Information for Freshers

Arrival information | Freshers' Week 2009 | Further information

This page provides arrival and first week information for new graduate students. Our main source of information on settling in is the Freshers' Guide, which we regularly update. Below you'll find advice on travelling to Cambridge, what to do in your first week at Sidney, and how to seek answers to any queries you may have.

Arrival information

What to bring | How to get here | When to arrive | Get in touch

What to Bring

• Clothing: Compared to the UK average, Cambridge is cold in winter and hot in summer; statistically it is apparently dry, but that doesn't seem to prevent it from raining frequently. You can wear whatever you like most of the time (graduate students typically dress informally, and no-one wears academic dress to lectures or exams), but you should also bring some formal clothing for matriculation, graduation and formal dinners: see dress codes. You will also need a gown for some formal occasions, including in your first week (more details below).
• Towels and bedding: Towels are no longer provided in college accommodation, and you should bring your own bed linen. In college rooms, a duvet and pillows will be provided.
• Kitchenware: There is no guarantee that there will be any pots, pans, crockery or cutlery in college accommodation, although there is often some from fellow students (or left by previous occupants). It is not difficult to buy this fairly cheaply in Cambridge, though, so if you travelling far you might prefer not to bring any. If you live in/near college, you might also want to eat in Hall, especially as kitchens in college accommodation (particularly on the main site) are often small: see food.
• Furniture: If you are living in college accommodation, you will have at least a bed, desk, chair, lamp and somewhere to store clothes etc., although provision varies between rooms. Do not bring furniture or white goods with you, as you may find there is nowhere to put it!

Travel: How to Get Here

If you are flying, the best airport to choose is Stansted (STN) if you have the choice: there are frequent, quick and affordable direct coach and train services to Cambridge. Failing that, the other 'London' airports Luton, Heathrow and Gatwick (in order of distance) are the usual alternatives. See directions from the airports to compare prices and travel times by coach and train from each airport.

If you are choosing between coach and train, you may prefer the coach. The bus station and coach stops are much nearer to Sidney than the train station, so you could walk here rather than wait for a bus or taxi. If you are coming from the airports with luggage, coaches also avoid having to change in (or travel across) London, but the journey generally takes longer.

When you are in Cambridge, taxi drivers will know where the college is and be able to drop you outside. If you take a bus from the train station, the nearest bus stop is the bus station on Drummer Street or Emmanuel Street. If you arrive by bus or coach, it is only 5 minutes' walk to Sidney from the bus station (Drummer Street) or coach stops (Parkside). Walk from the bus station along Emmanuel Steet towards the Grand Arcade (a shopping centre under construction) and turn right on to St Andrew's Street. The road forks with a semi-pedestrianised street (with gate) on the left: take the left option, and walk straight on. Sidney Sussex is on Sidney Street opposite Sainsburys (the supermarket).

If you are arriving by car, please be aware that Cambridge has many one-way streets, often protected by rising bollards, so it is best to plan your route online. Cambridge is often very busy on the weekend before Michaelmas Full Term (when most students arrive), and parking is in short supply, in college and elsewhere. In general, you will first find yourself on a ring road, and should follow signs to the historic city centre, but navigating to Sidney's (small) car park is not always easy: this can only be (legally) accessed from the south via Hobson Street.

If you would like to be collected from the bus or train station, a member of the MCR Committee may be able to meet you: please contact them via the Committee webpage.

When to Arrive

You should arrive on the weekend before Michaelmas full term starts, preferably on the Friday, and definitely in time for the graduate induction on Sunday evening. For 2009, that is 2-4 October. If you would like to arrive earlier and move into college accommodation, your room may not be available (as the contract is expected to start from roughly 1 October): please contact the Graduate Tutors' secretary for advice (email 'gradtutor' at 'sid.cam.ac.uk').

If you have arranged to arrive earlier in Cambridge, get in touch (see below) if you need help, have questions or just want someone to guide you to a nearby pub! Drinks are usually arranged for the Friday before term.

Get in Touch

• Get in touch with other new students, continuing students and the MCR Committee by joining our 2009/10 Facebook group.
• You may also like to contact the MCR committee directly.

Freshers' Week 2009

Events | Checklist | Computing

Events

The MCR arranges a programme of excursions, parties, drinks out and other activities for your first week in Sidney. Our events are optional, and most are free: you are warmly invited to attend as many of these as you can! However, please pay particular attention to the college's compulsory events.

Your 2009 Freshers' Week timetable is now available to view!

• 2009 Freshers' Week timetable

You will receive a printed copy of the 2009 timetable in your induction pack and it will also be on display in the pigeonhole room and the MCR.

You might also be interested in the Graduate Union's events. We also try to list our events alongside all those advertised in the GU calendar in our combined events calendar.

Please check the website and the notice board in the MCR for updates and for information about any changes which might become necessary. You may also need to sign up for some events in advance in the MCR – this will be announced during the graduate induction, and a list will be displayed in the MCR.

The following college-organised events are compulsory for new students:

• Graduate induction. Sunday 4th October 2009, 18:15-19:30 – Mong Hall, dress: casual
• Matriculation photo. Monday 5th October 2009, 13:30 (TBC) – Cloister Court, dress: smart, with gowns
• Matriculation ceremony and dinner. Thursday 8th October, 18:15 – a ceremony in chapel, followed by drinks in the Master's Lodge (Audit Room) before dinner in Hall, dress: smart, with gowns

You may be able to borrow or hire a gown for the matriculation photo and dinner, but as they are also used for formal halls and graduation you may prefer to buy one. For guidance on buying the right gown, please check Freshers' Guide: Gowns and the GU's gown information.

Cambridge University Students' Union (CUSU) and Sidney Sussex College Students' Union (SSCSU) both run Societies Fairs to introduce new students to the variety of student societies and activities in Cambridge:

• Cambridge University Student Union Societies' Fair (at Kelsey Kerridge Sports Centre):
  • Tuesday 6th October 2009, 11:00-18:30 (special needs hour: 10:00-11:00)
  • Wednesday 7th October 2009, 10:00-15:00
• Sidney Sussex College Freshers' Fair – TBA

International students are encouraged to attend a free orientation in Cambridge (click here for more info):

• Venue: Babbage Lecture theatre, New Museum Site (off Pembroke Street)
• Time : Friday 2nd October 2009, time TBC

Checklist - Things you must do

• Attend the compulsory college events - graduate induction, matriculation photo and matriculation dinner
• Sign the residence book (Porters' Lodge), while collecting your Corkey, and room key if you are living in college accommodation
• Matriculate (complete paperwork with the Graduate Tutor's Secretary)
• Register with a Cambridge doctor – see health and welfare information
• Check for induction events you must attend in your department
• Optionally, register with a dentist (recommended) – see health and welfare information
• Students without a UK bank account are also encouraged to open one - more information

Computing Checklist

Departments, colleges and the MCR rely on members using their Hermes e-mail accounts for communication, and their Raven accounts to identify themselves. The following checklist will point you in the right direction for help with the most important IT services.

• Collect, change and memorise your Hermes and Raven passwords
  http://www.cam.ac.uk/cs/new-students/
• Book your place for the first Graduate Formal
  http://www.srcf.ucam.org/sidneymcr/book.html
  You will need your Raven password!
• If you have your own computer, install the University antivirus software, and consider using anti-spyware software - see http://www.srcf.ucam.org/sidneymcr/computing/.
• If you want to use Outlook or another e-mail client with Hermes, use these settings: http://www.cam.ac.uk/cs/email/muasettings.html
• If you want a college network connection, ask Pat Gates (Sidney's I.T. manager) for the settings. Then read:
  http://www.srcf.ucam.org/sidneymcr/computing/network
  If you don't have a college room, consider registering for the VPDN service.

You can also refer to our Computing pages.

Further information

The first place to look is in our Freshers' Guide, which will answer many questions about Sidney, the university and day-to-day life in Cambridge.

The Freshers' Guide

More information about the college is provided (not always up-to-date in some cases) by College, CUSU and the Graduate Union:

• The Sidney Sussex Graduate Handbook 2009-10 (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
• GU Alternative Prospectus
• CUSU Alternative Prospectus

Any questions?

If you have any questions not covered by the guide, you may contact any member of the committee directly. You might also be interested in the Graduate Union forums, where you can read many questions (with answers) from other people about to start their studies in Cambridge, or post your own.