What happens next?

  • At the beginning of September 2022, pre-arrival information for postgraduate students whose place for October 2022 entry has been confirmed will be emailed out in early September 2022.
  • This will give you essential information that you need to know before arriving in Cambridge, including our 2022 Information Handbook for Postgraduate Students, compulsory events that will take place during the first week of Michaelmas Term, and the MCR Freshers' timetable.
  • We would ask you please to wait until you receive your email before contacting the College with enquiries or requests.
  • The pre-arrival email and Information Handbook should answer most, if not all, of your questions.
  • You will also receive a Welcome Pack with further information at our Welcome Hub on Saturday 1 October, which you are expected to attend.
  • Students whose places are confirmed later than that will receive the pre-arrival information email within three working days of the confirmation on CamSIS that they have met all the conditions of their postgraduate offer.

Pre-arrival email contents

  • 2022 Information Handbook for Postgraduate Students
  • List of compulsory College events during your first week after arrival
  • Travel directions to the College for arrival
  • Getting Started with IT @ Cambridge
  • Getting online in College
  • MCR Freshers Week timetable

Date and time of arrival

  • All Postgraduates must arrive by the morning of Saturday 1 October for the College's Welcome Hub (see below).
  • Those in College Accommodation can arrive from Saturday 24 September, as arranged with the Accommodation Manager, to have a few days to settle in to Cambridge.

Saturday 1 October 2022

  • When you arrive at College please go to the Welcome Hub, which will be based in the Lloyd Room, Third Court to collect your University card and Welcome Pack.  
  • You must bring your passport, as the Tutorial team is required to complete a compulsory ID check.
  • You should bring your UK bank details with you for the College Accounts Office (Overseas students who do not yet have a UK bank account can provide these later).
  • The Welcome Hub will be open from 9am to 1pm (GMT).

Vaccinations

  • Students are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated against Covid-19 prior to arrival. 
  • All young people starting University are being urged by the Public Health bodies to be vaccinated against meningitis.
  • You are also encouraged to have two doses of the MMR (mumps, measles and rubella) vaccine.

Non-UK students

  • The International Student Office of the University has prepared useful Pre-arrival information, including an International Students' Guide, current requirements for travelling to the UK, and finding your way to Cambridge from the UK's major airports.
  • Students should read the Immigration and Healthcare information from the International Student Office.
  • Students studying on a Student visa must read the guidance and the Student visa responsibilities guide. Please also look out for any emails from the University and the College with instructions on passports, entry vignettes and BRP collection.
  • Students who are collecting BRPs can do so from the Tutorial Office (Y4). You will be advised by email when to do this.

IT and computing access

  • Your Cambridge email account and computing access will be made available to you before you arrive in Cambridge.
  • You will be given a unique Cambridge user name, known as a CRSid, which is always a combination of letters and numbers, e.g. abc12. You need this to log on to Raven, the University's authentication service, which gives access to many online resources.
  • Your CRSid is then combined with '@cam.ac.uk' to make up your email address, e.g. abc12@cam.ac.uk.
  • You will receive an email from the University outlining the steps you will need to take to access your Cambridge email account and Raven password. This email should be received in early September.
  • Please note that the 'User Name' you will be asked to input in order to register for email and computing services is your CRSid, not your USN  or Postgraduate application number.
  • You will find it helpful to read the IT leaflet for new students Getting Started with IT @ Cambridge from the University Information Services.
  • CamGuides is a free online resource for all students to help them prepare for their studies in Cambridge, regardless of their degree or College. It focuses on some of the academic and information practices and skills that students commonly engage in. The content has been created by a small team of library staff and students at the University. There are separate guides for PhD students, Master's students, as well as undergraduates.

Childcare support

  • The University has a Childcare Office to support students with children, which has two bursary schemes to help with the cost of childcare.

Your first College bill

  • Many students contact us as soon as their place is confirmed to enquire about what they need to pay and when. You will not need to pay until after you arrive. 
  • You will receive your College bill just before the start of each term as an email sent to your @cam email address.
  • The subject line of the email will be 'Latest Statement'.
  • The deadline for the payment of your termly College bill is two weeks after the first day of each term.
  • If you have any difficulties paying your bill on time, please speak to your Tutor.
  • Annual tuition fees are paid in the proportion of 1/3 each term.
  • College charges such as accommodation are charged termly.
  • College bursaries or other awards are also credited termly to offset that term's charges. 

External pre-arrival events

Around the world over the summer, University Alumni Groups (in conjunction with the University's Alumni and Development Office)  host online and in-person freshers' events for new undergraduates and postgraduate students starting a course at Cambridge in the autumn. These are entirely optional events. If you would like to find out more, please visit here