Freshers' Guidebook 2020 Queens' College, Cambridge

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FRESHERS’ GUIDEBOOK 2020 QUEENS’ COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

This Guide represents the views of Queens’ College JCR and should not be misinterpreted as representing the ‘official’ views of the College.

This guide is written to give you a student’s introduction to life at Queens’ and Cambridge. This guide will not cover full details of how COVID-19 restrictions will be applied in Queens’. Please make sure you read all guidance supplied by Queens’ on the pandemic, and look out for updates from the College, or from the JCR Committee.

Contents

Welcome to Queens’! 1. Welcome to the University of Cambridge and Queens’ College! 2. Welcome from the JCR First Year Representatives

Before you arrive 1. Social Media pages 2. Important links 3. What to bring and what not to bring

Cambridge life 1. The City of Cambridge 2. Getting around 3. Studying at the University of Cambridge 4. Important dates – when do I move in?

College life 1. Map of Queens’ 2. Covid-19 guidelines 3. Cambridge lingo 4. Buildings/places in Queens’ Porters’ Lodge Cripps Court Lyon Court Fisher Building The Grove Cloister Court Pump Court Old Court Walnut Tree Court Friars’ Court Erasmus’ Lawn Owlstone Croft 5. Food in Queens’ 6. Welfare and Health 7. Computing

Freshers’ Week 1. Freshers’ Week timetable 2. Matriculation

Welcome to Queens’!

1. Welcome to the University of Cambridge and Queens’ College!

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the University of Cambridge! More importantly, welcome to Queens’ College!

If you’re anything like us, you might be a little nervous to be starting Uni. Keeping up with your work and making friends, trying not to poison yourself with your new ‘student meals’ and wondering if the washing machine is as complicated as it seems... University is full of amazing experiences that may seem a bit daunting at the minute. That’s where we, your Freps*, come in handy, and we’ve written this guidebook to answer as many of your questions as possible, to settle some of your fears and to give you an insight into life at Queens’.

Trust us, you’ll be having the time of your lives very soon - and true story, even Iz worked out the college laundry, and she still has never done a load of washing at home. If she can do it, you can too. (Or she can do it for you, but don’t hold her to that!)

*Frep=freshers’ representative. You’ll notice Cambridge comes with a whole load of new words to learn, many of which are very silly (boatie, buttery), but all of which you too will soon be using with a complete lack of self-consciousness that will last until you go home and you find yourself explaining for the fourth time what a ‘bedder’ is. We’ve explained some of the weirder terms, but don’t worry about learning them by heart. You’ll pick them up with worrying ease, believe us - and if you’re not sure, you can always ask.

2. Welcome from the JCR First Year Representatives Bree Livesey and Isobel Maxwell

Being just one year above you, we remember very clearly what it felt like to be a Fresher – don’t worry, it’s absolutely awesome! It’s completely natural to feel nervous or scared coming into uni especially with everything 2020 has thrown at us. But we’re here to ensure that you’ll soon be calling Queens’ ‘home’, and to do everything we can to make that a reality.

Our role as Freps is to be here for you, so if you have any questions (however silly they may seem) about Freshers’ week, college, or anything else, we (along with your college parents) are your first points of contact. However, if you don’t like the look of us, or have a more specific question (e.g. about reading lists), you can also speak to any member of the JCR, your tutor, your DoS, a porter, or a member of the Welfare Team at Queens’... There will always be someone to speak to!

Bree Livesey - Geography Iz Maxwell - English [email protected] [email protected]

We’re sure you will see us running around during Freshers’ Week, but feel free to email us, message us on Facebook or WhatsApp, or drop the Freshers’ Instagram page a DM. We’re always here for you!

Before you arrive

1. Social Media pages To make sure you are connected with Queens’ life, here is a list of important social media pages to follow! Facebook is heavily relied upon in Queens’ (and Cambridge in general) to share events and information so we would highly recommend setting up a profile!

Freshers’ accounts ● To keep you up to date before you arrive at Queens’, we have set up various Freshers’ social media pages for you. Please be sure to follow the Instagram account ‘queensfreshers2020 ’ and join the Facebook group ‘Queens’ College Cambridge Freshers 2020-2021’ to have regular updates from the Freps and the rest of the JCR committee!

College accounts ● Be sure to give the official Queens’ Instagram account a follow ‘queens_college’. JCR accounts ● Facebook is relied upon to share JCR-led college events. For example, this summer the JCR has been running fortnightly online bar quizzes! Be sure to follow the Facebook page ‘Queens’ College JCR’ and join the private Facebook group ‘Queens’ College JCR’ to keep up to date with all the events happening in college throughout the year. ● The JCR also regularly posts on their Instagram account ‘queensjcr’. The account runs a ‘Humans of Queens’ ’ series which we recommend you check out.

● The Facebook page ‘Queens’ Compliments’ allows students to send in lovely compliments about fellow students and about college life. A very wholesome page!

Other Facebook accounts Cambridge SU ● Information about Student Union Events, as well as some information about the university - but you will get all of the important and relevant information through college and the JCR, so mainly useful to keep up with interesting events.

Crushbridge, Kindbridge, Camfess, Memebridge (and many others) ● Student pages - like at your own peril! Can be very funny and/or sweet; but also sometimes controversial. ○ Crushbridge: Students send in crushes - sometimes seriously, sometimes not. Generally very sweet and a good way of getting the name of the cute person in the dairy aisle in Sainsbury’s who may or may not turn out to be the love of your life. ○ Kindbridge: Generally very wholesome. Did someone buy you some biscuits because you were looking a bit down? Appreciate someone’s gorgeous new trousers? Send them a Kindbridge, they’ll love you forever. ○ Camfess: Students send in confessions. Often the first place that drama will kick off. ○ Memebridge: Cambridge-themed memes. Yes, we have a page for that!

Cambridge Union ● Separate from the Student Union, the Cambridge Union is a debating society which you may or may not choose to join. It often hosts exciting speakers - recent speakers range from Caroline Calloway (socialite) to the philosopher-activist Noam Chomsky.

Cambridge Theatre / Cambridge Theatre Online ● Cambridge Theatre isn’t just ‘The Footlights’. There’s all sorts of exciting things to get involved with - and you’ll find all the opportunities listed here and on ‘CamDram’ so if you’re interested in being a thesp, it’s worth keeping on top of.

2. Important links

● University of Cambridge ● Queens’ College ● Queens’ JCR Website (qjcr.org.uk) -the JCR website is the easiest way to navigate the Queens’ website, especially when looking for information about welfare and student services. ○ Freshers’ Week page ○ Alternative Prospectus for the new alternative prospectus, which you may also find interesting. ● Outlook Email - Use this link to log into your Cam email. ● UPay - This is used to top up your CamCard which you use to buy food in the Buttery and drinks in the Bar. ● Moodle Learning Portal - An online learning platform used by some subjects. ● CamSIS - The system for handling student data. ● iDiscover - Online resources platform. ● Stay Safe Cambridge Uni - A useful website to help you stay safe. ● Queens’ College Tour - A student run tour of Queens’! ● Queens’ Sports and Societies.

3. What to bring and what not to bring Cambridge offers a wide range of shopping opportunities and you can easily have things ordered to college, so if you accidentally forget something please don’t worry as it should not be hard to get it! Nevertheless, here is a rough list of what you might need (apart from the obvious things such as clothes!)

Bring for sure ❏ Photocopies of important documents – e.g. any previous doctor’s information ❏ Some form of photo ID – passport, driver’s license ❏ Face masks ❏ Hand sanitiser ❏ Any personal medication ❏ Tupperware - this will be useful for the Buttery takeaway as well as for storing food. ❏ Towels – not provided by college. ❏ Bath Mat – for private bathrooms as the floors can get cold!

❏ Bath baskets / caddies – for shared bathrooms ❏ Bathroom supplies – soap, shampoo, shower gel etc. ❏ Hairdryer – if you use one! ❏ 2 sets of sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases ❏ Hangers – college only provide about 10 ❏ Dirty laundry bag ❏ Laundry washing pods/powder ❏ Airer or clothes horse – a lot of people tend to forget this! ❏ Clothes for all weather – don’t forget a coat (ideally with a hood!). ❏ Formal clothing and formal shoes – for matriculation, formal halls and possibly black-tie events. ❏ Stationery supplies – if you’re unsure, ask your subject contact what you might need. ❏ Pots/pans – if you plan to cook. ❏ Dishes, glasses, mugs, cutlery and a water bottle. ❏ Tea towel(s) - college does provide one per gyp, but most people also bring their own ❏ A rucksack/ day bag.

Maybe bring ❏ A bike – it is possible to buy one here too if this is a struggle to fit in a car/suitcase! ❏ Bike helmet and high-visibility features (e.g. lights) – if you have a bike, these are very important as you can be fined without them! ❏ A strong Bike lock – if you have a bike, this is an absolute must! Bike theft is high in Cambridge. ❏ Bike basket – not essential but useful to put any shopping bags in whilst you cycle! ❏ Laptop – there is a computer room available, however a private laptop offers comfort and many students use their laptop to make lecture notes. If you have a laptop, we’d strongly recommend you bring it particularly with Covid-19.

❏ Sports kit and music equipment ❏ A picnic rug – this may come in handy for socially distanced outdoors events! ❏ Cleaning supplies – you will be responsible for cleaning your bedroom and, if you have one, private bathroom. College will provide any vacuums and extra cleaning materials though so don’t worry! ❏ Airbed and pump – The College normally can rent futons for guests, but you can bring this if you want. Please note that overnight guests may not immediately be allowed due to Covid-19.

❏ Some fancy dress – Not essential, but if you happen to have any it might be a good idea to bring a Halloween and Christmas outfit in case there are any events.

Not necessary ● Pillow/duvet – college provide you with a mattress, pillow and duvet as part of your room so you don’t need to bring your own unless you want to! ● Bin – this is provided. ● Kettle – there is one in each gyp and you will be able to ask housekeeping for one to have in your room. ● Lamp – lamps are provided in rooms. ● Printer – printing is available in computer rooms for a small price. However, if you have the option to bring one then this is up to you. ● Ethernet cables – each room has one and the Wi-Fi is really good! ● Ironing board/iron – these are provided in laundry rooms. ● Toaster – this is provided in the gyps. ● Microwave - also provided in gyps.

Cambridge life

1. The City of Cambridge

You probably visited Cambridge on one of the open days when you were applying or at your interview so you may be familiar with some of the University buildings, but Cambridge is so much more! Cambridge is vibrant and lively, full of shops, restaurants, bars and clubs.

Here are some useful places to know in Cambridge:

Grocery shops

Sainsbury’s ● 42-45 Sidney Street ● Sometimes nicknamed ‘Mainsbury’s’, this is the main big supermarket closest to Queens’ (about a 10-15 minute walk, or around 7 minutes if you’re legging it from Dokett gate). ● Top tip: remember to take a big bag/rucksack with you to make the walk home with all your food a bit easier!

Others ● Multiple other small Sainsbury’s around town (note: these can have weird price variations when compared to Mainsbury’s, and are generally slightly more expensive with a smaller selection to choose from)

● ALDI, Histon Road (10-15 minute cycle). ● Tesco Superstore, Newmarket Road (10-15 minute cycle). ● Tesco Express, Coop and small Sainsbury’s, Mill Road (10-15 minute cycle or a 20-30 minute walk)

Shopping centres There are two large shopping centres in Cambridge: ● Grand Arcade (5-10 minute walk).

● The Grafton Centre (20 minute walk)

Deliveries

● It is super easy to have items from Amazon, eBay etc. delivered to college!

● The porters will collect any parcels and then either put them in your pigeonhole if they fit or, if not, they will send you an email letting you know that your parcel has arrived and asking you to collect it ASAP from the Porter’s Lodge (sometimes shortened to Plodge).

● When making a delivery to college, use the college’s address (Queens’ College, Cambridge, CB3 9ET, United Kingdom) and make sure your name is on the order!

● Please note though that this doesn’t apply to any takeaway food orders arriving at college! If you order any takeaway food, you must yourself go outside the Porters’ Lodge to collect your order from the delivery driver.

Doctors’ surgeries ● It is even more important than before to sign up to a doctor’s surgery as soon as you can, preferably during Freshers’ Week. Luckily, Queens’ is directly opposite the Trumpington Street Medical Practice on King’s Parade, a couple of minutes walk from Dokket Gate. Newnham Walk Surgery is a little further away, but still only around 7 minutes walk from Plodge.

2. Getting around Walking

● As Queens’ is one of the centrally located colleges, most of the University sites are within walking distance but that will depend on your subject (check with your subject contacts!) and on any extracurricular activities/hobbies you sign up for (e.g. the boathouse is quite far).

Biking ● Students are not normally allowed to have cars at uni, so naturally biking is the main mode of transportation. Cambridge is the best place to cycle in the UK with plenty of dedicated infrastructure. Residents and students alike will cycle everywhere. ● Bring your own bike if you can, but nothing too expensive (unfortunately, bike theft is a thing. If you do lose a bike, it’s worth checking selling sites in Oxford - theft and resale in Oxbridge is frequent). You can also very easily buy a used (or new bike) when here but be careful to check it properly first! ● You need a good lock! (In fact Bree now has three (?!?) locks on her bike after her locked up bike was stolen!) ● There are two bike sheds in college (one by Cripps and one by Friars) where you can keep your bike for the whole of your studies – just register it with the porters as soon as possible. (Please do as at the end of each term there are regular clearouts of any unregistered bikes!)

● Almost all sites have places to lock your bikes. ● Safety first! A lot of people cycle, but there are still cars and tourists. You need to have lights on your bike, and you should wear a helmet. ● A bell can also come in handy to scare off tourists who aren’t used to so many bikes out and about!

Public transport

● You can also use city buses should your lectures and supervisions be far away. ● The U-Bus costs only £1 for Cambridge students! See the U-Bus website for more information.

3. Studying at the University of Cambridge After hearing a bit about what it’s like to live in Cambridge, you’re probably still wondering what it’s like to study at the University of Cambridge! There is an extensive number of subjects taught at Cambridge. You will soon find out that these courses are very different, not only in content but also in the ways they’re taught. That’s why you will have your subject contacts, who are usually second year students of your subject. You will spend some time with them in Freshers’ Week and they are always there to answer your study-related questions.

Here are some more general points about how teaching works at Cambridge:

Supervisions What is a supervision?

● Supervisions (‘supos’) are the main (and most unique) teaching method at Cambridge. ● Supervisions are small group teaching sessions run by supervisors. Supervisors can be academics, Fellows, or senior graduate students, typically from Queens’ but sometimes from other colleges.

● The style of the supervision will depend upon the supervisor but will generally offer a forum for discussion and allow you to raise any questions you have about the work you have completed or your lectures. In many subjects your supervisor will be the person who sets and receives the majority of your essays, problem sheets and so forth. ● If you’re having a problem with your supervisor (which is not common, but does happen) or have any particular concerns, speak to your DoS (Director of Studies) or your tutor.

What will supervisions be like due to Covid-19? ● Depending on the situation at the time, the University will be conducting supervisions either online, in-person or a mix of the two depending on group sizes and availability of suitable rooms.

Who is a DoS? ● A ‘DoS’ (Director of Studies) is the academic head for your subject in your college. They are in charge of picking your supervisors and are your first port of call for anything academic. You may have a lot of contact with your DoS (e.g. in English, where our DoS, Andrew, also frequently runs supervisions for undergraduates on the course).

Who is a Tutor? ● Your tutor doesn’t really have anything to do with your academics (which may come as a surprise given the name). They’re more likely to get involved if you have a welfare issue. It’s worth getting to know your tutor early on so that if you ever do need to reach out, you are going to a friendly face. There are several undergraduate tutors in Queens’- Andrew Zurcher, Graham McShane, Lisa Hall, Ana Rossi and Gareth Atkins. You will be assigned one - but don’t worry, they’re all lovely!

Lectures What is a lecture? ● As you are probably aware, lectures are larger group teaching sessions organised by your department where students tend to take notes as the lecturer works through a presentation, case studies and appropriate theories.

What will lectures be like due to Covid-19?

● Unless government guidelines change, all lectures plan to be delivered online in 2020-21. These may consist of a mixture of pre-recorded lectures and live Question and Answer sessions.

Practicals and classes ● Some subjects also have labs. Most people enjoy the opportunity to do some hands-on work during their degree.

What will labs be like due to Covid-19? ● It is likely that labs will take place with the use of social distancing/masks. The university will provide guidelines and details regarding teaching arrangements.

Libraries

War Memorial Library (Queens’ student library) ● This is the college library. Each college has its own library which is only available to the members of that college.

Department Libraries

● Each department also has its own library which is open to all University students, not only members of that department. You can sign up to other department libraries if you think they are relevant to your course.

University Library (UL)

● On top of that you also have the University Library, which has every book published in the UK. This particularly comes in handy if you’re looking for somewhere quiet to work, if you need something very specific, or if all the other copies have gone from your department library. It also has a lovely buttery, though the building looks a bit intimidating!

Borrowing books ● You can borrow books on your CamCard for free (if you don’t go over your due date) but every library has a different borrowing policy, so make sure you know how it works at your specific library. ● You can keep track of your books at idiscover.cam.ac.uk. ● Get to know your librarians! They’re all lovely, and may be helpful if you can’t find a book. And even if you never need to ask their advice, it’s always nice to have someone to say hello to.

What will libraries be like due to Covid-19? Department/University libraries

● Government and University guidelines will determine whether/how department libraries and the University library operates - you’ll probably be told more specific details during Freshers’ week and as the situation progresses.

College library ● Depending on government guidelines, college is aiming to have the War Memorial Library (WML) open daily (7am-2am) for students to browse shelves, access books, borrow and return them. However, there may be restrictions on numbers or a booking system to help with social distancing. ● Due to social spacing considerations, there will be limited reading spaces in the WML itself (on the first floor) although further reading space will be made available in the following places:

○ The Old Hall. Open daily (it will occasionally be necessary to close early if the space is needed for an evening event). ○ The Munro Room. Open on weekdays from 9.00am until 5.00pm. ● Library staff will be available as usual to answer enquiries in the WML office during staffed hours (Mon-Fri 9.00-5.00) and via email ([email protected]).

iDiscover idiscover.cam.ac.uk

● Cambridge also has excellent online resources which you can access through iDiscover by logging in using your Raven account (Raven is explained later). These resources include e-books, journals and articles which can all be accessed online. ● If you are given a reading list, then iDiscover is the place to go to search for your resources!

● iDiscover also allows you to find out which libraries contain any hard copy resources you need (e.g. any books that don’t have e-versions). ● Your department may have more specific resources that are relevant to your course - e.g. LiOn (Literature online) but you will be told about these over the course of your first term.

Terms ● The Cambridge academic year is divided into three 8-week terms: Michaelmas, Lent, and Easter (Exam term). ● Cambridge weeks start on Thursdays (don’t ask, no one really knows why - but if you do find out, please tell everyone else). ● The first week after exams is called May Week and is dedicated to celebrating the end of the year. Do not worry about exams now! Your subject contacts, supervisors and DoS will tell you everything you need to know when the time comes. For now just concentrate on settling in and figuring out how Cambridge works. However, this doesn’t mean you should underestimate your work!

Most importantly, we know you might feel like everyone at Cambridge has to be a child genius, that you will not fit in and that you might not be able to make it. That is not true. You are here for a reason. There has not been a mistake, you do belong here. You can do it!

4. Important dates – when do I move in? The plan at the moment is for Freshers to move in between the 29th September - 3rd October. However, College will get in touch with you directly to confirm exact timings.

Full Michaelmas Full Lent Easter Full Easter Year Term Term day Term

2020-21 Tues 6 Oct – Fri 4 Tues 19 Jan – 4 Apr Tue 27 Apr – Dec Fri 19 Mar Fri 18 Jun

College life

Now that we have covered life in Cambridge, let us welcome you to the best college: Queens’! Founded in 1448, Queens’ is one of the oldest colleges in Cambridge. Despite its large student body, Queens’ has a reputation of being the friendliest and most chilled college! The community at Queens’ is amazing and we’re sure you will soon call it your second home!

1. Map of Queens’

2. Cambridge lingo As terms and slang used in Cambridge can at first seem quite confusing, we have put together a ‘Cambridge lingo’ guide to help you!

Subjects

Mathmo Maths student

Bio/phys Natsci (pronounced Biological/Physical Natural scientist ‘natski’)

Compsci (pronounced ‘compski’) Computer Science student

Engling English Literature student

MML Modern and Medieval Languages

HSPS Human, Social and Political Sciences

PBS Psychological and Behavioural Sciences

ASNAC (pronounced ‘azz-nack’) Anglo-Saxion, Norse and Celtic Studies

Vet med/med Veterinary Medicine/Medicine

Teaching

Supo Supervision

DoS (pronounced ‘doss’) Director of Studies – An academic (usually a fellow) responsible for overseeing an undergraduate’s

academic studies. Each undergraduate has a DoS.

Prelims History, English and ASNAC freshers have prelims (exams) near the beginning of Easter term

Tripos Synonymous for ‘degree’. Usually broken down into Part 1A (Year 1), Part 1B (Year 2) and Part II (Year 3).

Week 1-8 In Cambridge, the academic week starts on Thursday instead of a Monday!

Paper A topic within your course. Papers are basically modules!

College facilities and people

Plodge Porters’ Lodge

Porter College staff who perform many daily tasks and are responsible for keeping students and other staff members safe. They are all very friendly and worth getting to know by name.

Pidge Pigeonhole (an individual’s compartment in the Porters’ Lodge where mail is delivered).

JCR committee Junior Combination Room (essentially a student-led college union).

JCR room A room in college that can be used by JCR students to chill out - it has a Wii, beanbags, a TV and a small cactus garden (thanks to Tomos). Some people like working here, or meeting up to watch films. The MCR and SCR also have their own rooms.

Dean The Dean of college is responsible for disciplinary action.

Fellow A fellow of college holds an academic research or teaching position.

Tutor Responsible for your pastoral care. You should go to your DoS about academic concerns and your tutor for everything else.

Matriculation An important and memorable event where you formally join the University roll. You will wear a gown, formal wear and sign a declaration.

Stash The name for items of clothing with either your college, society or sports club on them.

Courts The areas in college enclosed by buildings. (Don’t refer to them as quads, that’s O*ford!)

Set A room made up of two rooms (a bedroom and study).

Bedder A friendly cleaner usually responsible for cleaning your room and the gyp. This year, bedders’ roles will be slightly different as students will be expected to clean their own rooms.

Queens’ specific terms

Light side The modern side of Queens’ College - Cripps Court, Plodge, Fisher Building...

Dark side The traditional side of Queens’ College - Friars’, Erasmus, Walnut Tree Court and Old Court.

Fitzpat Fitzpatrick Room – a room located in Lyon Court (near Cripps) which is used for various social events such as bops and film screenings, as well as theatre.

QBar The college bar.

QEnts The student-led committee responsible for organising events in Queens’.

Magsoc The St Margaret’s Society of Queens', the college music society.

QCBC Queens’ College Boat Club.

POTB Power of the Boar. (A boatie term)

BATS Queens’ college dramatic society - they put on a few shows a term, usually in the Fitzpat.

The Dial Queens’ own poetry publication.

Access Widening participation and outreach work which Queens’ students tend to be very passionate about.

College food facilities

Gyp Mini kitchens shared by your household. Contain a microwave, hob, fridge, toaster and kettle.

Buttery Located in Cripps Court. This is where you buy college food (breakfast, lunch and dinner) using your CamCard.

Brunch Offered every Saturday and Sunday in the Buttery.

Formals Traditional three (or sometimes four!) course meals held by college. You are usually required to dress smartly (suit/dress) and wear a gown.

University facilities

Sidge Sidgwick Site. The University site is home to most of the arts and humanities faculties.

UL The University Library.

DRC The Disability Resource Centre, located on the New Museums Site, around 10 minutes walk from college. Whilst college has an excellent welfare system and our own in-college counsellor, you may choose to go through the University instead to access counselling, in which case your appointments would be held here.

CamCard A very handy and important card that lets you buy food in the Buttery, access College facilities and take out library books. Don’t lose it - it costs £5 to replace!

CRSid The short bundle of letters and numbers that identifies you and appears at the start of your email (not the whole email!)

CamSU The Cambridge Student Union.

ADC The main theatre in Cambridge. If you have anything to do with theatre, you will end up here at some point.

Corpus Playroom Not actually in Corpus Christi College, this is one of the theatres in Cambridge and one of the common places that you might have an audition. It’s just off the King’s Parade, and roughly opposite King’s College.

Colleges

Emma Emmanuel College

Catz St Catherine’s College

Tit Hall Trinity Hall College

Fitz Fitzwilliam College

Caius (pronounced ‘keys’) Gonville and Caius College

Medwards Murray Edwards College

Eddie’s St Edward’s College

Corpus Corpus Christi College

Websites

Raven Cambridge’s web authentication service. You need to know your username and password to log into all the websites below!

iDiscover A resource that allows you to search the University’s collection of

books, articles and e-resources. A very useful website!

Moodle Depending on your subject, can be used to access lectures and past papers.

CAMCORS Where your reports from your supervisors will be uploaded after each term.

UPay An online platform used to top up your CamCard to pay for food in college.

Sports, societies and more

Boatie A rower.

Novice A new rower.

Bumps A rowing race held twice a year (in Lent and Easter) where the object is to catch up (and ‘bump’) the crew in front without being bumped from behind.

Getting ‘portered’ College rules have previously dictated there is a maximum number of people allowed in a room, though this may change with the impact of Covid-19. If you’re making too much noise, the porters may come and break up the party.

Footlights A famous comedy society with famous alumni (including Queens’ own Simon Bird and Stephen Fry!)

They often hold ‘howlers’ and ‘smokers’ which are student comedy shows and definitely worth a watch (good to take a date to!)

They also run a pantomime once a year which has a huge budget and generally is very good.

Thesp (used as ironically as you wish)

Short for ‘thespian’, can refer to anyone in the Cambridge theatre scene (including Techies)

Techie(s) People who work in the production team for Cambridge Theatre events.

Varsity (sports) A series of sporting competitions between Oxford and Cambridge.

Blues Sports teams operating at uni level

The Tab A student newspaper called ‘the Tab’. Has a relaxed, chatty style - think buzzfeed.

Varsity (newspaper) Another student newspaper called ‘Varsity’. Has a ‘highbrow’ vibe - a bit like if the Guardian was run by Cambridge Students.

TCS ‘The Cambridge Student’ - sort of the middle ground between the Tab and Varsity - think the BBC.

Social events

Bops College-run party events organised by QEnts.

Swaps Meal with students from two different colleges/years.

BYOB Often used with no context, this stands for bring your own bottle!

Bridgemas Happens in November, near the end of Michaelmas Term - a chance for Cambridge students to celebrate Christmas with each other before breaking up for the holidays.

The City

Mainsbury’s The larger Sainsbury’s supermarket on Sidney Street.

Nightclubs

For some reason, no one in Cambridge calls nightclubs by their current names. Don’t worry if it’s confusing!

Life Vinyl nightclub

Cindies Ballare nightclub

Fez Actually called Fez nightclub!

Glitterbomb Held at Vinyl, Cambridge’s one and only (in)famous LGBT+ specific night. Drag Queens are frequent visitors, including Cheryl Hole (of Rupaul’s Drag Race UK fame).

Gardies The Gardenia Restaurant (Greek restaurant). Rival for the best cheesy chips.

Addenbrooke’s The main hospital in Cambridge.

Van of Life The unofficial term for a popular food trailer. Has the best cheesy chips.

4. Buildings/places in Queens’ Queens’ is one of two colleges in Cambridge to lie on both sides of the River Cam, with the symbol of Queens’ College being the famous Mathematical Bridge which divides the ‘light side’ of the river (the modern side) from the ‘dark side’ (the traditional side). Across the college there are seven main residency buildings, with all rooms equipped with a bed, mattress, mattress protector, pillow, duvet, a blanket, NO sheets, desk, chairs, closets, pin boards, lamps and internet cables. From this year, all rooms in Queens’ are on the quarterly scheme which means you can stay in college over the Christmas and Easter holidays if you want to (you definitely don’t have to!) but not Summer holidays.

The Light Side

Porters’ Lodge ● The Porters’ Lodge is the first thing you will see coming into college. It is open 24/7 so there is always going to be someone to help you should you need it e.g. if you lock yourself out of your room (happens to everyone - some of us multiple times. Bit of a nightmare if you live in Friars’ so get used to always having your keys on you if you leave your room!) ● Everyone’s personal pigeonholes are located in the porters’ lodge. You can have things mailed to college and pick them up here!

Cripps Court

● Built between 1974 and 1980, Cripps Court is where the majority of first years live. These households of six consist of modern rooms which are either ensuite rooms or have private bathrooms and share a gyp (small kitchen). ● As well as accommodation facilities, Cripps Court is also home to QBar/cafe, the Buttery, the Health Centre and the JCR Room. ● The Buttery is used for daily use and for basic formals. Depending on college’s Covid-19 guidelines, if you don’t want to buy Buttery food you can normally still bring your own food and eat with your friends. ● The college bar (café during day, bar at night) is very popular among students, with free pool tables and affordable bar food.

● On the light side, there is a laundry room located in Cripps and a bike shed located between Cripps and Fisher. This year, laundry costs will be included in your accommodation charges to minimise the need to use cash. ● There is also a rooftop garden located between Cripps and Fisher! This contains a rooftop herb garden being worked on this year.

Lyon Court

● This small court is home to the gym, the squash courts, the Bowett Room and the Fitzpatrick Hall. ● In Michaelmas 2020 there will be a marquee over this court to ensure this outdoor space can be used whatever the weather!

Fisher Building

● Built in 1936, this is a curved accommodation building consisting of multiple sets (rooms consisting of a bedroom and study). These tend to be occupied by second and third years.

The Grove

● This is a small woodland along the River Cam. A great place to come for a bit of fresh air or to sit on a bench to take a break from busy Cambridge life!

The Dark Side

Cloister Court

● This stunning court is where you’ll find the President’s Lodge.

Pump Court

● This court consists of the Essex Building where you will find the Admissions Office and the Tutorial Office.

Old Court

● Built between 1448 and 1450, this court is where you’ll find Old Hall, the War Memorial Library and some sought-after second and third year accommodation. ● Old Hall tends to host formal events and this year will also be used as a socially distanced study space!

Walnut Tree Court

● This court consists of the Chapel and Walnut-Tree Building erected between 1616 to 1619.

Friars’ Court

● This court consists of accommodation in Dokett Building, Friars’ Building and Erasmus Building.

● As well as Cripps Court, there is normally at least one staircase in Friars’ Building assigned to first years. This household of 12-14 consists of bedrooms with shared bathrooms and shared gyp (small kitchen). ● Iz spent her first year in Friar’s, and as well as being the most affordable accommodation in college, it is slightly closer to Mainsbury’s (definite win) and everyone on the staircase gets very close very quickly. You will love it there! ● There is also a laundry room located in Dokett and a bike shed.

Erasmus and Erasmus’ Lawn

● You may hear this being called ‘the ugliest building on the river’ by the punt tours, but it has a gorgeous view of the river and the Grove, and it’s own quirky charm. This year Erasmus Building was the most sought after accommodation on the second and third year ballot!

Off-site

Owlstone Croft

● Owlstone Croft is an off-site accommodation site used to house second years, third years and postgraduates. ● The site is approximately a 15 minute walk from the main Queens’ site.

5. Food in Queens’ One of the things that Queens’ prides itself on is its variety of catering that it offers and that, unlike some other colleges, it is always totally up to you whether you want to take advantage of this or cook for yourself. We can also be proud to boast some of the best food in Cambridge. Within college we are lucky to have a café, the Buttery, the Bar, and formal halls for eating.

Buttery ● Buttery is the name of our normal cafeteria and serves meals three times a day, every day (except at the weekend ‘Brunch’ is served instead of Breakfast and Lunch). There is always a mixture of meat, vegetarian and lighter options on offer.

Café/bar ● Our café runs in the bar during the day and is great for grabbing a quick lunch or snack and is also a popular space for people to get some work done in a more relaxed setting. ● The bar here at Queens’ is widely acclaimed across the whole University as a great social space and good value for money – you can get a pint for just over £2! Every evening the bar also serves cheap yet tasty bar food, which is popular as a good way to relax with friends after a day’s work and can be useful if you miss normal Buttery because it is served until 9:30pm.

Gyps ● All of our accommodation also has gyps (small kitchens), which are shared between the people in your household. Gyps usually contain a hob, microwave, toaster, kettle and fridge. Cooking can be a great way to save money and relax! Given Covid-19, you will be expected to clean up immediately after using your gyp and

put your clean kitchen utensils back into your gyp cupboard straight away (rather than leaving them out to dry). A cleaner will also clean communal gyp areas Monday to Friday.

Formal dinners

● Besides the normal daily catering, being a student at Cambridge also offers some opportunities for more formal served dinners. It must be noted that these formal events are subject to Covid-19 restrictions.

○ Formal halls usually take place every week on multiple days and they are especially popular as a way to celebrate events like birthdays. As a Cambridge quirk, everyone dining is expected to wear formal wear and college gowns, which you can get on your first day here in college.

○ On top of normal formal halls there will also be special occasion dinners such as Year Dinners and subject dinners, which are often black-tie events and usually happen in Old Hall which gives a unique, exciting atmosphere.

○ In addition to these dinners college also runs Guest Nights, which are similar black-tie dinners in Old Hall which you can bring your family and friends to so that they too can experience the traditions of Cambridge, but you are also welcome to bring guests to regular formal halls.

6. Welfare and Health Queens’ is lucky enough to have one of the best welfare facilities in Cambridge.

Tutors ● For welfare concerns, a Tutor may be your first port of call, and in most cases it is best to contact them by email to arrange a time to meet - which can be on the same day. However, in case of emergency there is a Duty Tutor available at all times, who can be reached by asking the Porters to contact them for you. ● Tutors work in conjunction with the Welfare Team to help students in overcoming any difficulty affecting their wellbeing or issues which might compromise their ability to study effectively, including health, welfare, financial or personal issues. Tutors also provide support for students with specific academic related problems. They liaise with a student’s DoS, the University, Faculties and Departments. They can assist with processes such as funding for academic travel, supervision changes, course concerns, underperformance, examination issues (including allowances), academic discipline, fitness to study, intermission and return to study.

Welfare Team ● In addition to the Tutors we have a Welfare Team consisting of Welfare Advisers and a Registered Nurse. ● The Welfare Advisers are Emily Farrar, Anna Reali (Health Centre) and Rev. Tim Harling (Cloister 2). All are highly trained and experienced at supporting others with any welfare issues. ● Emily Farrar is the college’s Mental Health Nurse and Anna Reali is the college’s counsellor - they are lovely and easily approachable. If you want to book an appointment, send them an email - it’s often much easier and much faster to get an appointment through college than through the University, which can take much longer. ● The College Nurse (Health Centre, Cripps Court) is an experienced nurse who is able to support you with a wide range of physical health and welfare issues. She is available to attend to injuries and minor illnesses, to give wellbeing advice and information, and to liaise with other health professionals.

Harassment and Assault ● The College has two Harassment and Assault Officers (HAOs). They are Dr Jane Garrison and Revd Tim Harling. They can be contacted via [email protected].

Peer support ● The college has a variety of people who can either signpost you to more appropriate help or offer advice, or a hug and a cup of tea.

People you can go to: JCR - Whilst you can go to any member of the JCR for support, you may want specific support - for example: - Freps (Bree and Iz) - for freshers’ welfare - LGBT+ rep (Robbie) - for members of the LGBT community - BME rep (Seth) - for members of the BIPOC community of Queens’ - Access officer (Abigail)- for access concerns - Disabilities officer (Abi) - for dis/ability concerns - Women’s officer (Phoebe) - for female-identifying members of Queens - International officer (Yi Chen) - for internationals - Welfare officers (Tamara and Alistair) - for general welfare concerns

Subject Contacts - Particularly helpful for subject-specific queries, (usually) chosen by DoSs for their friendliness.

College Family - Whilst not every college family is extremely close, your college family should be there for you as a peer support system to help you to feel happy and acclimated to living in Cambridge.

Disability Resource Centre (DRC) ● In addition to these, the Disability Resource Centre is a great source of support, if you have a disability/ long term health condition. They can help with many things, such as ensuring any reasonable adjustments are put in place and creating individual Student Support Documents (SSD). If you disclosed a disability on your UCAS application you may have already been contacted by them, but if not, they’re only an email away if you have any questions or want to book an appointment with a disability adviser!

7. Computing

Before you arrive in Cambridge you will have to set up your Raven account, granting you access to the internet, email and the computer terminals. The process should be straightforward, please see the University website for guidance. This page is useful! Any pre-arrival communications from the JCR will be sent to your @cam email address.

Here are a few important things to get to grips with:

1. CRSid You will need this a lot, so it’s worth learning it now. It takes the form of your initials followed by several numbers, e.g. ed408. it’s completely unique to you. It forms your email address, [email protected], and is used to identify you to any University-provided computing service - you’ll also need it to sign up to any auditions, to sign in to cambridge computers, etc. etc.

2. Raven The unified login system for many services within Cambridge. You use it to access the internet and grant you access to the PC’s within college so it’s important that you remember your password.

3. UniOfCam and Eduroam These are the names of the two Wifi networks in Cambridge and are available virtually everywhere, but you access them a bit differently.

UniOfCam - login using Raven details each time you use it, less secure than Eduroam.

Eduroam - It’s a slightly more complicated process, but worth doing - you don’t want to have to sign into Raven every time you need to use the internet.

You might want to log in to UniOfCam wifi first and then set up Eduroam using this guide. 4. Ethernet You will be provided with a CAT5 cable (ethernet cable) in your room and there should be a wall outlet in each room. This connection is more reliable, and it puts far less strain on the Wireless network.

5. Pricing If you use the internet like normal (work, social media, Netflix, etc) then you can consider it free! Technically all connections in College are metered and there are no free periods of traffic. However, the free daily usage cap is very high, and the price per GB of data is fairly low.

6. Printing Whilst you can choose to bring your own printer, you can also access printers in the library and in the Essex building. Some supervisors will require you to print your work out to hand it in, so it’s worth setting it up ASAP when you get to Cambridge. The page here explains how to set up printing - it’s different for Mac and Windows.

To use the library printer, you need your CamCard. It costs a little money to use the printer:

A4 B&W = 2p per side / A3 B&W = 4p per side

A4 Colour = 4p per side / A3 Colour = 6p per side

To add printer credit go here.

Freshers’ Week In line with Covid-19 guidelines, we have prepared Freshers’ Week 2020 so that you can quickly get settled in, make lots of friends, and be ready to take on your next few years here! You will have lots of opportunities to meet new people, get to grips with the weird local lingo, get to know college and much more.

1. Freshers’ Week Events At the moment, Freshers’ Week Events are still being finalised given the changing nature of the current situation. Watch this space though! The JCR will update this site with its events.

2. Matriculation Matriculation is the biggest event of Freshers’ Week! Tuesday 6th October will be dedicated to it. It is the event when you are officially admitted to your college.

This year matriculation will be working a bit differently and college will be getting in touch nearer the time with more information. The most important thing for you to know right now is…

1. Do not worry about gowns! You do not have to order them in advance. There is an order waiting for you to buy at your arrival and there is going to be enough for everyone! One Queens’ Undergraduate Gown costs £35.

2. Such a special event requires a dress-code. What you need to bring is a dark formal outfit. For men, the expected outfit is a dark suit, white shirt with a tie is acceptable. For ladies, a dark dress or a dark skirt with a dark blouse is accepted. Shoes are more up to you, but most girls tend to wear some sort of heels. You should not have anything crazy or outstanding. No one is going to tell you off for wearing flats. Here is a picture for illustration.

FAQs

Do I need to buy a college gown before arrival?

No, it is not necessary. There is an order waiting for you to buy at your arrival. It will be then placed on your college bill which is paid mid-term. If you want to buy one anyways, online or second-hand perhaps, look for Queens’ College Cambridge Undergraduate Gown. You will need one for matriculation!

Is it possible to drive into college when moving in?

Yes, on move-in and move out dates, you are allowed to drive into college for a short period of time. You cannot keep your car in college for a longer period unless you have a special permission. Please see the website with regard to the traffic restriction on Silver Street!

What if I am not able to balance out work and social work? What if I am not able to keep up with my work? What if I am not good enough?

First of all, you are all here for a reason. The admissions officers know very well why they picked you in the first place. None of you are filling in a quota, none of you are here by default. This University and this college do not have to do that. Second, we are not going to sugar-coat anything for you. At first, your studies might seem very tough. Whether you are a gap year student or coming right after high school, the transition is not easy. But don’t worry. Everyone goes through this and you can do it! You need to figure out how to work here, and you will have every help available to you. Subjects’ contacts will fill you in on how your specific subject works and what you can expect, your Supervisors and DOSs, as well as Academic Tutors, are here to help you. Do not forget, that even if you start struggling it doesn’t mean you’re failing. You are at a difficult University so it might happen. But there is always a way!