The Cambridge Chat Thread

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/8351405.stm

leala4628

I could but part of the being ill is needing the security of knowing I can get back to ''safety'' if I need to-therefore a chapel in college would be much better. At the moment I've been talking to our equivalent of the chaplain (I think Homerton wanted to be liberal so we have no prayer/spiritual space at all nor do we have any religious advisors) but it's just not the same :frown:

I was basically thinking what Mel just said... I know very little about how your illness works so it's probably bad of me to be giving advice, but maybe if you tried to reach out and establish another chapel as a 'safe place' that would work? Then you would also have a refuge if you were ever in town.

Reply 6043

visesh

17

K.T.

Urgh, 'porno couple' are really going for it tonight... again. They did this last night as well, while I was skyping my parents - awkward.

Reply 6044

Couldn't sleep till 6am. Only just woken up. FML.

Reply 6045

brimstone

Couldn't sleep till 6am. Only just woken up. FML.

I'm the same :frown:

I'm having enormous trouble sleeping at night. My temperature seems to have gone completely out of whack. I used to be a very cold person and the last few months I've been a furnace at night. I can't get comfortable either :frown:

Reply 6046

Zoedotdot

I'm the same :frown:

I'm having enormous trouble sleeping at night. My temperature seems to have gone completely out of whack. I used to be a very cold person and the last few months I've been a furnace at night. I can't get comfortable either :frown:

Yeah, I seem to either be shivering or sweating when I get into bed, it's weird. I don't know why I can't sleep - I struggle to stay awake when I'm working/in lectures, so I should in theory sleep well.

Reply 6047

brimstone

Yeah, I seem to either be shivering or sweating when I get into bed, it's weird. I don't know why I can't sleep - I struggle to stay awake when I'm working/in lectures, so I should in theory sleep well.

I'm exactly the same. At the moment I'm getting terrible headaches from stress or tiredness or I don't know what, but they only seem to go away when I have a nap. But then I can't sleep at night. Bah :frown:

Bad bodies!

I'm actually coming to Selwyn for lunch in about twenty minutes. Look out for loads of people speaking Russian if you're there :p:

Reply 6048

scarlet ibis

leala4628

I could but part of the being ill is needing the security of knowing I can get back to ''safety'' if I need to-therefore a chapel in college would be much better. At the moment I've been talking to our equivalent of the chaplain (I think Homerton wanted to be liberal so we have no prayer/spiritual space at all nor do we have any religious advisors) but it's just not the same :frown:

You may not have a chapel, but you do have a church just opposite your college! St John the Evangelist there's no reason why you couldn't get involved there, and it sounds like they are quite active in terms of community events and Prayer Groups etc. They have a very active choir too it seems (it was you who was taking singing lessons wasn't it?)

I hope you do give it a bit longer, and find the strength to come into town and meet people now and again. I'm around at weekends if you would like to meet over a cup of something. (number on my face book if you add me!)I've never been to Homerton either so it would be nice to visit. I'm sure I'm not the only one either - perhaps a few of us could venture down!

Reply 6049

alex_hk90

19

leala4628

I could but part of the being ill is needing the security of knowing I can get back to ''safety'' if I need to-therefore a chapel in college would be much better. At the moment I've been talking to our equivalent of the chaplain (I think Homerton wanted to be liberal so we have no prayer/spiritual space at all nor do we have any religious advisors) but it's just not the same :frown:

If you wanted I'm sure you could come to Pembroke Chapel (it's open to the public) - I'm not Christian (and am generally anti-religion as you may remember from the Freshers thread) but even I'd admit that our Dean is a really nice guy. :yep:

I would also really encourage you to at least give it until the end of term - I was close to calling it a day in Michaelmas last year as well, but now I can't imagine anywhere better.

scarlet ibis

I'm sure I'm not the only one either - perhaps a few of us could venture down!

I'd be up for a mini-TSR-meet at Homerton. :smile:

Reply 6050

Zoedotdot

I'm actually coming to Selwyn for lunch in about twenty minutes. Look out for loads of people speaking Russian if you're there :p:

I didn't see you :frown:

Supervision time. I have very little to say about Edmund Burke.

Reply 6051

Catsmeat

13

How did only just wake up? Equally, I feel shattered but I still have the Exploration Society talk this evening. I booked the room so I have to be there ...

Reply 6052

Excalibur

15

leala4628

I could but part of the being ill is needing the security of knowing I can get back to ''safety'' if I need to-therefore a chapel in college would be much better. At the moment I've been talking to our equivalent of the chaplain (I think Homerton wanted to be liberal so we have no prayer/spiritual space at all nor do we have any religious advisors) but it's just not the same :frown:

Sorry to hear you're not feeling settled. If it's any consolation, it took me until Easter term last year to honestly feel happy about being here, and to make real friends. Michaelmas was just a blur: I went to all sorts of things and made a lot of acquaintances, but in hindsight, I never felt truly settled, and was constantly worried that I was not 'living the full university experience' because I was feeling so unhappy/lonely/not loving my college/course/life.

I would agree with Craggy et al that you should try and join societies. Societies aren't the magic cure to happiness that some people make it sound like, but especially for you (where your college and course are isolated away) I think it would still be good to broaden your social circle, even if you don't necessarily make bosom friends; at least for me, non-college things make me feel more liberated, away from the sometimes claustrophobic college atmosphere, and lets me forget about work/stress etc. I think you said that your illness precludes you from going into town a lot, but there could be ways around this, e.g. going with other people into town so that someone will be there to help in case something happens, only going in during the day, going in by bus etc. Also, from my friends who are Christian, they seem to regard their church (not necessarily the college chapel) as their 'safety' place; some of them travel for about 20 minutes to get to their church. It could be worth looking into the church scarlet ibis suggested, or to go a bit further into town. (as with others, I'm also sure that you're welcome at Downing chapel too: our chaplain is super nice and we are the closest central college to you.) There must surely be some college societies too, and possibly a Homerton Christian Union.

Either way, I think you should give it at least until the end of this term. Everyone has different experiences at Cambridge - some people love their college, others not so much; some prefer to socialise outside college completely while others stay mainly within. (And of course people in between.) You can't change your college now, so you might as well at least try and make something positive out of the situation. :smile:

Reply 6053

Catsmeat

13

Excalibur has given very reasonable advice, and there is a real possibility of redundancy if I repeat the same thing. Nevertheless, there is one additional suggestion that I have, which may seem counter intuitive; get away from Cambridge just for a day. Not home, but just away, a friend elsewhere, or just a day trip. I need to do this quite often otherwise I become extremely misanthropic and increasingly cynical. However, I suggest you stay to the end of term. There are things coming up, not least the TSR formal, plus we all occasionally post statements showing that we have a real social life and are going out/are hungover (see me, above). Nobody here will say no to having more company ... we are surprisingly, erm, communal for an internet community.

Reply 6054

scarlet ibis

Also, there's nothing wrong, as Catsmeat says, with meeting friends online. Obviously, its great to get to know people from all kinds of places, but some of my best friends outside of my college and subject [and indeed boyfriend :o:

] are TSRers. For me, it was always just a different form of society.

Reply 6055

brimstone

I didn't see you :frown:

Supervision time. I have very little to say about Edmund Burke.

Should be there pretty much every Tuesday at 1 from now on, we all liked your food :smile:

I'd be with your only second year Russianist, so if you see her on a Tuesday...

Reply 6056

munro90

12

craghyrax

...

letter to my friend the other day seems to have worked; we've made up and put it all behind us :smile:

thanks for your support :five:

Reply 6057

My Burke essay was not 'intellectually stimulating' enough and was 'off topic' in many places. Sigh.

Zoedotdot

Should be there pretty much every Tuesday at 1 from now on, we all liked your food :smile:

I'd be with your only second year Russianist, so if you see her on a Tuesday...

I shall keep a stalkerish eye out for you. :yep:

Reply 6058