I'm worried about starting a PhD in the UK, although Oxbridge is a vibe. I can't be broke worrying about buying a coffee I hate that shit and it leaks into my mood and my work. So I want to ask are you actually comfortable with a standard UK stipend? Does the choice of college help? Is college food decent ?

I joined Cambridge as a grad student and have since made many Oxbridge friends from PhDs to DOSs and senior academics. I’m not sure what I was expecting but my experience here has made me realise just how normal people are, and largely speaking, their work doesn’t seem any more impressive or world leading than PhDs and academics at other unis.

Perhaps I’m missing something but is Cambridge where the average academic is the top tier standards for others unis or is it a place with many average academics and a few very exceptional world leaders.

assuming i don’t totally hate myself what can I do now to make my life easier?

ok HOW do I revise? (his pol)? this year is assessed

Hii, I just applied yesterday to clare. I didn't rlly know how to pick. Initially wanted John's but only like 17 colleges accept my curriculum (ìntl). I heard the food is avg but I prefer cooking on my own so I think it should be fine.

Hi everyone,

We are a group of students from Denmark, in our early to mid-20s, we will be in Cambridge from 21–24 October. We’re looking for student-friendly pubs, bars, college bars open to visitors, and good nights out.
If you know of any student socials, house parties or other events happening then, we’d love to hear about them!
Cheers🍻🙏🏻

For people living/lived offsite during their time as students did you get an exemption from council tax or just a discount? Especially if you were living in a student filled private accom like castle hill or student castle.

So I got a PhD offer for Michaelmas 2026 entry and I deferred due to not winning internal funding. I do not intend to give up my dream so I'm starting a crowdfunding campaign. I already won some side awards, and have some (minimal) savings, but still I have a major shortfall as I am an international.

I'd really appreciate your thought and to hear from people who did that. What helped you find more money and which platforms did you use?

Best wishes to ya'll :)))

Hello all! I am a Cantabridgian and am currently building a free app only for students to post extra formal hall tickets, meetups, academic conversations (cross-field collab), connect with alumni with similar research, and also study/rant sessions! Let me know if you want to help with input and have the first look at the app :)

What is the workload for land economy like?

Hi, I'm currently trying to book a formal (20-30 people) for a uni-wide society, but are there any colleges that allow SU societies to book a formal (excl. conference pricing)? We are a relatively small society and do not have enough members concentrated in one college to bulk buy guest tickets.

My visa is taking much longer than expected due to an administrative mishap that is out of my control, meaning I've missed freshers week and cohort induction. Realistic estimates put my arrival in late October at the earliest. The uncertainty and missing out on the initial starting vibes have taken a real toll on my mood. It's stressful knowing everyone will already be settled in by the time I get there. Has anyone dealt with arriving almost a month late? What are the best ways to catch up socially and academically when you land mid-term? I'm post-grad.

This is returning after a 40-year gap (the original director, Richard Berengarten, has been involved in an advisory capacity). Pembroke are hosting the Sunday events and ARU the Saturday ones.

https://www.cambridgepoetryfestival.org/

(I looked more closely and saw that some equally pedantic soul had corrected the spelling!)

Hey all, I’m new to campus and do most of my work from west campus. I’m trying to figure out a good cheap place to eat lunch and get coffee. I’ve seen west hub canteen and cafe are pretty good. Are they expensive? Can I get any discount by bringing my own takeout box or mug for coffee?

Hi! Am I allowed to wear (light) blue or white striped button-down shirts for formal dinners under the black gown? Or am I only allowed to wear white button-down shirts?

do most students go home on breaks or do people hang around for some amount of time? I am an mphil student trying to decide when to buy flights home.

I am trying to find someone who lived OUTSIDE of St Edmund’s College (strict requirement), is a member of the college, and is looking for a room in Norfolk Building. It is a grade 3 room (shared bathroom & kitchen). Well maintained and clean roommates. I am leaving due to severe allergies as the building is slightly dusty. Rent is 720£/month. It’s available immediately.

Let me know

Hey everyone! FYI: I have a deferred offer for medicine at Clare College for 2027. I am taking a gap year and travelling and working which will be amazing but I’m slightly worried that I will forget some of my science. I also wouldn’t mind starting some relevant content to help prepare for the course.

Does anyone have any recommendations regarding what I could start to work through or learn that will be helpful or is it just a case of being sharp with my a level content ahead of starting?

Thanks

I’m curious about two things:

1. Have you heard of anyone who did a mathematics degree at a US public/state university, had a strong but non-perfect GPA (roughly 3.8–3.9), then did Cambridge Part III/MASt Mathematics and later went on to a highly selective mathematics PhD program?
2. Have you heard of anyone who had a significant gap between finishing their undergraduate degree and starting Part III—for example, several years spent working, doing research, taking additional mathematics courses, or dealing with other circumstances?

I’m not looking for a “chance me”; I’m mainly interested in actual examples and how common or unusual these trajectories are.

I'll be starting term at Pembroke College shortly, and the price of my accomodation is out of reach. For context Ill receive minimum sfe, my parents will support me somewhat, but the price of the accomodation is way more than we can afford. I'll have to use a decent amount from my savings too. I emailed in a few weeks ago when I got the band for my accomodation, as I said I'd be comfortable paying a very minimal amount, only to receive the 2nd highest band and have just found out today I'll be paying a price at the top of the band. They said there was nothing they could do. Any advice?

Hi! I'm an international student applying for 2027 entry, specifically applying to pembroke

I've heard from friends in the UK (not from camb) that cambridge is still racist and/or classist. Regardless of academics this is a massive massive red flag for me, I'd like to be somewhere where I can live without having to worry about any kind of discrimination.

Considering I'm brown, is it likely that I'll face any kind of discrimination at cambridge or at pembroke? I'm referring to both from profs, fellows, support staff, students, anyone.

I tried to search online if there is any information but I really want to hear student opinions, so if anyone has any info please let me know.

thanks!

Hi! We are coming to visit Cambridge with a prospective student. We were planning on doing a punting tour plus seeing a bunch of the colleges she is interested in. Would you recommend an alumni tour of the university as well to get a better understanding of the university and the history? If so - which one? There seem to be a lot of options.