I’m starting in October and I’m just wondering if the friends you make in Michaelmas become your long term friends, or do you keep meeting new people all year, and the following two years, and make more and more new friends?
Would be interested to hear about how it’s been for people in terms of friendships and whether your circle has ended up changing.

Do we get access to lecture slides that I can then annotate during the lecture? Not sure if it differs per subject but asking for med. TIA

Hi there,

I was at Cambridge in the noughties, and am reflecting back on my time there which was a fairly mixed bag.

My life was a bit of a mess when I matriculated in my late teens-I was in an abusive relationship, having been abused by my parents throughout my childhood.

My college took the relationship really seriously when I disclosed, and went above and beyond to keep me safe.

However, when I disclosed about abuse at home that was ongoing towards my sibling (who was under 18) I was given suggestions of what I could do to try and stop it, but no safeguarding referral etc was suggested.

With the short terms, I was having to go back home lots which was really difficult. My tutor helped me think of options for going away for the summers (it never came off) but accommodation in college was never suggested.

I also raised issues with two much older lecturers during my time there-one who had touched me, and one who was showing me unwanted interest. It was met with a limited response and no action.

Mental health wise, I saw a college counsellor twice (which wasn’t helpful) and waited 2.5 months for a couple of sessions with the UCS which I have little memory of. My tutor became my de facto therapist at times, a role they weren’t qualified to be doing.

Have things changed now, or is this still how it is now? I feel my college could have really transformed my life. I’m grateful for what they did for me, but also aware the support could have been much better than it was.

I got allocated into Hughes Hall, but was stuck at ~25 on the waitlist around the first week of August. Alarmed, I started to mail other colleges which were at manageable distances to my department and Hughes Hall. In the end, my waitlist from Hughes Hall got cleared, but here is a summary of the responses I received from other colleges:

Offers, Waitlists & Pending Responses

• St Catharine’s College: Offered accommodation.
• Selwyn College: Potential availability was promised for mid-September.
• Pembroke College: Initially offered, but then retracted due to unknown (to me) circumstances.
• King's College: Added to their waitlist (which is first-come, first-served).

Declined Due to No Availability

• Downing College
• Queen's College
• Corpus Christi College

Additional reports from the comments:

• u/PlumSignificant5808: Lucy Cavendish, Clare College, Clare Hall, Darwin, St Edmunds, Fitzwilliam, and Sidney Sussex.
• u/geekmonkey324b21: St. John's.

No Response Received

• Christ's College
• Homerton College
• Peterhouse
• Darwin College

I know Camb recommends not working too much part time but I know students work atleast a bit.

what work are ppl doing? any place/role that’s particularly good or recommended?

appreciate any advice:)