Notes From a 2012 Participant

Pre-departure Tips:

• Applying for visas, getting fingerprints done
  • Apply early (though you can’t apply until 3 months before you need the visa)- you will get your visa in time, but this is the type of thing that you don’t want to wait until the last minute for.  You will have to answer several questions on the visa application, so make sure you have at least an hour to devote to filling it out.
  • As a head’s up, there is a fee of about $500.  I know some past students were a little taken aback when they got to the end of the application and realized that they had to hand over that much money.
  • For getting fingerprints done, figure out where you’re going ahead of time.  The location in Boston is in an interesting and somewhat difficult to find location (Charles/MGH stop on the T with a bit of additional walking).  The process is relatively quick, but you will be waiting for a little while outside of the room.  They literally only take your fingerprints and then you leave.
  • You have to mail in your application and your passport.  This may seem silly, but make sure you’re not going anywhere that would require your passport!  You will be without one while your visa application is reviewed.
• Booking flights (e.g. consider if you’re coming home for Christmas)
  • This is somewhat personal preference.  Some parents are a whiz on the computer and know how to set up all of the notifications if the price goes down on airline tickets.  If you can do this, by all means set it up - but do not wait until the last minute, especially if you plan on coming home for Christmas.  The holidays are are always a busy travel period and those flights may become expensive relatively quickly.  
  • If you’re not planning on coming home for Christmas, while it is generally less expensive to book a round-trip ticket as opposed to a one-way, a one-way may be more beneficial in this case.  By this point, your exam/May Week/summer plans may not be set in stone, so it may be a better idea to have a little more flexibility.
  • Speaking of flexibility - pay the extra $25 or however much it is and just get the flight insurance.  Plans change!
• Budgeting
  • It is definitely suggested that you make an initial budget before you head over, partially because of the exchange rate and partially because you should have a general idea of the things you will initially need to buy when you get there (sheets, towels, etc.).  
  • You may also need to rework your budget after being there a week or so.  Once you know how much you’ll typically spend on a daily/weekly basis for food, fun, and extraneous items, make a more regimented budget that will allow you stay on track and actually come home with a little bit of money (or at least have money for vacations!).
• Packing
  • You cannot pack everything - it would be impractical to pack everything.
  • Things to bring:
    • Clothes for fall/winter.  You should bring one or two pairs of shorts just in case the weather gets unseasonably warm at some point.  Mainly, however, you should pack layers so that you’re prepared for when it gets warmer.  A fall jacket and a winter jacket are suggested.  
    • Rainboots are optional, but probably not necessary (Cambridge is actually one of the drier areas in England).  However, do bring an umbrella for the occasional drizzle.
    • If you plan on rowing, I would suggest you buy the necessary clothing while still in the states.  You’ll probably have to buy a college-specific kit (all-in-one, splash jacket, etc.) when you get there, but practice gear will be much less expensive in the states.
    • Some type of formal wear.  Girls, several cocktail-style dresses are suggested, especially if your college does formal dinner.
    • Bring a few mementos.  The English students will typically have their rooms full and decorated, so it will be nice to have a few of your favorite items from home.
    • DO NOT bring sheets, towels, toiletries (though do bring some travel-sized pieces!), kitchen stuff, lamps, binders, etc - these items are bulky and you can purchase them when you get to Cambridge.

When you first get there:

• Navigating college
  • You will most likely be dropped off in front of the Porter’s Lodge of your college when you first arrive in Cambridge.  There, you will pick up your keys and any other necessary information - make sure they give you a map!  Some students spent a considerable amount of time wandering around trying to find their accommodations, so use your map and don’t be afraid to ask for help.  The porters are almost always extremely nice and happy to help!
• Stocking your room (buying sheets, etc.)
  • Some colleges will offer a “bedding package” that includes a pilliow, a duvet, and sheets.  This is usually pretty inexpensive, but not of great quality.  If you’re worried, go ahead and invest in the pack, but you’ll eventually end up going to get new sheets and a better pillow.  The best place to buy these things is probably John Lewis.  You can usually find relatively inexpensive bedding materials.  If you’re looking to buy everything you might need for your room (decoration-wise, as well) in one place, John Lewis also has an assortment of other trinkets.  You will probably want to buy some hangers and whatnot.
• Finding a GP
  • All students are required to be signed up with a GP (General Practitioner).  Don’t worry, this is easier than it sounds.  Most students sign up with the same two GPs (Trinity or Trumpington Street Practices).  If you just show up at the practice in the first few days of school, you will have to fill out a little bit of information (be sure to have your school address!).  They may take your height, weight, and blood pressure, though they may just ask you for these if you already know them.  From then on, they should have you in the system should you need to visit.
  • Things to keep in mind for later:
    • Appointments are sometimes difficult to get and tend to fill up when the phone lines open in the morning.  If you want to schedule something, try to call as soon as the practice is set to open.
    • If you have a semi-emergency, go in to see them - they will likely be able to give you an appointment within a few hours (obviously, if you have a real emergency, go to Addenbrooke’s hospital).
• Whether or not to buy a bike
  • This is really a personal decision depending on how far away you live from your lectures and what extracurricular activities you’ll be doing.  If you live in say, Girton, and you are going to the New Museum Site (see a map...it’s far), you’ll probably want to buy a bike.  In addition, if you’re serious about rowing and don’t feel like running to the boat house in the middle of winter, you may also want to invest in a bike.
  • Keep in mind, if you do plan to buy a bike - get a good lock!  Apparently there is a ring that steals bikes in Cambridge and then sells them in Oxford.  As many of the MIT Police Officers say “U-Lock it or you lose it.”

Living in Cambridge:

• Food/groceries
  • For the most part, you will most likely be eating in college on a regular basis.  This is the most social place and where students tend to meet up after lectures or before going out at night/hanging out at the college bar.  Most of the dining halls (on non-formal nights) are “a la carte” - essentially, you pay for what you eat.  You may have to pay then and there or you may have sort of a credit system where you will be charged for your food at the end of the term along with your accommodation and other fees.
  • However, if you would like to buy food, there are several grocery stores throughout Cambridge (keep in mind that some of them may close quite early).  Some of the main ones include: Sainsburys (across from Sidney Sussex), Sainsburys Local (open later, but it’s smaller - right by Parker’s Piece), M&S (aka Marks and Spencers - in Market Square).  There is also typically a farmer’s market type event in Market Square on a daily basis - some of the vendors sell fruit, fresh bread, etc.
• Best restaurants
  • This is a completely arbitrary list of some of the places we liked going last year: The Mitre (pub), D’Arry’s (no particular cuisine), La Tasca (tapas), Pizza Express, The Eagle (pub), The Bath House (pub), The Cow (pizza), Don Pasquale (Italian), Fitzbillies (bakery)
• Fun stuff (clubs, movies, etc.)
  • Each of the colleges has their “favorite place to go out” as well as the night(s) that they typically go out during the week.  Some of the main clubs to go to are: Fez, Cindies, Life, and Spoons, all of which are pretty much in the center of town.  This is more something that you’ll pick up when you get there.  There are also a number of bars that stay open later, such as The Fountain, that students typically go to when the pubs close.
• Shopping (where to go for what)
  • Market Square is attached to Lion’s Yard, which is a pretty good shopping mall.  Those two places will pretty much have everything you need in terms of clothes, toiletries (go to Boots pharmacy), or anything you might need for your room (go to John Lewis).  Explore a little bit to find those places that you like the best.
  • Also in this area are WHSmith and Rymans, where you can pick up any school supplies you might need.  Be sure to show them your university card - you can get a 10% discount.
• Having a job
  • At Cambridge, students are technically not supposed to have out-of-college jobs.  Sometimes at the end of term, the libraries will take a few students to help out if they need.  Otherwise, you can sign up to work at different May Balls at the end of the year - those will typically get you about 40-75 pounds depending on the college and your particular job.

Planning your vacations:

• Short or long contract
  • Personally, long contract may be a bit more expensive, but it will make your life so much easier.  In between terms, students on short contract are required to remove all of their belongings from the rooms (often, the rooms are used for conference guests while students are home).  Most colleges have an area for international students to leave their belongings - however, if you’re on long contract, you can leave all of your stuff in your room and not worry about it.  Also, if on long contract, you do not need to leave college and can stay through the vacations if you don’t plan on going home.

• Budget airlines
  • Book early, pack light, and show up on time.  Budget airlines are great, but fees can go up quite a bit once you start bringing luggage you need to check.  Keep in mind that some of these airlines don’t fly into the major airports, but may fly into smaller airports that are slightly outside the city.  This is good news when you’re flying out of England, as Stanstead airport is a 30 min. bus ride away from Cambridge.  However, when you’re going to other cities, you should know that you will probably have to take additional transportation to the city center if that’s where your hostel is.
• Places to stay
  • Go on hostelworld.com - it’s incredibly easy to find inexpensive places to stay.  However, be sure to read the reviews and make sure the places have a high “location” rating - that way, you’ll be sure you’re staying somewhere safe that’s also near the sites that you want to visit.  For your vacation, make sure you print out your documents and reference numbers in case you have any problems.
• What to bring
  • If you’re flying on a budget airline, pack light and in layers.  Boots has a lot of travel-sized toiletries as well, so don’t bother bringing the large stuff.  Be sure to bring a good pair of shoes, as you will most likely be doing a lot of walking.  Try to bring something that you can hide/stash your passport it - preferably something with a zipper that you can tuck into your jacket or a place that is not easily accessible.  And my personal opinion - always bring a camera!
• What you shouldn’t miss
  • Some of the highlights from last year: Prague during the holidays (only need to go for a few days to get the full effect, but it’s beautiful), Dublin, Istanbul (FANTASTIC), Italy (devote a lot of time here)
  • Places in the UK: Bath, Oxford, Edinburgh, St. Andrews, Dartmouth, Bristol
• Finding time to study (especially during Easter)
  • Bring some of your lecture material with you during Christmas break.  Even if you don’t want to start making revision notes and redoing examples sheets, it’s a good idea to go over your notes and some problems just to make sure you have an understanding of the Michaelmas material.
  • We all want to travel, it’s understandable - you’re abroad!  However, you do need to study and should probably devote at least 3-4 weeks before your exams to revising.  This should give you at least a week or so during the second break to travel (possibly more if your exams aren’t at the beginning of Easter term).

Exam term:

• What to expect
  • You will be stressed, but you’re probably all used to that after being at MIT.  The best thing you can do it prepare is to do past Tripos exams - possibly until your hand bleeds (just kidding).  Doing past Tripos exams will prepare you mainly for the type of questions you should expect.  Make sure you time yourself in at least a few of them - if you’re understanding the question, that’s great, but if it takes you five hours to complete a Tripos (they’re usually ~3 hours), not so great.
  • Most exams (in engineering/sciences/etc.) tend to be given over a period of 1-2 weeks, similarly to how it’s done at MIT.
• How to plan your time (dependent upon Tripos)
  • Engineering students will have exams at the beginning of Easter term whereas some other students (e.g. Chemical Engineering) will not have their exams until later in the term.  As stated above, make sure to give yourself at least a few weeks before your exams to devote to studying.
  • From my own experience, I found that I could complete about 1-2 Tripos exams per day before getting a little burnt out.  I wasn’t always timing myself, but usually spent about 5-6 hours studying per day, with breaks in between and a little more free time on the weekends.