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1 CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION (CUMSA) Fresher’s Guide 2014 Contents: 1. About CUMSA 2. General Points about Cambridge 3. Pre-departure Checklist 4. Flying Off 5. Settling in 6. Life in Cambridge 7. Glossary of Terms

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Page 1: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

1

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION (CUMSA) Fresherrsquos Guide 2014 Contents

1 About CUMSA 2 General Points about Cambridge 3 Pre-departure Checklist 4 Flying Off 5 Settling in 6 Life in Cambridge 7 Glossary of Terms

About CUMSA

2

Presidentrsquos 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 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 Letrsquos 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 Fresherrsquos Guide If you crave more information start reading your college website the Wikipedia entry for Cambridge or even Timeoutrsquos guide for London There is a wealth of information relevant or otherwise and itrsquos 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 Yoursquoll 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 ndash 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 Societiesrsquo Fair a massive event hosting hundreds of interest groups and sports clubs There

About CUMSA

3

is literally everything you would want to do from blind wine tasting to cross-country 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 that since Irsquom 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 Fresherrsquos 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 wersquore also beefing up our Speakerrsquos 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 wersquoll walk together Irsquom sure you will soon be meeting your CUMSA parents who are probably as excited to meet you Your seniors whorsquoll 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) presidentcumsaorg

About CUMSA

4

Sponsors CUMSA would like to thank our sponsors for their great support Platinum Sponsors Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors

About CUMSA

5

CUMSA Committee 2014-15

President Baifeng Quek Natural Sciences Trinity Hall presidentcumsaorg Secretary Tanvi Ahuja Natural Sciences Trinity Hall secretarycumsaorg Treasurer Peisu Zou Engineering St Edmundrsquos College treasurercumsaorg Sponsorship Officer Shaun Ng Economics St Edmundrsquos College sponsorshipcumsaorg Sports Secretary Joel Koh Law Girton College sportscumsaorg Publicity Secretary Vince Tan Engineering Magdalene College publicitycumsaorg

Events Officer Glendon Kok Law Hughes Hall eventscumsaorg Welfare Officer Anira Perera Natural Sciences Fitzwilliam College welfarecumsaorg Logistics Officer Yan Ping Tham Economics Pembroke College logisticscumsaorg Database Officer Nicolas Capel Engineering Queensrsquo College databasecumsaorg Graduate Representative Weixun Goh Computer Science Robinson College gradrepcumsaorg

About CUMSA

6

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 Our activities include formal halls bops the annual CUMSA Ball talks weekly sports among many others We also participate in events such 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 Fresherrsquos Tea and Camp in Singapore Also do join us at the CUMSA booth at the University Societiesrsquo Fair on 7th and 8th October 2014 held near Parkerrsquos 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

General Pointers

7

Weather and Climate

The weather and climate in Cambridge is very different from the tropical climate back home ndash 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

General Pointers

8

Term Michaelmas Lent Easter

Weather A little rain throughout the term There may be hail

Some rain some hail and a few episodes of snow This can be as much as 10 inches as in Lent 2011 or as little as none at all

Sunshine Joy

Temperature 5-20 degC at the start of term becoming progressively colder before reaching 5-15 degC at the end of term

0-10 degC throughout most of the term sometimes dipping to -5 - -10degC during the night Around 5-15 degC at the end of term

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

Hours of sunshine

The sun will initially set around 7pm and progressively earlier until it sets around 4pm by the end of term (So if yoursquore biking bring your bike lights)

The sun sets around 3-4pm at the start of term and progressively later every day until it sets around 6pm by the end of term

The sun sets around 8pm at the start of term and progressively later until there are still traces of daylight around 10pm by the end of term

Disclaimer These are generalisations of the weather and are by no means an accurate forecast of what will be in store for you A more accurate gauge would be the BBC weather forecast (httpwwwbbccoukweather2653941)

General Pointers

9

British Summer Time

The UK will switch from British Summer Time (+0100 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 for the whole of lsquoFull Termrsquo not lsquoTermrsquo 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 ndash 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 201415 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 httpwwwcamacukabout-the-universityterm-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 ldquostudy breakrdquo) do remember to allocate some time to prepare for the Tripos Exams in MayJune

Pre-Departure Checklist

10

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 report As you will need to take your X-Ray with you in your hand luggage for your initial visa clearance at Heathrow you could try requesting for an A4 size X-Ray plate (or smaller) for easier handling ndash 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 ndash 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 Travellerrsquos Health and Vaccination Centre or most other clinics Different colleges will have different immunisation policies ndash 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

11

Checklist 2 Application for Entry Clearance aka Visa Please read the comprehensive document httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile303848T4_Guidance_06-04-14pdf 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)

20 Cecil Street

11-02 to 05 Equity Plaza

Singapore 049705

Tel 800 101 3230

Email infosingvfshelplinecom

(MALAYSIA)

Suite 1906 19 Floor

Wisma MCA

163 Jalan Ampang 50450

Kuala Lumpur

Telephone (03) 21649323

Email infoukmyvfshelplinecom

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 immigrationrsquos photograph guidance

Pre-Departure Checklist

12

4 A printout of your online application form signed and dated

5 A completed self-assessment form signed and dated (found here httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile261462vaf9-app81pdf)

6 Letter of unconditional acceptance from the UniversityCollegeSchool 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 UniversityCollegeSchool has included on your CAS

8 ATAS Clearance (applicable only to some See wwwfcogovukatas for more information)

9 Educational qualificationscertificates Each document must be an original (not a copy)

10 Evidence of funds (eg 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

ldquoYou 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

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

Pre-Departure Checklist

13

a letter from a financial institution confirming a loan dated no more than six months before the date of your applicationrdquo

If the bank account you are intending to use is held under your parentrsquos name additional documents are required

ldquoIf 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

You must also show that your parent(s) or legal guardian have given their permission for you to use this money To do this 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 UKrdquo

If your studies are sponsored you will need a letter from your sponsor following the guidelines stated by the UKBA website

ldquoIn 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 organisations official letter-headed paper or stationery and must bear the organisations official stamp It must show

your name

the official financial sponsors 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 costsrdquo

Pre-Departure Checklist

14

11 Application fee (S$68500 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 httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile320815documents-t4-genpdf Other reminders

Visa Application Submission ndash Monday to Friday 800 ndash 1400 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 1400 ndash 1600

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 For more information refer to httpwwwvfs-uk-sgcom httpwwwvfs-uk-mycom httpswwwgovuktier-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 wonrsquot be able to

submit your application without it

Pre-Departure Checklist

15

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 02-0708 391 New Bridge Road Singapore 088762 Telephone 64358275 64358277 Opening times 830am ndash 1230 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 non-

Singaporeans 4 Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the

certificate (in this case the universityCollege 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$5500 to be paid via NETS cash card or credit card 7 A full set of fingerprint impressions will be taken by the qualified

fingerprint officer at the CNCC office

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 2: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

About CUMSA

2

Presidentrsquos 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 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 Letrsquos 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 Fresherrsquos Guide If you crave more information start reading your college website the Wikipedia entry for Cambridge or even Timeoutrsquos guide for London There is a wealth of information relevant or otherwise and itrsquos 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 Yoursquoll 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 ndash 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 Societiesrsquo Fair a massive event hosting hundreds of interest groups and sports clubs There

About CUMSA

3

is literally everything you would want to do from blind wine tasting to cross-country 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 that since Irsquom 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 Fresherrsquos 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 wersquore also beefing up our Speakerrsquos 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 wersquoll walk together Irsquom sure you will soon be meeting your CUMSA parents who are probably as excited to meet you Your seniors whorsquoll 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) presidentcumsaorg

About CUMSA

4

Sponsors CUMSA would like to thank our sponsors for their great support Platinum Sponsors Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors

About CUMSA

5

CUMSA Committee 2014-15

President Baifeng Quek Natural Sciences Trinity Hall presidentcumsaorg Secretary Tanvi Ahuja Natural Sciences Trinity Hall secretarycumsaorg Treasurer Peisu Zou Engineering St Edmundrsquos College treasurercumsaorg Sponsorship Officer Shaun Ng Economics St Edmundrsquos College sponsorshipcumsaorg Sports Secretary Joel Koh Law Girton College sportscumsaorg Publicity Secretary Vince Tan Engineering Magdalene College publicitycumsaorg

Events Officer Glendon Kok Law Hughes Hall eventscumsaorg Welfare Officer Anira Perera Natural Sciences Fitzwilliam College welfarecumsaorg Logistics Officer Yan Ping Tham Economics Pembroke College logisticscumsaorg Database Officer Nicolas Capel Engineering Queensrsquo College databasecumsaorg Graduate Representative Weixun Goh Computer Science Robinson College gradrepcumsaorg

About CUMSA

6

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 Our activities include formal halls bops the annual CUMSA Ball talks weekly sports among many others We also participate in events such 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 Fresherrsquos Tea and Camp in Singapore Also do join us at the CUMSA booth at the University Societiesrsquo Fair on 7th and 8th October 2014 held near Parkerrsquos 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

General Pointers

7

Weather and Climate

The weather and climate in Cambridge is very different from the tropical climate back home ndash 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

General Pointers

8

Term Michaelmas Lent Easter

Weather A little rain throughout the term There may be hail

Some rain some hail and a few episodes of snow This can be as much as 10 inches as in Lent 2011 or as little as none at all

Sunshine Joy

Temperature 5-20 degC at the start of term becoming progressively colder before reaching 5-15 degC at the end of term

0-10 degC throughout most of the term sometimes dipping to -5 - -10degC during the night Around 5-15 degC at the end of term

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

Hours of sunshine

The sun will initially set around 7pm and progressively earlier until it sets around 4pm by the end of term (So if yoursquore biking bring your bike lights)

The sun sets around 3-4pm at the start of term and progressively later every day until it sets around 6pm by the end of term

The sun sets around 8pm at the start of term and progressively later until there are still traces of daylight around 10pm by the end of term

Disclaimer These are generalisations of the weather and are by no means an accurate forecast of what will be in store for you A more accurate gauge would be the BBC weather forecast (httpwwwbbccoukweather2653941)

General Pointers

9

British Summer Time

The UK will switch from British Summer Time (+0100 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 for the whole of lsquoFull Termrsquo not lsquoTermrsquo 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 ndash 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 201415 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 httpwwwcamacukabout-the-universityterm-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 ldquostudy breakrdquo) do remember to allocate some time to prepare for the Tripos Exams in MayJune

Pre-Departure Checklist

10

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 report As you will need to take your X-Ray with you in your hand luggage for your initial visa clearance at Heathrow you could try requesting for an A4 size X-Ray plate (or smaller) for easier handling ndash 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 ndash 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 Travellerrsquos Health and Vaccination Centre or most other clinics Different colleges will have different immunisation policies ndash 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

11

Checklist 2 Application for Entry Clearance aka Visa Please read the comprehensive document httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile303848T4_Guidance_06-04-14pdf 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)

20 Cecil Street

11-02 to 05 Equity Plaza

Singapore 049705

Tel 800 101 3230

Email infosingvfshelplinecom

(MALAYSIA)

Suite 1906 19 Floor

Wisma MCA

163 Jalan Ampang 50450

Kuala Lumpur

Telephone (03) 21649323

Email infoukmyvfshelplinecom

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 immigrationrsquos photograph guidance

Pre-Departure Checklist

12

4 A printout of your online application form signed and dated

5 A completed self-assessment form signed and dated (found here httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile261462vaf9-app81pdf)

6 Letter of unconditional acceptance from the UniversityCollegeSchool 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 UniversityCollegeSchool has included on your CAS

8 ATAS Clearance (applicable only to some See wwwfcogovukatas for more information)

9 Educational qualificationscertificates Each document must be an original (not a copy)

10 Evidence of funds (eg 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

ldquoYou 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

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

Pre-Departure Checklist

13

a letter from a financial institution confirming a loan dated no more than six months before the date of your applicationrdquo

If the bank account you are intending to use is held under your parentrsquos name additional documents are required

ldquoIf 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

You must also show that your parent(s) or legal guardian have given their permission for you to use this money To do this 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 UKrdquo

If your studies are sponsored you will need a letter from your sponsor following the guidelines stated by the UKBA website

ldquoIn 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 organisations official letter-headed paper or stationery and must bear the organisations official stamp It must show

your name

the official financial sponsors 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 costsrdquo

Pre-Departure Checklist

14

11 Application fee (S$68500 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 httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile320815documents-t4-genpdf Other reminders

Visa Application Submission ndash Monday to Friday 800 ndash 1400 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 1400 ndash 1600

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 For more information refer to httpwwwvfs-uk-sgcom httpwwwvfs-uk-mycom httpswwwgovuktier-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 wonrsquot be able to

submit your application without it

Pre-Departure Checklist

15

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 02-0708 391 New Bridge Road Singapore 088762 Telephone 64358275 64358277 Opening times 830am ndash 1230 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 non-

Singaporeans 4 Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the

certificate (in this case the universityCollege 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$5500 to be paid via NETS cash card or credit card 7 A full set of fingerprint impressions will be taken by the qualified

fingerprint officer at the CNCC office

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 3: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

About CUMSA

3

is literally everything you would want to do from blind wine tasting to cross-country 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 that since Irsquom 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 Fresherrsquos 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 wersquore also beefing up our Speakerrsquos 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 wersquoll walk together Irsquom sure you will soon be meeting your CUMSA parents who are probably as excited to meet you Your seniors whorsquoll 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) presidentcumsaorg

About CUMSA

4

Sponsors CUMSA would like to thank our sponsors for their great support Platinum Sponsors Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors

About CUMSA

5

CUMSA Committee 2014-15

President Baifeng Quek Natural Sciences Trinity Hall presidentcumsaorg Secretary Tanvi Ahuja Natural Sciences Trinity Hall secretarycumsaorg Treasurer Peisu Zou Engineering St Edmundrsquos College treasurercumsaorg Sponsorship Officer Shaun Ng Economics St Edmundrsquos College sponsorshipcumsaorg Sports Secretary Joel Koh Law Girton College sportscumsaorg Publicity Secretary Vince Tan Engineering Magdalene College publicitycumsaorg

Events Officer Glendon Kok Law Hughes Hall eventscumsaorg Welfare Officer Anira Perera Natural Sciences Fitzwilliam College welfarecumsaorg Logistics Officer Yan Ping Tham Economics Pembroke College logisticscumsaorg Database Officer Nicolas Capel Engineering Queensrsquo College databasecumsaorg Graduate Representative Weixun Goh Computer Science Robinson College gradrepcumsaorg

About CUMSA

6

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 Our activities include formal halls bops the annual CUMSA Ball talks weekly sports among many others We also participate in events such 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 Fresherrsquos Tea and Camp in Singapore Also do join us at the CUMSA booth at the University Societiesrsquo Fair on 7th and 8th October 2014 held near Parkerrsquos 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

General Pointers

7

Weather and Climate

The weather and climate in Cambridge is very different from the tropical climate back home ndash 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

General Pointers

8

Term Michaelmas Lent Easter

Weather A little rain throughout the term There may be hail

Some rain some hail and a few episodes of snow This can be as much as 10 inches as in Lent 2011 or as little as none at all

Sunshine Joy

Temperature 5-20 degC at the start of term becoming progressively colder before reaching 5-15 degC at the end of term

0-10 degC throughout most of the term sometimes dipping to -5 - -10degC during the night Around 5-15 degC at the end of term

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

Hours of sunshine

The sun will initially set around 7pm and progressively earlier until it sets around 4pm by the end of term (So if yoursquore biking bring your bike lights)

The sun sets around 3-4pm at the start of term and progressively later every day until it sets around 6pm by the end of term

The sun sets around 8pm at the start of term and progressively later until there are still traces of daylight around 10pm by the end of term

Disclaimer These are generalisations of the weather and are by no means an accurate forecast of what will be in store for you A more accurate gauge would be the BBC weather forecast (httpwwwbbccoukweather2653941)

General Pointers

9

British Summer Time

The UK will switch from British Summer Time (+0100 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 for the whole of lsquoFull Termrsquo not lsquoTermrsquo 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 ndash 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 201415 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 httpwwwcamacukabout-the-universityterm-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 ldquostudy breakrdquo) do remember to allocate some time to prepare for the Tripos Exams in MayJune

Pre-Departure Checklist

10

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 report As you will need to take your X-Ray with you in your hand luggage for your initial visa clearance at Heathrow you could try requesting for an A4 size X-Ray plate (or smaller) for easier handling ndash 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 ndash 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 Travellerrsquos Health and Vaccination Centre or most other clinics Different colleges will have different immunisation policies ndash 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

11

Checklist 2 Application for Entry Clearance aka Visa Please read the comprehensive document httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile303848T4_Guidance_06-04-14pdf 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)

20 Cecil Street

11-02 to 05 Equity Plaza

Singapore 049705

Tel 800 101 3230

Email infosingvfshelplinecom

(MALAYSIA)

Suite 1906 19 Floor

Wisma MCA

163 Jalan Ampang 50450

Kuala Lumpur

Telephone (03) 21649323

Email infoukmyvfshelplinecom

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 immigrationrsquos photograph guidance

Pre-Departure Checklist

12

4 A printout of your online application form signed and dated

5 A completed self-assessment form signed and dated (found here httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile261462vaf9-app81pdf)

6 Letter of unconditional acceptance from the UniversityCollegeSchool 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 UniversityCollegeSchool has included on your CAS

8 ATAS Clearance (applicable only to some See wwwfcogovukatas for more information)

9 Educational qualificationscertificates Each document must be an original (not a copy)

10 Evidence of funds (eg 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

ldquoYou 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

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

Pre-Departure Checklist

13

a letter from a financial institution confirming a loan dated no more than six months before the date of your applicationrdquo

If the bank account you are intending to use is held under your parentrsquos name additional documents are required

ldquoIf 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

You must also show that your parent(s) or legal guardian have given their permission for you to use this money To do this 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 UKrdquo

If your studies are sponsored you will need a letter from your sponsor following the guidelines stated by the UKBA website

ldquoIn 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 organisations official letter-headed paper or stationery and must bear the organisations official stamp It must show

your name

the official financial sponsors 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 costsrdquo

Pre-Departure Checklist

14

11 Application fee (S$68500 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 httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile320815documents-t4-genpdf Other reminders

Visa Application Submission ndash Monday to Friday 800 ndash 1400 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 1400 ndash 1600

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 For more information refer to httpwwwvfs-uk-sgcom httpwwwvfs-uk-mycom httpswwwgovuktier-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 wonrsquot be able to

submit your application without it

Pre-Departure Checklist

15

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 02-0708 391 New Bridge Road Singapore 088762 Telephone 64358275 64358277 Opening times 830am ndash 1230 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 non-

Singaporeans 4 Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the

certificate (in this case the universityCollege 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$5500 to be paid via NETS cash card or credit card 7 A full set of fingerprint impressions will be taken by the qualified

fingerprint officer at the CNCC office

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 4: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

About CUMSA

4

Sponsors CUMSA would like to thank our sponsors for their great support Platinum Sponsors Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors

About CUMSA

5

CUMSA Committee 2014-15

President Baifeng Quek Natural Sciences Trinity Hall presidentcumsaorg Secretary Tanvi Ahuja Natural Sciences Trinity Hall secretarycumsaorg Treasurer Peisu Zou Engineering St Edmundrsquos College treasurercumsaorg Sponsorship Officer Shaun Ng Economics St Edmundrsquos College sponsorshipcumsaorg Sports Secretary Joel Koh Law Girton College sportscumsaorg Publicity Secretary Vince Tan Engineering Magdalene College publicitycumsaorg

Events Officer Glendon Kok Law Hughes Hall eventscumsaorg Welfare Officer Anira Perera Natural Sciences Fitzwilliam College welfarecumsaorg Logistics Officer Yan Ping Tham Economics Pembroke College logisticscumsaorg Database Officer Nicolas Capel Engineering Queensrsquo College databasecumsaorg Graduate Representative Weixun Goh Computer Science Robinson College gradrepcumsaorg

About CUMSA

6

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 Our activities include formal halls bops the annual CUMSA Ball talks weekly sports among many others We also participate in events such 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 Fresherrsquos Tea and Camp in Singapore Also do join us at the CUMSA booth at the University Societiesrsquo Fair on 7th and 8th October 2014 held near Parkerrsquos 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

General Pointers

7

Weather and Climate

The weather and climate in Cambridge is very different from the tropical climate back home ndash 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

General Pointers

8

Term Michaelmas Lent Easter

Weather A little rain throughout the term There may be hail

Some rain some hail and a few episodes of snow This can be as much as 10 inches as in Lent 2011 or as little as none at all

Sunshine Joy

Temperature 5-20 degC at the start of term becoming progressively colder before reaching 5-15 degC at the end of term

0-10 degC throughout most of the term sometimes dipping to -5 - -10degC during the night Around 5-15 degC at the end of term

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

Hours of sunshine

The sun will initially set around 7pm and progressively earlier until it sets around 4pm by the end of term (So if yoursquore biking bring your bike lights)

The sun sets around 3-4pm at the start of term and progressively later every day until it sets around 6pm by the end of term

The sun sets around 8pm at the start of term and progressively later until there are still traces of daylight around 10pm by the end of term

Disclaimer These are generalisations of the weather and are by no means an accurate forecast of what will be in store for you A more accurate gauge would be the BBC weather forecast (httpwwwbbccoukweather2653941)

General Pointers

9

British Summer Time

The UK will switch from British Summer Time (+0100 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 for the whole of lsquoFull Termrsquo not lsquoTermrsquo 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 ndash 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 201415 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 httpwwwcamacukabout-the-universityterm-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 ldquostudy breakrdquo) do remember to allocate some time to prepare for the Tripos Exams in MayJune

Pre-Departure Checklist

10

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 report As you will need to take your X-Ray with you in your hand luggage for your initial visa clearance at Heathrow you could try requesting for an A4 size X-Ray plate (or smaller) for easier handling ndash 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 ndash 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 Travellerrsquos Health and Vaccination Centre or most other clinics Different colleges will have different immunisation policies ndash 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

11

Checklist 2 Application for Entry Clearance aka Visa Please read the comprehensive document httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile303848T4_Guidance_06-04-14pdf 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)

20 Cecil Street

11-02 to 05 Equity Plaza

Singapore 049705

Tel 800 101 3230

Email infosingvfshelplinecom

(MALAYSIA)

Suite 1906 19 Floor

Wisma MCA

163 Jalan Ampang 50450

Kuala Lumpur

Telephone (03) 21649323

Email infoukmyvfshelplinecom

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 immigrationrsquos photograph guidance

Pre-Departure Checklist

12

4 A printout of your online application form signed and dated

5 A completed self-assessment form signed and dated (found here httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile261462vaf9-app81pdf)

6 Letter of unconditional acceptance from the UniversityCollegeSchool 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 UniversityCollegeSchool has included on your CAS

8 ATAS Clearance (applicable only to some See wwwfcogovukatas for more information)

9 Educational qualificationscertificates Each document must be an original (not a copy)

10 Evidence of funds (eg 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

ldquoYou 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

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

Pre-Departure Checklist

13

a letter from a financial institution confirming a loan dated no more than six months before the date of your applicationrdquo

If the bank account you are intending to use is held under your parentrsquos name additional documents are required

ldquoIf 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

You must also show that your parent(s) or legal guardian have given their permission for you to use this money To do this 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 UKrdquo

If your studies are sponsored you will need a letter from your sponsor following the guidelines stated by the UKBA website

ldquoIn 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 organisations official letter-headed paper or stationery and must bear the organisations official stamp It must show

your name

the official financial sponsors 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 costsrdquo

Pre-Departure Checklist

14

11 Application fee (S$68500 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 httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile320815documents-t4-genpdf Other reminders

Visa Application Submission ndash Monday to Friday 800 ndash 1400 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 1400 ndash 1600

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 For more information refer to httpwwwvfs-uk-sgcom httpwwwvfs-uk-mycom httpswwwgovuktier-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 wonrsquot be able to

submit your application without it

Pre-Departure Checklist

15

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 02-0708 391 New Bridge Road Singapore 088762 Telephone 64358275 64358277 Opening times 830am ndash 1230 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 non-

Singaporeans 4 Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the

certificate (in this case the universityCollege 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$5500 to be paid via NETS cash card or credit card 7 A full set of fingerprint impressions will be taken by the qualified

fingerprint officer at the CNCC office

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 5: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

About CUMSA

5

CUMSA Committee 2014-15

President Baifeng Quek Natural Sciences Trinity Hall presidentcumsaorg Secretary Tanvi Ahuja Natural Sciences Trinity Hall secretarycumsaorg Treasurer Peisu Zou Engineering St Edmundrsquos College treasurercumsaorg Sponsorship Officer Shaun Ng Economics St Edmundrsquos College sponsorshipcumsaorg Sports Secretary Joel Koh Law Girton College sportscumsaorg Publicity Secretary Vince Tan Engineering Magdalene College publicitycumsaorg

Events Officer Glendon Kok Law Hughes Hall eventscumsaorg Welfare Officer Anira Perera Natural Sciences Fitzwilliam College welfarecumsaorg Logistics Officer Yan Ping Tham Economics Pembroke College logisticscumsaorg Database Officer Nicolas Capel Engineering Queensrsquo College databasecumsaorg Graduate Representative Weixun Goh Computer Science Robinson College gradrepcumsaorg

About CUMSA

6

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 Our activities include formal halls bops the annual CUMSA Ball talks weekly sports among many others We also participate in events such 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 Fresherrsquos Tea and Camp in Singapore Also do join us at the CUMSA booth at the University Societiesrsquo Fair on 7th and 8th October 2014 held near Parkerrsquos 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

General Pointers

7

Weather and Climate

The weather and climate in Cambridge is very different from the tropical climate back home ndash 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

General Pointers

8

Term Michaelmas Lent Easter

Weather A little rain throughout the term There may be hail

Some rain some hail and a few episodes of snow This can be as much as 10 inches as in Lent 2011 or as little as none at all

Sunshine Joy

Temperature 5-20 degC at the start of term becoming progressively colder before reaching 5-15 degC at the end of term

0-10 degC throughout most of the term sometimes dipping to -5 - -10degC during the night Around 5-15 degC at the end of term

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

Hours of sunshine

The sun will initially set around 7pm and progressively earlier until it sets around 4pm by the end of term (So if yoursquore biking bring your bike lights)

The sun sets around 3-4pm at the start of term and progressively later every day until it sets around 6pm by the end of term

The sun sets around 8pm at the start of term and progressively later until there are still traces of daylight around 10pm by the end of term

Disclaimer These are generalisations of the weather and are by no means an accurate forecast of what will be in store for you A more accurate gauge would be the BBC weather forecast (httpwwwbbccoukweather2653941)

General Pointers

9

British Summer Time

The UK will switch from British Summer Time (+0100 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 for the whole of lsquoFull Termrsquo not lsquoTermrsquo 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 ndash 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 201415 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 httpwwwcamacukabout-the-universityterm-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 ldquostudy breakrdquo) do remember to allocate some time to prepare for the Tripos Exams in MayJune

Pre-Departure Checklist

10

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 report As you will need to take your X-Ray with you in your hand luggage for your initial visa clearance at Heathrow you could try requesting for an A4 size X-Ray plate (or smaller) for easier handling ndash 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 ndash 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 Travellerrsquos Health and Vaccination Centre or most other clinics Different colleges will have different immunisation policies ndash 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

11

Checklist 2 Application for Entry Clearance aka Visa Please read the comprehensive document httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile303848T4_Guidance_06-04-14pdf 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)

20 Cecil Street

11-02 to 05 Equity Plaza

Singapore 049705

Tel 800 101 3230

Email infosingvfshelplinecom

(MALAYSIA)

Suite 1906 19 Floor

Wisma MCA

163 Jalan Ampang 50450

Kuala Lumpur

Telephone (03) 21649323

Email infoukmyvfshelplinecom

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 immigrationrsquos photograph guidance

Pre-Departure Checklist

12

4 A printout of your online application form signed and dated

5 A completed self-assessment form signed and dated (found here httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile261462vaf9-app81pdf)

6 Letter of unconditional acceptance from the UniversityCollegeSchool 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 UniversityCollegeSchool has included on your CAS

8 ATAS Clearance (applicable only to some See wwwfcogovukatas for more information)

9 Educational qualificationscertificates Each document must be an original (not a copy)

10 Evidence of funds (eg 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

ldquoYou 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

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

Pre-Departure Checklist

13

a letter from a financial institution confirming a loan dated no more than six months before the date of your applicationrdquo

If the bank account you are intending to use is held under your parentrsquos name additional documents are required

ldquoIf 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

You must also show that your parent(s) or legal guardian have given their permission for you to use this money To do this 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 UKrdquo

If your studies are sponsored you will need a letter from your sponsor following the guidelines stated by the UKBA website

ldquoIn 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 organisations official letter-headed paper or stationery and must bear the organisations official stamp It must show

your name

the official financial sponsors 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 costsrdquo

Pre-Departure Checklist

14

11 Application fee (S$68500 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 httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile320815documents-t4-genpdf Other reminders

Visa Application Submission ndash Monday to Friday 800 ndash 1400 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 1400 ndash 1600

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 For more information refer to httpwwwvfs-uk-sgcom httpwwwvfs-uk-mycom httpswwwgovuktier-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 wonrsquot be able to

submit your application without it

Pre-Departure Checklist

15

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 02-0708 391 New Bridge Road Singapore 088762 Telephone 64358275 64358277 Opening times 830am ndash 1230 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 non-

Singaporeans 4 Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the

certificate (in this case the universityCollege 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$5500 to be paid via NETS cash card or credit card 7 A full set of fingerprint impressions will be taken by the qualified

fingerprint officer at the CNCC office

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 6: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

About CUMSA

6

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 Our activities include formal halls bops the annual CUMSA Ball talks weekly sports among many others We also participate in events such 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 Fresherrsquos Tea and Camp in Singapore Also do join us at the CUMSA booth at the University Societiesrsquo Fair on 7th and 8th October 2014 held near Parkerrsquos 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

General Pointers

7

Weather and Climate

The weather and climate in Cambridge is very different from the tropical climate back home ndash 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

General Pointers

8

Term Michaelmas Lent Easter

Weather A little rain throughout the term There may be hail

Some rain some hail and a few episodes of snow This can be as much as 10 inches as in Lent 2011 or as little as none at all

Sunshine Joy

Temperature 5-20 degC at the start of term becoming progressively colder before reaching 5-15 degC at the end of term

0-10 degC throughout most of the term sometimes dipping to -5 - -10degC during the night Around 5-15 degC at the end of term

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

Hours of sunshine

The sun will initially set around 7pm and progressively earlier until it sets around 4pm by the end of term (So if yoursquore biking bring your bike lights)

The sun sets around 3-4pm at the start of term and progressively later every day until it sets around 6pm by the end of term

The sun sets around 8pm at the start of term and progressively later until there are still traces of daylight around 10pm by the end of term

Disclaimer These are generalisations of the weather and are by no means an accurate forecast of what will be in store for you A more accurate gauge would be the BBC weather forecast (httpwwwbbccoukweather2653941)

General Pointers

9

British Summer Time

The UK will switch from British Summer Time (+0100 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 for the whole of lsquoFull Termrsquo not lsquoTermrsquo 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 ndash 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 201415 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 httpwwwcamacukabout-the-universityterm-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 ldquostudy breakrdquo) do remember to allocate some time to prepare for the Tripos Exams in MayJune

Pre-Departure Checklist

10

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 report As you will need to take your X-Ray with you in your hand luggage for your initial visa clearance at Heathrow you could try requesting for an A4 size X-Ray plate (or smaller) for easier handling ndash 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 ndash 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 Travellerrsquos Health and Vaccination Centre or most other clinics Different colleges will have different immunisation policies ndash 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

11

Checklist 2 Application for Entry Clearance aka Visa Please read the comprehensive document httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile303848T4_Guidance_06-04-14pdf 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)

20 Cecil Street

11-02 to 05 Equity Plaza

Singapore 049705

Tel 800 101 3230

Email infosingvfshelplinecom

(MALAYSIA)

Suite 1906 19 Floor

Wisma MCA

163 Jalan Ampang 50450

Kuala Lumpur

Telephone (03) 21649323

Email infoukmyvfshelplinecom

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 immigrationrsquos photograph guidance

Pre-Departure Checklist

12

4 A printout of your online application form signed and dated

5 A completed self-assessment form signed and dated (found here httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile261462vaf9-app81pdf)

6 Letter of unconditional acceptance from the UniversityCollegeSchool 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 UniversityCollegeSchool has included on your CAS

8 ATAS Clearance (applicable only to some See wwwfcogovukatas for more information)

9 Educational qualificationscertificates Each document must be an original (not a copy)

10 Evidence of funds (eg 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

ldquoYou 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

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

Pre-Departure Checklist

13

a letter from a financial institution confirming a loan dated no more than six months before the date of your applicationrdquo

If the bank account you are intending to use is held under your parentrsquos name additional documents are required

ldquoIf 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

You must also show that your parent(s) or legal guardian have given their permission for you to use this money To do this 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 UKrdquo

If your studies are sponsored you will need a letter from your sponsor following the guidelines stated by the UKBA website

ldquoIn 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 organisations official letter-headed paper or stationery and must bear the organisations official stamp It must show

your name

the official financial sponsors 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 costsrdquo

Pre-Departure Checklist

14

11 Application fee (S$68500 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 httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile320815documents-t4-genpdf Other reminders

Visa Application Submission ndash Monday to Friday 800 ndash 1400 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 1400 ndash 1600

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 For more information refer to httpwwwvfs-uk-sgcom httpwwwvfs-uk-mycom httpswwwgovuktier-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 wonrsquot be able to

submit your application without it

Pre-Departure Checklist

15

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 02-0708 391 New Bridge Road Singapore 088762 Telephone 64358275 64358277 Opening times 830am ndash 1230 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 non-

Singaporeans 4 Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the

certificate (in this case the universityCollege 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$5500 to be paid via NETS cash card or credit card 7 A full set of fingerprint impressions will be taken by the qualified

fingerprint officer at the CNCC office

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 7: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

General Pointers

7

Weather and Climate

The weather and climate in Cambridge is very different from the tropical climate back home ndash 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

General Pointers

8

Term Michaelmas Lent Easter

Weather A little rain throughout the term There may be hail

Some rain some hail and a few episodes of snow This can be as much as 10 inches as in Lent 2011 or as little as none at all

Sunshine Joy

Temperature 5-20 degC at the start of term becoming progressively colder before reaching 5-15 degC at the end of term

0-10 degC throughout most of the term sometimes dipping to -5 - -10degC during the night Around 5-15 degC at the end of term

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

Hours of sunshine

The sun will initially set around 7pm and progressively earlier until it sets around 4pm by the end of term (So if yoursquore biking bring your bike lights)

The sun sets around 3-4pm at the start of term and progressively later every day until it sets around 6pm by the end of term

The sun sets around 8pm at the start of term and progressively later until there are still traces of daylight around 10pm by the end of term

Disclaimer These are generalisations of the weather and are by no means an accurate forecast of what will be in store for you A more accurate gauge would be the BBC weather forecast (httpwwwbbccoukweather2653941)

General Pointers

9

British Summer Time

The UK will switch from British Summer Time (+0100 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 for the whole of lsquoFull Termrsquo not lsquoTermrsquo 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 ndash 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 201415 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 httpwwwcamacukabout-the-universityterm-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 ldquostudy breakrdquo) do remember to allocate some time to prepare for the Tripos Exams in MayJune

Pre-Departure Checklist

10

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 report As you will need to take your X-Ray with you in your hand luggage for your initial visa clearance at Heathrow you could try requesting for an A4 size X-Ray plate (or smaller) for easier handling ndash 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 ndash 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 Travellerrsquos Health and Vaccination Centre or most other clinics Different colleges will have different immunisation policies ndash 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

11

Checklist 2 Application for Entry Clearance aka Visa Please read the comprehensive document httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile303848T4_Guidance_06-04-14pdf 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)

20 Cecil Street

11-02 to 05 Equity Plaza

Singapore 049705

Tel 800 101 3230

Email infosingvfshelplinecom

(MALAYSIA)

Suite 1906 19 Floor

Wisma MCA

163 Jalan Ampang 50450

Kuala Lumpur

Telephone (03) 21649323

Email infoukmyvfshelplinecom

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 immigrationrsquos photograph guidance

Pre-Departure Checklist

12

4 A printout of your online application form signed and dated

5 A completed self-assessment form signed and dated (found here httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile261462vaf9-app81pdf)

6 Letter of unconditional acceptance from the UniversityCollegeSchool 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 UniversityCollegeSchool has included on your CAS

8 ATAS Clearance (applicable only to some See wwwfcogovukatas for more information)

9 Educational qualificationscertificates Each document must be an original (not a copy)

10 Evidence of funds (eg 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

ldquoYou 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

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

Pre-Departure Checklist

13

a letter from a financial institution confirming a loan dated no more than six months before the date of your applicationrdquo

If the bank account you are intending to use is held under your parentrsquos name additional documents are required

ldquoIf 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

You must also show that your parent(s) or legal guardian have given their permission for you to use this money To do this 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 UKrdquo

If your studies are sponsored you will need a letter from your sponsor following the guidelines stated by the UKBA website

ldquoIn 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 organisations official letter-headed paper or stationery and must bear the organisations official stamp It must show

your name

the official financial sponsors 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 costsrdquo

Pre-Departure Checklist

14

11 Application fee (S$68500 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 httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile320815documents-t4-genpdf Other reminders

Visa Application Submission ndash Monday to Friday 800 ndash 1400 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 1400 ndash 1600

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 For more information refer to httpwwwvfs-uk-sgcom httpwwwvfs-uk-mycom httpswwwgovuktier-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 wonrsquot be able to

submit your application without it

Pre-Departure Checklist

15

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 02-0708 391 New Bridge Road Singapore 088762 Telephone 64358275 64358277 Opening times 830am ndash 1230 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 non-

Singaporeans 4 Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the

certificate (in this case the universityCollege 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$5500 to be paid via NETS cash card or credit card 7 A full set of fingerprint impressions will be taken by the qualified

fingerprint officer at the CNCC office

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 8: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

General Pointers

8

Term Michaelmas Lent Easter

Weather A little rain throughout the term There may be hail

Some rain some hail and a few episodes of snow This can be as much as 10 inches as in Lent 2011 or as little as none at all

Sunshine Joy

Temperature 5-20 degC at the start of term becoming progressively colder before reaching 5-15 degC at the end of term

0-10 degC throughout most of the term sometimes dipping to -5 - -10degC during the night Around 5-15 degC at the end of term

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

Hours of sunshine

The sun will initially set around 7pm and progressively earlier until it sets around 4pm by the end of term (So if yoursquore biking bring your bike lights)

The sun sets around 3-4pm at the start of term and progressively later every day until it sets around 6pm by the end of term

The sun sets around 8pm at the start of term and progressively later until there are still traces of daylight around 10pm by the end of term

Disclaimer These are generalisations of the weather and are by no means an accurate forecast of what will be in store for you A more accurate gauge would be the BBC weather forecast (httpwwwbbccoukweather2653941)

General Pointers

9

British Summer Time

The UK will switch from British Summer Time (+0100 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 for the whole of lsquoFull Termrsquo not lsquoTermrsquo 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 ndash 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 201415 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 httpwwwcamacukabout-the-universityterm-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 ldquostudy breakrdquo) do remember to allocate some time to prepare for the Tripos Exams in MayJune

Pre-Departure Checklist

10

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 report As you will need to take your X-Ray with you in your hand luggage for your initial visa clearance at Heathrow you could try requesting for an A4 size X-Ray plate (or smaller) for easier handling ndash 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 ndash 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 Travellerrsquos Health and Vaccination Centre or most other clinics Different colleges will have different immunisation policies ndash 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

11

Checklist 2 Application for Entry Clearance aka Visa Please read the comprehensive document httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile303848T4_Guidance_06-04-14pdf 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)

20 Cecil Street

11-02 to 05 Equity Plaza

Singapore 049705

Tel 800 101 3230

Email infosingvfshelplinecom

(MALAYSIA)

Suite 1906 19 Floor

Wisma MCA

163 Jalan Ampang 50450

Kuala Lumpur

Telephone (03) 21649323

Email infoukmyvfshelplinecom

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 immigrationrsquos photograph guidance

Pre-Departure Checklist

12

4 A printout of your online application form signed and dated

5 A completed self-assessment form signed and dated (found here httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile261462vaf9-app81pdf)

6 Letter of unconditional acceptance from the UniversityCollegeSchool 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 UniversityCollegeSchool has included on your CAS

8 ATAS Clearance (applicable only to some See wwwfcogovukatas for more information)

9 Educational qualificationscertificates Each document must be an original (not a copy)

10 Evidence of funds (eg 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

ldquoYou 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

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

Pre-Departure Checklist

13

a letter from a financial institution confirming a loan dated no more than six months before the date of your applicationrdquo

If the bank account you are intending to use is held under your parentrsquos name additional documents are required

ldquoIf 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

You must also show that your parent(s) or legal guardian have given their permission for you to use this money To do this 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 UKrdquo

If your studies are sponsored you will need a letter from your sponsor following the guidelines stated by the UKBA website

ldquoIn 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 organisations official letter-headed paper or stationery and must bear the organisations official stamp It must show

your name

the official financial sponsors 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 costsrdquo

Pre-Departure Checklist

14

11 Application fee (S$68500 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 httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile320815documents-t4-genpdf Other reminders

Visa Application Submission ndash Monday to Friday 800 ndash 1400 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 1400 ndash 1600

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 For more information refer to httpwwwvfs-uk-sgcom httpwwwvfs-uk-mycom httpswwwgovuktier-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 wonrsquot be able to

submit your application without it

Pre-Departure Checklist

15

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 02-0708 391 New Bridge Road Singapore 088762 Telephone 64358275 64358277 Opening times 830am ndash 1230 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 non-

Singaporeans 4 Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the

certificate (in this case the universityCollege 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$5500 to be paid via NETS cash card or credit card 7 A full set of fingerprint impressions will be taken by the qualified

fingerprint officer at the CNCC office

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 9: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

General Pointers

9

British Summer Time

The UK will switch from British Summer Time (+0100 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 for the whole of lsquoFull Termrsquo not lsquoTermrsquo 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 ndash 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 201415 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 httpwwwcamacukabout-the-universityterm-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 ldquostudy breakrdquo) do remember to allocate some time to prepare for the Tripos Exams in MayJune

Pre-Departure Checklist

10

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 report As you will need to take your X-Ray with you in your hand luggage for your initial visa clearance at Heathrow you could try requesting for an A4 size X-Ray plate (or smaller) for easier handling ndash 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 ndash 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 Travellerrsquos Health and Vaccination Centre or most other clinics Different colleges will have different immunisation policies ndash 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

11

Checklist 2 Application for Entry Clearance aka Visa Please read the comprehensive document httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile303848T4_Guidance_06-04-14pdf 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)

20 Cecil Street

11-02 to 05 Equity Plaza

Singapore 049705

Tel 800 101 3230

Email infosingvfshelplinecom

(MALAYSIA)

Suite 1906 19 Floor

Wisma MCA

163 Jalan Ampang 50450

Kuala Lumpur

Telephone (03) 21649323

Email infoukmyvfshelplinecom

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 immigrationrsquos photograph guidance

Pre-Departure Checklist

12

4 A printout of your online application form signed and dated

5 A completed self-assessment form signed and dated (found here httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile261462vaf9-app81pdf)

6 Letter of unconditional acceptance from the UniversityCollegeSchool 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 UniversityCollegeSchool has included on your CAS

8 ATAS Clearance (applicable only to some See wwwfcogovukatas for more information)

9 Educational qualificationscertificates Each document must be an original (not a copy)

10 Evidence of funds (eg 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

ldquoYou 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

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

Pre-Departure Checklist

13

a letter from a financial institution confirming a loan dated no more than six months before the date of your applicationrdquo

If the bank account you are intending to use is held under your parentrsquos name additional documents are required

ldquoIf 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

You must also show that your parent(s) or legal guardian have given their permission for you to use this money To do this 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 UKrdquo

If your studies are sponsored you will need a letter from your sponsor following the guidelines stated by the UKBA website

ldquoIn 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 organisations official letter-headed paper or stationery and must bear the organisations official stamp It must show

your name

the official financial sponsors 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 costsrdquo

Pre-Departure Checklist

14

11 Application fee (S$68500 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 httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile320815documents-t4-genpdf Other reminders

Visa Application Submission ndash Monday to Friday 800 ndash 1400 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 1400 ndash 1600

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 For more information refer to httpwwwvfs-uk-sgcom httpwwwvfs-uk-mycom httpswwwgovuktier-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 wonrsquot be able to

submit your application without it

Pre-Departure Checklist

15

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 02-0708 391 New Bridge Road Singapore 088762 Telephone 64358275 64358277 Opening times 830am ndash 1230 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 non-

Singaporeans 4 Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the

certificate (in this case the universityCollege 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$5500 to be paid via NETS cash card or credit card 7 A full set of fingerprint impressions will be taken by the qualified

fingerprint officer at the CNCC office

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 10: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Pre-Departure Checklist

10

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 report As you will need to take your X-Ray with you in your hand luggage for your initial visa clearance at Heathrow you could try requesting for an A4 size X-Ray plate (or smaller) for easier handling ndash 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 ndash 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 Travellerrsquos Health and Vaccination Centre or most other clinics Different colleges will have different immunisation policies ndash 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

11

Checklist 2 Application for Entry Clearance aka Visa Please read the comprehensive document httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile303848T4_Guidance_06-04-14pdf 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)

20 Cecil Street

11-02 to 05 Equity Plaza

Singapore 049705

Tel 800 101 3230

Email infosingvfshelplinecom

(MALAYSIA)

Suite 1906 19 Floor

Wisma MCA

163 Jalan Ampang 50450

Kuala Lumpur

Telephone (03) 21649323

Email infoukmyvfshelplinecom

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 immigrationrsquos photograph guidance

Pre-Departure Checklist

12

4 A printout of your online application form signed and dated

5 A completed self-assessment form signed and dated (found here httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile261462vaf9-app81pdf)

6 Letter of unconditional acceptance from the UniversityCollegeSchool 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 UniversityCollegeSchool has included on your CAS

8 ATAS Clearance (applicable only to some See wwwfcogovukatas for more information)

9 Educational qualificationscertificates Each document must be an original (not a copy)

10 Evidence of funds (eg 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

ldquoYou 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

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

Pre-Departure Checklist

13

a letter from a financial institution confirming a loan dated no more than six months before the date of your applicationrdquo

If the bank account you are intending to use is held under your parentrsquos name additional documents are required

ldquoIf 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

You must also show that your parent(s) or legal guardian have given their permission for you to use this money To do this 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 UKrdquo

If your studies are sponsored you will need a letter from your sponsor following the guidelines stated by the UKBA website

ldquoIn 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 organisations official letter-headed paper or stationery and must bear the organisations official stamp It must show

your name

the official financial sponsors 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 costsrdquo

Pre-Departure Checklist

14

11 Application fee (S$68500 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 httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile320815documents-t4-genpdf Other reminders

Visa Application Submission ndash Monday to Friday 800 ndash 1400 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 1400 ndash 1600

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 For more information refer to httpwwwvfs-uk-sgcom httpwwwvfs-uk-mycom httpswwwgovuktier-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 wonrsquot be able to

submit your application without it

Pre-Departure Checklist

15

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 02-0708 391 New Bridge Road Singapore 088762 Telephone 64358275 64358277 Opening times 830am ndash 1230 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 non-

Singaporeans 4 Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the

certificate (in this case the universityCollege 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$5500 to be paid via NETS cash card or credit card 7 A full set of fingerprint impressions will be taken by the qualified

fingerprint officer at the CNCC office

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 11: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Pre-Departure Checklist

11

Checklist 2 Application for Entry Clearance aka Visa Please read the comprehensive document httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile303848T4_Guidance_06-04-14pdf 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)

20 Cecil Street

11-02 to 05 Equity Plaza

Singapore 049705

Tel 800 101 3230

Email infosingvfshelplinecom

(MALAYSIA)

Suite 1906 19 Floor

Wisma MCA

163 Jalan Ampang 50450

Kuala Lumpur

Telephone (03) 21649323

Email infoukmyvfshelplinecom

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 immigrationrsquos photograph guidance

Pre-Departure Checklist

12

4 A printout of your online application form signed and dated

5 A completed self-assessment form signed and dated (found here httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile261462vaf9-app81pdf)

6 Letter of unconditional acceptance from the UniversityCollegeSchool 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 UniversityCollegeSchool has included on your CAS

8 ATAS Clearance (applicable only to some See wwwfcogovukatas for more information)

9 Educational qualificationscertificates Each document must be an original (not a copy)

10 Evidence of funds (eg 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

ldquoYou 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

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

Pre-Departure Checklist

13

a letter from a financial institution confirming a loan dated no more than six months before the date of your applicationrdquo

If the bank account you are intending to use is held under your parentrsquos name additional documents are required

ldquoIf 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

You must also show that your parent(s) or legal guardian have given their permission for you to use this money To do this 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 UKrdquo

If your studies are sponsored you will need a letter from your sponsor following the guidelines stated by the UKBA website

ldquoIn 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 organisations official letter-headed paper or stationery and must bear the organisations official stamp It must show

your name

the official financial sponsors 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 costsrdquo

Pre-Departure Checklist

14

11 Application fee (S$68500 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 httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile320815documents-t4-genpdf Other reminders

Visa Application Submission ndash Monday to Friday 800 ndash 1400 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 1400 ndash 1600

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 For more information refer to httpwwwvfs-uk-sgcom httpwwwvfs-uk-mycom httpswwwgovuktier-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 wonrsquot be able to

submit your application without it

Pre-Departure Checklist

15

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 02-0708 391 New Bridge Road Singapore 088762 Telephone 64358275 64358277 Opening times 830am ndash 1230 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 non-

Singaporeans 4 Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the

certificate (in this case the universityCollege 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$5500 to be paid via NETS cash card or credit card 7 A full set of fingerprint impressions will be taken by the qualified

fingerprint officer at the CNCC office

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 12: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Pre-Departure Checklist

12

4 A printout of your online application form signed and dated

5 A completed self-assessment form signed and dated (found here httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile261462vaf9-app81pdf)

6 Letter of unconditional acceptance from the UniversityCollegeSchool 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 UniversityCollegeSchool has included on your CAS

8 ATAS Clearance (applicable only to some See wwwfcogovukatas for more information)

9 Educational qualificationscertificates Each document must be an original (not a copy)

10 Evidence of funds (eg 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

ldquoYou 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

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

Pre-Departure Checklist

13

a letter from a financial institution confirming a loan dated no more than six months before the date of your applicationrdquo

If the bank account you are intending to use is held under your parentrsquos name additional documents are required

ldquoIf 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

You must also show that your parent(s) or legal guardian have given their permission for you to use this money To do this 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 UKrdquo

If your studies are sponsored you will need a letter from your sponsor following the guidelines stated by the UKBA website

ldquoIn 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 organisations official letter-headed paper or stationery and must bear the organisations official stamp It must show

your name

the official financial sponsors 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 costsrdquo

Pre-Departure Checklist

14

11 Application fee (S$68500 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 httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile320815documents-t4-genpdf Other reminders

Visa Application Submission ndash Monday to Friday 800 ndash 1400 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 1400 ndash 1600

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 For more information refer to httpwwwvfs-uk-sgcom httpwwwvfs-uk-mycom httpswwwgovuktier-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 wonrsquot be able to

submit your application without it

Pre-Departure Checklist

15

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 02-0708 391 New Bridge Road Singapore 088762 Telephone 64358275 64358277 Opening times 830am ndash 1230 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 non-

Singaporeans 4 Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the

certificate (in this case the universityCollege 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$5500 to be paid via NETS cash card or credit card 7 A full set of fingerprint impressions will be taken by the qualified

fingerprint officer at the CNCC office

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 13: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Pre-Departure Checklist

13

a letter from a financial institution confirming a loan dated no more than six months before the date of your applicationrdquo

If the bank account you are intending to use is held under your parentrsquos name additional documents are required

ldquoIf 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

You must also show that your parent(s) or legal guardian have given their permission for you to use this money To do this 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 UKrdquo

If your studies are sponsored you will need a letter from your sponsor following the guidelines stated by the UKBA website

ldquoIn 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 organisations official letter-headed paper or stationery and must bear the organisations official stamp It must show

your name

the official financial sponsors 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 costsrdquo

Pre-Departure Checklist

14

11 Application fee (S$68500 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 httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile320815documents-t4-genpdf Other reminders

Visa Application Submission ndash Monday to Friday 800 ndash 1400 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 1400 ndash 1600

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 For more information refer to httpwwwvfs-uk-sgcom httpwwwvfs-uk-mycom httpswwwgovuktier-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 wonrsquot be able to

submit your application without it

Pre-Departure Checklist

15

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 02-0708 391 New Bridge Road Singapore 088762 Telephone 64358275 64358277 Opening times 830am ndash 1230 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 non-

Singaporeans 4 Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the

certificate (in this case the universityCollege 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$5500 to be paid via NETS cash card or credit card 7 A full set of fingerprint impressions will be taken by the qualified

fingerprint officer at the CNCC office

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 14: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Pre-Departure Checklist

14

11 Application fee (S$68500 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 httpswwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile320815documents-t4-genpdf Other reminders

Visa Application Submission ndash Monday to Friday 800 ndash 1400 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 1400 ndash 1600

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 For more information refer to httpwwwvfs-uk-sgcom httpwwwvfs-uk-mycom httpswwwgovuktier-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 wonrsquot be able to

submit your application without it

Pre-Departure Checklist

15

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 02-0708 391 New Bridge Road Singapore 088762 Telephone 64358275 64358277 Opening times 830am ndash 1230 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 non-

Singaporeans 4 Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the

certificate (in this case the universityCollege 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$5500 to be paid via NETS cash card or credit card 7 A full set of fingerprint impressions will be taken by the qualified

fingerprint officer at the CNCC office

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 15: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Pre-Departure Checklist

15

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 02-0708 391 New Bridge Road Singapore 088762 Telephone 64358275 64358277 Opening times 830am ndash 1230 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 non-

Singaporeans 4 Documentary proof from the immigration authority requiring the

certificate (in this case the universityCollege 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$5500 to be paid via NETS cash card or credit card 7 A full set of fingerprint impressions will be taken by the qualified

fingerprint officer at the CNCC office

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 16: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Pre-Departure Checklist

16

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 For more information refer to httpwwwspfgovsgepccert_issuedhtm The form is available at the office or can be downloaded here httpwwwspfgovsgfaqsdoccoc_appformpdf

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 within the baggage allowance You may manage to check-in more than your allowance without incurring excess baggage charges and for this checking in your baggage early is recommended Another tip is to tell them yoursquore 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 (httpwwwspeedpostcomsg) or DHL (~$230+ for a 20kg box) (httpwwwdhlcomsg) Do check ask your College for your address in

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 17: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Pre-Departure Checklist

17

Cambridge and find out from them if theyrsquoll be accepting 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 ndash include the space) Cambridge England United Kingdom

Checklist 5 What should I be packing Or not ISICNUS cards

The International Studentsrsquo Identity Card (ISIC) is sometimes useful because itrsquos a widely accepted student ID Itrsquos not really recognised in Cambridge but accepted throughout London and many parts of Europe if yoursquore 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 httpwwwisicorg for more details including what documents yoursquoll need to apply for one It costs $25 if you apply in Singapore and pound12 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 Yoursquoll find a far greater selection of rice cookers in Singapore than in the UK but consider the luggage space

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 18: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Pre-Departure Checklist

18

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 mid-January (start of Lent term) though many items would have been sold by then If yoursquore back home instead during December stores like Zara Mango and UNIQLO in SingaporeMalaysia 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 skirttrousers complemented by court shoes for matriculation Do note however that this differs between colleges ndash some matriculations only require a semi-formalsmart dress with the college gown (donrsquot worry about the gown as yoursquoll be sold one during freshers week) If yoursquod 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 black-tie Other semi-formal dresses can be worn for formal halls

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 19: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Pre-Departure Checklist

19

Men should bring a dark suit with tie and dress shoes for formal occasions ndash an absolute ldquomust-bringrdquo 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 theyrsquore 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 (eg university-level 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 yoursquod rather buy your books at home you may want to consider shipping your books over ndash but do note that surface mail usually takes about four to six weeks to arrive so yoursquoll have to send your box at least a month before departure (Alternatively you could try begging a senior with extra luggage spacehellip)

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 20: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Pre-Departure Checklist

20

Stationery Most stationery is considerably more expensive in the UK ndash a Pilot G-TEC pen for example can cost around pound250 Useful items to bring along would be mechanical pencils with refills correction fluidtape 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 arenrsquot) 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 ndash check out the following websites for an idea of what is available Boots httpwwwbootscouk Sainsburyrsquos httpwwwsainsburyscouk Tesco httpwwwtescocouk Superdrug wwwsuperdrugcom 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 lipsskin 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 21: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Pre-Departure Checklist

21

premixes sauces and many other things Even Tesco sells Yeorsquos Bee Hoon And if you canrsquot find it in Cambridge therersquos always Chinatown in Leicester Square London

Gadgetselectronics 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 are unsure if that gadget you have your eye on is available in the UK or are debating if it is worth buying here and bringing it over check out httpwwwargoscouk 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

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 22: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Pre-Departure Checklist

22

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 autumnwinter 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 ndash 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 Driversrsquo 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 anywayhellip

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 23: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Pre-Departure Checklist

23

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 living for a week or two without a bank account (banks in the UK can take about 3 weeks or more to give you a fully functioning bank account ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash these are HSBC Advance (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbc-advancehsbc-advance) and HSBC Premier (httpwwwhsbccomsg12hsbcpremier) In Singapore the only HSBC branch that allows you to set up a bank account in the UK is at Claymore Premier Centre Herersquos 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 httpwwwcamacuk - Cambridge Universityrsquos official website 2 httpwwwcumsaorg - CUMSArsquos website 3 httpwwwinternationalcusucamacuk - iCUSUrsquos website 4 httpwwwcolccouk - A very comprehensive site which gives you

a good introduction to Cambridge 5 httpwwwthestudentroomcouk - A UK studentsrsquo forum with a

Cambridge sub-forum where you can ask questions and interact with other Cambridge students

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 24: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Arriving in Cambridge

24

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 the same flight as you are It is definitely less daunting to find the Central Bus Station in Heathrow and getting 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

Yoursquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 25: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Arriving in Cambridge

25

Health Check-up At the sides of the immigration section there are health clinics where you can go for your check-up ndash if you havenrsquot taken the necessary immunisation jabs or chest X-Ray you can take them here However this is troublesome and tiring and itrsquos easier to just have had your chest X-Ray and 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 itrsquos worth the money Make sure that yoursquore alighting at Parkside along Parkersrsquo Piece (Just select Cambridge as the destination) A one-way ticket will cost you below pound30 Alternatively purchase the tickets online at nationalexpresscom choosing the journey from ldquoHeathrow T1 and T3rdquo to CAMBRIDGE Locate the bus bay from which the coach to Cambridge is departing Coach drivers may help you with your luggage ndash 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

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 26: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Arriving in Cambridge

26

By Tube and coach Possibly the cheapest way of getting to Cambridge particularly if you manage to purchase a fun-fare ticket from London Victoria (central) to Cambridge Normal tickets cost below pound12 one-way However this route is 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 ndash itrsquos about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station The National Express London-Cambridge coach services leave every hour ndash check httpwwwnationalexpresscom for exact prices and confirmed 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 Kingrsquos Cross station to Cambridge It is easiest to get to these stations by the Underground from Heathrow Buy a ticket for about pound2120 one-way before boarding and be on the train 10 minutes before boarding time Check out httpwwwnationalrailcouk 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

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 27: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Arriving in Cambridge

27

Arrival in Cambridge

If you arrive at Parkside by National Express you will be on the East side of Parkerrsquos Piece opposite the fire station (refer to red dot on map) If you are heading for nearby colleges like Emmanuel Hughes Hall Christrsquos 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 yoursquore 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

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 28: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Arriving in Cambridge

28

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 (ldquoCambridge Rail Stationrdquo or ldquoCambridge Parkside Parkerrsquos Piecerdquo) and where you will be going (eg ldquoFitzwilliam College Storeyrsquos Way entrance)

Finding your college It may be difficult to navigate around Cambridge to find your college ndash so do arrange to be met by seniors if possible possibly by getting in touch with them when you know what time your bustrain will arrive in Cambridge If you donrsquot 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 collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge (Main entrance)

College administration Upon arriving at your college proceed to the Portersrsquo Lodge to register yourself and collect your keys (Despite what their job title implies the porters ndash refer to Glossary ndash 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 camacuk account Your username will be your initials followed by a number eg abc12 and your email will then be abc12camacuk 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 Theyrsquoll 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)

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 29: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Arriving in Cambridge

29

Your collegersquos JCR (Junior Combination Room ndash refer to Glossary) will have organised many freshersrsquo activities ndash 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS Yoursquoll 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 yoursquoll be covered under the NHS with dentists If you havenrsquot already had your meningitis vaccination you can make an appointment with your GP clinic to get your vaccination ndash 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 yoursquoll 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 pound650 to fill at a pharmacy And lastly do remember to keep the NHS letter which tells you that yoursquore qualified for NHS

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 30: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Getting Settled in Cambridge

30

Things to buy Gowns Yoursquoll 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 pound40-50 from shops such as Ryder amp Amies Ede amp Ravenscroft and AE Clothier or from your collegersquos Portersrsquo Lodge Alternatively you can buy one second hand from seniors (make sure itrsquos the correct college) or from the Portersrsquo Lodge Itrsquos not a bad investment given that most colleges will require this for matriculation and formal halls

Home improvement items Most items that yoursquoll need can be obtained from Argos at Fitzroy Street (near Grafton Centre ndash refer to map) Check out httpwwwargoscouk for an idea of what is available Alternatively some items will be available around the city centre in places such as Boots and Sainsburyrsquos Also although the nearest Tesco is some distance away (along Newmarket Road) itrsquos 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 ndash 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 Sainsburyrsquos as well

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 31: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Getting Settled in Cambridge

31

If yoursquore intending to cook frequently over the long run we recommend investing in reasonable quality cookware ldquoArgos valuerdquo 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 ndash check with your college or a college senior If your college doesnrsquot make sure that you buy a duvet to get you through the winter months Donrsquot 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 ndash check with your college college parent You can get bed sheets amp pillow cases at really low prices in Primark at Grafton

Room insurance Some colleges provide room insurance however if they donrsquot it can be easily obtained from Endsleigh Insurance (St Maryrsquos Street ndash 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 pound100 and a second hand one for half the price Some bike shops nearer the city centre Halfords ndash 1 Bridge St 01223 350808 Ben Hayward Cycles ndash 69 Trumpington St 01223 352294 Cambridge Cycle Centre ndash 8 Botolph Lane 01223 307114

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 32: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Getting Settled in Cambridge

32

Some bike shops further away from the city centre (but which may have cheaper bikes) Mikersquos Bikes ndash 26-28 Mill Rd 01223 312591 Cambridge Station Cycles ndash Station Building Station Rd 01223 307125 Cycle King - 195-197 Mill Rd 01223 214999 If yoursquore 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 amp back lights If yoursquore getting a bike lock in Cambridge do ask the shop owner to grease it to prevent the lock from rusting

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 33: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Getting Settled in Cambridge

33

Money matters Yoursquoll probably need to bring about pound500 in cash or travellersrsquo cheques with you when you come to Cambridge as it can take as long as three weeks or more for your bank to organise your new bank account unless yoursquove already set up a bank account from home Yoursquoll need to have enough money to cover your meals your gown freshersrsquo 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 ndash check with your collegersquos 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 (eg if it has a lsquoCirrusrsquo logo) ndash 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 travellersrsquo cheques with a commission of 2-3 unless the travellersrsquo cheques are HSBC ones in which case there is no commission Alternatively instead of cashing travellersrsquo 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 ndash especially as cheques and debit cards are common forms of payment in the UK (Note that if you have a Maestro card yoursquoll 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 sums of money) yoursquoll usually need to bring your passport and unconditional offer letter from your college You may also be required to bring a letter

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 34: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Getting Settled in Cambridge

34

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 yoursquoll need with the bank yoursquore 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 yoursquoll be able to withdraw money from an ATM other than your bankrsquos without incurring any surcharges As an overseas student you are entitled to tax-free interest on your accounts ndash obtain the relevant declaration forms from any bank Banks are usually open until 5pm on weekdays and 1pm on Saturdays They donrsquot open on Sundays but cash machines can still be used to withdraw 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 ndash32 Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3NU Natwest ndash 37 Fitzroy St Cambridge CB1 1EU56 St Andrewrsquos St Cambridge CB2 2DA Barclays ndash Market Square Lloyds ndashSidney Street (main branch) or Regent Street or Mill Road

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 35: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Getting Settled in Cambridge

35

Staying in touch With home High commissions As soon as you can register yourself with your respective High Commissions Malaysia Studentsrsquo Department 45-46 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8QT OR Singapore High Commission (Studentsrsquo Section) 9 Wilton Crescent Belgravia London SW1X 8SP (Alternatively log on to the MFA website at httpwwwmfagovsg 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 yoursquore 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 ndash there are quite a few of them in the area Alternatively some Colleges have a mail service in the Portersrsquo 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 itrsquos usually about a week either way Each of you will be assigned a pigeonhole in your college into which your mail is put ndash parcels and registered mail are usually kept at the Portersrsquo Lodge and the porters will tell you to collect them Useful websites httpwwwroyalmailcom httpwwwsingpostcomsg

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 36: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Getting Settled in Cambridge

36

Phone cards etc Itrsquos cheaper to call home using the international calling cards here in the UK They usually come in denominations of pound5 pound10 pound20 or pound50 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 ndash 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 37: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Getting Settled in Cambridge

37

2) Reception ndash some networks have better reception than others Vodafone tends to have good reception even in Sainsburyrsquos and on the hill while giffgaff has pretty shaky reception in some parts of Cambridge 3) Roaming ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash httpwwwo2couk Giffgaff - httpgiffgaffcom EE - httpeecouk Virgin mobile ndash httpwwwvirginmobilecom Vodafone ndash httpwwwvodafonecouk Three ndash httpwwwthreecouk Mobileworld ndash httpwwwmobileworldcouk Lyca Mobile - httpwwwlycamobilecoukhomeen Handsets usually come free or at a discounted price but the catch is that yoursquoll 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 itrsquos 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 38: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Getting Settled in Cambridge

38

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 yoursquore 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 0845hellip number of your landline is the same as a mobile phone call Ask your college if there is an alternative line to call ndash there is usually a 01223hellip 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 datetime Indicate the name of the recipient the college and ldquoCUSU-MSrdquo on the envelope to indicate that yoursquore 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 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)

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 39: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Getting Settled in Cambridge

39

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 yoursquod expect (main roads such as St Andrewrsquos and Downing Streets often are one or two lane roads) Google Maps (httpmapsgooglecouk) is your friend here ndash itrsquos 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 ndash print it out from httpwwwcamacukmap obtain one from tourist information or purchase the official university map from the Cambridge University Press bookshop near Great St Maryrsquos Church Or just remember to pick up a free map during freshersrsquo week Meanwhile herersquos a short guide to navigating around the city centre 20122013rsquos 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 httpbitlyJJxYke 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

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 40: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Getting Settled in Cambridge

40

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 yoursquore 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 ndash httpwwwcamcycleorguk 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 Addenbrookersquos the train station or Tescorsquos at Newmarket Road much easier If there is a copy of a bus map available at Freshersrsquo Fair be sure to pick up one The City1 bus costs around pound115 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 pound370 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 httpwwwstagecoachbuscom httpwwwstagecoachbuscomcambridgetimetablesphp

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 41: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Getting Settled in Cambridge

41

Within the UK Coachbus Two coachbus 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 Personsrsquo Coach Card will allow you to get significant discounts on National Express fares For more details httpwwwnationalexpresscom httpwwwmegabuscouk Train Taking a train is usually the quickest means of getting to your destination ndash 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 itrsquos also almost always more expensive to take a train than to take a coachbus A Young Personsrsquo 16-25 Railcard will however allow you to get a significant third off your train fares Note that you can get trains to London Kingrsquos 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 httpwwwnationalrailcouk for more details on train services

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 42: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Getting Settled in Cambridge

42

Various cards University Card ndash your college would probably have asked you to send them a photograph This photo is for the University Card possibly one of the most useful cards around ndash it identifies you as a student of Cambridge University (allowing you free entrance into places such as Kingrsquos 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 yoursquore from in identifying some College-specific benefits For example Scudamorersquos Punting Company has different discounts for different Colleges depending on the agreement between the College and the company College swipe card ndash 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 NUSCUSU card ndash This is optional and serves mainly to identify you as a student and to obtain discounts Nectar card ndash This can be used at Sainsburyrsquos and various other shops Itrsquos free and yoursquoll definitely be visiting Sainsrsquo 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 yoursquove reached the qualifying mark Boots Advantage card ndash 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 ndash 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 ndash You will qualify for the Young Personsrsquo Railcard It saves you 13 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 ndash just pound15 for a lifetime Where is there a better bargain See the membership privileges at the back of the booklet

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 43: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Life in Cambridge

43

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 ndash look out for the information Most timetables are available on your department websites or speak to a senior if yoursquod like to find out what your schedule will be like once term starts Lectures are (usually) very important so do attend them Although some seniors may say otherwisehellip Some people find them useful while others donrsquot 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 yoursquoll 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 any questions or problems that you may have and allows you to explore any particular area of study that you wish to find out more about 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

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 44: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Life in Cambridge

44

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 Freshersrsquo Squash Oxbridge Games Speakersrsquo 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)

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 45: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Life in Cambridge

45

College activities in Cambridge Do make it a point to take part in the various freshers events organised especially for you by your collegersquos JCR in freshersrsquo week These events are a great opportunity for you to mix and mingle with other freshers from your college helping you to make friends and settle down with greater ease Each college also has many activities throughout the year and there are college societies to fulfil almost every need (if not therersquos always the university societies) Do join them just to have fun ndash and you donrsquot 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 ndash acapella groups music society badminton hockey netball rugby rowing and many more

University activities in Cambridge If there are any activities you canrsquot find in your college yoursquoll usually find them in the university societies With a vast list of societies yoursquoll almost always find something that deals with your interests from tennis to lace-making Do go for the CUSU Freshersrsquo Societiesrsquo Fair at Parkerrsquos Piece on 7th and 8th October 2014 before the start of term and sign up for any societies that may seem interesting to you ndash you can always back out from them later on though you may find your email being flooded with notices from clubs you donrsquot remember signing up for If that doesnrsquot 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 ndash note pads thumb drives mugs pizza and more The Cambridge University Societiesrsquo Fair is one of the largest in the country ndash 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 httpwwwcusucamacuksocietiesdirectory for a list of University societies

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 46: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Glossary of useful terms

46

ldquoAre you all rightrdquo

The British equivalent of the cheery lsquojia ba bueyrsquo (lsquohave you eatenrsquo in hokkien) or the snazzy American lsquowhassuprsquo You donrsquot have to be visibly distressed for someone to ask you this ndash itrsquos just their way of saying hello You could just say ldquoIrsquom good thanks howrsquore yourdquo and keep walking (while theyrsquoll probably return with a ldquoIrsquom goodrdquo These are just pleasantries so donrsquot feel like you should explain how you are in fact ldquoalrightrdquo or not

Backs The back of colleges along the river (including Kingrsquos College) with superb views of the River Cam Especially beautiful when flowers blossom in summer Ideal for picnics

Bedder 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 heshe is a force to be reckoned with They can be your friends

Bicycle The most common mode of transport in Cambridge Ask a senior where they got their bikes and theyrsquoll often be happy to advice you on where to go for the best deal

Blue Sporting award for people who play in University (Varsity) matches against Oxford

Bop After-party usually with loud music dancing drinks and a crowded warm room Cambridge University slang

Boatie Bow-tee Person whose waking hours revolve around boats rowing andhellip more rowing Known for waking up at insane hours to train Conversationally topic-limited to you guessed it rowing

Bumps 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

Buttery See Hall

Cam-___ Many university resources are pre-fixed with a ldquoCam-ldquo Eg CamTools (teaching material) CamCORS

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 47: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Glossary of useful terms

47

(supervision reports) CamSIS (exam results) Needs a Raven password for access

Cheers They donrsquot just use this to sign off letters lsquoCheersrsquo is an expression of appreciation ndash the British substitute for the polite lsquothanksrsquo

Cho Mee Singaporean-owned chinese supermarket The place to go for oyster sauce chilli Yeorsquos chrysanthemum tea etc 108ndash110 Mill Road CB1 2BD (many other Asian supermarkets along Mill Road)

Compsci Kowm-skee Computer Science student Connotations social life depends on email

Cook-out 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 kitchenhellip

Courts Manicured grass patch(es) in college Not to be trampled on by students At least donrsquot get caught To be caught is to risk the wrath of the porters

DoS Director of Studies A fellow from your college who is responsible for overseeing your academic progress You will usually have a meeting with himher 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

Doss Confusingly the British also use the term lsquodossrsquo colloquially A lsquodossrsquo subject is one that doesnrsquot require very much effort and is hardly intellectually rigorous To doss around means to faff around (See below ndash lsquoFaffrsquo) Funny how your DoS is the last person who will want you dossing around though

Faff [Verb] If someone tells you to stop faffing around they want you to stop clowning around [Noun] An unnecessary over-complicated or troublesome task especially one perceived as a waste of time ldquoI hate doing the dishes every night itrsquos such a faffrdquo

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 48: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Glossary of useful terms

48

Fellows 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)

Formal Hall Dressed up dinner with good food and wine (usually) held in Hall sometimes requiring gowns (although highly variable ndash some colleges only require college members to wear gowns)

Freshersrsquo Week 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

Full Term The length of time for each term for which you have to be resident in Cambridge for ndash you need to spend a minimum number of nights in Cambridge each term to ldquokeep termrdquo

Gyp Room Kitchen Sometimes with odd rules like ldquono cooking after 10pmrdquo and ldquono fryingrdquo

Hall Dining hall Place where food is served at meal times Also known as buttery in some colleges

Hermes Email server used in Cambridge giving you a camacuk address Requires a separate password (not your Raven password) for access

Hobs Stoves Unfortunately some gyp rooms donrsquot have hobshellip

JCR Junior CommonCombination Room 1 Undergraduate section of the college studentsrsquo union 2 Student leisure area where you and your friends can watch footballrugby matches or lounge in armchairsbean-bags

KFC 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

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 49: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Glossary of useful terms

49

Knackered As in ldquocompletely knackeredrdquo meaning very tired

MasterMistress 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 Masterrsquos Lodge which is often beautifully decorated and one of the nicest parts of college

Mathmo Math-mow Mathematics student Connotations slightly weird

May Ball June Event

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 pound80 (June Event) to pound100-250 (May Ball) Also some colleges host Spring Balls and Winter Balls in Lent and Michaelmas respectively

May Week 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

MCR Middle CommonCombination room Graduate equivalent of JCR

Medic Doctors-to-be or medicine students

NatSci Nat-skee Natural science students Sometimes used to conjure up image of stereotypical nerd

Parkerrsquos Piece 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 yoursquore taking National Express)

Pissed Drunk The American version of which we are used to mdashangry mdash is not used So when you say you are pissedhellip

Plodge Porterrsquos Lodge where you can find a Porter 247 in every single college

Porter One of the many peculiar Cambridge institutions Donrsquot 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

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 50: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Glossary of useful terms

50

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 confused

Punts Long boats unique to Oxbridge manned by poles Can be rented out by students for a spin on the River Cam for under pound20hour Remember to present your student card

Raven 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

Sainsburyrsquos Also known as Sains The place to go if you are running low on groceries Also the place to go if you want to see familiar faces Where Singaporeans congregate

Senate House 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

Senior Tutor Holds overall responsibility for student welfare in the college Usually a stern-looking elderly person who speaks to you during Freshersrsquo week about behaving yourself

Sent Down Expelled from college rusticated ndash returned to the country

Go Down To leave Cambridge (According to the archaic statutes this is allowed only after 8 weeks of full-term)

Supervisor A teacher Someone holding a doctorate or a PhD student overseeing your work in a particular subject Usually very nice and helpful unless you havenrsquot done your workhellip

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

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 51: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Glossary of useful terms

51

Time Half-ten = 1030 five-to-ten = 955 Always with reference to the hour so ldquotwenty pastrdquo would be twenty minutes past whichever hour it is

Tripos Try-poss otherwise appropriately named as lsquotry passrsquo The exam system Cambridge students try to pass it each year Some say itrsquos the hardest exam yoursquoll ever have to take The name derives from the archaic practice involving the presentation of a leg of a lsquothree-legged stoolrsquo in each yearrsquos exam Not done anymore

Trousers Not Pants Pants = underwear You do not want to tell your college mate ldquoHey yoursquove got a nice pair of pants onrdquo Remember that itrsquos trousers and say trousers

Tutor A fellow from your college ndash 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 yoursquore coping with everything what you do outside of your academics and if you have any other concerns or worries Your first port-of-call for any non-academic concerns

Wicked Not lsquovindictiversquo but lsquocoolrsquo Practise saying lsquothat CUMSA bop was wickedrsquo with gleehellip

xx People sign off with lsquoxxrsquo ndash it means lsquokiss-kissrsquo and used to express affection or just a way of signing off And it is not just the girls who do this eg Dear Rob Seeya at quarter-past-seven (aka 715) Emma xx

xoxo You guessed it hugs and kisses

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 52: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Glossary of useful terms

52

Last remindershellip 1 Dates you might want to notehellip

12 July UK Pre Departure Talk SP Convention Centre

3 August Freshers Tea

29-31 August Fresherrsquos Camp

7 October Start of Cambridge Term

2 Things you might want to do (if you have yet to) Register your personal details on the CUMSA website

(httpcumsaorg) under the Freshersrsquo registration

Join the CUMSA Freshers Facebook group (Cambridge University Singaporean and Malaysian Freshers 201415 - httpswwwfacebookcomgroupscumsa2014)

Sign up to be a UKSSC member at httpeepurlcomJRzB1

If you have any other questions please do drop an email to Baifeng (presidentcumsaorg) or Anira (welfarecumsaorg)

Privileges for joining CUMSAhellip As a CUMSA member you will receive a membership card that entitles you to discounts at some of Cambridgersquos 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 Johnrsquos College) Burleigh Street Branch 21 Burleigh St Cambridge CB1 1DG (Near Grafton)

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 53: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

Glossary of useful terms

53

Seven Days 5 discount for CUMSA members Valid only on agrave 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 agrave 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

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg

Page 54: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION ...cumsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Freshers-handbook-2014-v5… · The Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association

54

This CUMSA Freshersrsquo Guide was created in 2014 and is based on and expands upon the CUMSA Freshersrsquo 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 welfarecumsaorg