony, one in Mem) and use the laser printers. If you use WinXP Pro and can be bothered to go through a lot of hassle you can get your machine to talk to the printers and tell it to print before you walk over to the computer room to pick it up. That requires so much hassle its not really worth it.
Although most people use email to transfer files to their PWF (public workstation facility) space, there is also ftp, which is a lot more practical.
Off the top of my head I think the printing is 6p per sheet and it goes onto your college bill, but don't quote me on the price :tongue:

.

As for access points, I've heard varying stories of success of using wifi around mem. You'll almost certainly get eaten by the librarian if you use it in the library, but if you've got a room that faces onto one of the courts you'd probably get decent signal. The university computer service seems to be really slow at issuing guidelines for room based access points (read they haven't yet) but Clare's policy is that we're happy with them as long as we know about them and they're secured properly. If you don't secure it properly and people come war-cycling and use your connection then it's you who'll get in trouble basically. Let Allison, the computer officer, (room O4 in Mem I think) know you're going to use one when you apply for a connection.
I've yet to persuade college that they should make some hot-spots, but I'm trying.

Alaric.

Reply 45

Bathsheba

this is a very useful thread, thanks guys!

how much money do you / does one spend every week? i mean not including accomodation. also how does the kitchen fixed rate thing work?

Reply 46

Bathsheba

and also, as we need to be there on saturday oct 2, will we be shot if we get there on friday? because it would be much easier for my dad to give me a lift for friday and my stuff probably won't fit on a train...

Reply 47

UndiscoverdSelf

1

are there any english students already at cam here? having got my place i'm starting to realise i will actually have to work... alarm. how much work do english-os have to do? do we really not have to go to lectures and spend all our time arguing with ts eliot in coffee shops? roughly how much time does one spend At Work every day? thanks v much- would be nice to get an idea of what i've got myself in for before october

Reply 48

Fluffstar

I would really like to know who my College Mum is! I have received my freshers pack, but nothing from my college mum. :frown:

Am I an orphan?

Reply 49

Squishy

11

Fluffstar

I would really like to know who my College Mum is! I have received my freshers pack, but nothing from my college mum. :frown:

Am I an orphan?

Well you'll certainly be part of a one-parent family...you can't have real dads at Newnham, hahahahaha. :tongue:

Reply 50

jamesvb

Squishy

Well you'll certainly be part of a one-parent family...you can't have real dads at Newnham, hahahahaha. :tongue:

I'm sure some of the mums there wont look too far off from being dads... :biggrin:

Reply 51

Alaric

1

Bathsheba

this is a very useful thread, thanks guys!

how much money do you / does one spend every week? i mean not including accomodation. also how does the kitchen fixed rate thing work?

Kitchen Fixed Charge is normally just added to your college bill every term (at Clare it's about 80pt), some colleges have meal ticket systems (Caius) that force you to eat in hall but most aren't forced to. It's just something else you need to pay, with limited benefit.

I tend to try and budget somewhere around a tenner a day for everything except accommodation and fees. Sometimes I use a lot less, sometimes a lot more if I buy books, go drinking etc. I cook for myself though, so sometimes thats more than buttery, sometime is a lot less.

Alaric

Reply 52

Helenia

20

Fluffstar

I would really like to know who my College Mum is! I have received my freshers pack, but nothing from my college mum. :frown:

Am I an orphan?

College parents is done through the JCR, so may take a few more days to organise. The way it worked for me was I got a brief note from the welfare officer, telling me the name and subject of my parents and my sister, and then after that I got letters from my mum and my dad. I haven't had details of my children yet, so I can't write to them, but I really really hope I get some nice ones! Have to do my best to be a good mother and not let their father's wayward intentions lead them astray :eek:

Bathsheba - you would need to contact your college about that. There may well be 2nd/3rd years up already (I will be, but I don't live in the same place as the Freshers at Clare do :frown:

) but not many first years unless there are internationals around. I think they like everyone to arrive on the Saturday, but they may be able to make exceptions, I don't know. Ring them.

As for money, I would say I spend ~£40-50 a week depending on how much I go out and stuff. Expect Freshers' week to be much more than that though - lots of membership fees, not to mention excessive alcohol.

Reply 53

MadNatSci

OP

12

Bathsheba

how much money do you / does one spend every week? i mean not including accomodation.

It really depends whether you have the strength of will to stay away from Sainsbury's...! Also how much you go out and how much you spend on booze. I reckon I probably averaged around a tenner to £20 a week on food - this was pushed up by my buying lunch out fairly frequently, because of practicals. I assume I'm speaking for most if not all colleges when I say that you get food from Hall on a kind of charge card (a buttery card), along with formal hall tickets and photocopying cards and things, which you pay off with your rent at the start of the following term. Alcohol and other drinks... well, it depends how much you go out, whether you buy wine for socials (someone I know got away the whole year without buying any wine for anyone despite never hosting a social... cheeky). I advise budgeting, which I did, and sticking to it, which I didn't!

Bathsheba

and also, as we need to be there on saturday oct 2, will we be shot if we get there on friday? because it would be much easier for my dad to give me a lift for friday and my stuff probably won't fit on a train...

If you ring up your college's Housekeeper, I'm sure they'll be able to be flexible :smile:

ASNaC - my sympathy for the lack of kettles! I guess I never noticed because my friend had one of his own - have you got one for this year?!

Reply 54

MadNatSci

OP

12

MadNatSci

I reckon I probably averaged around a tenner to £20 a week on food

Should probably point out here I mean food from Sainsbury's, not from the buttery... I'm a sucker for that shop :smile:

Reply 55

Helenia

20

MadNatSci

ASNaC - my sympathy for the lack of kettles! I guess I never noticed because my friend had one of his own - have you got one for this year?!

We didn't have kettles either, but I didn't mind because I had my own, as did the other 4 people in my kitchen. I want to get a toastie maker for next year :biggrin:

Reply 56

jamesvb

Are the colleges pretty flexible over what you are allowed in your room i.e. is a coffee maker / plants / your own desk chair going to be okay or is that kinda thing just not done really?

Reply 57

Helenia

20

jamesvb

Are the colleges pretty flexible over what you are allowed in your room i.e. is a coffee maker / plants / your own desk chair going to be okay or is that kinda thing just not done really?

There are rules...coffee maker may have to be relegated to the kitchen, but that varies. Plants should be fine (I managed to kill 4 pansies in my first attempt at making my room look nice). As for a desk chair, it should be ok, though you might be a bit pushed for space, unless you can persuade them to take away one of the ones that's already there.

Edit: stuff like candles aren't allowed. If I think of anything else that's definitely not allowed, I'll post it.

Oh, and most colleges have a "no blu-tack on the walls" policy, so invest in some poster hangers and hooks before you go - you may be able to get the poster hangers themselves from housekeeping (at Clare they give out 3) but I couldn't get any hooks anywhere in Cambridge.

Reply 58

chermitron

what???!! no blue tack? that's a silly rule! in my dorm room at boarding school i had entire walls covered in posters...actually i had a pretty sweet set up, a bunch of plants, a couch, and one of those siamese fighting fish, i was hoping to replicate my old room at peterhouse...but alas

Reply 59

ASNaC

Bathsheba

this is a very useful thread, thanks guys!

how much money do you / does one spend every week? i mean not including accomodation. also how does the kitchen fixed rate thing work?

I spend 50-80 pounds a week - 40-50 is quite manageable. I try to keep myself below 70, but it doesn't always happen. The most expensive things really are drinks, especially if you do any amount of drinking a pubs rather than college bars (as I do). I normally end up spending about 30 pounds a week on beer :eek:

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