Freshers Handbook 2014 v5

 

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION (CUMSA) Fresher’s  Guide 2014 Contents: 1.  2.  3.  4.  5.  6.  7. 

 

About CUMSA General Points about Cambridge Pre-departure Checklist Flying Off Settling in Life in Cambridge Glossary of Terms

   

 

   

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About CUMSA President’s Foreword  Dear Freshers, Welcome to Cambridge. For many of you, this will be the start of the end; the last 3 years of proper, full-time education (albeit without uniform) beckons. It is hard to imagine how fast time will fly but take it from me, a person who was in your shoes sho es exactly a year ago. Time will fly no matter what you do. Spend your time wisely. In fact, this is the main message of the entire foreword. I have gone straight to the point without beating around the bush and bringing you around the town or even telling you a long story only to have a moral-of-the-story at the end. Okay, I jest! But this is the main piece of advice any senior will tell you. There is so much you can do in Cambridge that you really should make good use of your time. Let’s start with the basics. Before you even fly to Cambridge, you can start

reading up on the various administrative details and nifty tips that have been collated by seniors throughout the years in the entire Fresher’s Guide. If you

crave more information, start reading your college website, the Wikipedia entry for Cambridge or even Timeout’s guide for London! There is a wealth of information, relevant or otherwise, and it’s probably best to use these

few weeks of peace leading up to October, when you matriculate. Trust me, your days in Cambridge will be so jam-packed! October arrives. You have arrived. Now what? You’ll soon realise that the

fundamental workload will begin to come in through your pigeon holes. You will have a couple of lectures, supervisions and even practicals (for those who study science-related subjects) a week – very, very exciting stuff. Learning from the best in their fields who are practising cutting-edge research or discussing novel, mind-blowing perspectives. It certainly captivates your attention. Perhaps the biggest decisions are made each year during the Societies’ Fair, a massive event hosting hundreds of interest groups and sports clubs. There

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About CUMSA is literally everything you would want to do, from blind wine tasting to crosscountry rambling, from dancing to rowing. Time is now a scarce resource. At times, though, you might want to find a little solace, a little bit of home away from home. I really should not be cheesy but CUMSA has been a big part of my life here. I, like many of you now, thought th at since I’m going overseas, I might as well try to minimise my interaction with Singaporeans or Malaysians. On the contrary, being alone in a new country will only strengthen the bonds between you and your fellow friends. This is the CUMSA community that supports and takes care of one another. From the onset, we organise Fresher’s Tea and Camp in the summer which

will be followed by our annual events like the Asian Food Festival, Annual Ball and Garden Party. In the year ahead, we’re also beefing up our Speaker’s Series, encouraging the formation of more Interest Groups and

looking to revive our CUMSA Production, which would see freshers and seniors come together to put on a fantastic performance. Remember, this is a journey that we’ll walk together . I’m sure you will soon be meeting your CUMSA parents, who are probably as excited to meet you. Your seniors, who’ll have studied the same subject as you will be

studying, are always happy to share their notes. Lastly, but most importantly, the current committee, with special thanks to Anira, our Welfare Officer, will also always be willing to help. On behalf of everyone, we look forward to meeting you very soon. Message me if you ever fancy a chat or are just unsure about something. Then again, we can never be sure about everything, can we? Best regards, Baifeng Quek President Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association (CUMSA) [email protected]  [email protected] 

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About CUMSA Sponsors CUMSA would like to thank our sponsors for their great support! 

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

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About CUMSA CUMSA Committee 2014-15 President Baifeng Quek

Events Officer Glendon Kok

Natural Sciences Trinity Hall [email protected] [email protected]  

Law Hughes Hall [email protected] [email protected]  

Secretary Tanvi Ahuja Natural Sciences Trinity Hall [email protected]  [email protected]  

Welfare Officer Anira Perera Natural Sciences Fitzwilliam College [email protected] [email protected]  

Treasurer

Logistics Officer

Peisu Zou Engineering St. Edmund’s College  College  [email protected]

Yan Ping Tham Economics Pembroke College [email protected]   [email protected] 

Sponsorship Officer Shaun Ng Economics St. Edmund’s College  College  [email protected] [email protected]  

Database Officer Nicolas Capel Engineering Queens’ College  College  [email protected] [email protected]  

Sports Secretary Joel Koh Law Girton College [email protected]  [email protected]  

Graduate Representative Weixun Goh Computer Science Robinson College [email protected]   [email protected]

Publicity Secretary Vince Tan Engineering Magdalene College [email protected]  [email protected]  

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About CUMSA A Short History of CUMSA

The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association (CUMSA) was founded in Michaelmas term of 1948 as the Cambridge University Malayan Association (CUMA), with Lee Kuan Yew as its first President, and Yong Pung How as its first Secretary. Back then, CUMA had only 12 members. In 1960, CUMA formally became CUMSA, and even when Malaysia and Singapore separated in 1965, CUMSA remained as one. Over the past 62 years, CUMSA has come a long way. However, we have remained true to our key founding aim of representing the interests and welfare of Malaysian and Singaporean students in Cambridge. Though the means and methods may have evolved over time, our resolve to serve remains unchanged. CUMSA now boasts a membership of close to 300, and we take pride in the fact that CUMSA is one of the most vibrant and active student societies in Cambridge. activities include bops, the annual CUMSA such Ball, talks, weeklyOur sports, among many formal others!halls, We also participate in events as the Oxbridge games, where we get to display our sporting prowess against (and interact with) Singaporeans and Malaysians from other UK universities. All these events hope to enhance the strong bonds of friendship that exist within the Malaysian and Singaporean community in Cambridge and the UK. Do remember to come down for the exciting upcoming Fresher’s Tea and Camp in Singapore. Also, do join us at the CUMSA booth at the University Societies’ Fair on 7th and 8th October 2014, held near Parker’s Piece ! At our booth, you can sign up to be a CUMSA member, and enjoy all the benefits that come with being a part of this historic society!

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General Pointers Weather and Climate

The weather and climate in Cambridge is very different from the tropical climate back home – and this can be a very interesting and refreshing change from what we are used to! One thing to get used to would be the extreme variability of the weather, climate, and hours of sunshine throughout the year. One day it could be 25 degrees with sunshine, and the next it could be 10 degrees and raining, with strong winds. Do note that Cambridge is in one of the driest regions of Britain, so moisturisers and lip balm will be very helpful in preventing your skin and lips from cracking. Of course, this also means that we usually get nice blue skies!

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General Pointers Term

Michaelmas

Lent

Easter

Weather

A little rain throughout the term. There

Some rain, some hail, and a few episodes of snow.

Sunshine! Joy!

may be hail.

This be inches, as muchcan as 10 as in Lent 2011, or as little as none at all.

Temperature

5-20 °C at the start of term, becoming progressively colder before reaching 5-15 °C at the end of term.

0-10 °C throughout most of the term, sometimes dipping to -5 - -10°C during the night. Around 5-15 °C at the end of term.

Around 10-20 °C throughout the entire term – but be warned that temperature is particularly variable in Easter term, with cold spells! (Rarely exceeds 25 °C, even in June)

Hours of sunshine

The sun will initially set around 7pm, and

The sun sets around 3-4pm at the start of term, and progressively

The sun sets around 8pm at the start of term, and progressively

progressively earlier until it sets around 4pm by the end of term. (So if

later every until it sets day, around 6pm by the end of term.

later until thereof are still traces daylight around 10pm by the end of term!

you’re biking,

bring your bike lights!) Disclaimer: These are generalisations of the weather, and are by no means a an n accurate forecast of what will be in store for you. A more accurate gauge would be the BBC weather forecast! (http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2653941)  

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General Pointers British Summer Time  The UK will switch from British Summer Time (+01:00 GMT) to GMT at 1 AM on Sunday, 26th October 2014, signalling the end of Daylight Saving time as the clocks are set back by an hour. Daylight Saving will recommence on Sunday, 29th March 2015, with the clocks adjusted forward by an hour.

Term dates  You will usually only be required to physically be in Cambridge Cambridg e for the whole of ‘Full Term’, not ‘Term’.  However, it is best to check with your college if there is any need to be in college outside of Full Term before booking any flights! For example, some colleges and some courses have mock examinations just before the start of Lent Full Term. Also, most colleges require you to keep term – which means fulfilling a minimum number of days of staying on campus. A last peculiarity to note is that the Cambridge week starts on Thursdays and ends on Wednesdays. The Full Term dates for the academic year 2014/15 are: Michaelmas Term Tue 7 Oct 2014 - Fri 5 Dec 2014 Lent Term Tue 13 Jan 2015 - Fri 13 Mar 2015 Easter Term Tue 21 April 2015 - Fri 12 Jun 2015 For more information, refer to  to  http://www.cam.ac.uk/about-theuniversity/term-dates-and-calendars   As you can see, term breaks are pretty long and people usually travel a lot then. Before you plan any trips during Easter break (break before Easter term, also known as “study break”), do remember to allocate some time to prepare for the Tripos Exams in May/June!

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Pre-Departure Checklist Checklist #1: Medical Clearance Get a check-up before coming, to avoid having to have one at Heathrow Airport. You will need to have a chest X-Ray with its report, and a medical examination you will to takeatyour X-Ray with you intry your hand luggagereport. for yourAsinitial visaneed clearance Heathrow, you could requesting for an A4 size X-Ray plate (or smaller) for easier handling – or to roll up your X-Ray into a certificate tube (though this may cause some damage to the X-Ray if done improperly). Do note that the X-Ray is not always asked for at immigration, but it is good to have it on hand if you can! If you are on a scholarship and have had a check-up as part of your scholarship requirements, ask your scholarship board for a copy of the chest X-Ray and medical examination report from that check-up – this will usually suffice. Immunisation against meningitis is strongly advised before coming. You can get immunisation jabs for meningitis and MMR at Tan Tock Seng Traveller’s Health and Vaccination Centre or most other clinics. Different colleges will have different immunisation policies – check the specifics with your college! Whichever college you are in, you will need to register with a GP soon after you arrive at Cambridge - your college will provide you with more details about this. After registration with your GP, you will be able to make appointments with the clinic whenever you are ill and have a consultation under the NHS at no cost.

Useful Information:

If you are studying at Cambridge for not less than 6 months and are under 24, you are eligible for NHS coverage, and can enjoy free immunisation from your GP in the UK.

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Pre-Departure Checklist Checklist #2: Application for Entry Clearance aka Visa Please read the comprehensive document: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data /file/303848/T4_Guidance_06-04-14.pdf   It is a prerequisite for holders of a Singaporean or Malaysian passport to apply for an Entry Clearance if enrolled in a programme of study of more than 6 months. This can be applied for at the UK Border Agency Visa Application Centre, which is located at: (SINGAPORE)

(MALAYSIA)

20 Cecil Street

Floor,  Suite 19.06 19 Floor, 

#11-02 to 05 Equity Plaza Singapore 049705

Wisma MCA 163 Jalan Ampang, 50450

Tel: 800 101 3230

Kuala Lumpur

Email:  [email protected]   Email:

Telephone: (03) 21649323 Email:  [email protected]   Email:

There is now a stream-lined process as Singapore and Malaysia are low-risk countries, so not all documents listed below will be requested or checked, but it is definitely best to have them ready to provide evidence if questioned. Note that due to new biometrics requirements, you will have to apply for your visa in person to provide a ten-finger scan and a digital photograph as part of the UK visa application process. Documents needed: 1. Your appointment confirmation and visa fees receipt 2. A valid passport or travel document with at least 1 page that is blank on both sides 3. 2 recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm) colour photograph of your face, which meets the requirements in UK visas and immigration’s photograph

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Pre-Departure Checklist 4. A printout of your online application application form, signed and dated 5. A completed self-assessment form, signed and dated (found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data /file/261462/vaf9-app81.pdf))  /file/261462/vaf9-app81.pdf 6. Letter of unconditional acceptance from the University/College/School in the UK including CAS reference number. It should show the course of study, the course starting date, its duration, and costs (This letter will usually be from your college, but you may need to request for them to add in all the information required.) 7. Any extra evidence that your University/College/School has included on your CAS 8. ATAS Clearance (applicable only to some. See  See www.fco.gov.uk/atas  www.fco.gov.uk/atas  for more information) 9. Educational qualifications/certificates. Each document must be an original (not a copy). 10. Evidence of funds (e.g. bank statements for the last three months) to show that you can pay for your stay and your course of studies in the UK. As quoted from the website: w ebsite: “You must show that you have held the required money for a consecutive 28-

day period (finishing on the date of the closing balance) ending no more than one month before your application. You can use the following documents to show money that is available to you:  

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personal bank or building society statements, covering a consecutive 28-day period ending no more than one month before the date of your application; a building society pass book, covering a consecutive 28-day period ending no more than one month before the date of your application; a letter from a bank confirming that funds have been held for a consecutive 28-day period ending no more than one month before the date of your application; a letter from a financial institution confirming that funds have been held for a consecutive 28-day period ending no more than one month before the date of your application; 12

 

Pre-Departure Checklist  

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a letter from a financial institution confirming a loan, dated no more than six months before the date of your application.” 

If the bank account you are intending to use is held under your parent’s

name, additional documents are required. “If a student is relying on money held by your parents(s) or legal guardian,

you must show that you are related to your parent(s) or legal guardian. You must provide:   your birth certificate showing the names of your parent(s); or   your certificate of adoption showing names of both parent(s) or legal guardian; or   a court document naming your legal guardian. 

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You must also legal have given their permission for show you tothat useyour this parent(s) money. Toordo this,guardian you must provide a letter from your parent(s) or legal guardian confirming:   your relationship with your parent(s) or legal guardian; and   their permission for you to use their funds to study in the UK.”   

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If your studies are sponsored, you will need a letter from your sponsor following the guidelines guidelines stated by the UKBA website. “In any other circumstances where you are being given official financial sponsorship, you must provide send us a letter of confirmation from your

official financial sponsor. The letter must be on the organisation's official letter-headed paper or stationery, and must bear the organisation's official stamp. It must show:   your name;   the official financial sponsor's name and contact details;   the date of the letter;   the length of the sponsorship; and   the amount of money that the official financial sponsor is giving to you, or a statement that it will cover all of your course fees and living costs.”   

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Pre-Departure Checklist 11. Application fee (S$685.00 for Tier 4 correct as of 11th July 2014). Payment is by debit or credit card (Visa or Mastercard). For more details on these supporting documents, check https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data /file/320815/documents-t4-gen.pdf..  /file/320815/documents-t4-gen.pdf Other reminders:   Visa Application Submission – Monday to Friday 8:00 – 14:00 by appointment only You need to make an appointment on the website before showing up at the visa office. This can only be done after submitting your application online.   Document Collection - Monday to Friday 14:00 – 16:00   There are strict security measures that prohibit bringing of items such as food, handphones and bags in. They will be kept at the door.   Your passport will be collected and sent to the office for processing with your documents for a few days.   Most students apply for their visa through Tier 4 (General Student) but do check which tier applies to you.   For all documents submitted, bring a photocopy just in case!   For the guys, remember to apply for your exit permit. 

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For more information, refer to: http://www.vfs-uk-sg.com /  http://www.vfs-uk-my.com/ https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa   Useful Information:

Do note that your applications will require a CAS number from your College will all the accompanying information. This should come in a document sent out to you by your College or Tutorial Office. Do keep an eye out for it as you won’t be able to

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Pre-Departure Checklist Checklist #3: Application for Certificate of No Criminal Conviction (CNCC) (Also known as Certificate of Clearance) Note: This is only required for those reading Medicine and those intending to embark on local community service programmes in the UK. For non-medicine students, you can only apply for a CNCC when you are back in Singapore after at least your first term. You will then need a letter from the society in Cambridge stating that you need the certificate to embark on community projects. There is also an option of applying for it in Cambridge (though it involves having your fingerprints taken at a police station and mailing them and all your documents back to Singapore). If you are currently residing in Singapore, you will have to apply in person at: CNCC Office Blk D Police Cantonment Complex, #02-07/08, 391 New Bridge Road, Singapore 088762 Telephone: 64358275 / 64358277 Opening times: 8.30am – 12.30, Mondays to Fridays You will need to bring the following: 1.  Completed application form (available from the link below, or at the application centre itself) 2.  Photocopies of your current passport 3.  Documentary proof of previous stay in Singapore for nonSingaporeans 4.  Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the certificate (in this case, the university/College acceptance letter, and the CRB records check form that you should have received) 5.  Two passport-sized photographs (though note that there is an instant photo machine outside the CNCC office) 6.  A fee of S$55.00 to be paid via NETS, cash card, or credit card 7.  A full set of fingerprint impressions impressions will be taken by tthe he qualified fingerprint officer at the CNCC office.

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Pre-Departure Checklist Note that you will have to exchange some form of ID for a security pass to enter the CNCC office, and that it will take at least 10 days to process the application. applicat ion. For more information, refer to: http://www.spf.gov.sg/epc/cert_issued.htm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here: http://www.spf.gov.sg/faqs/doc/coc_appform.pdf  

Checklist #4: Plane tickets, baggage allowances, and shipping When booking your plane tickets, let the agent or airline know that you are a new student and will be in residence in the UK for the next 3-4 years, and request for additional baggage allowance. An additional 5 or 10kg can make quite a lot of difference! Usual airline baggage allowances - SIA: 30kg - BA: 2x23kg - Emirates: 30kg Check with different airlines to find one that meets your budget, travel and baggage allowance needs. Additionally, booking with STA Travels may give you better luggage allowance. Excess baggage However, even if you do manage to get additional baggage allowance, it can still be rather difficult to stay the baggage allowance. Youexcess may manage to check-in more thanwithin your allowance without incurring baggage charges, and for this, checking in your baggage early is recommended. Another tip is to tell them you’re a student leaving for your studies. If you do incur excess baggage charges, they can be rather pricey, even if you will normally not be charged for the full amount of excess baggage that you have. If you wish to avoid the hassle of having excess baggage, you can ship your less-essential items over to Cambridge. You may do so through Speedpost (http://www.speedpost.com.sg ) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) http://www.dhl.com.sg)). Do check ask your College for your address in (http://www.dhl.com.sg

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Pre-Departure Checklist Cambridge, and find out from them if they’ll be acc epting items for you before the start of term). Your address should look something like this: Jun Kai Vince TAN (Note: surname conventionally comes after your first name and in CAPITALS)   Magdalene College Cambridge CB3 0AG (Note: postal code varies depending on College – include the space!) Cambridge, England, United Kingdom

Checklist #5: What should I be packing? Or not? ISIC/NUS cards

The International Students’ Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because it’s a widely accepted student ID. It’s not really recognised in Cambridge, but

accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if you’re looking for student discounts. It entitles you to various discounts and concessions throughout the world, and also allows you to apply for a student coach card at Heathrow Central Bus Station for use on National Express coaches. (You will not have your university card then, and you might want to get a coach card as soon as possible to maximise the discounts when travelling on National Express coaches) You can obtain an ISIC card either on its own in Singapore or Malaysia, or as part of a National Union of Students (NUS) extra card which is more expensive, but also gives you additional UK-specific discounts. Visit  http://www.isic.org  Visit http://www.isic.org  forto more details, including what documents you’ll need apply for one. It cost s $25 if you apply in Singapore, and £12 in the UK. Laptop

It will probably be worth buying a laptop in Singapore, especially at the various PC fairs held throughout the year.

Rice cookers

Rice cookers can be essential for making cooking easier, but some colleges may not allow their use. You’ll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in

Singapore than in the UK, but consider the luggage space.

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Pre-Departure Checklist Clothing (Winter Wear)

Winter clothing is best bought in the UK as there is definitely a wider range to choose from, and prices are often cheaper. A light coat and a couple of sweaters from home should be enough until November, when it starts getting colder and a proper winter coat will be needed. It probably will not get cold enough to warrant long johns or thermal wear, but if you are extremely sensitive to cold, they might be a good idea. There are massive sales at the end of the year (post-Christmas) where prices of virtually everything are slashed by up to 70% - an ideal time to shop if you happen to be in the UK over the Christmas holidays! These sales can stretch till midJanuary (start of Lent term), though many items would have been sold by then. If you’re back home instead during December,

stores like Zara, Mango and UNIQLO in Singapore/Malaysia may also have end-of-season sales during December and January, where you can usually buy some winter wear. Clothing (Formal Wear)

For ladies, this means a set of smart-casual wear like a smart blouse and black skirt/trousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation. Do note, however, that this differs between colleges –  some matriculations only require a semiformal/smart dress with the college gown (don’t worry about the gown as you’ll be sold one during freshers week). If you’d like to find out specifically

regarding your College matriculation, speak to seniors or a committee member! Evening-wear like cocktail dresses are often needed for balls and society dinners, which may be blacktie. Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls.

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Pre-Departure Checklist Men should bring a dark suit, with tie and dress shoes, for formal occasions – an absolute “mustbring”! A dinner-jacket (the kind with shiny lapels that you wear with a bow-tie) will also come in useful if you plan to attend black-tie events, though you may not necessarily need it, and you can afford to acquire it later on. Books

Although textbooks are sometimes cheaper in Singapore and Malaysia than in the UK, they’re  

heavy and take up a lot of your baggage allowance. It would be best to check with a senior doing your subject to make sure that they are essential in the first place. Other options for getting books include : - Libraries: Every college has a well-stocked library and each department also has huge collections of books relevant to your subject. - Bookstores: Blackwells, Heffers and WHSmith in the centre of town often hold textbook sales at the start of the academic year and there are sections with second-hand books. - Online: You can consider amazon but do take the shipping fees into consideration when browsing. - Seniors: Within your College or course, there may be second-hand book sales as well (e.g. universitylevel MedSoc holds a second-hand book sale outside the lecture site at the start of term but you have to be quick because they get snapped up fast). Speak also to CUMSA seniors you know doing your subject and they may have books they would like to sell off! - Shipping: If you’d rather buy your boo ks at home, you may want to consider shipping your books over –  but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive, so you’ll have to send

your box at least a month before departure! (Alternatively, you could try begging a senior with extra luggage space…)

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Pre-Departure Checklist Stationery

Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK – a Pilot G-TEC pen, for example, can cost around £2.50! Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills, correction fluid/tape, highlighters and your favourite brand of pens with refills. Be warned that your favourite brand of pens may not be available in the UK (many Uniball pens, in particular, aren’t). Depending on your course you may also need mathematical sets. Check if your calculator is allowed for use in exams!

Toiletries

Contact lenses and solutions are expensive, so you could consider bringing enough to last until you return home to restock (though keep your baggage allowance in mind!). Most brands of toiletries (Dove, Colgate, etc) are available in the UK – check out the following websites for an idea of what is available! Boots:  http://www.boots.co.uk  Boots: http://www.boots.co.uk   Sainsbury’s: http://www.sainsburys.co.uk   Tesco:  http://www.tesco.co.uk  Tesco: http://www.tesco.co.uk   Superdrug:  www.superdrug.com/  Superdrug: www.superdrug.com/   As the weather in the UK is dry and windy, lip balm and moisturiser (even for the guys!) will come in handy, and prevent your lips/skin from cracking or peeling. You can either bring them from home, or buy them in the UK. You might find that the moisturisers you buy in UK are more suited for the climate there.

Foodstuff

If there is any particular food that you feel you cannot spend a term (or more!) without, it may be good to bring some to chase away the homesick blues. Do check if it can be brought into the UK though! However, there are also provision shops in Cambridge that sell familiar brands at an affordable price, albeit still higher than in Singapore, including a Chinese and Korean supermarket that sell

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Pre-Departure Checklist premixes, sauces, and many other things. Even Tesco sells Yeo’s Bee Hoon! And if you can’t find it in Cambridge, there’s always Chinatown in Leicester Square, London. Gadgets/electronics

1.  Check with your college parents or your friendly welfare officer whether your college allows the gadgets you are thinking of bringing. 2.  As some rooms may not have enough power points, a multi-plug with switches may come in handy, although these are available in the UK. On this note though, some colleges come with excessive number of power points! 3.  Do check with your airline if they cover your expensive appliances, should they become damaged in transit!   4. If you unsure if in that your if eye onare is available thegadget UK, oryou are have debating it is worth buying here and bringing it over, check out  out http://www.argos.co.uk http://www.argos.co.uk  for a rough gauge of what items you can buy from Argos, and their approximate price. 5.  Check with your college if you would require a LAN cable.

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Pre-Departure Checklist Miscellaneous items to consider 1.  It would be good to bring about half a dozen passport-sized photos, which are essential for library cards, college cards, society membership cards, and a railcard. 2.  An alarm clock would be good for those early morning lectures. Or the one on your handphone will do as well! 3.  Rubber flip-flops are not easily found in the UK in autumn/winter, and are very useful for padding around or going to the shower in, so do bring along a pair! 4.  Photos of your friends and family. 5.  Chopsticks if you are intending to cook. Driving licences, if you intend to drive in the UK – though if not, driving licences can still come in handy as proof of your age when you enter pubs or purchase knives (yes they check ID for knives) or alcohol. For Malaysians, an International Drivers’ Licence is required. Do note, however, that

undergraduate students are not allowed to own cars in Cambridge in order to control the car population size. Driving into town will probably take you more time than walking or biking there anyway… 

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Pre-Departure Checklist Checklist #6: Setting up a bank account from home? It can be more convenient to set up a UK student bank account from home, as if your bank account is ready when you reach the UK, you will save the hassle of about living for a week twoto without a bank account (banksbank in the UK can take 3 weeks or or more give you a fully functioning account – but this depends very much on the bank and when you sign up!). The only UK bank that allows you to set up a bank account from home is HSBC – which is widely used (amongst other banks such as Barclays, LLoyds and Natwest) in the UK. Do check with your local HSBC branch for more details if you wish to set up a bank account from home. There are two accounts that allow you to do so – these are HSBC Advance (http://www.hsbc.com.sg/1/2/hsbc-advance/hsbc-advance ) and HSBC Premier (http://www.hsbc.com.sg/1/2/hsbcpremier ). In Singapore, the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre. Here’s the address: Claymore Premier Centre 6 Claymore Hill #02-01 Claymore Plaza, Singapore 229571 Do call 1800-227-8886 to find out more! 

More links to look at before you fly off 1.  2.  3.  4. 

http://www.cam.ac.uk  http://www.cam.ac.uk  - Cambridge University’s official website  http://www.cumsa.org  http://www.cumsa.org  - CUMSA’s website  http://www.international.cusu.cam.ac.uk/  - iCUSU’s website  http://www.colc.co.uk  http://www.colc.co.uk  - A very comprehensive site which gives you a good introduction to Cambridge. 5.  http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk  - A UK students’ forum with a Cambridge sub-forum, where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students.

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Arriving in Cambridge Register your flight details with CUMSA You might want to update your flight details with CUMSA on the Facebook Group, so that you can locate other freshers and seniors who are travelling on sameinflight as youand are!getting It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Busthe Station Heathrow to Cambridge with a companion!

Baggage issues As mentioned previously, it is ideal to check in your luggage early, particularly if your baggage happens to be overweight. Do note, however, that under airport safety regulations, no one piece of your baggage can exceed 32kg. Do also check out the hand luggage restrictions of any airports you may be transiting in.

Immigration After disembarking, join the queue for foreigners entering the UK (usually the longest queue). There may be a special queue opened for students so do watch out for that. Have at hand the following: 1.  Letter of unconditional acceptance from your college 2.  Letter of financial guarantee 3.  Health reports 4.  X-Ray plate 5.  Exit permit, for Singaporean males 6.  Passport containing your UK Entry Clearance (Visa) 7.  CAS You’ll probably be asked a few routine questions before your visa will be

finalised at the immigration counter itself (as an entry stamp in your Entry Clearance).

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Arriving in Cambridge Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section, there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up – if you haven’t taken the necessary immunisation jabs tiring, or chest X-Ray, youercan takehave themhad here. However, this and is troublesome and and it’s easi to just your chest X-Ray medical check-up in Singapore or Malaysia.

Customs After collecting your baggage, walk through the Green Channel if you have nothing to declare. If an official stops you, explain that you are a student and that all the items in your luggage are for your own use only.

Getting to Cambridge from Heathrow By coach This is by far the most convenient way, though not the cheapest. (It is well worth the extra few pounds for the convenience, though!). The ride will take just below 3 hours. Follow the signs in Heathrow to the Central Bus Station (it is quite a long walk!), where you can purchase your ticket, along with a coach card if you feel that it’s worth the money. Make sure that you’re alighting at Parkside along Parkers’ Piece. (Just select Cambr idge as the destination.) A one-way

ticket will cost you below £30. Alternatively, purchase the tickets online at nationalexpress.com, choosing the journey from “Heathrow T1 and T3” to CAMBRIDGE. Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing. Coach drivers may help you with your luggage – remember to say thank you or cheers! Be aware that the coach might make more than one stop (most coaches from Heathrow to Cambridge will at least stop by Stansted Airport), people alighting at different places will have their luggage put into different storage compartments in the coach, so check with the coach driver to make sure that your luggage goes into the right compartment! 25

 

Arriving in Cambridge By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge, particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare Victoria (central) to is Cambridge. Normal tickets costticket belowfrom £12 London one-way. one-wa y. However, this route not recommended, especially if you happen to be travelling with heavy luggage! You could travel by the Underground (Piccadilly Line) from Heathrow to Victoria Station. From there, ask for directions to the Victoria Coach Station or follow the signs – it’s about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station. The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour – check http://www.nationalexpress.com  for exact prices and confirmed schedules. schedules.

By Tube and train This is possibly the fastest route, but can also be rather inconvenient, particularly with heavy luggage. Frequent train services run from London King’s Cross station to Cambridge. It

is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow. Buy a ticket for about £21.20 one-way before boarding, and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time. Check out  out   http://www.nationalrail.co.uk  for details. You might want to apply for a railcard at the same time because the discount is quite substantial, and rail journeys are a convenient way to explore the country. Do be warned, however, that the train station in Cambridge is not very near the city centre where most of the colleges are located (the only college closer to the train station than the coach station is Homerton), and you will probably want to take a bus or a taxi from the train station to your college.

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Arriving in Cambridge Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express, you will be on the East side of Parker’s Piece, opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map). If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel, Hughes Hall, Christ’s or

Downing, you can get to your college on foot; otherwise, you might want to hire a cab to your college, depending on how far away it is. There will be a nearby taxi stand. Ask a senior or your CUMSA parent! If you’re coming by train, taking a cab is the wisest choice, as the train

station is some distance away from most colleges, and it can be difficult travelling on buses with your luggage (in addition to the fact that your college may not be near the bus stops). Remember for cab trips, it is always more worthwhile to go by the meter rather than the price recommended by the driver. If you are finding it difficult to get a cab at the taxi ranks (there 27

 

Arriving in Cambridge is one outside the train station and slightly down the road from where the coach will stop), you can call for a Panther Taxi - 01223 715 715. Just tell them where you are (“Cambridge Rail Station” or “Cambridge Parkside Parker’s Piece”) and where you will be going (e.g. “Fitzwilliam Colleg e Storey’s Way entrance) 

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college – so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible, possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bus/train will arrive in Cambridge. If you don’t know who to approach, do contact CUMSA for help.   Otherwise, make sure you have a map of Cambridge handy, and just ask around for directions to your college’s Porters’ Lodge (Main entrance).  

College administration Upon arriving at your college, proceed to the Porters’ Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys. (Despite what their job title implies, the porters – refer to Glossary – are not obliged to help you with your luggage, and in fact, they seldom do. They are, however, very nice and very friendly people. Also, if you intend to arrive before Full Term or your room lease starts, do make sure to have contacted your college Tutor, Tutorial Office, or Admissions Office in advance to obtain permission to stay in your allocated room before your lease starts.) Obtain passwords for Cambridge accounts such as Hermes (your email) and Raven (widely used for various restricted sites). Do check your email regularly as notices and most emails will be sent to your cam.ac.uk account. Your username will be your initials followed by a number, e.g. abc12, and [email protected]..  your email will then be  be [email protected] You will need to make an appointment to see your Tutor and Director of Studies (DoS) to settle college administration and receive lecture schedules for the term. They’ll usually email you at your new Cambridge email

address, or leave a message for you in your pigeonholes, which are usually found at the Porters Lodge (this is also where all your snail mail goes). 28

 

Arriving in Cambridge Your college’s JCR (Junior Combination Room –  refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshers’ activities – do take part in them to meet up with

your college mates! Also, do take college matriculation photos, and get oriented around your college, particularly with the JCR and post-room.

The NHS As a student on a course of 6 months or longer, you’ll

be covered under the NHS. You’ll need to register with a GP in Cambridge. Obtain

from your college tutor, seniors, or porters a list of GPs near your college that you can register with. You can also register with a dentist if you wish, though it is unlikely that you’ll

be covered under the NHS with dentists. If you haven’t already had your meningitis vaccination, you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination – for free if you

happen to be in the eligible age group (which will usually be the case). If you want to see a doctor or a nurse, you’ll usually have to make an

appointment for later in the day or for another day. Remember to be on time because they are very strict with appointments. While consultations are free, prescriptions will cost around £6.50 to fill at a pharmacy. And lastly, do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that you’re qualified for   NHS.

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Getting Settled in Cambridge Things to buy! Gowns You’ll have to get a college gown for matriculation, though some colleges

such as Homerton, Hughes Hall only require a formal suit (Do check with your seniors on what is needed!). Each college has a unique gown, and you can buy a new one for around £40-50 from shops such as Ryder & Amies, Ede & Ravenscroft, and A.E. Clothier or from your college’s Porters’ Lodge. Alternatively, you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure it’s the correct college!) or from the Porters’ Lodge. It’s not a bad investment, given

that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls.

Home improvement items Most items that you’ll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street http://www.argos.co.uk  for (near Grafton Centre – refer to map). Check out  out  http://www.argos.co.uk

an idea of what is available. Alternatively, some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsbury’s. Also, although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road), it’s an

excellent place to get some really cheap items! You should get them early before they get snatched off the shelves! Note: Keep the boxes that your appliances come in, as you will need them again when you pack up your room for the holidays or move to another room in your second year. Kitchen items As the water in Cambridge is hard water (with too much calcium), water filter jugs are almost essential to improve the clarity of the tap water you drink – though tap water is drinkable unless stated! Kettles are also very useful. You can get them at places like Argos or Boots. Cutlery and crockery sold singly are quite expensive, and they usually come in sets of four, eight, or sixteen. Splitting a set amongst many people may be a good idea! Prices at Argos are competitive, though you can usually get some from Sainsbury’s as well.  

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Getting Settled in Cambridge If you’re intending to cook frequently over the long run, we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware. “Argos value” range of pots, pans  

and knives have been tested to be fit-for-the-dump after several uses, so it may be wiser to go for quality cooking equipment! Bedding Some colleges will provide bedding – check with your college or a college senior. If your college doesn’t, make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months. Don’t save on this, as a good duvet will last you through your length of study here and keep you nice, happy, and warm during winter! Bed sheets may also be needed for your first night in Cambridge – check with your college/ college parent. You can get bed sheets & pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton.

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance, however, if they don’t, it  can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Mary’s Street – next to the

Cambridge University Press bookshop near Market Square). This is advisable if you plan to keep expensive items like hi-fi sets, computers, cameras, etc. in your room, though not essential.

Bikes Some people manage without a bike, but bikes can come in handy, particularly if your college happens to be far away from the city centre (like Homerton and Girton) or from lecture sites. Cambridge is a particularly cycle-friendly city with bike lanes along some roads. Prices are variable, but a new bike will cost over £100 and a second hand one for half the price. Some bike shops nearer the city centre: Halfords – 1 Bridge St, 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles – 69 Trumpington St, 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre – 8 Botolph Lane, 01223 307114

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Getting Settled in Cambridge Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes): Mike’s Bikes – 26-28 Mill Rd, 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles – Station Building, Station Rd, 01223 307125

Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd, 01223 214999 If you’re not in a hurry, wait for offers and compare prices! Alternatively,

you could try approaching seniors who are sometimes looking to sell off their bikes. Make sure you also have a helmet, bikelights, and mudguards. It is advisable to bring bike lights and batteries from home or online as those in UK are expensive. You can get fined for cycling at night without both the front & back lights. If you’re getting a bike lock in Cambridge, do ask the shop owner

to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting.

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Getting Settled in Cambridge Money matters You’ll probably need to bring about £500 in cash or travellers’ cheques with

you when you come to Cambridge, as it can take as long as three weeks or more your account bank to from organise yourYou’ll new need bank account, unless money you’ve to already set upfor a bank home. to have enough cover your meals, your gown, freshers’ activities, books, home improvement

items, and a bike (if you need one). Also, most colleges will ask for payment of your college bill (including rent for Michaelmas) at the start of the term –  check with your college’s finance office if you can defer payment until your

bank account is ready! You will probably be able to withdraw money from ATMs using an overseas ATM card (e.g. if it has a ‘Cirrus’ logo)  – check with your bank about using ATM cards in the UK. Do note however that most banks will impose a surcharge for withdrawals from overseas ATMs. (POSB charges a SGD 5 surcharge per transaction.) The exchange counter in HSBC in Market Square cashes travel lers’ cheques with a commission of 2-3%, unless the travellers’ cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission. Alternatively, instead of cashing travellers’ cheques, you could bank them in like any other cheque without

needing to pay commission, but this requires a functioning bank account and some processing time. When it comes to setting up your bank account, there are a number of banks with branches here in Cambridge, so you are spoiled for choice! Proximity to your college, debit services such as Maestro, Visa, and Mastercard, monthly fee (if any) and availability of a cheque book, should be key considerations when choosing your bank – especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK. (Note that if you have a Maestro card, you’ll usually be able to use the card in the rest of Europe; however if you

have a Solo card, its use will be limited to the UK.) Tip: Other factors to consider include the amount of tax-free overdrafts allowed, and any other additional benefits. When you actually apply for a new account (or two, usually a current account which is linked to your debit card, and a savings account for larger usually need to bring your passport unconditional sums money) offer of letter from, you’ll your college. You may also be required toand bring a letter

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Getting Settled in Cambridge from your college, addressed specifically to the bank, providing proof of your admittance to the college and confirming your address in Cambridge. Check what documents you’ll need with the bank you’re intending to open an account with. Unlike in Singapore, most ATMs with any of the banks are Link enabled (look out for the Link sign), meaning that you’ll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bank’s without incurring any surcharges.  

As an overseas student, you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts – obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank. Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays. They don’t open on Sundays, but cash machines can still be used to w ithdraw money. Internet banking can be a very good friend for dealing with transfers of money and for checking on your spending! Some banks in Cambridge: HSBC –32 Market Hill, Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest – 37 Fitzroy St, Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrew’s St, Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays – Market Square Lloyds –Sidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

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Getting Settled in Cambridge Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can, register yourself with your respective High Commissions: Malaysia Students’ Department

45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Students’ Section)  

9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively, log on to the MFA website at  at http://www.mfa.gov.sg  http://www.mfa.gov.sg  and register yourself online) Posting letters The postal rates for normal airmail letters overseas start from 56p. You can get a set of 56p stamps if you’re going to send light letters of postcards

home often. For heavier letters, just ask at the post offices the rates for the letter you want to send. To send letters, you can mail them at any red mailbox in town – there are quite a few of them in the area. Alternatively, some Colleges have a mail service in the Porters’ Lodge where you can speak

to the porters, pay for postage and get them to send letters out in the daily mail collection. Airmail theoretically takes 4-6 working days to arrive in Malaysia or Singapore, but realistically it’s usually about a week either way. Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put –  parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Porters’ Lodge, and the

porters will tell you to collect them. Useful websites: http://www.royalmail.com  http://www.royalmail.com   http://www.singpost.com.sg   35

 

Getting Settled in Cambridge Phone cards, etc It’s cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK.

They usually come in denominations of £5, £10, £20, or £50 and are available at almost all post offices and newsagents. Check to see that calling rates stated include tax. Some popular choices include SwiftCall and SAVERS. However, as Mobileworld (a handphone network) charges just 4p a minute to call home, many people use Mobileworld rather than phone cards to call home if they need to. It is not cheap for general daily use within the UK though. (Another similar network is Lyca Mobile!) The Malaysian IDD is 00-60 followed by your area code (omit the 0) and your Malaysian home number. There is a Malaysia Direct International Collect Operator Service and the toll-free number is 0800-89-0060. You will be connected to a local Malaysian operator who will then connect the call for you. The Singapore IDD is 00-65 followed by your Singapore phone number. Direct International Call Collect is also available for holders of the International Calling Card from Singapore Webcams Webcams can be very useful to use with Skype or MSN, particularly as the internet service in Cambridge is rather fast. However, some colleges have internet bandwidth limits so you may need to monitor your usage.

In the UK Mobile phones There are many service providers here that you can obtain a line with! The most common ones include O2 (and giffgaff which is under O2), Vodafone, Three and EE. Things to consider in choosing a network provider 1) Price – some networks are definitely much cheaper, for example, giffgaff has a 10 pound goodybag deal where you pay 10 pounds to get unlimited SMSes, 1GB data, on top of a decent number of minutes! 36

 

Getting Settled in Cambridge 2) Reception – some networks have better reception than others. Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsbury’s and on the hill, while

giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge. 3) Roaming – Vodafone and Orange are multinational and will allow you to roam within most of Europe and some other parts of the world). 4) Which networks your friends are on – this may sound silly without context, but some networks give you deals when you make calls or send texts to friends on the same network as you, so if all your friends are on a certain network, the calls and texts may even be free! The websites to some of the more widely used mobile phone networks are listed below. You can check out their price plans first before buying, or you can ask the friendly staff of mobile phone shops in Cambridge such as Phones4U or Carphone Warehouse (one Carphone Warehouse outlet is located in Lion Yard): O2 – http://www.o2.co.uk  http://www.o2.co.uk   Giffgaff -  - http://giffgaff.com/  http://giffgaff.com/   EE -  - http://ee.co.uk/  http://ee.co.uk/   Virgin mobile – http://www.virginmobile.com   http://www.vodafone.co.uk   Vodafone – http://www.vodafone.co.uk Three – http://www.three.co.uk http://www.three.co.uk   Mobileworld – http://www.mobileworld.co.uk   Lyca Mobile -  - http://www.lycamobile.co.uk/home/en   Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price, but the catch is that you’ll have to commit to a contract, and you may not be able to suspend

your line for the months that you spend out of the UK. Note that if it’s your first year in the UK, the mobile phone companies will

require a copy of a valid bank statement sent to you by mail, or a credit card, and some form of identification (your university card should suffice) when you first subscribe to a plan. Otherwise, you may consider buying a Pay-as-you-talk prepaid SIM card instead, and adding on voice or text packs if you need them, monitoring your phone usage to see if it is more sensible to have a contract or to continue 37

 

Getting Settled in Cambridge using a prepaid sim card. Many prepaid cards offer free text, internet etc depending on the amount you top up monthly. Should you wish to change to a contract, you will usually be able to port your number over, but do check with the service providers or the friendly folk at the mobile phone shops first! The general format for a UK mobile number is (+44)-XXXX-XXXXXX if you’re dialing from overseas. In the UK, you can simply type in 0-XXXX-XXXXXX. Therefore, sometimes you may see the mobile numbers listed as +44-(0)XXXX-XXXXXX. Landlines The university (with the exception of some colleges) used to be wired on the NTL network but many colleges have pulled out last academic year. So do check with your college porters if your college still provides landline connections. A few colleges like Homerton and Fitzwilliam, however, have their own landline system where you can make intra-college phone calls for free. Do note that the charge for dialling the 0845… number of your landline is the

same as a mobile phone call. Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call – there is usually a 01223… number which has the same charge as a normal landline. Letters You can send letters for free to students different colleges using the CUSU Mail Service (CUSU-MS) during academic term. Each college will have a box for this and there is a stipulated collection date/time. Indicate the name of the recipient, the college and “CUSU -MS” on the envelope to indicate that you’re using it. Again, note the different naming convention, which is to put

the first name before your last name (surname). You may also underline the last name. This help the porters sort out the t he mail to the correct pigeon hole. During term time and holidays, mail may be sent to Fellows residing in other colleges via the internal University Mail Service (UMS).

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Getting Settled in Cambridge Navigating around Cambridge It can be difficult trying to find your way around Cambridge when you first arrive, particularly as roads may not quite look like what you’d expect (main roads, such as St Andrew’s and Downing Streets, often are one or tw o lane roads!).

Google Maps (http://maps.google.co.uk) http://maps.google.co.uk ) is your friend here – it’s particularly good for finding locations, just with a postcode! A map of Cambridge would probably be a good idea to have around in the first couple of weeks as well –  f rom tourist print it out from  from http://www.cam.ac.uk/map, http://www.cam.ac.uk/map , obtain one from information, or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Mary’s Church. Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshers’ week!  Meanwhile, here’s a short guide to navigating around the city centre!   2012/2013’s guide around Cambridge has been marked out on Google Maps

and will be updated from time to time with new locations, especially those that we are asked about.  about. http://bit.ly/JJxYke. http://bit.ly/JJxYke . Do note that some locations were not available in stored locations on Google Maps, so they have been arbitrarily marked out based on personal memory of the area.

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Getting Settled in Cambridge Transport Within Cambridge Cycling Cycling is a quick and efficient way of getting around Cambridge, particularly if your lecture sites or college are far away. They do wonders for widening the area that you travel around, and for getting you to your lectures on time when you’re in a hurry!   Do read up on the cycling rules (such as not cycling on pavements, and the need for bike lights at night, helmets etc. – http://www.camcycle.org.uk http://www.camcycle.org.uk  for more details), and register your bicycle with your college as bicycles are stolen often! Stagecoach bus services The bus services within Cambridge can be fairly efficient, though the wait for the bus can sometimes be rather long (refer to timetables to minimise your wait!). Taking the buses make getting to Addenbrooke’s, the train station, or Tesco’s at Newmarket Road much easier. If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshers’ Fair, be sure to pick up one!

The City1 bus costs around £1.15 from the train station to the city centre. If you are traveling around often, it might be more worthwhile to get a day ride pass at £3.70, or even weekly and monthly passes. Cambridge University students get to travel on the Uni4 for 70p upon presentation of the University Card, and it is useful for getting to the train station for weekend trips out of Cambridge. Useful websites: http://www.stagecoachbus.com   http://www.stagecoachbus.com/cambridge/timetables.php  

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Getting Settled in Cambridge Within the UK Coach/bus Two coach/bus companies that are widely used are National Express and Megabus. National Express is particularly useful for getting to airports and to London. Look out for the funfares on National Express where you can get cheaper one-way tickets between Cambridge and London (the catch is that if you miss the bus, there would be no refund)! Otherwise, a Young Persons’ Coach

Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares. For more details: http://www.nationalexpress.com   http://www.megabus.co.uk  http://www.megabus.co.uk   Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination – it only takes 46 minutes to get from Cambridge to London by train, compared to 2 hours by coach. Unfortunately, not only is the Cambridge train station located far away from the city centre, it’s also almost alw ays more expensive to take a train than to take a coach/bus. A Young Persons’ 16 -25 Railcard will, however, allow you to get a significant third off your train fares. Note that you can get trains to London King’s Cross and London Liverpool St

stations. The former is more expensive and sold at a fixed price regardless of when you buy it but is generally faster. The latter is less expensive (price increases as date of departure nears) and generally takes a longer time (1h15min). Check out  out http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/  for more details on train services.

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Getting Settled in Cambridge Various cards University Card – your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph. This photo is for the University U niversity Card, Card, possibly one of the most – it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University useful cards (allowing youaround free entrance into places such as King’s College Chapel) and

entitles you to lots of perks at the shops around town. Some colleges also use the University Card as a meal card, library card, and as an access card into various places. Do note that the top corner of your card next to your photo has your College colours to indicate which College you’re from in identifying some College-specific benefits. For example, Scudamore’s

Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company! College swipe card – Some colleges may use a college swipe card instead of the University Card around college for meals, borrowing books, and obtaining access into various places. NUS/CUSU card – This is optional, and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts! Nectar card – This can be used at Sainsbury’s and various other shops. It’ s free, and you’ll definitely be visiting Sains’ a lot during your course of study here. The idea is that you collect points as you spend, and points can be redeemed as rebates once you’ve reached the qualifying mark.   Boots Advantage card – Similar to the Nectar card, but only usable at Boots.

Get this if you tend to buy lots of things (such as Meal Deals!) from Boots. Coach card – With a National Express coach card, you can save up to 30% on many normal adult fares on many coach services. This is especially useful for the trips to the airports! You can buy the card from the ticketing counter at Heathrow, from the ticketing booth at Drummer Street bus station or online. Rail card – You will qualify for the Young Persons’ Railcard. It saves you 1/3 of the price of your train tickets, useful if you tend to take the train often. You can sign up for this online and they will mail you the card for free! CUMSA membership card – just £15 for at a lifetime! there a better bargain? See the membership privileges the backWhere of the is booklet!  

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Life in Cambridge Academics in Cambridge Lectures Lectures are conducted in one of the many lecture theatres around the university teaching sites. You will receive more information on where and when your lectures are from your college, or from your department websites – look out for the information! Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if you’d

like to find out what your schedule will be like term very starts! Lectures areonce (usually) important, so do attend them! Although some seniors may say otherwise… Some people find them useful while others don’t, so find something that suits your learning style.

Supervisions Supervisions are not unlike tutorials or seminars in Singapore JCs, except that instead of having a class of some 20-odd people, you’ll experience learning in a small group of usually 2-3 people. This makes supervisions the hallmark of the Cambridge teaching system, giving you ample opportunity to clarify problems that youyou may have, and out allows youabout. to exploreany anyquestions particularorarea of study that wish to find more Do take time to prepare for supervisions, so that you can make full use of the supervision time! Your Director of Studies is in charge of hiring and assigning you supervisors. But you will liaise with the supervisors directly regarding supervision timings.

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Life in Cambridge Fun in Cambridge CUMSA CUMSA organises activities regularly for its members, especially for freshers! Some of the events that we will be organising in the coming academic year include Freshers’ Squash, Oxbridge Games, Speakers’ Series, CUMSA Annual Ball and more! So do look out for more details about these events! CUMSA also supports weekly sports activities such as Floorball, Badminton, and Tennis via our interest groups, so look out for details about these as well! These are all great platforms to meet your fellow Singaporeans and Malaysians from other Colleges, hang out, and have a good time. On top of this, CUMSA hopes to provide support as a community, and if you ever need someone to talk to or a feeling of home, speak to any of us, your CUMSA parents or seniors around you!

Other Singaporean and Malaysian societies There are other Singaporean and Malaysian societies in Cambridge which organise various activities for Singaporeans and Malaysians throughout the year. These societies include the Temasek Society and the Cambridge University Malaysia Society (CUMaS).

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Life in Cambridge College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your college’s JCR in freshers’ week! These events are

a great opportunity you tofriends mix and mingle other college, helping youfor to make and settlewith down withfreshers greater from ease.your Each college also has many activities throughout the year, and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not, there’s always the university societies!). Do join them just to have fun – and you don’t always have to be particularly good to join a sport and many people who join them have never played it before, so do take the opportunity to pick up a new sport or activity! Examples of College-level activities include – acapella groups, music society, badminton, hockey, netball, rugby, rowing and many more!

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you can’t find in your college, you’ll usually find them in the university societies. With a vast list of societies, you’ll almost

always find something that deals with your interests, from tennis to lacemaking! Do go for the CUSU Freshers’ Societies’ Fair at Parker’s Piece on 7th and 8th  October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you – you can always back out from them later on, though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you don’t remember signing up for.   If that doesn’t provide a good enough reason for you to go for the fair, there are always loads of freebies to be collected as you walk around – note pads, thumb drives, mugs, pizza and more! The Cambridge University Societies’ Fair is one of the largest in the country – over 315 stalls were set up at the

fair in 2011! Remember that pizza vouchers can often be used in February of the following year too! Check out  out http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/societies/directory/  for a list of University societies. 45

 

Glossary of useful terms “Are you all right?”  

The British equivalent of the cheery ‘jia ba buey?’ (‘have you eaten’ in hokkien) or the snazzy American ‘whassup?’. You don’t have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this – it’s just their way of saying

hello. You could just say “I’m good, thanks, how’re you?” and keep walking (while they’ll probably return with a “I’m good!” These are just pleasantries, so don’t feel like you should explain how you are in fact “alright” or not.  

Backs

Bedder

Bicycle

The back of colleges along the river (including King’s

College) with superb views of the River Cam. Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer. Ideal for picnics. Cleaner at Cambridge colleges, from the era when students had beds made for them. Now, she empties your bin every morning (and perhaps changes your sheets or cleans your room, depending on your college). Be nice to your bedder because he/she is a force to be reckoned with. They can be your friends! The most common mode of transport in Cambridge. Ask a senior where they got their bikes and they’ll often be

Blue Bop Boatie

Bumps

Buttery Cam-___

happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal! Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford. After-party, usually with loud music, dancing, drinks and a crowded warm room. Cambridge University slang. Bow-tee. Person whose waking hours revolve around boats, rowing and… more rowing. Known for waking up at insane hours to train. Conversationally topic-limited to, you guessed it, rowing. Bi-annual thrilling event where all College boat crews line up in accordance with the rankings and chase each other up the river, attempting to bump (overtake) each other. See Hall. Many university resources are pre-fixed with a “Cam-“. E.g. CamTools (teaching material), CamCORS 46

 

Glossary of useful terms (supervision reports), CamSIS (exam results). Needs a Raven password for access. Cheers

Cho Mee

Compsci Cook-out

Courts

DoS

Doss

They don’t just use this to sign off letters. ‘Cheers’ is an expression of appreciation – the British substitute for the polite ‘thanks’. 

Singaporean-owned Singaporean-ow ned chinese supermarket. The place to go for oyster sauce, chilli, Yeo’s chrysanthemum tea etc. 108–110 Mill Road, CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road) Kowm-skee. Computer Science student. Connotations: social life depends on email. A get-together to try your hand at cooking or simply eat amazing food someone else has whipped up (you may be expected to return the favour some other time). Highly enjoyable if there is no burnt disaster in the kitchen…   Manicured grass patch(es) in college. Not to be trampled on by students. At least don’t get caught. To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters. Director of Studies. A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress. You will usually have a meeting with him/her once a term. Best to be avoided if you do not want any nagging or pep-talk to work harder, though some can be lovely. Confusingly, the British also use the term ‘doss’ colloquially. A ‘doss’ subject is one that doesn’t require

Faff

very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous. To doss around means to faff around (See below – ‘Faff’.) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though. [Verb]  If  If someone tells you to stop faffing around, they want you to stop clowning around. [Noun]  An  An unnecessary, over-complicated or troublesome task, especially one perceived as a waste of time. “I hate doing the dishes every night, it’s such a faff.” 

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Glossary of useful terms Fellows

Formal Hall

Freshers’ Week 

Full Term

Gyp Room Hall Hermes

Hobs JCR

KFC

Academics who work, and in some cases, live in a college. They are a notch above the student in the college social ladder and enjoy the right to walk on the grass. They also get to sit at the high table at hall and are served better food. Some Fellows are also supervisors (See Supervisor). Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall, sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable – some colleges only require college members to wear gowns). Your first weekend of the Michaelmas term in Cambridge. Arguably the most enjoyable time of the year (before the workload hits), and also possibly the rowdiest. The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for – you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to “keep term”   Kitchen. Sometimes with odd rules like “no cooking after 10pm” and “no frying”.  Dining hall. Place where food is served at meal times. Also known as buttery in some colleges. Email server used in Cambridge giving you a cam.ac.uk address. Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access. Stoves. Unfortunately Unfortunate ly some gyp rooms don’t have hobs… Junior Common/Combination Common/Combinati on Room. 1. Undergraduate section of the college students’ union. 2. Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch football/rugby matches or lounge in armchairs/beanbags. 1. Kitchen Fixed Charge: resented college canteen subsidy paid by student members of Cambridge colleges. Unfortunately almost impossible to get out of paying, even if you never eat in Hall. 2. Kentucky Fried Chicken. Available only at faraway Grafton. 48

 

Glossary of useful terms Knackered Master/Mistress

As in “completely knackered”, meaning very tired.  

The person who nominally heads the college (aka position for eminent figures to end their careers in the twilight retirement home of a Cambridge college). Have a Master’s Lodge which is often beautifully decorated

Mathmo May Ball/ June Event/

May Week

MCR Medic NatSci Parker’s Piece 

and one of the nicest parts of college. Math-mow . Mathematics student. Connotations: slightly weird. When a college is converted into a huge party venue during May Week! Vast amounts of drink, food, ents, performances and things to do usually running between 10pm to 6am the next day. Prices for tickets range between £80 (June Event) to £100-250 (May Ball). Also, some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively. Cambridge tradition circa ten days in June after the end of the exams. Drink, garden parties, balls. Recognized use: something for students to look forward to in order to see them through Tripos. Middle Common/Combination Common/Combinati on room. Graduate equivalent equivalent of JCR. Doctors-to-b Doctors-to-be e or medicine students. Nat-skee. Natural science students. Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd. The Wembly of Cambridge. The place to go on Sunday if you feel like kicking a ball. Also the place you first see when you reach Cambridge (if you’re taking National

Pissed Plodge Porter

Express). Drunk. The American American version of which we are used to — angry — is not used. So when you say you are pissed…   Porter’s Lodge, where you can find a Porter 24/7 in every single college. One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions institutions.. Don’t expect them to help you with your bags though! Warden on duty in college. In charge of some areas of discipline especially during bops and sorts your post. Duties 49

 

Glossary of useful terms include talking at great length about past students, breaking up parties and evicting mad axe-murders from college. Are often very nice friendly people with a sense of humour who will help you out if you are lost or Punts

Raven

Sainsbury’s  

Senate House

Senior Tutor

Sent Down Go Down Supervisor

confused. Long boats unique to Oxbridge, manned by poles. Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under £20/hour. Remember to present your student card! A username and password used for authenticating yourself to various Cambridge website resources (see Cam-___). Also used for accessing certain university websites outside of the Cambridge network. Also known as Sains. The place to go if you are runnin runningg low on groceries. Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces. Where Singaporeans congregate. Probably the best looking exam venue. Also the dreaded place to go where Tripos results are put up for public viewing in late June (your Tripos results are available online on CamSIS as well). Also the place for convocation. Holds overall responsibility responsibilit y for student welfare in the college. Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshers’ week about  behaving yourself. Expelled from college: rusticated – returned to the country To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes, this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term) A teacher. Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject. Usually very nice and helpful, unless you haven’t done your work…

Supervision

The session with the supervisor (see above). Hour-long sessions, usually in small groups of 1-5 students. Can be fun if you did your work. Otherwise, may be bewildering or painful. 50

 

Glossary of useful terms Time

Half-ten = 10:30. five-to-ten five-to -ten = 9:55. Always with reference to the hour, so “twenty past”

Tripos

would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is. Try-poss. otherwise appropriately named as ‘try pass’. The exam system; Cambridge students try to pass it each year. Some say it’s the hardest exam you’ll ever have to take. The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a ‘three legged stool’ in each year’s exam. Not done anymore.  

Trousers

Not Pants. Pants = underwear. You do not want to tell your college mate “Hey, you’ve got a nice pair of pants on!” Remember that it’s trousers, and say trousers.  

Tutor

A fellow from your college – similar to your DoS, but takes care of your pastoral well-being rather than your academics. Usually has a meeting at the beginning and end of term with you to chat about your welfare, how you’re coping with everything, what you do outside of

Wicked xx

xoxo

your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries. Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns. Not ‘vindictive’ but ‘cool’. Practise saying ‘ that CUMSA bop was wicked!’ with glee… People sign off with ‘xx’ – it means ‘kiss-kiss’ and used to express affection, or just a way of signing off. And it is not just the girls who do this! e.g. Dear Rob, Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 7:15). Emma xx You guessed it: hugs and kisses.

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Glossary of useful terms Last reminders…  1.  Dates you might want to note…         

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12 July: UK Pre Departure Talk @ SP Convention Centre   3 August: Freshers Tea 29-31 August: Fresher’s Camp   7 October: Start of Cambridge Term

2. Things you might want to do  

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(if you have yet to!)  Register your personal details on the CUMSA website http://cumsa.org)) under the Freshers’ registration   (http://cumsa.org Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group! (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 2014/15 https://www.facebook.com/groups/cumsa2014/ )  Sign up to be a UKSSC member at  at http://eepurl.com/JRzB1 http://eepurl.com/JRzB1   If you have any other questions, please do drop an email to Baifeng

[email protected])) or Anira ([email protected] [email protected]))! ([email protected]

Privileges for joining CUMSA…  As a CUMSA member, you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridge’s Asian eateries by simply presenting your card! HK Fusion  10% discount for CUMSA members St Johns Street Branch 12 St Johns Street Cambridge CB2 1TW (Opposite St John’s College) 

Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

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Glossary of useful terms Seven Days 5% discount for CUMSA members Valid only on à la carte items, with cash payment, from Mondays to

Thursdays. 66 Regent Street Cambridge CB2 1DP (Near Downing College) Ichiro  15% discount for CUMSA members 13 King Street Cambridge CB1 1LH Chinese Canteen  15% discount for CUMSA members Valid only on à la carte items, with cash payment. 30 Bridge Street Cambridge CB2 1UJ

For more information, please refer to our website where you may sign up as a member!

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This CUMSA Freshers’ Guide was created in 2014,

and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshers’ Guide 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. If you have any comments or questions on this guide, please email Anira Perera, your CUMSA Welfare Officer at [email protected] [email protected]

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