The ultimate freshers’ guide to preparing for first year at Cambridge University

With A-Level Results Day finally here, the brewing doubts about whether or not you will actually be a Cambridge student in October can finally be silenced. You’re in! So now, it’s time to prepare for the next three or more years of your life as a Cantab, studying at the very best university in the world (in my humble opinion).

Learn the lingo

Are you ready to collect your supo sheet from your pidge in plodge? If you’re baffled by that sentence, then it’s time to brush up on your Cambridge slang – and trust me, there’s a lot of it, and people are not afraid to use it.

But, you can prepare yourself now to ensure you don’t get caught out – our ultimate guide to Cambridge slang is the perfect preparation tool, so you can distinguish your buttery from your gyp, and your tutor from your DoS, impressing all your new friends along the way.

Join your college group chats

Fitz is the best college of course

As a collegiate university, your college at Cambridge will be the centre of your life (especially in Freshers’ Week). So if you can, join as many college group chats as you can – the general Freshers’ chat, your staircase chat, your flat’s chat. It’s a great way to get to know the people you’ll be living with for the next three years. And, you never know, some of them might even live near you – after messaging a girl in my block I realised we lived really near each other so we met up before coming to Cambridge, and she’s now one of my very closest friends.

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Many colleges will also organise their own Freshers’ Week events, making it even more important to get to know people in your college. I went to Fitz, and the Fitz JCR organised a Freshers’ Week “Fitz Up” – basically an alcoholic school disco. A bit different from other universities, but it also makes it easier to get to know people more quickly.

Pack appropriately

My room during Freshers’

Cambridge accommodation can sometimes be a bit weird, so make sure you’re packing appropriately. Accommodation contracts are also normally only about nine to 10 weeks long, to account for the eight week terms, so make sure you’ve packed lightly enough to allow yourself to move in and out easily each term.

In short, don’t bring too much stuff (although I’m definitely guilty of this so don’t follow my example).

At Cambridge there are also a number of Cambridge-specific events to pack for. You will  have matriculation dinner when you officially join the university, and the opportunity to attend many other formals over the course of your degree, so packing a few formal outfits is also a good shout so you’re fully prepared for Cambridge life.

Prepare for Cambridge clubbing

Cambridge is not exactly a university known for its nightlife – if you’re looking to party hard every single night, you’re probably going to be a little bit disappointed here.

That being said, there are definitely options if you’re looking to go out during Freshers’ Week, so packing a few clubbing outfits is a good idea if you’re planning to go out out.

Mentally prepare to meet so many people (and forget all their names)

During Freshers’ Week you will meet so many people in so little time. You will also forget every single name you’ve been told. It’s just inevitable, unfortunately.

Freshers’ Week is an intense experience, so prepare to be overwhelmed. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you find it difficult, and take the time to relax and take your mind off the stress of being a proper grown-up student. It’s weird at first, but you will be okay, I promise!

Do some academic work

The library, a place you will soon become very familiar with

Cambridge is a very academic university, and that starts from day one. So, if you’ve been set any academic work to do over the summer – do it! There’s a chance you’ll be asked about it by your Director of Studies or supervisors, so it’s best to not get caught out already and start the year on their good side.

If you’ve been sent any reading lists from your course, it’s a good idea to have a look at those and do a bit of reading around the subject. You certainly won’t be expected to have read everything on the list, but it never hurts doing a bit of early prep and get ahead with your reading – there will be lots more to come in the next few months.

Enjoy yourself

But most importantly – enjoy yourself! You’re a Cambridge student now, take full advantage of it and all the opportunities that come your way.

Join societies, make friends, write for The Tab – for the next few years, Cambridge is your oyster. You’ve worked so hard to get here, you deserve it.