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Alternative Prospectus

Hi...and welcome to Pembroke’s Alternative Prospectus, a guide to Pembroke written entirely by Pembroke students.

Choosing a College may seem like a big decision, but it’s re-ally nothing to worry about. You’ll get excellent teaching in all Colleges, and practically ev-eryone is really happy with the College they end up at.

Having said that, we’ve put this guide together to show you some of the little things that make Pembroke distinctive.

We hope you’ll find this guide useful. If you’d like any more information or have any more questions, there are some handy links at the back.

Enjoy!

Did you know? Pembroke students are sometimes called Valencians, as the College used to be called The Hall of Valence Mary, after Marie de St Pol, wife of the Earl of Pembroke and foundress of the

College.

Studying 4

Student life 6

Societies 8

Food and Drink 10

Accommodation 12

Welfare 14

A Financial Guide 16 Any questions? 17C

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When you first get here, the step up from A-Level or equivalent may seem a little scary, and there will be a lot of work. However, the academics know it’s a big change and they adjust their teaching accordingly. So with a little bit of organisation and a dollop of hard work you’ll be absolutely fine. Here’s a breakdown of studying at Pembroke:

Depending on your subject, you’ll have up to 12 hour-long lectures a week. Pembroke is conveniently situated near many lecture halls meaning that 1st year medics, math-ematicians and scientists can leave Pem-broke at 8.55 AM make a 9 AM lecture! Lectures for other subjects are about a 15 minute walk away. Science and medicine students will also have “labs” – practical sessions – in their weekly timetable.

Lectures & Labs

These hour-long discussions about a partic-ular topic are one of the best bits of the Cambridge education system.

An academic or a PhD student will lead these sessions and they’ll usually be attend-ed by only up to three students, meaning you get a great opportunity to interact with your supervisor more fully.

You have 1 to 4 supervisions a week, de-pending on subject. You might have a list of materials to read for the supervision and may need to prepare something for it (e.g. an essay or the answers to some problems).

These sessions are really helpful: if you’re ever confused or don’t understand any-thing, your supervisor is on hand to iron out any problems you might have. The more you put into supervisions, the more you get out!

For information on supervisions for specific subjects, check out our “alternative” subject information sheets here:

www.pembroke-jp.co.uk/freshers

Supervisions

studying 4

Where to study?Each student room is provided with a large desk, complete with reading lamp, where many students do their work.

If you’re tired of working on your own though, why not head down to Café Pembroke (Café Pem) where there will often be students sharing ideas over a coffee and even writing essays?

The Victorian library is one of College’s most beautiful buildings in the College and is open from 8am to midnight. It is well stocked with books on every subject from archaeology to zoology, and the friendly librarians are available to help you find anything you need. It also has an attached Law library! Even if you don’t require a book, the library offers a calm and inspiring environment in which to work. We also have a computer room which is open 24/7. Here you will find 30 computers, as well as photocopying and printing facilities.

The University Library (UL) is only a 15 minute walk away, should you feel like working out of College, and your faculty or department is also likely to offer libraries and other places in which to work.

Directors of StudiesYour Director of Studies (“DoS” for short) is usually a fellow at Pembroke, who specialises in your subject. A fellow is an academic who shares responsibility for running the College. You’ll meet your DoS at the beginning and end of each term, and may even be supervised by them. They’re here to keep track of your work and to check that everything’s going well. If there are any problems with your studies, your DoS is only an email away and will be brimming with supportive and helpful advice.

Before meeting my DoS, I believed he would think of me as little more than a number and that his only concern would be to push me as hard as possible. I couldn’t have been more wrong. In our first meeting, I was quite nervous, not knowing what to expect, but he quickly relaxed me with humour. Throughout the year we then met, in relaxed and informal meetings, at the be-ginning and end of each term. It is in these meetings that you can discuss any concerns you may have with your course, or ask for additional help. You can also arrange extra meetings with your DoS if you require, and can email him/her throughout the term with any concerns you may have.

George, 2nd Year Natural Scientist

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Pembroke is renowned as a friendly, welcoming College. Regardless of your background, Pembroke feels like home as soon as you move in. The best thing about Pembroke is that whatever you feel like doing, you needn’t be alone.

Fancy a night out? Head to the JP, and there will be people heading out (Pembroke is conveniently situated within a five minute walk of all the Cambridge clubs).

In the mood for a quiet night in? There will almost certainly be people who fancy watching a film, or chilling in the JP.

Feeling thespy? Ask around, and you’ll be sure to find someone heading out to see a play or to watch a debate.

Have an uncontrollable desire to spend an evening in the library (or more likely an im-pending deadline!)? Again, you’ll easily find company.

As you can see, social life is not confined to college: Cambridge has a healthy nightlife, involving many relaxed pubs and bars as well as several cheesy clubs. There is also the usual collection of cinemas, music venues, and theatres to enjoy.

The JP The JP (Junior Parlour) is the hub of College social life. In the daytime it hosts “Cafe Pem”, which is staffed by three lovely people who will quickly learn your name and your order of choice! You can work, chat with friends or pick up a quick panini or salad for lunch.

At 7pm the JP reopens as the College bar. With its squishy leather sofas, table football, and pool table, the JP offers a relaxing envi-ronment to de-stress at the end of a hard day’s work. The drinks are reasonably priced, including our trade-mark drink, “Pembroke Blue”.

The JP decorated with balloons for a Pembroke Music Night

FacilitiesThere are three widescreen TVs in College, which you’ll find a throng of enthusiastic Va-lencians watching if there’s a big match on (or if Pembroke is on University Challenge!). There’s also a common room where you can work or relax, and which can be booked for rehearsals. Our own sports fields, tennis courts, squash court and boathouse are a 10 minute cycle from College. In College itself you’ll also find a fully equipped gym and a table tennis room, which are all free for Pembroke students. We also have two music practice rooms.

student life 6

Pembroke always hosts a May Ball or a June Event in May Week (which actually happens in mid-June!).

These are both absolutely indescribable parties organised by a Pembroke student committee. From 9 PM to 5 or 6 AM, Pem-broke is transformed into a playground of fairground events, food stalls, cock-tails, live music, comedy and a ridiculous amount of other events depending on the theme. (The 2012 June Event had a ca-sino, live alpacas, tarot card readers, a photo booth and much, much more.) The highlight of the Pembroke social calendar, these events are the perfect way to cele-brate after finishing exams.

There are also several garden parties or-ganised by various societies going on in Pembroke in May Week.

Pembroke’s Foundress Lawn being transformed for a June Event

Pembroke College Music Society Garden party in the Master’s Garden

Pembroke hosts Bops at the start of ev-ery term and at the end of Michaelmas and Lent. These are themed fancy-dress College parties (recent themes include “Disney”, “When I Grow Up”, “Hollywood” and “Under the Sea”). Tickets are star-tlingly cheap at £5, which includes a con-siderable amount of drink, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, (non-drinking tickets are even cheaper). Bops offer the chance to catch up with friends and meet College members from other years. Usually Bops end by playing the unofficial College song, “Angels”. Everyone gathers, singing “I’m loving Pembroke instead...”, a fairly bizarre, but much-loved, tradition!

The JPCPembroke student representative body is the JPC (Junior Parlour Committee). Its 18 friendly members meet weekly to ensure College life is as pleasant as possible, discussing how to make Pembroke better than it already is. They also hold regular open meetings for all College students to attend. More information about the JPC, and what its members do, is available on the JPC website:www.pembroke-jp.co.uk/jpc

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Bops

2012 Christmas Bop: The 12 days of Christmas

MAY WEEK

Life at Pembroke isn’t just about work – the College offers a host of societies to get involved in. Most Pembroke societies are free to join, and with something for everyone you’ll feel at home here whether you’re a sports addict, a music enthusiast, or a drama lover.

The Pembroke College Women’s Hockey Team

The sports scene at Pembroke is thriving. There are teams for rugby, men’s football, badminton, women’s football, mixed netball, men’s and women’s hock-ey, cricket, volleyball, as well as an informal tennis league and even an ultimate Frisbee team.

There are also other popular sporting events scat-tered through the year, including “The Pembroke Mile” which is a run to raise money for charity, and includes a free brunch for participants! In December many Pembroke students, led by a College rep, hit the slopes on the Varsity ski trip.

Rowing is amazingly popular throughout Cambridge, for both freshers and graduate students, and Pem-broke is no exception. The Pembroke boathouse is a 10 minute cycle from College. There are usually 4 men’s and 4 women’s boats, meaning that if you’re a novice or a pro, or even fancy coxing, there’s an opportunity for you at the boathouse.

Budding thespians can follow in the footsteps of Eric Idle and Joe Thomas by joining the Pembroke Players, who regularly stage plays, from Shakespeare to new student writing, as well as hosting stand-up comedy nights, which are called ‘‘Smokers”. Even those students with little (or no!) acting talent can take part in the Pembroke Freshers’ Panto.

Writers can join Pembroke’s own Poetry Society or can contribute to Pembroke Street, our termly College magazine. College also sometimes organises writing masterclasses and holds writing competitions with cash prizes!

Singers at Pembroke can join the Chapel Choir, which performs every Sunday at evensong in the College’s chapel (designed by Christopher Wren) and on international tours in the summer.

Alternatively, The Lovely Choir offers a more relaxed environment for singers, regardless of previous experience.

The College orchestra is extraordinarily active, as is Pembroke College Music Society (PCMS), which organises weekly recitals.

Arts

Sports

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societies

And everything else...Feeling intellectual? The Ivory Tower Society, organized by Pembroke’s graduate students, offers weekly lectures for those with inquisitive minds.

Likewise, science fans can attend the Stokes Society’s weekly talks on a range of fascinat-ing topics.

Other societies include the Chess Club, and The Africa Society (with annual charitable trips to Africa!). Plus, there are loads of volunteering opportunities. Pembroke host charity events and many students volunteer their time to doing good, such as with Pembroke House, the community charity Pembroke students set up in London over 100 years ago.

Not seen what you’re looking for?If your interest isn’t yet catered for at Pembroke, or if you want to get involved at a higher level, there are hundreds of University-wide societies you can also join.

You could also set up your own society at Pembroke – College is often able to provide funding for you to do so!

You can also get involved in Chapel life, and there are dozens of other discussion and interest groups, societ-ies and committees around College (too many to name them all here!).

Alternatively, you can stand for election to the JPC, or help the Access Team by helping at open days and giving tours to prospective students.

Pembroke’s Wren Chapel (consecrated 1665)

Pembroke offers such a diverse range of societies, from tea-drinking, life-drawing, mixed netball, poetry, and drama.

Whatever your interests, chances are we have a suitable society! The inclusivity of these societies means that whatever your ability, you will be welcomed with open arms. The focus of many of them is re-laxed and informal, giving you a prime opportunity to take up something obscure that you’ve never imagined yourself doing!

Steph, 3rd Year English Student.

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The food served in Pembroke is renowned throughout Cambridge! We have a Michelin starred chef, who provides very high quality – and occasionally even experimental – food at bargain student prices!

Where do we eat?

The Hall

Our beautiful Harry Potter-esque hall is where we eat the food cooked in Pembroke, either bought in Trough (our affectionate name for the canteen) or served at Formal. It’s a great place to catch up with all your friends from Pembroke … and to meet some new ones.

FORMAL

“Formals”, are waiter-served three course (or more!) dinners in the Hall. Pembroke is very unusual in that we’re lucky enough to have one every single evening of term! None of them are compulsory, but at only £8, most people go once a fortnight or so.

Complete with gowns, gongs and a Latin Grace, formal is steeped in tradition yet a lot of fun. Just remember to bring your own bot-tle!

TROUGH

College serves breakfast, lunch and dinner at trough every day (and brunch at weekends). The chefs cater for a very wide choice, both in terms of taste and dietary require-ments.

After paying the termly KFC (kitchen fixed charge, roughly £140) Pembroke students receive a 3rd off discount on marked prices when they pay with their Pembroke student card, which we top up electronically. A typical dinner would cost you around £3.50 after discount (which would include a main and either two sides, or one side and a dessert). Although the kitchen fixed charge is compulsory, it’s all pay-as-you-go after that, which equals very handy flexibility.

Brunch at Pembroke is more than a lazy breakfast; it is an institution. With a prop-er fry-up (strangely including onion rings) and waffles, brunch is where everybody catches up after the week and soothes a post-bop hangover. The only downside? The massive queue because the whole of Cambridge wants some!”

Matt, 3rd Year Natural Scientist

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food and drink

Café PembrokeThe Café and Bar

Café Pembroke is often College’s social hub during the day.

It’s open 10am-7pm on week-days and serves a wide range of light meals and snacks, including paninis, salad pots, and pastries. It’s a great place to grab lunch with friends, or settle down with a steaming cup of hot chocolate over your book.

The Bar opens every day from 7pm-11pm, serving drinks and cold snacks.

Like in Trough, you can also pay for everything with your college card!

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Pembroke students can also prepare food for ourselves - see the section on cooking in “accomodation”.

Pembroke provides accommodation, in or out of College grounds, for undergrads across all three or four years of their course.

Where?FIRST YEAR:

1st years are guaranteed accommodation on the main College site. After you receive your A-Level (or equivalent) results, you are asked which building, or court, in College you’d like prefer to live in. There are several to choose from.

Some like the light, spacious rooms offered by Orchard Building and others prefer the quirky corridors of Old Court.

A dozen or so students enjoy views of the library thanks to their rooms in the Victori-an Red Buildings.

Still not sure? How about living in the stun-ning, grade II listed buildings of New Court?

Or, if you prefer, there are more than forty rooms for freshers in Foundress Court, built in 1997, which offers a modern accommo-dation. Rooms have several price ranges, so there is something for every budget. A room with a view: looking out from a

window in Orchard Building

SECOND YEAR:

Names are picked from a ballot at the end of first year to decide the order in which you choose 2nd year accommodation. You can ballot in groups of up to four. Second years often live in College-owned houses, called “Hostels”, of between 6 and 33 bedrooms, but you can still elect to live in College in your second year if there’s space. Hostels are scat-tered throughout the city, though all are within a 20 minute walk of College. Those who get firsts in their end of year exams are offered extra large “scholars’ rooms” which may even come with their own sitting room!

THIRD AND FOURTH YEAR:

In these years you can either live in College or live out in College-owned houses again. Most of the College houses for 3rd years are less than a 5 minute walk from Pembroke.

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accommodation

FacilitiesCOOKING:

Basic kitchens that we call “Gyp rooms” in College are shared between four or five students. They contain a fridge, freezer, hobs and a microwave, meaning you can prepare a snack here if you’re feeling peckish, or are in need of a late night caffeine boost! They aren’t very big, but that’s compensated for by the cheap food and social atmosphere in Trough.

In hostels, ovens are provided to reflect the fact that you’re further from College so may want to do some of your own cooking, though many people in hostels still eat in Trough.

BATHROOMS

Bathroom facilities are usually shared between four and six students. We don’t have any en-suites at Pembroke (although many rooms have sinks), which helps keep the rent down. Although some students are initially worried about this, it’s never a problem for anyone. Certainly in 1st year, the people you live with will often study different subjects and have different schedules to you, meaning you practically never have to queue for a shower.

LAUNDRY

All College accommodation has laundry facilities. It costs £1.40 per wash and 50p per use of the tumble dryer.

“BEDDERS”

The housekeeping staff, called “bedders” empty your bins and hoover your room weekly, and clean the bathrooms and kitchens every weekday.

DISABILITIES

College makes allowances for people who need their own kitchen, need to keep their room all year, need a ground-floor room, need a room in college for all three years, need spe-cific items (e.g. fridges) and more. For mobility issues (and wheelchair users specifically) we have 2-3 rooms that are wheelchair accessible.

RENT

Pembroke offers some of the cheapest accommodation in Cambridge, with rents ranging from approximately £65 to £105 per week. You only pay for nine or ten weeks. On the one hand, this makes Cambridge a much cheaper option than other universities where you often have to pay a whole year’s rent. On the other hand, it can sometimes be a bit of a pain trying to extend your room licence beyond the end of term, but the financial benefits of the system vastly outweigh this difficulty.

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The JPC welfare team functions to keep students happy and healthy, as well as fed and entertained, and works closely with the College’s Tutors and pastoral team in order to achieve this.

The Welfare Team

All of the team are available to help with any issue, even if it is not directly related to their role!

The Welfare Officer oversees most of the welfare in College, runs drop-in sessions (with lots of tea, and often chocolate,) and also has an anonymous email service and a welfare phone number. They are available to chat and give advice about anything, from a difficult assignment to illnesses to sexual health concerns. They can also deal with the ‘powers that be’ in College on your behalf.

The Women’s Officer’s role comprises a welfare aspect and a campaigning aspect. The welfare aspect involves being available to chat to female students in Pembroke about women-specific issues. The campaigning aspect involves attending meetings with the CUSU Women’s Officer and the Women’s Officers from all the other Colleges in order to create policy designed to further women’s welfare and women’s rights within the University as a whole.

The Men’s Officer is available to speak to anyone about issues specific to men, and is a champion of men’s health awareness.

The LBGT Officer looks after all things sexuality related. If you have questions about your sexuality or the sexual orientation of someone close to you leaves you with questions, the LBGT officer can help. They also run all sorts of LBGT social events for fun, and not just for LBGT.

The Internationals’ Officer looks out for the welfare international students, and helps people adjust to the new culture of England (and Cambridge) – even with things as simple as British slang.

The Ethnic Minorities’ Officer looks out for the welfare ethnic minorities in College, and deals with any and all related issues.

The Disabled Students’ Officer provides support for those with any kind of health problem, physical or mental impairment, or learning difficulty. They can answer ques-tions relating to how to talk to Tutors and supervisors about getting the support you need, learning to handle your condition(s) in a new environment, applying for Disabled Students’ Allowance or anything else that might seem a bit overwhelming at first.

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welfare

A New Family

Most Colleges, including Pembroke, run a family scheme, which is one of the best ways for older students to provide support and encouragement to incoming students. Freshers and their new “siblings” are paired with a group of “Mums and Dads” who provide a lot of entertainment for their children, as well as support and advice, from solving a timetabling crisis to the recommendation of a good chip van. At Pembroke, families tend to be larger (around 10 or so in a family) than families at most other Colleges.

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Each student gets a Personal Tutor, a Fellow of the College whose primary responsibility is to care for your welfare. Your Personal Tutor is there to help you deal with illness, stress, prob-lems within your subject, or anything else. (Your Director of Studies is the first port-of-call for subject-related queries).

Many Tutors run drop-in sessions for their Tutees where you can drop by and get things off your chest.

The College Nurse also runs drop-in sessions where you can seek her advice on anything health-related, be it an ongoing cough or not being able to get out of bed. She also gives fan-tastic advice on personal issues.

Pembroke also has its own College counsellor and a “listening scheme” of trained listeners.

The Older the Wiser

IncomeFunding for fees: Undergraduate tuition fees at Cambridge, as at most universities, are set at £9000 per year for British and European Students. Government loans cover this and a certain amount of your maintenance (living costs). More information about the money you’re entitled to can be found at www.studentfinancedirect.co.uk. You won’t have to pay back any of these loans until you’re in a well paid job and, depending on household income, you may even be eligible for a grant, which you will never have to pay back!

University and College Bursaries: Pembroke and Cambridge University both offer very generous grants, dependent on your household income.

Every student is also entitled to an annual book grant from the College of up to £60 to contribute to course related costs and funding is often available for extra-curricular ac-tivities such as language studies or course-related travel. Pembroke also offers monetary prizes for all sorts of competitions or academic achievements.

Rent: Pembroke offers some of the cheapest accommodation in Cambridge with weekly prices ranging roughly between only £65 and £105. Plus, you only pay for nine or ten weeks a term - unlike other universities you don’t have to pay in the holidays here which really saves you money.

Termly Costs: Other costs, such as electricity, internet and the kitchen facilities charge (KFC for short. This is charged by most Colleges and means the prices of food in Hall are lower than they would otherwise be) come to around £200 a term.

Weekly Costs: Including food expenditure, the College estimates that you’ll need just over £70 per week. This will be towards things such as laundry, nights out (entry at Cambridge clubs starts at £3 whilst a pint in the College bar costs a bit less) and essentials from the supermarket such as tea and coffee for that much needed caffeine boost! You may also need to spend money on course related costs, which vary depending on the subject.

Expenditure

Free stuff!Happily, there are many free things in Cambridge that make it a cheaper place to study than many other Universities:

Travel: Unlike larger cities, everywhere in Cambridge is accessible on foot or on bike, so you don’t have to worry about transport costs draining your wallet.

Societies: Most Pembroke societies are completely free to join!

Museums and Galleries: Cambridge is full of wonderful museums and galleries (the Fitzwil-liam Museum, Kettle’s Yard etc), all of which are free to enter.

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finance

We hope that we’ve answered most of your questions in this guide. If you have any more, check out the “CUSU Ask a Student” feature and we’ll be happy to answer anything, be it specific to a certain subject, Pembroke, Cambridge, or simply student life. The link is here:

www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/contacts/access/index.html

If you have any technical admissions questions, our lovely admissions staff will be happy to help you. They can be reached by email (adm@pem.cam.ac.uk) or by phone (01223 338154).

If you’re after some more student-written “alternative information”, we have information sheets on what it’s like to study each subject at Pembroke here:

www.pembroke-jp.co.uk/freshers

Cambridge University Students’ Union (CUSU) has also put together its own alternative prospectus, which can be found here:

www.applytocambridge.com

any questions?

Good luck in your applications and hopefully we’ll see you soon!

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CREDITS

Edited by: Adam SquibbsDesigned and sub-edited by: Gabrielle Schwarz

Written by: Patrick Kirkham, Anna Robinson, Freya Rowland, Adam SquibbsFront cover image by: Talia Schwarz

All other images by: Dawn Trigwell, Bella Plumptre, Charlotte Little, Matthew Jacobs, Rachel Steinitz and Abby Jitendra

With special thanks to: Stephanie Barrett, Charlie Bindels, Caroline Burt, George Hinksman, Laura McGarty, Matt Pullen, Richard Stockwell, and Mark Wormald.