Pembroke College Cambridge

Undergraduate Freshers

Email from the Senior Tutor to all undergraduate freshers

Dear student,

Congratulations on securing your place at Pembroke College. We are all looking forward to welcoming you into our community in a few weeks’ time. I write with information and a number of points requiring your immediate attention in connection with your imminent arrival at Pembroke. Please read both this letter carefully, and the important documents online to which I refer. They represent most of the essential guidance you will need to enable you to prepare for your time in Cambridge. The Junior Parlour Committee (JPC) which is your representative body in the college as an undergraduate will be sending you their own welcome pack shortly: look out for that email, and again, please take the time to absorb this when it arrives. 

You must meet with both your Director of Studies and with your Tutor on Monday 2nd or on Tuesday 3rd October at times that will be emailed to you by the Senior Tutor’s Assistant. 

You should aim to come into residence on Saturday 30th September, though if travel arrangements make that day particularly difficult and you need to come up earlier, please let us know, by filling in this form. Members of the Junior Parlour Committee and the Porters will be here to help on that day. Tea will be available on Saturday 30th September  from 3.30 pm to 5 pm, at the invitation of the Dean, in the Dining Hall; you (and your family, or other companion, if they have brought you up to Cambridge) will be most welcome there.  Informal dinner in the Hall for new students will start at 5.30pm (food from the servery).

The College and JPC have together organised a series of events in the days following your arrival, all aimed at helping you find your feet as quickly as possible – academically as well as socially. Please look out for your welcome pack detailing these and bear in mind, in particular, on Sunday 1st October, 11.30 am a talk from me, Senior Tutor, on “Learning and living in Cambridge”. On the Sunday evening new undergraduates will dine in Hall at 7.30 pm, and, on this occasion, you will not be required to sign in for it in advance or wear an academic gown.   Dinner will be followed by a brief welcome from me, also in the Hall, with an introduction from the Master.  After this, at around 9 pm, there will be a first chance to meet members of your College ‘family’; the Junior Parlour Committee’s welcome pack will explain. Other important elements of Freshers’ Week include workshops on welfare, personal safety, inclusivity and diversity, and on consent. Please be sure to attend these.

The Matriculation Dinner, for all new undergraduates, will take place on Tuesday 3rd October in Hall at 7.30 pm, and an invitation can be found on our website. Please sign up on this form by 22nd September at the latest.  This is a formal occasion and dress for it should be appropriately tidy – e.g. for men, suits (or equivalent) and tie; academic gowns should be worn by everyone, please. The Junior Parlour Committee may be able to help with the supply of gowns. 

This dinner follows Matriculation (enrolment on the College’s Register), which takes place earlier that day and represents formal admission to the College.  Matriculation is effected by placing your signature in the Matriculation Book. Additionally, you will be asked to sign the University’s matriculation register, which is an online process. We will send you further details about both processes in due course. 

Accommodation.  You will shortly receive an email from Dr Becky Coombs, College Registrar, informing you about the room you have been assigned for the coming year and how to obtain a copy of your Licence Agreement and the ‘Terms and Conditions for Occupation of Accommodation’.   Collection of your room keys when you arrive signals your acceptance of the Terms and Conditions for Occupation of Accommodation.  It is not possible to see your room before your arrival in Cambridge.

Your Cambridge email
Please look out for an email from the Student Registry regarding your ‘Student Registration’. Completing the registration will allow you to set up your Cambridge email account and Raven password. You can also find some information about access to IT resources here.

Financial Matters. On the College website you will find the following documents/information on financial matters: Financial Support for Pembroke Undergraduates and Financial Information covering tuition fees and other costs you will incur and when these are due for payment. Please read these documents carefully.  The College Registrar will also be in touch by email shortly about the caution deposit that every student is required to pay, and about how you can pay it. Please ensure that we have received your caution deposit by 22nd September.

Health and disabilities:
You should complete the health check questionnaire, which you will shortly receive from the College Nurse, Sarah Winder-Worsley. You should also receive a message from Jan Brighting, the College’s Wellbeing and Disabilities Nurse. If you have a disability not already notified to the College or the University Disabilities Resource Centre (DRC) then you are advised to contact Jan as soon as possible.

Finally, the College website has a section specifically for incoming students: https://www.pem.cam.ac.uk/current-students/future-students/undergraduate-freshers  which includes the items I have mentioned here, and other important information that you should familiarise yourself with.

If you have any enquiries about the contents of this email, or the arrangements proposed, please email the Senior Tutor’s Assistant, Dee Kunze. In particular, if you have doubts, or are unsure about your proposed course, let us know at once: do not delay until you come next month.

And a final reminder: please send your caution deposit and respond to the Matriculation dinner invitation by 22nd September.

We look forward to meeting you on Saturday 30th September.

With good wishes,

Yours sincerely,

Robert Mayhew
Senior Tutor

Invitation to the Matriculation Dinner (3rd October)

sign up

List of compulsory or important events
Date Time Event & location if applicable
Sunday 1 October 11.30 am Senior Tutor’s talk ‘Learning and Living in Cambridge’, The Auditorium
Monday 2 October/
Tuesday 3 October 
individual times
to be emailed
Meetings with your Tutor and your Director of Studies
Tuesday 3 October from 9am, exact
times to be emailed
Matriculation, Old Library
Tuesday 3 October 12.30 pm Matriculation Photograph, Library Lawn
Tuesday 3 October 7.30 pm Matriculation Dinner, Hall
Thursday 5 October   Lectures start
Policies, Procedures & Guidance

Before coming to Pembroke, please make sure that you have familarised yourself with the College's regualtions and College policies.

Arrival Information

ID

All new students will be asked to show photo id (passport, driving licence) before they will be allowed to collect their room keys and/or University card)

Arrival on 30 September

Please try and arrive between 08:00 – 17:00 on Saturday 30 September.

There is limited parking at the rear of the College accessed via Tennis Court Road.  Student helpers will be there to guide you.  You may park for a maximum of 20 minutes to off load belongings, thereafter please move to one of the local car parks (https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/parking)  Parking in Cambridge is notoriously difficult and you might find it easier using one of the Park & Ride sites after your drop-off.

On arrival in College follow the signs to AA Staircase Foundress Court and follow the one-way route to the Nihon Room.  Here the reception team you will ask you to show some photo ID – (e.g. passport or driving licence) so please remember to bring some with you – once they have checked your ID they will issue your room keys and University card.

Depending on your time of arrival student volunteers will be able to show you to your staircase. In order to minimise risk and congestion in accommodation areas we ask you to comply with a strict limit of one family member or other accompanying person entering the building, in addition to yourself, where your accommodation is located. 

If due to unforeseen circumstances you arrive after the car park and reception centre have closed, please report to the Porters’ Lodge where the Porters will get you checked in.

If you have any problems with your accommodation please call the Porter Lodge (+44 (0)1223 338100).  If your call is related to Housekeeping/Maintenance/IT you will be advised of the best way to contact them.    The Porters’ Lodge is staffed 24/7 – however other departments are not. 

If your arrival date is not 30 September please see below.
 

Arrival before 30 Sept

If you are unable to arrive on 30 September, please make sure that you complete the early arrival request form (please remember that you may not be able to move into the room you will later occupy for the year).

On arrival please go to the Porter's Lodge on Trumpington St to collect your room key and Univeristy card (you will be required to show photo id).  The porters will be able to direct you to your room.

Arrangements for providing your immigration documents (where applicable)

Before you start your studies at Cambridge, you will need to provide us with evidence of your student immigration documentation for your student record, in accordance with UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) requirements.

You will need to attend in person to have your documents checked and scanned.

What to provide

What you need to provide depends on your circumstances.

We ask that you read "Immigration documents - what to provide" carefully so you are aware what you need to provide when you attend the in-person check. The information on the first page is for students who obtained their visa outside the UK, and the second page outlines information for students who are able to apply for their visa from inside the UK.

As outlined in the document, depending on your circumstances, you may need to send us information in advance prior to attending the in-person check – if the guidance asks you to forward information by email, please reply to this email address.

Arrangements for in-person checks

You will need to bring your documents to LL3, Ivy Court between 8.30am - 12noon or 1pm - 4pm Monday - Friday.

Collection of your BRP

If you selected for your BRP to be delivered to the University in your visa application rather than the Post Office, you will collect this from Pembroke after we have received it and your other documents have been checked - we will email you once we have received your BRP to let you know it is ready for collection. It will not be available for collection earlier than the in-person check, either from College or the University. If you’re due to collect your BRP from the Post Office, please collect this as soon as possible after you arrive in the UK.

Financial Information

Tuition fees for Home students and EU students eligible for Home fee status

The tuition fee for students with Home fee status starting their first undergraduate degree 2023/24 is £9,250 for all undergraduate degree courses and, currently, is likely to rise in subsequent years in line with inflation.

To pay this tuition fee you can either:

- take out a loan from the Student Loans Company (SLC) for the fees (these will be paid direct to Pembroke). Repayment of this loan is deferred until after you have graduated and your earnings are over a certain level - full details can be found on the SLC website

- take a loan from the SLC to cover partial payment of your fees, with the remainder being paid directly by you (at the start of the academic year)

 - pay the full £9,250 fee direct to the College at the start of the academic year. This will be shown on your Michaelmas term College bill unless we have evidence that the SLC is paying it.

We strongly recommend all publicly funded students to apply for Student Finance, even if they do not intend taking out a loan for either the tuition fee or maintenance or do not wish to be means tested.  Student Finance will then establish your eligibility to be classified as a publicly funded student and will issue you with a University or College Payment Advice (UCPA).  You must send us a copy of your UCPA in order for us to classify you as a publicly funded student.

Student Finance England

Student Finance Northern Ireland

Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS)

Student Finance Wales

Students from the EU

Student Loan Company

Privately funded students

Fee liability

The University fees for students commencing in October 2023 are listed here.  In addition there is a College fee for students, for those commencing in October 2023 it is £11,394. So a student studying a Group 1 subject will pay £24,507 + £11,394 = £35,901 per year.  Both University and College fees are per year and are fixed for the duration of the course.

Students taking a course leading to a qualification which is equivalent to, or at a lower level than, a qualification they possessed when they began their course (ELQ students) the University fee in 2023/24 will be £11,670 and will rise in subsequent years.  They are also liable for the College fee.

The Financial Guarantee

One of the conditions of your place at Pembroke is that you guarantee that you have sufficient financial resources to cover the costs (fees and maintenance) for the whole of your course.  The figure on the “Financial Undertaking Form” that you will be sent shows the amount that you must meet for the first year of your course so the total cost of your course will be that figure multiplied by the number of years of the course.  Please remember that fees will increase in subsequent years.

If funding is being provided, either fully or in part, by a scholarship/bursary from a grant awarding body other than the Cambridge Trusts or Pembroke, please send us a copy of the award letter.  There is no need to send us copies of letters from the Cambridge Trusts as the Trust will send us copies.

Please ensure that you have returned your Financial Undertaking Form” that was emailed stating that you have understood the costs involved and that you have at your disposal sufficient financial resources for the whole length of your course.  This form should be returned to the College Registrar as soon as possible.

The production of this guarantee should be taken very seriously.

In case of financial difficulty, you will be expected to draw on the money in question and you will be expected to honour any promise to take out a loan made as part of your guarantee.

Therefore, if you do not have enough financial support available to see you through the full length of your course, you should not sign the form stating that you do, and you should not start your course or travel to Cambridge in the hope of doing so.

Loans

If you are applying for a loan to cover your fees and/or maintenance then please ensure that you have the loan money in place well before the start of October.  Simple production of proof that you have applied for the loan is NOT sufficient.   Loan cheques are sometimes sent to the College for you to collect and are often in the currency of the country where you applied for the loan.  Due to bank charges students often find it simpler to return these cheques to their country of residence to be banked and the funds then transferred – the whole process can take a number of weeks so please plan well in advance for this.

Fee payment

All your fees (University and College) for the year must be paid in full before you can matriculate (Matriculation is when you become registered as an undergraduate student and are made a member of the University and College).  Matriculation will take place on Tuesday, 3 October 2023.  You will not be allowed to start your course if your fees have not been paid, and, in subsequent years if you are unable to pay your fees you will be asked to leave the University.  Your fees for the year must be paid in full at the start of each new academic year.

If your fees are to be paid by a bursary from the College and/or Cambridge Trusts then these will be sent directly to the College.  However if your fees are only partly covered by a bursary then we will prepare an invoice for you for the remaining amount of your annual fees (i.e. both College and University); this will be emailed to you shortly before you take up residence in October.

If you are wholly responsible for the payment of your fees then we will prepare an invoice for you for the full amount; this will be emailed to you shortly before you take up residence in October.  Please use the table on the previous page to determine how much you will be required to pay in fees.

Once your place has been confirmed it is worthwhile making plans as to how you will pay your fees and other charges that you will incur here.

We strongly recommend that you make your fee payment in one of the following ways:

By bank transfer from an overseas bank or a UK account to the College bank account – details here.  If you make a bank transfer please quote either your College account number (if known) or else your initials and surname in the transfer so that the funds are credited to the correct account.

If your primary source of income in the course of the academic year is in a currency other than the pound sterling then please note that exchange rates can show considerable fluctuations in the course of a few months, involving gains or losses of perhaps as much as 20% or more on untimely conversions.  However, payment of fees by the due date is an absolute requirement of entry.  To safeguard against the danger of non-payment, the College recommends that you open a UK bank account and deposit funds in sterling at the earliest advisable moment.

Recently several students have experienced difficulties with funding at a later stage of their course, resulting from sudden fluctuations in currency exchange rates.  Although we are sympathetic to such problems, this is not a valid reason for not honouring the guarantee given and cannot be used in any request to the University or College for financial assistance.  It may be wise to use a sterling bank account to secure your funds for the entire period of your course.

We strongly discourage you from bringing a large amount of cash with you – this is extremely risky.

Currency fluctuations

We strongly recommend that funds are transferred in sterling rather than in, say, dollars, in order to avoid currency fluctuations.

Please allow sufficient time for the transfer of funds.  Arrangements for the full payment of fees before or by 3 October 2023 should thus be made as soon as possible.  There may be a bank charge for the transfer of funds from an international account or a non-Barclays account to the College account.  Please enquire as to any additional charges you may incur and ask your bank to cover all charges including the charges of the receiving bank.

If for any reason you transfer too much money then this will be offset against your first College bill.

Daily living costs (aka maintenance)

Almost all Pembroke undergraduates live in college-owned accommodation for the full three or four years that they are in Cambridge. Students live in single study bedrooms either on the main college site or in college-owned houses nearby.  Rents (this includes background heating, electricity and Ethernet) are charged termly, for a nine- or ten-week period; please note rent is not charged if you are not here during the vacations – so if you are only resident during the ten week term you will only pay 30 weeks rent (and therefore save paying rent on the remaining 22 weeks of the year!). Rents vary according to the size of room and facilities offered. In 2023/24 rents are in the range £148.12 per week – £187.44 per week and are among the cheapest in Cambridge.  The table below lays out maximum and minimum annual costs in 2023/24 (and will increase in subsequent years):

Accommodation max rent £187.44/week
Accommodation min rent £148.12/week
Student Facilities Charge £128/term
Approximate weekly living costs (includes food expenditure) (N.B. this is a minimum estimated figure, and that living costs vary from student to student depending on lifestyle and other factors) £165/week
Max. annual costs, based on ten weeks residency £10,957
Min. annual costs, based on ten weeks residency £9,778

The university estimates that in 2023-24, students should allow approximately £11,020 for living costs in Cambridge for the year (though this will vary depending on lifestyle and you should allow for increases in future years)

For Students who have home fee status financial support is available from central government funds and from the University and College to help you meet the costs of your maintenance.

Caution deposit

All students are required to pay a £350 caution deposit at the start of their course.  This deposit will only be refunded once you have finished your course and graduated.  You will need to pay your deposit before you take up residence - any student who does not think they will be able to pay the caution deposit before they come into residence on 30 September should contact the College Registrar.

College bills and student prices

The timetable for College bills is avaiable here.

Student prices can be found here and weekly rents here 

Financial Support

Pembroke specific financial support

Pembroke support for specific study-related costs, travel etc.

Pembroke also offers financial assistance, wherever possible, to students to help with specific study-related costs, course related travel and extramural activities. For example it:

  • awards grants for students who remain in Cambridge, for study purposes, outside of term;
  • offers all students a book grant towards relevant course books;
  • offers travel grants for work-related trips;
  • offers help towards additional language teaching where appropriate;
  • offers help towards the payment of music lessons;
  • organises exchange schemes with other universities;
  • awards grants for sports-related expenses for serious sportsmen and women;
  • in some circumstances assists with the purchase of essential equipment for a course.

Enhanced bursary support (min value £3,000) (see below)

Pembroke College Financial Assistance Awards

Pembroke has a flexible scheme which offers extra funds to those who fall into proven genuine need, at any time during their course. Students will need to be prepared to discuss their financial circumstances with their Tutor; these discussions are confidential.

Pembroke Merit Awards

Students who achieve First Class Honours in any Tripos examination are awarded a Prize and Scholarships of £300–£400 per year. Book prizes of between £75 and £100 are awarded to those who do not get a First, but have a number of First Class marks on their papers. Pembroke participates in the Instrumental Awards Scheme.

Further information about the financial support the College is able to offer is available here.

Pembroke's Enhanced bursary support (min value £3,000) (Home and EU students with settled or pre-settled status)

Thanks to generous donations from College benefactors the College is able to offer a limited number of enhanced bursaries (minimum value £3,000/annum) to students commencing their studies in October 2023.  These enhanced bursaries are in addition to any monies from the University and College that students might be entitled to claim.  The aim of these bursaries is to help beneficiaries meet the financial costs of study at the College as well as enabling them to take full advantage of the wider opportunities that study at Cambridge can offer.

If you would like to be considered for one of these enhanced bursaries it would normally be expected that you are from a household income of less than £25k and are possibly first generation to attend University.  The successful applicants will be notified soon after this date and confirmation of household income has been verified with the Student Loans Company.

Please complete the online form if you would like to be considered for one of these bursaries.

The deadline for applications is 11 September 2023

Cambridge Bursary (Home and EU students with settled or pre-settled status)

The Cambridge Bursary Scheme offers non-repayable bursaries of up to £3,500 to students holding Home fees status and with residual* household incomes of up to £62,215 p.a.

Further details are available here: https://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/cambridgebursary

Education Premium (Home and EU students with settled or pre-settled status)

Students in receipt of a Cambridge Bursary who also have been eligible for free school meals (funded by their local authority) will receive the Educational Premium which is an additional non-repayable bursary of £1000 per year. Students will need to send a letter from their school or college confirming this to Becky Coombs once they have confirmed their place.

Other University support

Details of Undergraduate Scholarships offered by the University/specific departments can be found here.  Application opens Thursday 17th August 2023 and closes on Sunday 3rd September 2023.

The University is also able to offer some support - details are available here: https://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/financial-assistance

Central Government funds - Tuition fee loan, maintenance loan (Home fee status students only)

Students with Home and EU students with settled or pre-settled status are eligible to apply for and loan (for fees and/or maintenance) - details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/get-undergraduate-student-loan

Accommodation

Email from College Registrar concernng room allocation

Dear Fresher,

You have been allocated [room allocated].  Your licence agreement is available on RMS (go to My RMS).  N.B. you will need to have activated your raven account to login.

You can accept your licence agreement on RMS although, if you do not use this to accept the licence agreement, then the moment that you take your keys you will have deemed to have entered into the licence agreement.

Your licence agreement shows an arrival date of 30 September however it is possible to arrive before this if you are unable to arrive on 30 September – please use this form only if you wish to arrive before 30 September.

Please note it is not possible to see your room before you arrive.

Please be aware that included in your rent, is insurance cover – further details are available here.

All students are required to watch the Fire Safety video before coming into residence and confirm via this by completing this short form.

Looking forward to meeting you all.

All best
Becky

Dr Becky Coombs
College Registrar
Pembroke College

Other accommodation information

Early arrival request form

Student Accommodation Handbook

Residency periods

Information Technology (IT)

Email

Email is the main way in which teaching and administrative staff communicate with students. You will be provided with a Cambridge email address but you can redirect that to any other email address that you prefer. We require you to read and, if requested, respond to such emails within 24 hours.

Registration

You will be sent an email asking you to formally register online as a new member of the University. At the end of that process you will be invited to collect your password(s). Please do this before arrival as it will make your life much easier.

Computers

Students have 24-hour access to approximately 12 empty desks and 12 docking station equipped desks in the Student Computer Room.  You also have access to 2 printer/copiers in the student computer room. These are capable of colour and up to A3 print sizes. In order to print to these printer/copiers, you will need to purchase common balance print credit via the university. You can also connect to the printers from your own computer(s) from your own room. Details of how to connect your own devices to the printers, printing costs and how to top up your common balance can be found here: https://help.uis.cam.ac.uk/service/printing

Pembroke College does not have a network usage quota. You will be contacted if your network usage impacts on others and is deemed excessive, where we will provide instructions to reduce your impact on others. You may not use the network for uploads or downloads of illegal material, which includes copyright music or video.

All bedrooms have coverage for the eduroam and Pembroke wireless networks. Most rooms have both wired and Wi-Fi network access, but some rooms only have Wi-Fi. Students are strictly prohibited from running their own wireless transmitters, hubs, switches or routers as these disrupt other users. If in doubt, ask before attempting to connect any non-computer device.

Please see https://www.pem.cam.ac.uk/college/about-pembroke/it/getting-started for more information on getting connected to the College network.

The University’s central IT services provide your IT accounts and passwords, together with free or highly discounted software. This includes free antivirus software for Windows, Mac and Linux and we insist that you install it or provide your own, which we must approve. Please read https://help.uis.cam.ac.uk/new-starters/it-for-students.  If your computer nevertheless becomes infected, you must report it immediately and disconnect from all networks until told otherwise.

Pembroke IT staff are happy to support students’ needs for academic computing, and will provide a best efforts support for students’ own equipment.

TV licencing

The College does not hold a TV licence that will cover you in your own room. You will need to be covered by a TV Licence to download or watch BBC programmes on demand, including catch up TV, on BBC iPlayer (within your daily quota). This applies to any device and provider you use. You will also need a TV Licence to watch or record programmes on any channel as they are being shown on TV or live on an online TV service. Visit the TV licensing website for more information.

Catering accounts/Upay

Shortly before you arrive you will receive an email (to your @cam account) from Upay  with instructions on how to set up your Upay account.  To access UPAY enter your username which is your @cam email address and the temporary password which you can change once you have logged in. You will use Upay to purchase meals in the buttery, cafe and bar as well as to book Formal Halls and top up your card.

You are allowed to accumulate up to £100 of charges on your College card account before you need to pay into (“top-up”) the account to keep within this overdraft limit. Any debit or credit balance on the card at the end of term is transferred to your College Bill.  Your card is then reset to zero with a £100 limit on it again. To view what you have spent during the term please look at your online Upay account.

Students can top up their accounts remotely via the web or by an app on a smartphone.  You can also top up your account by debit card at the till in the buttery and café.  Alternatively top ups can be done in the Finance Office by debit card, Monday to Friday 10.00 am to 2.00 pm.

If you do not receive an email from Upay please contact the Finance Office and they will be able to initiate another welcome email.

Further information

See https://help.uis.cam.ac.uk/new-starters/it-for-students for a fuller description of the University’s central IT services and http://www.pem.cam.ac.uk/it for Pembroke-specific IT. If, having read all this information carefully, you need further help or advice, please contact the IT Helpdesk, which is in T staircase basement. Telephone 01223 339804, or preferably contact by email at help@pem.cam.ac.uk

Welfare Information

Letter from the College Nurse

Dear Freshers


Welcome to Pembroke College! Despite a summer of very mixed weather, even here in Cambridge where we usually have such excellent summers, we are delighted to be welcoming a new cohort of students. 

I aim to meet all new students in the first two weeks of term – please look out for an appointment slot that will be sent to you from the Tutorial department. 

One of the most important things you can do before you even arrive in Cambridge is register online with a local GP:
https://www.newnhamwalksurgery.nhs.uk/new-patients-2
https://www.lensfieldpractice.org/join-the-practice-2
https://www.trumpingtonstreetmedicalpractice.co.uk/join-the-practice

These surgeries are all within easy walking distance from Pembroke and the staff there are very experienced at working with students. You just need to make sure that you put “Pembroke College” as your current address and your home location as your previous address. 

I am going to sound like a nag here, but it always seems to be the students who don’t get around to registering who have some kind of medical crisis in the first few weeks, so please don’t put this on the back burner! If you have any ongoing medical issues or take regular prescribed medication, it is particularly important that you register as soon as you can to avoid delays in your treatment.  If you experience any difficulties registering, or need some assistance getting this done, do let me know.

I also will be sending out a very similar health questionnaire to the one you fill in to register with the Dr or GP (General Practitioner or Family Doctor). This is so that I have records of your medical history, vaccinations and allergies, and I know duplicating the same information is tiresome, but ultimately it is to help you and ensure you receive prompt and appropriate care and all of the information you provide is held in the strictest confidence.

The role of a college nurse is very similar to that of a practice nurse.  My surgery is on the ground floor, G staircase, Red Buildings. My usual working hours are 09.30-14.30 Monday-Friday during term-time.  You can each me by email (sarah.winder-worsley@pem.cam.ac.uk) to book appointments. I can advise on minor injuries and illnesses, sexual health and contraception and management of chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes, and also support you to access help for mental health conditions. Fresher’s Flu is very common in Michaelmas (you will be lucky if you manage to dodge it!) so I would encourage you to bring a small first aid kit with you, to include basic painkillers like paracetamol, but especially a decent thermometer which will make assessing any minor illnesses easier for me! As I’m sure you know, current Public Health guidance regarding COVID-19 is that we should take sensible steps to protect others if we experience respiratory symptoms. Testing is not required and isolation is no longer mandatory, but is still recommended, at least for the first few days, following the onset of symptoms – no-one will thank you for sharing bugs around!

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and please do feel free to contact me before term starts if you have any concerns. Nothing you are worried about is too trivial for me to take seriously!

Best wishes and a warm welcome     

Sarah Winder-Worsley
Pembroke College Nurse

Letter from the Wellbeing and Disabilities Nurse

Dear Freshers,


Welcome to Pembroke College! I have no doubt you have worked incredibly hard to be here.

I have worked at Pembroke for over 15 years and have been incredibly happy here as I hope you all will be too. I changed roles 3 years ago to focus on Wellbeing and Disabilities because the Tutorial team at Pembroke is really committed to providing more dedicated time and support to students who may be struggling with settling in, and who experience anxiety and stress, depressive disorders and also pre-existing/chronic physical and mental health conditions and disabilities. I work closely with Sarah Winder-Worsley, the College Nurse, and between us we will be able to ensure that whatever health issues you have (no matter how trivial, worrying or embarrassing), we are here to help.

Some of you will already have declared health issues but often students don’t realise that there is support or feel anxious about confidentiality. My role is to listen in confidence, offer up to date guidance on accessing the appropriate support, and helping you with any problems along the way. There tends to be a lot of pressure on the Accessibility and Disability Resource Centre (ADRC) at the beginning of Michaelmas term, so if you have any chronic health conditions (too numerous to list, but do include mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety) or have neuro-diversity (Autism, ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia) it will be really helpful if you can email me so that we can get support in place early. For more details about how the ADRC can support students follow the link
https://www.disability.admin.cam.ac.uk/

I have a very lovely room in Red Building, G9, and I see students by appointment, which you can make by emailing me. You may feel happier to go for a walk, (depending on the weather of course) or to one of my favourite coffee shops. I have a very friendly well-behaved English Springer Spaniel, so if you would like him to join us for a walk just let me know, he’s a great therapist! Also, situations can change during your time here, so please do get in touch if you find yourself struggling at any point. I can only help if I am aware! 

We will meet during Fresher’s week so you can put a face to the name, and you will see me around college, usually speeding along as there are never enough hours in the day. Please do feel free to email me before you arrive if there is anything you feel I can help with.  

All best wishes
Jan Brighting
RGN, MSc
Telephone (01223) 766418 email:jb652@cam.ac.uk

Vaccine-preventable Diseases

Check your protection against vaccine-preventable diseases before you come to Cambridge

Before you come to Cambridge, please check you have had the vaccines listed below. It is really important that students are protected against common but preventable communicable diseases, because when you arrive at Cambridge you will be living with and mixing with lots of other students. Our vaccination checklist provides a quick summary of this information.
If you have any questions relating to the information below, please contact the Communicable
Disease Helpdesk via email: covid-helpdesk@admin.cam.ac.uk or telephone: 01223 339514.

Meningococcal meningitis

Meningococcal infection is a serious illness and cases continue to occur in the UK among people of student age. It is very important that you are aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis infection and seek medical advice urgently if you are concerned about yourself or others.
The meningitis groups (including A, B, C, W, Y) covered by vaccinations you have received before your 17th birthday will depend on your year of birth (and may be different if you grew up outside the UK). You may need to ask for an additional vaccine.

If you grew up in the UK and are of typical student age in 2023, and all of your childhood vaccinations were completed, we would expect you to have received the MenC vaccine at aged
12 months, and the MenACWY conjugate vaccine at aged 14 or 15 (Year 9).
If you were born after 1 September 1996 and missed your teenage MenACWY vaccination, you are entitled to request this vaccine, and we strongly advise that you do so before arriving in Cambridge. The vaccine is available to all new UK university entrants, including international students, up to their 25th birthday. If you are in the UK, you can take this letter to your doctor and ask for the vaccine.

If it is not possible for you to have the MenACWY vaccine before you arrive, please discuss it with your doctor or college nurse as soon as possible after your arrival. Note: if you received a MenC vaccine over the age of 10 years you should still receive MenACWY conjugate vaccine to ensure protection against the additional groups A, W and Y. The MenACWY conjugate vaccine can be administered at any interval after MenC vaccine. Further information can be found at MenACWY vaccine - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

MenB - cases of group B meningococcal infection continue to occur in the UK. Vaccination against group B meningococcal infection was added to the childhood immunisation schedule for infants in their first year of age, from 1 May 2015. You are therefore unlikely to have received this vaccine routinely and there is presently no ‘catching up’ arrangement in the UK scheme for individuals born before 2015. Be aware of the signs and symptoms and seek medical advice urgently if you are concerned about your own health or that of another student.
 

Mumps and measles

Mumps and measles can be serious infections. UKHSA has reported a ‘steady rise’ in measles cases in England during 2023, therefore, it is important that you check if you have been vaccinated. The MMR vaccine protects against both of these infections as well as rubella (German measles). Individuals who grew up in the UK and are now of typical student age in 2023 (17+) are likely to have received the MMR vaccine in two doses: the first aged 12-13 months, and the second aged 3 years 4 months. There can be a gap in immunity amongst 18-25 year olds as some didn’t get the MMR vaccine as children. If you were not fully vaccinated as a child (two doses), we strongly recommend that you get the MMR vaccine now. Further information can be found at  MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Tuberculosis (TB)

TB is a serious but curable disease. Incidence in England is higher than in many other Western European countries and is concentrated in London and other major cities. In the UK, those at most risk of developing TB include people who are close contacts of a person with infectious TB and those who have visited, lived or worked for a long time in countries with a high rate of TB. Presently, the BCG vaccine for TB is not routinely offered as part of childhood immunisation in the UK, unless certain risk factors are present. We do not expect students to have received a BCG vaccination before coming to university. You may be offered one if you are deemed to be at risk (mostly students in clinical healthcare). Further information can be found at  BCG vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) overview - NHS (www.nhs.uk).

Diagnosis of active TB disease in young people can be delayed because often neither they nor their doctor consider it as a possibility. If you develop symptoms, such as a persistent cough that lasts for three weeks or more; loss of appetite; weight loss; fevers or sweating at night, you should discuss this with your doctor or College nurse.

If you are arriving from a country with a very high incidence of TB you may be invited to have a blood test to check for latent TB infection – that is, the presence of sleeping TB bacteria in the body, which may not make you feel unwell, but could develop into active TB disease in the future. Further information about latent TB can be found at Latent TB - The Truth About TB

COVID-19 and other respiratory infections

COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.K. are only available as part of seasonal vaccination programmes for individuals at increased risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19. You should be contacted if your medical records indicate that you are eligible.

Once you are here, it is important you follow advice to keep you and others safe if you develop symptoms of a respiratory infection, which might be COVID-19. If you are at higher risk from COVID-19, please discuss this with your doctor or College nurse.

Influenza is an acute viral infection of the respiratory tract. Serious illness and death from influenza are highest among young babies, older people and those with underlying disease. If you suffer from chronic lung, heart, kidney or liver disease or have diabetes or are otherwise immunosuppressed, please discuss having the NHS flu vaccine with your doctor or college nurse. For further information see Flu vaccine - NHS (www.nhs.uk) Seasonal influenza: guidance, data and analysis - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Childhood vaccines

If you are unsure whether your childhood vaccinations are complete, please check with your health practitioner.

Registering with a doctor

If you are an international student arriving from outside the U.K., you will not have access to NHS services until you register with a doctor’s surgery (also known as a General Practitioner or GP). It is very important that you register. It is free (as is most healthcare provided by the NHS) and it is usually easy to register with a doctor, but if you need advice about the process, please ask your College.


Communicable Diseases Helpdesk
01223 339514
Covid-helpdesk@admin.cam.ac.uk

August 2023

Welcome letter from the Dean

Dear Fresher,

Congratulations and Welcome!  Pembroke College is a supportive, enjoyable and purposeful community, and I hope you are looking forward to your arrival at college. I am very much looking forward to meeting you at the beginning of this coming term.

The Chapel, the first worship space that Christopher Wren ever designed, is undoubtedly the most lovely, spiritual and peaceful place in the College. It is open 24 hours a day for all College members. Do come by whenever you need a quiet and refreshing moment. And the Chapel is also a place of engaging and creative activity:

  • We hold beautiful sung services on Wednesdays and twice on Sundays, sung by College students and others under the direction of Anna Lapwood. We also host the excellent University Gospel Choir.
  • We engage actively with the wider world:

          - cooperating with immigrant churches in Cambridge
          - campaigning for migrants and refugees, including through CARA
          - combating inequality in the London with Pembroke House, our linked Community in London
          - working alongside people with learning disabilities.

  • We aim to give an open and fair account of how we find faith life-enhancing and true, as well as its challenges.

         - Learn more about faith in Cambridge in the document at this link — including information on local churches, synagogues, and masjids; finding halal and kosher food; resources for LGBTQ+ Christians; and more.
        - Supporting students of many faiths in our college community, such as our Pembroke Iftar.

I look forward to meeting you soon, including at the annual Dean’s Tea Party on Saturday 30th September, at your Dean’s meeting on Monday or Tuesday, and at your Matriculation Service.

If you want to be in touch before you arrive please do contact me at dm695@cam.ac.uk

The Rev'd Devin McLachlan
Acting Dean and Chaplain

Cycling in Cambridge

How to register your bike and other useful College related information regarding having a bike in College

Information from CamCycle:

Creating a safer Cambridgeshire

Welcome to Cambridge

Cambridge  is  a  safe  and  vibrant  city in  which to live,  work and  study and  I  hope  you will enjoy  a productive and rewarding  time whilst with us.

Should you need  assistance from the police, there are various ways to get in touch with us. Always call
999 if someone is in immediate  danger  or a crime is in progress.

If you want to report anything else, such as stolen property, or if you want to provide us with information or intelligence,  use our online reporting  system  www.cambs.police.uk/report or speak  to one  of our online operators. Alternatively, if you would prefer to speak to someone, please call 101.

Our website has a crime prevention section (www.cambs.police.uk/A-to-Z) where you will find advice on keeping  yourself, your home and belongings  safe.

There  are lots of crime prevention  measures you can take before  you arrive, such as registering  your personal property  for free  (laptops,  iPads,  cameras and  bikes,  for example)  on www.immobilise.com. Other measures are more common sense, such as locking your doors and windows when you go out.

If you are going to join the ranks of the cyclists around Cambridge,  please remember to bring a cycling helmet,  set of working lights and two good, robust locks. Be aware  of the  Highway Code and the rules regarding  safe cycling.

We run regular bike marking events via a scheme called Bike Register  www.bikeregister.com.  These events are  run once  a month around  the city and are  advertised on our social media  channels.  This allows  you  bikes  to be  visably  marked  and  recorded on  a  nationally  searchable database.   Many colleges  also have marking schemes.

Electronic scooters (e-scooters) have  increased in popularity in recent  years  but are  still only legal to ride on private land with the landowner's permission or rented  as part of a government trial. Cambridge is one  of the  city's taking  part  in a  trial. All riders  should obey  the  Highway Code,  never  ride on the pavement, wear a helmet and be vigilant about pedestrians.

Finally,  we  operate a  number   of official social  media  accounts where  we  communicate important messages. You can  follow us on Twitter @CambridgeCops, Facebook - Policing Cambridge  City and lnstagram @cambscops.

If we don't see  you in person  this Fresher Week, we're still here if you'd like to talk to us. I wish you every success with your studies.
Yours sincerely,

PC Alice Bennett
City Centre Neighbourhood Team and
University Liaison Officer

Some other helpful information to get you started

Your University card

Your University card serves a number of functions - so look after it!

You will use your card to access College, borrow books and also to purchase meals (via UPay) in the buttery and bar (Pembroke is cashless).

If you misplace your card you should immediately report it to either the Tutorial Office or the Porter's Lodge so that your account can be cancelled.

Pembroke Facilities

Pembroke has a number of facilities that students can use.  Details of the available facilities and how to book them can be found here.  It also has 2 guestrooms (M4a and M4b) that students can book - these are booked via RMS.

Students wishing to use Pembroke's gym must first complete the Gym Access Permission Request Form

International Freshers Q & A

The slides from the International Freshers Q & A given by Antonia Molnar can be found here