Cambridge Survival Guide 2013/14

SURVIVAL

CAMBRIDGE GUIDE 2013-14

www.cusu.cam.ac.uk

Welcome to Cambridge!

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Welcome to Cambridge!

You finished your exams, received your results, packed up your room and now finally you’re here in Cambridge – your new home for the next few years.

You’re just starting out on your amazing journey through Cambridge. There’ll be numerous chances to get involved with sports and societies, both in your colleges and beyond, to make the most of excellent academic opportunities and to make lasting friendships. Cambridge can sometimes be a confusing place, especially on arrival, so we at CUSU have created this Cambridge Survival Guide to give you all the clear, useful information you’ll need. We hope it’ll be useful for the whole year; it’s written by students at CUSU for students, and you won’t find anything else like it!

Connecting with you, our members, is really important to CUSU; we’ll be visiting your college and sending you weekly bulletin emails throughout the year to tell you all about what we do and how to get involved. Feel free to get in touch with us, pop into our offices and make your voice heard – we’re your Students’ Union, and we exist to create change by representing you.

We’re student-led and passionate about campaigning. We provide resources for campaigns that are important to you, great training sessions and many opportunities to get involved in our Faculty and College networks. We represent your interests to the University and we provide lots of services direct to you.

An easy place to find us and get more info as soon as you get to Cambridge is the Societies Fair – the biggest in Europe – where we host a huge variety of sports clubs and societies for you to talk to. You can find the CUSU stalls there and sign up to lots of our teams, events and campaigns.

We’re excited to meet lots of you at the Societies Fair and we look forward to connecting with you this year!

t to right): Pictured (from lef tor), Weldon (Coordina en’s Officer), Dom ogewerfLauren Steele (Wom s Officer), Helen Ho ces (Ac iz Ru Sam , ) dent) esi cer (Pr Offi rn n bo atio Os uc k Flic i Lee (Ed Officer) and Jia Hu Mccomb (Welfare

Contents Welcome

Welcome to Cambridge Contact CUSU

3 4 6

Student Life 7 Freshers week 8 College social life 10 JCRs & MCRs 12 Societies and Sports 14 Volunteering 16 Cycling 18

Studying at Cambridge 19 Undergraduate 20 Postgraduate 22 The Tripos System 24 Navigating the University 26

CUSU 29 Introduction 30 Get Involved!

33 Current campaigns 36 Autonomous campaigns 38 Access 44 Student Advice Service 46 Services 48

Support 51 Around the University In your college Financial Support Sexual health Mental health Eating problems Student parents Mature students Disabled students

53 54 55 56 58 60 63 65 66

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Contact CUSU Whether campaigning is your thing or you want support for setting up a new society, you need some advice from our Student Advice Service or you just need to do some printing or pick up some sexual health supplies, CUSU is here for you.

Come to the Office

Contact a Sabbatical Officer

You can access CUSU to use our printing services and shop, meet the sabbs, or access the Student Advice Service.

Flick Osborn President Email: president@cusu.cam.ac.uk

Our office is located on the University’s New Museums Site, just off Downing Street (go through the archway on Downing Street to the very back of the site and you’ll see the sign for the CUSU office). The address and contact details are below.

Dom Weldon Coordinator Email: coordinator@cusu.cam.ac.uk

Cambridge University Students’ Union Old Examination Hall Free School Lane CB2 3RF Tel 01223 333 313 Fax 01223 333 179 Email info@cusu.cam.ac.uk CUSU is your students’ union, we’re here to support and represent you, and we really appreciate feedback on how we’re doing, and on how we could improve.

Jia Hui Lee Education Officer Email: education@cusu.cam.ac.uk Sam Ruiz Access Officer Email: access@cusu.cam.ac.uk Lauren Steele Womens’ Officer Email: womens@cusu.cam.ac.uk Helen Hoogewerf-Mccomb Welfare and Rights Officer Email: welfare@cusu.cam.ac.uk

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Student Life

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Freshers Week All freshers arrive before term starts to socialise and settle into their new life at Cambridge. International Students arrive two weeks early to meet other international students during International Freshers Week and get used to the country, and the city and culture of Cambridge. All other freshers arrive a week before term starts for socialising and induction events at both Colleges and faculties.

Matriculation Matriculation is when you become a formal member of the University of Cambridge. It involves a photo of all the new students, signing the register and a meal in the formal dining hall. Most colleges may require you to wear a gown so remember to reserve one at your college, get one second hand or buy one when you arrive!

Parents & Siblings Scheme To ease you into the unique experience of Cambridge culture and student life, freshers are paired up with second year students, called ‘college parents’, who might take you on a tour around Cambridge or take you out for a meal during fresher’s week. It’s their job to help you settle in and to fill you in on college life and support networks. You may also be paired with another fresher, your ‘sibling’ who will also have the same ‘parents’ as you, so you can chat and socialise.

Social During the week your JCR or MCR will have organised activities, meals and club nights or ‘bops’ (college-based parties). Although fresher’s week may sometimes feel shorter than at other Universities which may have two weeks of partying, it’s still more than enough time to make friends and go out. You’ll have even more opportunities to socialise with people outside your college both in freshers week and throughout your time at Cambridge if you join a society at the Societies Fair. Make sure you’re aware of who you can go to if you need support or are unsafe; alcohol and drug safety as well as sexual health are very important to be aware of when hitting the town!

Your Course During freshers week you will have introductions to your Department and Faculty, as well as meetings with your DoS and tutor. Although work will kick in soon after fresher’s week, be careful to take time to recover. Remember to eat and sleep well, otherwise you may get exhausted. Try not to feel too pressured to write the perfect assignment in your first few weeks of term; it takes time to settle into Cambridge life and balance your workload.

Basketball shower compete

power

Football run

fun welcome

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fitness

Circuits

Zumba

Classes

University of Cambridge Sports Centre

www.sport.cam.ac.uk

stretch

team

sweat

strength

Volleyball

flex

Badminton Yoga Table Tennis

energise

relax Conditioning de-stress Pilates

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Colleges Every student at Cambridge is a member of one of the 31 Colleges. Your College is your main source of pastoral support and accommodation. It is also the body responsible for the majority of your teaching, providing you with a Director of Studies (DoS) and supervisors. Most students find that their College becomes their central social community throughout their time at Cambridge and for years to come.

Undergraduates Your lectures will be provided by your Department or Faculty (or, for some courses, across several Departments and Faculties), whilst organising your supervisions is the responsibility of your College.

Postgraduates For Postgraduates, teaching and research supervision will be provided by your Department or Faculty. The colleges provide pastoral support within a stimulating academic community.

All the colleges within the University of Cambridge accept graduate students, although numbers vary between colleges.

Accommodation & Food Colleges are much more than halls of residence during your time at Cambridge.

Every College guarantees students accommodation for at least the first three years of their time at Cambridge, and often into a fourth year. Rooms vary between the different Colleges and within each College. Generally, you will be assigned a room in your first year, either with other first years or a mixture of different years, whilst in future years you will be entered into a ballot system allowing you to choose a room with others you know nearby.

Every College provides a ‘hall’ or ‘buttery’, offering reasonably priced hot and cold food at mealtimes; at many of the older Colleges, meals are provided in an old traditional dining hall, whilst other Colleges have different set-ups. Many students choose to eat in College quite regularly, whilst others prefer to make use of College cooking facilities or occasionally head out to one of the City’s many restaurants. “Formal halls” (often just “formals”) are regular occasions in College when, typically for just a little extra on top of the cost of a normal meal, you can receive a served three course meal, with wine if you choose. Going to a different College to sample a formal hall is a great way to hang out with friends at different Colleges.

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Social Life Colleges are a hub for socialising and making friends. Each college has a bar and usually a common room or games area to relax with your friends. As well as “formals” and eating at mealtimes, there are often socials with other colleges so you can branch out from your college. There are multiple societies and sports within college giving you a great opportunity to immerse yourself a favourite activity and meet people with common interests.

Representation Every College has a student council which is part of the CUSU network. The Junior Common Room (JCR) represents Undergraduates in your college and the Middle Common Room (MCR) represents Graduate Students and is linked to the Graduate Union (GU). The JCR Committee has a number of positions held by students in the college that represent different groups in college. These can include: President, Vice President, Access Officer, Welfare Officer, Women’s Officer, International Officer, Fresher’s Officer, Events Officer, LBGT (Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Trans*) Officer , BME (Black and Ethnic Minorities) Officer and others. This representative system gives a voice to students in the college, allowing the JCR to take motions to CUSU Council or to try and change policy within the college. It also provides a welfare support system which is directly linked to CUSU.

Don’t forget to pick up ide! your free freshers gu

JARGON BUSTER! JCR

Junior Common or Combination Room – College students’ union and a social space

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JCRs & MCRs In every college there are student associations called the Junior Common (or ‘Combination’) Room for undergraduate students and the Middle Common Room for postgraduate students. Alternatively, there may be an overall students’ union for all students.

These committees operate in a similar way to CUSU but on a College level. They each have a President and other officers covering all areas of College life. They’re your go-to people if you have any questions or there are issues needing to be addressed in your College.

Do get involved with your JCR or MCR! They’re a great way to be involved with College life and to make positive student life changes.

Representation JCR and MCR committee members sit on College committees ensuring the student voice is heard in College-level decision making. By being affiliated to CUSU, your JCR and MCR reps will make your voice heard on a University level by voting on CUSU policy at Council meetings and through their involvement in CUSU’s other networks and groups. This policy then feeds into our work within the structures of the University.

Campaigning Individual JCR and MCR officers and the committee as a whole will campaign on issues to improve student life in Cambridge. These campaigns could be specifically within your college (e.g. rent negotiations) or University wide (e.g. saving bursaries). Each officer within the committee connects with their equivalent officers on other College JCRs and MCRs in networks facilitated by CUSU, so that campaigns can be coordinated to make change right across the University.

JARGON BUSTER! MCR

Middle Common Room see JCR, but for postgraduate students

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Ents Keep an eye out for any social events which your JCR or MCR committee run in your College – these are often called “Ents” or “Bops” and there’ll be lots during Freshers Week.

Welfare Every JCR or MCR Committee has a Welfare Officer. They can point you to the right places to find advice and support. They also supply condoms and pregnancy tests, which they get from CUSU. Your College should also have a Women’s officer who makes sure that women’s needs are met in College while working with the University wide Women’s Campaign. CUSU also believes that every JCR and MCR should have a BME officer and a Disabled Students officer – if there isn’t one in your College, get involved!

WHY NOT GET INVOLVED?! d MCR nd CR an u Your J will be aro ek. s e We te s it r e m h com Fres h them ghout throu easy to catc hat’s w e k b s da It’ll hat an ith their for a c w n o going paigns. cam

When open meetings ar e held, go along to discuss ideas for cam paigns and policy.

Also a sk you r JCR or MC R wh electio en their ns are – every coll is diffe ege rent!

Creati campa ng an electio ign is lo n ts of fu a great n and c h a ll e nge, an once y ou d are lots ’re elected th ere of oppo have a n impa rtunities to ct on C life and ollege excitin be part of an g, activ e commu student nity.

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Sports & Societies Cambridge is home to over 700 student-run societies and sports clubs covering almost anything you can think of. There are societies for everything from debating to dance, taekwondo to tiddlywinks, football to finance, Harry Potter to hockey and everything in between. Almost all will be running some kind of introductory social event called a ‘squash’ during Freshers Week for new members and they’re open to anyone from any college whether you’re a fresher or a finalist!

If you’re keen on music, almost all colleges have their own choirs or music societies, and there are university choirs, bands and orchestras catering to any and all tastes. Some are audition-only, but others are open to all, so whether you’re a seasoned cellist or have just picked up the ukulele for the first time there should be a group you can join.

Budding journalists can get involved with student newspapers Varsity, The Cambridge Student or the online Tab, or with the award-winning radio station for Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin Universities, CamFM. There are loads of other magazines and publications around as well, from subject-specific publications like the Modern Languages Society’s Polyglossia to literary reviews and satirical magazines.

Sports people are spoilt for choice at Cambridge, where the college system provides a great way for students to get involved in sport at all levels. If you fancy a social kick-about or taking up a new sport, most colleges have a range of sports teams, which also compete in the intercollegiate ‘cuppers’. But if you’re already playing at a high level, university sports societies provide the opportunity to compete against other universities. Alternatively, if you’re planning on taking up a new, slightly more unusual sport, there’s probably a society for that too! And in the unlikely event that you can’t find a society that takes your fancy, you can always start your own! For more information on doing this, contact Dom the CUSU Coordinator at coordinator@cusu.cam.ac.uk.

CUSU provides a full directory of societies at www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/societies/directory, and also supports societies by assisting with publicity and by providing training and events. CUSU also runs the Societies Fair, which runs on the 8th and 9th of October this year. There’ll be about 400 societies there, so it’s a fantastic chance to see what they’ve all got to offer and sign up if you’re interested!

JARGON BUSTER! SQUASH

The bizarre name for the events that clubs/societies run in Freshers’ Week, where you can find out more about them and sign up (they often involve free food)

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The career you plan.

The bank you build.

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The relationships you grow. As a graduate or intern here at RBS, the unique contribution you make will help shape the future of our organisation. So we’re looking for people who will thrive in an ever-evolving business and who are ready to take on plenty of challenges along the way. In return, you can expect to build a rewarding career in a business which you will help to define.

Visit rbsbankyoubuild.com for more.

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Charity & Volunteering For Cambridge dwellers who want to make a positive impact on their community, there are plenty of charities and volunteering opportunities in the city that give you the chance to give something back, whether that be through spending a few hours at a local primary school, collecting spare change in a bucket for charity or participating in one of the many fundraising events to which Cambridge plays host.

RAG Cambridge RAG (Raising and Giving) puts the fun into fundraising. Based out of an office at CUSU on the New Museums Site, each year Cambridge’s largest student fundraising group runs a number of events to raise money for local, national and international charities. Last year, RAG raised over £170,000 by organising some of the most popular and outrageous events in the Cambridge calendar.

RAG’s annual Blind Date saw over 2,500 students pairing up to wine and dine.

For those looking for an adrenaline rush, why not sign up to the annual RAG Skydive? Or, if you’re looking to climb up rather than fall down, how about signing up for the Kilimanjaro trek? Jailbreak has become one of the society’s flagship events: how far away from Cambridge can you get in 36 hours with no money? Last year, one of the competing pairs made it all the way to Sydney! On top of this, there are RAG club nights, auctions, themed formals, street collections (aka ‘raiding’), gameshows, bake sales, RAG Week and much more besides.

If you would like to get involved in RAG, get in touch with your college rep or, if you’re not sure who that is, contact Emma, RAG’s President, at president@cambridgerag.org.uk. If you’d like to find out more about RAG, you can also visit www.cambridgerag.org.uk, visit the Cambridge RAG Facebook page or come and visit Emma in the RAG Office on weekdays between 10am-4pm.

£ 170K ra ised by R last year AG

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Local Volunteering Alongside these fundraising initiatives, there are also plenty of opportunities for local volunteering in Cambridge. SCA (Student Community Action) is your one-stop shop if you want to find a volunteering placement in Cambridge, existing to encourage the involvement in students in valuable voluntary community work.

Placements vary from work in local schools to helping the elderly and disabled and vary hugely in terms of time commitment so there is a volunteering opportunity for everyone. Take a look online at www.cambridgesca.org.uk for a full list of this year’s opportunities.

The Ethical Network Coordinated by The Cambridge Hub, The Ethical Network links together societies at Cambridge University that aim to make a positive difference, be that in charity or in environmental and sustainability issues. Cambridge is a city that is full of determined and empowered people, both young and old, with great ideas, active initiatives and inspiring projects. Keep an eye out for the various ethical society stalls at the main Societies Fair at Kelsey Kerridge and at the Ethical Network Societies Fair later in Michaelmas term. For more information on the ethical activities with which you can get involved, pick up a copy of the Cambridge Hub’s Ethical Guide to Cambridge or access an online copy via www.cambridgehub.org.

From 2013, CUSU Ethical Affairs and Cambridge Hub are running the first ever Cambridge Ethical Festival, taking place at the end of October. As part of an initiative to unite all the ethical bodies and charities in Cambridge, the festival will see second-hand clothes sales, themed talks, movie and cocktail nights, careers events and much more. Get in touch by emailing ethical-chair@cusu.cam.ac.uk and watch out for the Ethical Festival publicity and Facebook event.

For more information about these and any of Cambridge’s other ethical and charity societies, check out the CUSU Societies Directory at www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/societies/directory.

1 EVER st

Cambridge Ethical Festiv al Coming Octob

er

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Cycling Cambridge is a really easy city to get around either by foot or by bike, and lots of students (but not all!) will buy bikes for the duration of their stay here. It’s a great way to get from A to B, and you can even plan cycle routes on websites like cambridge.cyclestreets.net. There are a few easy things you can do to make sure that your time cycling around Cambridge is as smooth and trouble-free as possible: Keep your bike safe Cycle theft isn’t unknown in Cambridge, and it’s really important that you lock up your bike when you’re not using it. Whether you’re parked outside college for the night or you’ve just propped it outside Sainsbury’s for five minutes, you should always make your bike secure when you’re not with it. Get a good quality D-lock, and remember that locking your bike to a cycle rack is way more secure than just locking the wheel to the frame.

Your college will also want you to register your bike with them. You’ll get the letters of your college and a number, probably painted onto the mudguard, and this will help your bike get identified if it does get stolen. It’ll also make sure that you have full access to cycle storage facilities in college and on other University sites.

Get bike lights!

The police will stop you if you’re out after dark and don’t have lights on your bike. If you’re going somewhere during daylight hours but returning after dusk remember that you will need to take bike lights with you! CUSU sells bike lights for £8 a pair and many colleges sell them too – make sure you don’t get caught out!

Rules on the road There are certain rules to follow when cycling on the road which you should follow if you want to stay safe!

If the street is one-way, no cycling the wrong way is permitted. You also shouldn’t cycle on the pavement unless it’s a designated cycle path, and we advise against jumping red lights as this would be illegal!

Studying at Cambridge

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Undergraduate By now, you’ve probably heard a lot about the tutorial system at Cambridge and are eager to begin. This section provides a quick introduction to being an undergraduate at Cambridge. As an undergraduate, you will receive some teaching from your College and some from your department or faculty. Lectures and practicals are provided by the department, while supervisions are held in College.

What happens in a supervision?

Supervisions are teaching sessions by an academic, usually in your College, conducted in small groups (between 1 and 5), and lasting an hour. They are coordinated by your College’s Director of Studies (most colleges have a DoS for each subject) and may take place either on college grounds or in the department. Frequency of supervisions varies depending on your course, the specific paper, and on the term. Your supervisor should set you a reasonable amount of work and make clear how it links in with the course as a whole. The assignments and deadlines should be communicated well in advance, allowing you to plan your study and pace your work. If you hand in your work on time, it should be marked before the supervision so it can be discussed at the session itself. Your supervisor should also provide feedback, both during supervision and through supervision reports. Students have some of their most enriching academic experiences during the course of their supervisions.

So, what’s a DoS again?

The Director of Studies is an academic from your subject area (or occasionally, a related subject) in your College who guides you through your course.

What can a DoS do for me?

Your DoS will meet with you within the first week to discuss course objectives, the teaching you will receive, and will give you time to discuss your aims or concerns. He or she should also inform you of any faculty/department introduction events. The support your DoS provides is, in concrete terms, meeting with you at least once or twice a term to discuss your academic progress, often on the basis of termly supervision reports, advising you on course choices, and offering academic support. You shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to your DoS to raise any issues – big or small – that you might be facing in your studies, your course, or your faculty/department.

How do I know if I’m doing enough/too much for my course?

Cambridge expects you to do your best to complete the work set, hand it in on time and be punctual for supervisions. If you are finding it difficult to complete the work, you don’t

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understand the assignment, or you can’t attend supervision, contact your supervisor in advance. It is their job to help you out. Supervisions present a chance to also raise concerns and seek support from your supervisor.

And do I get feedback?

Yes. Feedback on your academic work should be timely, detailed, and constructive. If your supervisor doesn’t give you written feedback, be sure to chase them up. If the feedback is not clear, ask specific questions, e.g. what the main strengths and weaknesses were, and how you can improve next time.

Where do lectures fit in?

Lectures provide the overall backdrop to the more intense and interactive supervisions. They give you useful insights into what topics you are expected to know and how to approach specific problems, all of which is vital when it comes to revision and exams. If you miss a lecture, ask if lecture notes and presentation slides are put online. If not, ask your friends for notes and handouts.

What’s on the syllabus?

While some science subjects have precise syllabi, the scope of courses in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences are more flexible. Try to get a sense of how important each topic you cover is in relation to the course as a whole and dedicate your time to it accordingly.

Supervisions often only cover particular aspects of the course, so make sure you’re aware what other areas you are expected to study. If your reading list is very long or you don’t have one at all, you can always ask your supervisor to recommend a few chapters or articles as starting points. Students are not expected to read the entire reading list for each subject. Instead, strategise your plan of study and prioritise certain topics. Always feel free to check in with your supervisor if you have any questions about how to do this.

If you’re unhappy with a supervision arrangement, or are struggling with the course, raise it with you DoS sooner rather than later.

What about exams?

Finding out the format of exams, assessment criteria and when exams take place might not be the first things you want to look into when you’ve just arrived and are excited about learning about your subject and meeting with like-minded friends and scholars. But it can still be helpful to bear this information in mind. Have a look at past exam papers, which are displayed on the faculty website or bound into big volumes stored in college libraries, to get an idea of what will be expected of you. Reading previous examiners’ reports can be even more revealing, as they will tell you exactly what students did well in and what went wrong in the past.

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Postgraduate The mere fact that you are pursuing a postgraduate degree at Cambridge probably means that you have already performed exceptionally well at undergraduate level. Postgraduate study, however, is rather different from undergraduate study, and presents new challenges and opportunities.

The next two pages will guide you on your first steps as a postgrad at Cambridge.

Supervisors Each graduate student is appointed a principal supervisor by the Degree Committee of their respective departments. The Principal Supervisor will be from your general field of study whose role is to guide your programme of study or research. Some departments appoint an additional adviser for each student to provide extra support in case issues arise between the student and the supervisor. Consult your handbooks to find out whether you have an adviser and who the person is. You may ask the Chairperson or Secretary of your Degree Committee, too.

In scientific subjects, students work daily in the Faculty or Department and are often in close contact with their supervisor. In the humanities, students often see their supervisor less frequently. In either case, though, trying to develop a good relationship with your supervisor will be very important. Your supervisor is meant to provide you with help and advice on many things, from methodology and results to the administrative jungle of the University. Both you and your supervisor must take responsibility for understanding and managing the relationship.

Breakdown in relationships is not that common and could often have been avoided if both student and supervisor had established right at the beginning what the expectations were of friends and scholars. But it can still be helpful to bear this information in mind. Have a look at past exam papers, which are displayed on the faculty website or bound into big volumes stored in college libraries, to get an idea of what will be expected of you. Reading previous examiners’ reports can be even more revealing, as they will tell you exactly what students did well in and what went wrong in the past.

JARGON BUSTER! DOS

Director of Studies - the person, usually within your college, in charge of your academic welfare

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Meeting with your Supervisor What you can expect: • You should expect your supervisor to take the initiative to meet with you, if you have not already done so. Your supervisor should make clear when and how often you are going to meet, and whose responsibility it is to arrange these meetings. The Board of Graduate Studies (BoGS) recommends formal meetings at least twice a term.

• It is your supervisor’s responsibility to respond promptly to your requests. If you ask for a meeting, you shouldn’t need to wait for longer than a week before a meeting is arranged.

If he or she is away from Cambridge for an extended period, the Degree Committee should make backup supervisory arrangements.

• Your supervisor is expected to advise you on relevant literature, methodology, and academic conventions in your field, and on how to avoid plagiarism.

What is expected of you: Postgraduate research is much more self-directed than pursuing an undergraduate degree, and thus relies more heavily on your organisational skills and on your time management. If you’re facing difficulties, talk to your supervisor or consult your handbook about further support you might be able to receive.

What if things go wrong?

Most students get on fine with their supervisor, but sometimes it can be the case that the relationship breaks down. Changing supervisors is possible, but can be a delicate business, and you should seek advice before taking further steps. If you are concerned, talk to your Graduate Tutor or your Director of Graduate Education, who is often the Secretary or Chairperson of the Degree Committee. The Postgraduate Student Rep in your faculty may be able to tell you whether previous students have encountered similar problems with that same supervisor.

The Student Advice Service, provided by CUSU and the GU, is always available for independent advice, information or just an informal chat (see page 46).

JARGON BUSTER!

COLLEGE PARENTS

Two students in second or third year allocated to you to help you settle in through your first few weeks at Cambridge

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The Tripos System All undergraduate courses at Cambridge work on something called the “Tripos system”. This might sound a bit weird and archaic – and in fact it’s named after a three-legged stool used in graduation ceremonies back in the 17th Century – but now it’s just the word used for your undergraduate course. So a student of French and Spanish is registered on the Modern & Medieval Languages Tripos, and an Engineering student is taking the Engineering Tripos.

Triposes are split up into two parts for most courses, Part I and Part II. As most degrees are three years long, your course will probably be split up into either Part IA (first year), Part IB (second year) and Part II (third year) or into Part I (first year), Part IIA (second year) and Part IIB (third year). You need to pass exams in both Parts of your Tripos in order to graduate with an Honours degree.

Some courses, like Maths and Natural Sciences, have an optional Part III. This allows you to study for a fourth year, after which you’re awarded a Master’s degree as well as a Bachelor’s. Others allow you to take a second Part II at the end of your degree, most notably Management Studies, so you can take an extra undergraduate year before you graduate.

The Tripos system gives Cambridge students a lot of flexibility in their undergraduate studies.

Most courses start off quite broad but then allow increasing levels of specialisation as you progress and discover what you’re most interested in. Many Triposes allow you to take papers from other courses as part of your degree, particularly later on in your course.

While most people will do successive parts of the same Tripos (Part I English followed by Part II English, for example), the Tripos system can make changing course more straightforward if you’re not enjoying your course or feel that changing course would benefit you academically.

Remember, it’s often easier to make these sorts of changes earlier on in the year, and you should consult with your Director of Studies as soon as you can if you’re considering switching courses.

If you want to find out more about how the Tripos system works, or would like advice on switching course (or are even just considering it), get in touch with Jia Hui the Education Officer on education@cusu.cam.ac.uk.

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Navigating the University Navigating resources and support at the University and in the Colleges might seem daunting, intimidating or complex. This section provides a quick list of academic resources and support available to undergraduates and postgraduates at Cambridge. It is also a summary of all the information discussed in the earlier sections.

Undergrads •

WHO TO GO TO FOR ACADEMIC ADVICE

Tutor – Although this person is meant to provide pastoral (non-academic) support, he or she can be really useful as a point of contact to talk about studying skills and challenges, time management, balancing extracurricular activities with your studies, or health issues that are affecting your studies. You can also reach out to your Senior Tutor for more advice.

• Supervisor – This person leads your supervisions, provides feedback on your work, and can offer advice on your academic work.

• Director of Studies (DoS) –This person guides you through your course and can provide advice on course selections and offer academic support.

• Student Advice Service – An independent and confidential service that provides information to students by exploring options and resolutions with a student on welfare, academic, and any other issues.

Grads •

Graduate Tutor – Although your graduate tutor is meant to provide pastoral (non-academic) support, he or she can also guide you through the process of changing supervisors in the case of a breakdown of the supervisor-supervisee relationship or refer you to someone who might be able to help.

• Supervisor – This person provides advice on your research and studies, points you in the direction of specific scholarship, provide feedback on your work, and meet with you to discuss your progress.

•

Director of Graduate Education – This person in your department can often provide you with resources and support if you wish to raise a complaint, ask for clarification, or seek advice on an issue. Some departments have designated persons who handle such matters confidentially.

Consult your handbook.

• Student Advice Service – An independent and confidential service that provides information to students by exploring options and resolutions with a student on welfare, academic, and any other issues.

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Undergrads and Grads •

The CUSU Education Officer (Jia Hui Lee) is always happy to help out, to try and answer your queries or to put you in touch with the right people. He is also a trained Student Advice Officer and offers confidential support, information and representation on any academic or personal matter. Drop by the CUSU office, ring 01223 761693 or email education@cusu.cam.ac.uk.

• Faculty Secretaries, administrators, or librarians have a detailed knowledge of the faculty and will often be glad to hear your comments, ideas, or questions.

• Faculty Reps and College Academic Officers are there to help you and present your concerns to the relevant people. Let them know when you’re unhappy about something or need help.

Sources of Academic Support The academic conventions and working pace at Cambridge might be different from what you’ve been used to, either as an A-Level student or as an undergraduate at another university. Knowing how to study effectively will help you with your work throughout the year as well as preparing for exams or for writing an essay or dissertation. There are several resources to support you with this: • The Student Gateway helps students navigate Cambridge’s complex institutional structure.

If you’re unsure about something, whether it’s exams, a disability or medical issue, or student finance, start at: www.admin.cam.ac.uk/students/gateway.

• The Student Advice Service’s Academic Resources Page provides links to study skills suited to the Cambridge student: www.studentadvice.cam.ac.uk/academic/study.

• Cambridge University Skills Portal offers presentations, guides, and training for improving studying skills: www.skills.cam.ac.uk.

• Transkills works with academic staff and students to facilitate the transition of first year undergraduates from their prior learning experiences to study at university: www.skills.caret.cam.ac.uk/transkills/resources.

• Training@Cam provides training for all sorts of skills, from web design to finance management and Microsoft Excel. Most sessions are available at no cost: www.training.cam.ac.uk.

Other Resources Language Center – You can enrol in taught courses, take out self-taught courses, watch international TV, or find a conversation partner in another language.

See www.langcen.cam.ac.uk.

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The University Computing Service – UCS provides IT help and supplies you with a Raven account. Here you can access networked PCs (Windows/Linux) and Apple Macintosh Computers running a wide range of software, together with printers and scanners and a central filestore.

Look out for their termly programmes of a wide range of training courses: www.ucs.cam.ac.uk.

Museums – All students have free entry to all University museums, ranging from The Whipple Museum of the History of Science and the Botanic Gardens to the Scott Polar Research Institute: www.admin.cam.ac.uk/museums.

The Careers Service – Runs a range of careers fairs and career-specific seminars, and has an extensive library of resources. You can also book individual appointments with a careers advisor: www.careers.cam.ac.uk.

Libraries, e-resources, ebooks, and online archives – Cambridge has over 100 libraries: if your college library doesn’t have what you’re looking for, try your faculty library, look at other college libraries, or visit the University Library. Many books, journals, and databases should be available online, too. See www.lib.cam.ac.uk for more.

Online Your lecturers may make readings available online, supervisors submit online reports and you can check your academic transcript online. There’s no one centralised site to do all these things though, so here’s a run-down of the various online portals you’ll want to familiarise yourself with once you get here: CamSIS – Whilst studying at Cambridge, your academic and personal information will be recorded on CamSIS. Enrolling for examinations, checking examination results, key contact information, athletic participation; all these things, and more, are logged on your CamSIS record.

CamCORS - The Cambridge Colleges’ Online Reporting System for Supervisions (CamCORS) provides an online environment where supervisors can submit termly reports on their undergraduate supervisees. Once these have been submitted, it also enables students to read their supervision reports.

CGSRS - Cambridge Graduate Supervision Reporting System (CGSRS) is the online supervision reporting system used by the supervisors of graduate students, faculties and departments, degree committees, colleges, and the Board of Graduate Studies. As with CamCORS, once submitted the reports are available for the student to read.

CamTOOLS – Many departments use this online learning space specifically to upload readings, lecture handouts, faculty handbooks, or powerpoint slides. Ask your DoS or lecturer if you can access it.

CUSU

Cambridge University Students Union

30

Introduction?

CUSU is YOUR students’ Union. The part-time CUSU Executive is led and supported by the full-time sabbatical officers, elected every year by students.

Representatives from College JCRs and MCRs, as well as Faculties and the Autonomous Campaigns, sit on CUSU Council, which decides policy for CUSU. There are many ways to get involved and make change happen!

Presidents & Externals Network

JCRs & MCRs

Who is CUS U

Your college students committees

JCR & MCR Reps

Vice-President or External Officer

CUSU Counc il

President

Faculty Reps

One rep per course

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LBGT+ (Pg 42) Women’s (Pg 38)

International Students (Pg 43)

iCUSU

Autonom ous Campaig ns

Disabled Students Campaign (Pg 41)

Black and Ethnic Minortiy Campaign (Pg 40)

ho is S U?

Sam Ruiz Access Officer Flick Osborn President

Dom Weldon Coordinator

e

Executiv Team

Helen Hoogewerf-McComb Welfare Officer

Lauren Steele Women’s Officer

Jia Hui Lee Education Officer

Meet your sabbs...

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Your Sabbatical Team Flick Osborn, President Hi! I’m Flick, the CUSU President. My responsibilities include heading up the Democracy & Development and Common Room Membership Engagement Teams, representing you on University committees, developing long-term strategy with the Sabb team and chairing our Trustee Board. I graduated in Theology from St John’s College last year and I love to sing, write and paint!

Dom Weldon, Coordinator I’m Dom, the Coordinator for CUSU. My job is to support societies and organise the Societies Fair, manage and improve the services CUSU offers, and to connect up all the different teams within CUSU and across the colleges. Alongside that I’m also responsible for managing CUSU’s money! When I’m not at CUSU HQ you’ll find me around my college (Sidney Sussex), buying books in the market, cooking or at the pub!

Sam Ruiz, Access Officer Hi! I’m Sam, the CUSU Access & Funding Officer. It’s my job to help encourage students from under-represented or disadvantaged backgrounds to consider applying to Cambridge, or to university in general. I visit schools, work with prospective students, manage the Alternative Prospectus and coordinate student volunteers through events such as CUSU’s annual Shadowing Scheme. I studied Chinese at Robinson College, and when I’m not at work I can often be found cooking, running or taking photos of things – but not all at the same time.

Helen Hoogewerf-McComb, Welfare Officer Hi! I’m Helen, your Welfare and Rights Officer. I’m responsible for student welfare, covering a broad range of issues from mental and sexual health to disability, equality and discrimination. I provide support and representation for individual students, lead campaigns to improve student welfare and sit on a variety of University committees.

I also coordinate the running of the Student Advice Service.

Lauren Steele, Women’s Officer Hey! I’m Lauren, the Women’s Officer for CUSU, and I act as the link between the University and CUSU’s Women Campaign. With most colleges only having formally admitted female students since 1972 it isn’t surprising that the Women’s Campaign still works to make changes to the way the University runs! Our four main campaigns this year, voted by the Women’s Forum, are sexual consent, domestic violence, the living wage and women in academia. I study Education with English and Drama at Christ’s, and I’ve just finished my second year so will be returning to finish my degree next year. I also enjoy writing and directing theatre productions.

Jia Hui Lee, Education Officer I’m responsible for CUSU’s campaigning across the University and Colleges on the central elements of your educational experience: supporting and representing individual students, coordinating student representatives across the Faculties, and working on improving the provision and diversity of teaching and support across the Colleges. In between, I sketch and jot poetry on the river bank, and go on long walks through the country. I’m also always up for a pint!

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Getting Involved CUSU Council CUSU Council takes place every other week in term time. All students are welcome to come along and propose a motion to be debated by elected student representatives at Council – representatives from JCRs and MCRs, as well as representatives from the Autonomous Campaigns and Faculty Reps. If they vote to pass a motion, it becomes CUSU policy and the Sabb team follow up and enact that policy.

Your JCR, MCR and Faculty Reps, as well as the heads of the autonomous campaigns, debate and vote on policy at Council. This policy directs the sabbatical team’s work and it’s here that the team is held accountable.

CUSU Council has at least one open meeting every term, which provides a good forum for longer discussion of policy ideas. We would encourage everyone to come and give more discursive input here.

If you write a motion, it needs to have your name as the proposer and another student or sabbatical officer’s name as the seconder. Then, send it to chair@cusu.cam.ac.uk a week before the next Council meeting for it to be included on the agenda.

If you want to get involved with Council but you’re not sure how to write a motion, the Democracy and Development Team are very happy to work with you and help! Even if you don’t have a motion, all students are very welcome to come and listen to Council debates and discussions.

CUSU Part-Time Executive Teams The Part-Time Executive has over 40 student volunteer members, who are divided into teams and led by the sabbatical officers. These teams are elected at Council; one round of elections is in the Michaelmas term and the other is in Lent term. These teams are a fantastic way of implementing CUSU policy and changing students’ lives for the better right across the University.

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You could volunteer on the part-time Executive – we have seven teams you could be elected to, whatever your interests are.

• The Education Team is headed by Jia Hui. Its main focus is supporting Department and Faculty Reps who are elected by students studying each course and training them to represent students on committees and campaign on education issues.

•

The Access and Funding Team is led by Sam and is responsible for campaigning to widen access to Cambridge and Higher Education more generally. It supports the Target and RAID Schemes and the Shadowing Scheme – read more about these on pg44. CUSU campaigns passionately about students from all backgrounds attending Cambridge. If you care about this too, get involved with this team!

•

The Welfare and Rights Team, led by Helen, is responsible for campaigns about student support and equality of treatment and opportunity. If you care about mental health issues, campaigning for student welfare, balance of workload, sexual health and issues surrounding disabilities, be a part of this great team. Read more about Student Support on pg52.

•

The Ethical Affairs Team is led by the Ethical Affairs Co-Chairs, Poppy and Suyin (ethical-chair@cusu.cam.ac.uk). It campaigns on environmental, ethical and sustainability issues around the university, so if these are issues you’re interested in then this is the team to get involved in!

• The Democracy and Development Team is chaired by Flick and is responsible for the long term development of the Union, constitutional issues and interpretation of CUSU’s rules. If you like the nitty-gritty procedural detail of politics, this team is for you!

•

The Common Room Membership and Engagement Team (CoMET) is also chaired by Flick.

This fun committee looks at communicating and facilitating cross-campus campaigns. It works on engagement with college JCRs and MCRs so students from different colleges have a louder, united voice. If you enjoy planning exciting campaigns and facilitating others to get involved, this is for you.

• The Resources Team is led by Dom and manages the Union’s finance, governance and interaction between staff and students. If you like organisation and forward planning of resources, this is the team for you!

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Faculty and School Reps You could also run for election as a Faculty Rep. Faculty Reps work with students in their faculties, attend faculty board meetings, contribute to the design of the curriculum and feedback mechanisms, and usually have a lot of say about everyday issues such as common rooms and any food provision onsite. All Faculties belong to a School, and School Reps work on funding issues, provide input on future strategic plans for the School, and consider proposals and minutes from the individual Faculties. Some Faculties even have other kinds of student rep, like Departments Reps or members of a Staff-Student Liaison Committee.

You will get an email from your Faculty or Department when elections are round the corner – you’ll need to put your name forward and maybe even run a small election campaign! The faculty and school rep network is incredibly valuable to CUSU and the whole student population because it gives students a really strong, really involved voice on academic issues. You’ll have the chance to change your course, contribute to improving education for students like you, and gain a real insight into how Cambridge functions.

All reps will have access to training from CUSU and faculty reps are also voting members of CUSU Council. Elections are held at the end of November, but if you already want to find out more or have any questions then talk to current reps or the Secretary of your Faculty, or get in touch with Jia Hui the Education Officer education@cusu.cam.ac.uk.

JARGON BUSTER! CUSU

Cambridge University Students’ Union – though you should know that by now!

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Current Campaigns CUSU runs lots of campaigns focusing on urgent issues affecting Cambridge students. We are a passionate, principled campaigning body! Three years ago the student body mobilised in a matter of days and successfully defended against a 50% cut to bursaries offered by the University under the “Save Our Bursaries” campaign. We have also campaigned on a large scale against increased student fees.

Students are most powerful when they organise and co-operate as a collective body, so campaigns are at the centre of CUSU’s work. Some campaigns take the form of high visibility public events to draw media attention. Others will involve close engagement with the University through committees and lobbying. Many of our campaigns rely on college and faculty networks to apply pressure on a single issue in many places.

This year we are focusing on the Living Wage Campaign and are working with all the colleges to ensure as many as possible pay their staff at least the basic living wage. Our Welfare team is particularly campaigning on a Tutor Training Campaign to make sure all of your tutors are properly equipped to handle any concerns you may have while studying here. The whole CUSU team is also creating and launching a Building Campaign aiming to get CUSU a new central premises with more space for societies, more resources to equip and train student campaigners and volunteers and more social hub space.

See www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/campaigns for details on our current campaigns.

om students Our campaigns come frlike to see have an idea, or something you’d If you to make this happen: change, there are various ways

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Come to a CUSU Team me ion cat edu to nt dent engageme a specific area, from stu why not e, issu lar ticu par a on paign If you’re keen to lead a cam e executive role? run for an elected part-tim re information. union/getinvolved for mo See www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/ py to help! hap be CUSU Office – we’ll Speak to an officer in the ok and follow us ebo Fac on on sity Students’ Uni ‘Like’ Cambridge Univer . on Twitter @CUSUonline

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Autonomous Campaigns CUSU is also linked with five Autonomous Campaigns which are run independently of CUSU, with their own committees and constitutions. You can read about these 5 brilliant campaigns below, which represent the rights and needs of particular student groups: Women, Disabled Students, BME, iCUSU for international students and LGBT+.

The Women’s Campaign The Women’s Campaign supports and represents all female students in the University. Our Women’s Campaign is inclusive; we are made up of women who belong to all ethnic, religious and class backgrounds, women that define as trans, queer, bisexual and lesbian and women who are student parents. We are able to push for change in how this university runs and in university culture affecting women students’ day to day college lives.

The way the campaign is structured is hopefully quite simple to understand. The work of the Women’s Campaign is coordinated by the CUSU Women’s Officer, who is elected every year to work full-time to be the student voice for gender equality in the University. Each college should be represented by a college Women’s Officer. She will attend fortnightly Women’s Forum which is a space for discussing projects that college Women’s Officers want to run, for voting on campaign ideas and for making our campaigns more effective. Anyone, Women’s Officer or not, is welcome (and welcomed!) to attend Women’s Forum. The more of us involved, the more effectively we can campaign! The Women’s Exec is a group of about ten women who meet weekly to talk about campaign ideas inspired by specific university wide problems. These ideas are then taken to Women’s Forum to vote on.

JARGON BUSTER! WOMEN’S OFFICER

Elected to be the student voice for gender equality in the University

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Campaigns Campaigns play a pivotal role in the work of the Women’s Campaign so we put a lot of time and energy into planning and carrying out campaigns on issues that matter to Cambridge women.

What we campaign on is shaped by Women’s Forum, where women students from across the University voice their views on gender issues in the University. Campaigning on gender issues empowers students through providing information and creating networks of people who can work together to achieve common aims.

Our 4 main priority Campaigns for this year: • Consent • Domestic Violence • Women in Academia • The Living Wage If you want to get involved, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or come along to the Women’s Squash at the beginning of term and fortnightly Women’s Forums!

Email us: womens@cusu.cam.ac.uk

Find us on Facebook: CUSU Women’s Campaign

Sign up to our mailing list: cusu-womens-bulletin@lists.cam.ac.uk

Twitter: @CUSUwomen

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10% student discount available at Finn Jordan all year round.

3-4 Sussex Street Cambridge CB11PA 01223 356600 info@finnjordan.co.uk www.finnjordan.co.uk Follow us on Twitter @finn_jordan Like us on Facebook search Finn Jordan

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Black and Minority Ethnic Students Campaign The Black and Minority Ethnic Students’ Campaign exists as a voice for student concerns and to reduce prejudice by promoting an inclusive environment for ethnic minority students throughout the University. We focus on promoting diversity within the institution and this year we aim to take advantage of the momentum to broaden the scope of the Campaign and build on the growth of recent years.

We are looking to engage more students and expand the campaign this year, working with existing partnerships to develop our annual calendar of events and embark of new initiatives such as a mentoring programme with local schools. Through our campaigning, we address the educational achievement gaps and work towards improving access figures and supporting existing students.

Campaigning The Joint Committee on Academic Performance was established by the Council and the General Board to act as a central focus for discussion of matters relating to performance in Tripos examinations and to make recommendations as appropriate to the central bodies.

A research project was launched and overseen by the Joint Committee, entitled ‘The undergraduate experience of Cambridge among three ethnic minority groups’. The aim of this project was to gain a better understanding of the experiences of students from Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black British homes whilst they are in Cambridge, and to identify specific issues which affect them along with the ways in which these may have an impact on their academic performance.

The project was completed in 2005 and the report released on the 13th March 2006, reaching the conclusion that ethnicity is not in itself a factor determining academic performance, although there remain substantial differences in academic achievement between different British ethnic groups.

There are numerous opportunities to get involved with the BME campaign: visit our stall at the fresher’s fair and come to our fresher’s squash to meet the team and get involved!

Website: www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/campaigns/bmestudents Email: blackstudents@cusu.cam.ac.uk

JARGON BUSTER! BME

Black and Minority Ethnic Students’ Campaign. Acts as a voice for student concerns and aims to reduce prejudice.

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Disabled Students Campaign The DSC is the organised voice of disabled students in Cambridge University. We are the newest of the five Cambridge University Students’ Union (CUSU) autonomous campaigns. As an autonomous campaign, we are run by our members, for our members.

At the DSC we recognise that disability means different things to different people, and as long as you consider yourself disabled or have personally experienced disability in the past, then the DSC is your campaign. The aim of the DSC is to enable disabled students to organize ourselves to change the University and other institutions disabled students here use or would like to use in order to make sure that our minds and bodies are taken seriously, our ways of doing things are valued equally and our rights are respected. We do not want to be tolerated or accommodated. We want to attend a university, and live in a society, in which the body and mind norms that can be used to discriminate against us have been done away with, and tolerance and accommodation no longer make sense. In this aim we stand in solidarity with the other autonomous campaigns’ fight against other oppressive normative social structures in our society, based on race, gender, sexuality and so on.

The DSC organizes regular events and elects officers. We hold frequent open meetings (ten each year), which are the key discussion and decision making forums of the campaign, although they are also usually preceded or succeeded by opportunities for socializing. Coming to these is the best way for most new members to get to know about the campaign and the active members, and to start getting involved themselves. We also run or participate in other social, educational, welfare and campaigning events, which can be found on our website.

DSC Exec The DSC has elected officers, the Executive. These are positions for which any member of the campaign can run, alone or collaboratively. Whilst these positions come with responsibilities, the campaign tries to ensure that they don’t have any special power, and what gets decided and done is determined by the will and involvement of every member.

Campaigns The DSC’s campaigns are determined by all its members through open meetings: anyone can bring a new idea, and we try to always reach consensus before we take something forward. Many of us involved in the campaign have found it a relief to tackle the challenges we face as disabled students collectively, without feeling a lone voice in a disabling society. We’re keen to have lots of new voices getting actively involved and shaping the campaigns we do so do come along to our: • Degrading is Degrading • Fair Funding • College Reps • Positive Self Definition Visit our website: www.disabled.cusu.cam.ac.uk Email us: disabled@cusu.cam.ac.uk

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LBGT+ Campaign There is a thriving LBGT community in Cambridge. CUSU LBGT+ exists to safeguard and support the interests of LBGT students. In addition to campaigning on issues our members feel are important, we run social events to support you in joining the LBGT community.

LBGT+ College Reps There are LBGT+ welfare officers in each college on the JCR Committee. If you need advice, a chat or wish to seek more information, they are a useful source. We also run an LBGT+ Parenting Scheme, which is a fantastic way to make new friends and meet people in the community.

Events Every Wednesday at The Place there is an LBGT+ night, Spectrum, which is an extremely popular night. Alternatively, you can meet new people and make friends at LBGT+ coffee meetings or film nights.

Campaigns As well as providing welfare support and organising events for LGBT+ students in the University of Cambridge, CUSU LGBT+ does a lot of campaigning on behalf of its members. A large part of this consists of quietly bringing small-scale issues to the attention of relevant authorities, but where there is a more wide-ranging issue about which the members feel strongly CUSU LGBT+ often aims to provide a collective voice to these concerns through the running of a sub-campaign specific to that issue.

We are currently running a campaign called “Bloody Unfair”, in which we are raising awareness of the National Blood Service’s lifetime ban on men who have sex with men and lobbying the Service to change their policy. We also work with “Think Outside The Box”, an affiliated campaign aiming to improve access for and understanding of non-binary-gendered people, within the university.

On a smaller scale, we are in the process of producing some publicity materials to help promote understanding of trans issues and give people the confidence to discuss these in a sensitive manner.

Website: www.lgbt.cusu.cam.ac.uk Email: lgbt-president@cusu.cam.ac.uk

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International Student’s Campaign iCUSU is the umbrella body for all international societies and students in Cambridge University. We aim to serve as a hub for all things international happening in Cambridge, whilst looking out for the needs of internationals.

Our ‘core purposes’ are: • To look after students’ well-being through Language workshops, a Mentorship Program and Freshers’ Week events.

• To act as a platform for international student’s voices and to serve as a networking centre for all students to connect.

• Campaign to improve opportunities for underprivileged groups abroad.

College Reps and Freshers’ Groups Each college has an international student representative. There are often international student fresher’s events in college so you can make friends and find out more about the campaign.

Join the International student’s freshers group for your college on facebook and connect before you arrive!

Campaigns and Events International Freshers Week (IFW) is an introductory series of events taking place in Cambridge for international students beginning undergraduate studies. We will be hosting a variety of social gatherings, city tours and will be happy to help with any queries. IFW will lead into Freshers Week events, which usually consist of pub crawls, icebreakers and the like. It is a university-wide event and is open to all students from all colleges. iCUSU run 3 flagship events every year to involve and represent students; this year we will be launching a major campaign to promote international access to Cambridge.

JARGON BUSTER! VARSITY

i) the match that most sports play against Oxford each year, with massive rivalry; ii) another student newspaper; iii) a debauched ski trip which happens every winter

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Access CUSU is the only Students’ Union in the country to have a full time role which is fully dedicated to Access and Funding.

What is CUSU Access?

Although the University is more diverse now than ever before, and welcomes students from all over the world and from all economic and social backgrounds, many prospective students are still put off by the outdated negative stereotypes surrounding Cambridge. People shouldn’t feel that the university isn’t for “people like them”; anyone with the potential to succeed here should be encouraged to apply.

The CUSU Access campaign is the arm of CUSU which runs access and widening participation schemes both within the University and outside, in schools up and down the country. We aim to bust the myths surrounding Cambridge and work to ensure a level playing field for all prospective students regardless of background.

What we do Shadowing Scheme Our most popular activity is the annual Shadowing Scheme, which allows Year 12 students from schools and families with little or no experience of university to come and stay at a Cambridge college for three days and “shadow” a current undergraduate. The scheme is run over three weekends (Thursday-Saturday) in January and February, and last year’s scheme – the largest ever – saw over 350 prospective students staying at 21 different colleges. The prospective students attend lectures and supervisions jointly with their student volunteer, as well as social activities organised by a range of University and college clubs and societies, from rowing to debating and from women’s cricket to gospel singing. The scheme offers a unique opportunity to prospective students to experience life in Cambridge, and an amazing chance for current undergraduates to really have an impact on the lives of sixth-form students.

Target and RAID The Target scheme sends student volunteers into state schools which are under-represented at Oxbridge to talk to Year 12 students about life at Cambridge. The aim of Target is to break down the negative stereotypes surrounding the University and show prospective students that bright, academically able students from all backgrounds can thrive here. Many volunteers go back to their old schools, but others visit other schools in their local area and still others go further afield on Access trips organised by college Schools Liaison Officers, the Admissions Office, or JCR Access Officers.

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RAID (Raising Aspirations, Inspiring Decisions) is similar to Target, but is aimed at students younger than Year 12 who have yet to make up their minds about university, or have not yet chosen their A-level options. RAID visits are different from Target ones, as they’re intended to give younger students the chance to really think about their options after school, and encourage those who might not have considered applying to university to do so, and not to be put off by finances or peer pressure.

Alternative Prospectus The CUSU Access Officer also runs the University’s Alternative Prospectus, which is written by current students to provide a “students’-eye view” of life in Cambridge. We’re always looking for new submissions and content, so if you have anything you feel should be in the Alternative Prospectus, get in touch!

Regional Access Groups We’re kicking off a brand new initiative this year called Regional Access Groups. CUSU is aiming to ensure that there are reps across the UK to coordinate school visits and Access work during holiday time. This will be a new network of student volunteers who can support one another and get involved with existing CUSU Access training schemes to ensure we encourage as many students as possible to consider going to university and Cambridge in particular.

Get Involved!

If you’d like to get involved in the Shadowing Scheme, Target or RAID, or would like to join CUSU’s Access & Funding Team, email the Access & Funding Officer at access@cusu.cam.ac.uk or sign up at the CUSU stand at the Societies’ Fair. Alternatively, visit www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/campaigns/access for more information, or just sign up for our school visits and the Shadowing Scheme when they’re advertised throughout the year. You can also be added to one of our Regional Access Groups to stay up-to-date on Access initiatives and visits going on in your local area.

JARGON BUSTER! TARGET & RAID

Cambridge students go into state schools to bust the myths surrounding university

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Student Advice Service The Student Advice Service offers free, confidential and independent support to all students.

If you feel you have been discriminated against, treated unfairly or would like to discuss something that is bothering you, you are welcome to contact us - whether it’s the first time you have a question or as a last resort.

You can come to the service with any issue or problem that you might experience as a student, from questions or concerns about your rights and education to relationship problems and mental health issues. We will discuss your concerns with you, explore options and, if needed, represent you on a college level. We are non-judgemental and we will never force you to do anything.

Our job is to listen, discuss your options and rights, and support you in reaching a resolution.

The Student Advice Service is run by a full time Student Advisor and three CUSU sabbatical officers (Welfare, Education and Women’s). We all have specialist knowledge of University procedures, and the time to do research and investigate rules and regulations on your behalf. Also, we are trained in providing support and representation and the Service is accredited to Advice UK.

Finding Us The Student Advice Service is based in two locations: one at the Graduate Union, off Mill Lane, and the other at CUSU on the New Museum Site.

SAS officers work at both sites, 9-5pm, Monday-Friday.

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Both CUSU and the Graduate Union are accessible to disabled students. There is a lift providing level access, and we can meet you there and show you how it works. Please let us know if you have any additional requirements, such as use of the induction loop or materials in large print, as this will allow us to ensure that these are in place for your visit.

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If you are not in Cambridge, or unable to come into the service in person, you can arrange a time for an Advice Officer to call you.

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UC

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Services CUSU offers many everyday services which will be useful to you. We rent out minivans, sell cheap bike lights and personal attack alarms, provide very low cost printing and binding, and for students who choose to have sex, we provide near cost price sexual health supplies.

Printing and Photocopying We also provide printing, photocopying, binding and laminating facilities at very low costs.

Just pop into the CUSU office and ask the receptionist to give you a hand with whatever you need to do. See below for prices: Black and white Colour

A4 (5p) A3 (8P) A4 (11p) A3 (20p)

Binding Sometimes you’ll need to get a big piece of work (such as a dissertation) bound before submitting it, or perhaps you’ll need to bind something for a society. CUSU offers extremely cheap binding services to all students – coming to us could save you several pounds on a piece of work!

Sheets

Cost

Up to 60 sheets

10p

Up to 90 sheets

15p

Up to 140 sheets

20p

Front and back cover

add 25p

Personal Safety Bike lights - £8.00 each Personal attack alarm - £2.50 each

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Sexual Health Supplies CUSU offers sexual health supplies to individual students, as well as to JCRs and MCRs, to ensure that all students who choose to have sex have easy access to these services. Students can buy the wide variety of supplies below, or collect a free sexual health pack using their C-Card up to once a week. CUSU also provides bulk supplies, which many JCRs and MCRs purchase and supply inside individual colleges. If you would like more information on these services, or are concerned about sex at Cambridge and would like to ask questions or receive confidential personal advice, you can contact CUSU’s Welfare officer or Women’s Officer, as well as the Student Advice Service using the details below.

Welfare Officer - Helen Hoogewerf-Mccomb Women’s Officer - Lauren Steele Student Advice Service advice@studentadvice.cam.ac.uk www.studentadvice.cam.ac.uk

Sexual Health Costs Item Latex Condoms Latex-Free Condoms Vegan Condoms Femidoms Latex Dental Dams

Cost £2.00 (pack of 12) 80p (each) £1.80 (pack of 3) 38p (pack of 3) 80p (each) 80p (each)

Latex-Free Dental Dams

£1.80 (each)

Lubricant

10p (sachet)

Pregnancy Test

FREE

Chlamydia Test

FREE

Minivans To book a minivan, email info@cusu.cam.ac.uk to find out more about license requirements and availability.

Please note: Prices on this page, whilst correct at the time of printing, may change at the discretion of the Coordinator.

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SUPPORT

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Support Life at Cambridge can be an amazing experience but over the years there may be times where you struggle. Whether it is work, money, your health or any number of other issues, it’s perfectly normal to need support with something during your studies. The good news is that there are loads of resources and services available to help you get through any tough times.

We’ve highlighted some major sources of support in the following pages, but there are loads more and it may be something that suits you better than what is presented here. If you can’t find what you need then remember you can always come to the Student Advice Service and we can advise you on the options you have.

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Around the University University Counselling Service The University Counselling Service is an invaluable resource for students at Cambridge. Not only does the UCS provide students with free counselling, it also organises group sessions, workshops and information leaflets on a wide range of student issues. Whether it’s overcoming sleep problems, writing up your PhD or managing your mood, there are resources available at the UCS to help you out. The Counselling Service even provides its own Fresher’s Guide which has some great advice about how to manage your transition to Cambridge.

Take a look here: www.counselling.cam.ac.uk/selfhelp/leaflets/fresher.

Student Advice Service The Student Advice Service is one of the major ways that CUSU can support you and your peers.

We offer free, confidential and independent support to all Cambridge University students. If you feel you have been discriminated against, treated unfairly, or would like to discuss something that is bothering you, you are welcome to contact us - whether it’s the first time you have a question or as a last resort.

You can come to the service with any problem or issue you might experience as a student, from questions or concerns about your rights, education, to relationship problems and mental health issues. We will discuss your concerns with you, explore options, and, if needed, represent you on a college level. We are non-judgmental and we will never force you to do anything. Our job is to listen, discuss your options and rights, and support you in reaching a resolution.

The Student Advice Service is made up of two professional Student Advisors, the Welfare Officer, Education Officer and Women’s Officer. We are all trained to provide support and representation and the service is accredited by Advice UK. www.studentadvice.cam.ac.uk Lisa Dery and Rachel Wilson – Student Advisors advice@studentadvice.cam.ac.uk Helen Hoogewerf-McComb – Welfare Officer welfare@studentadvice.cam.ac.uk Lauren Steele – Women’s Officer womens@studentavice.cam.ac.uk Jia Hui Lee – Education Officer education@studentadvice.cam.ac.uk

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In Your College There are a number of people who can provide support and advice within your college.

Tutor Every student at Cambridge should be assigned a Tutor who is responsible for providing you with pastoral support. Issues brought to a Tutor might include worries about finance, mental health concerns or procedural questions. It’s really good to keep your Tutor informed about how you are doing and let them know about any problems as they arise.

DoS Undergrads will also be assigned a Director of Studies, or DoS, who will be familiar with your subject and provides you with academic support. You should be able to discuss your progress with them, along with any challenges you may have. If something happening in your life may impact your work, like getting ill during term, it’s good to let them know.

College Nurse Most colleges have access to a nurse who you can visit during full term. You can go to your nurse about any medical or personal problems confidentially, and it may be good to inform your nurse of any pre-existing medical problems you may have. Your college nurse will also be able to direct you to other sources of support, help you join a GP or find a dentist.

College Chaplain A chaplain is available at every college. The chaplain offers pastoral and spiritual support and guidance for all students on any issue, regardless of your religious affiliation or belief/non-belief.

College Welfare Officers Your Common Room (JCR, MCR or College Students’ Union) will have a Welfare Officer who can be a listening ear, provide you with information and signpost you to alternative sources of support.

They may also have other welfare-related roles such as Women’s, Disabilities or LGBT+ Officers who often provide similar services and may have some more specialist knowledge in your area of concern. Welfare Teams will often put on a range of events to help you settle in, de-stress from work and stay healthy so look out for updates and bulletins to let you know what kinds of things they have planned.

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Financial Support People often joke about students living on tight budgets, but the financial support here at Cambridge is designed to ensure students who budget properly can live comfortably and no have money worries impact on their studies. Cambridge University promises its students that once you’re at University you will never have to leave for financial reasons.

This is a truly amazing promise. If you do find you are struggling financially, make sure you talk to your college about how they can support you and check whether or not you are claiming everything you are entitled to.

Student Loans As you hopefully know by now, this is the support offered by the government in the form of student loans and grants, it is means tested and you have to apply for it each year of your degree. While reapplying each year may seem like a lot of effort, it is actually really useful if your circumstances change as you should be able to reflect this in the application.

Cambridge Bursaries These are means tested bursaries provided by the university in addition to any grant you may receive as part of your student loan. The deadline for applications for the Cambridge Bursary is 21st October and applications open in September. You will receive confirmation of your eligibility in January and will receive the bursary in instalments (usually one in January and one in March). www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/cambridgebursary.

College Grants In addition to means tested bursaries, colleges may be able to offer other financial support in the form of grants and awards. College hardship funds are often more flexible than other bursaries and as a result they are able to respond to immediate need or unforeseen circumstances. Other college funds may support opportunities like sport, travel and research, or reimburse some course equipment costs and are often available to all students. Have a look at your college website or talk to your tutor to see what is on offer.

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Sexual Health Despite what people might believe, many students will not have sex while they are at university. The choice about whether or not you want to have sex is yours to make but either way it is wise to have information about sexual health so that you can make properly informed decisions and support friends who do choose to have sex. You can get free, confidential advice on a range of sexual health issues (STIs, pregnancy, contraception, abortion) from your college nurse, GP, a sexual health clinic such as The Laurels on Newmarket Road or the Student Advice Service.

C-Card A C-Card is a plastic card which is yours to keep and use to anonymously collect free condoms, lube and dental dams. This free service is managed by NHS and facilitated by the University and partner agencies. If you want to join the scheme, talk to your college sexual health team to find your nearest site or come to the CUSU Offices on the New Museums Site and we can sign you up.

The person giving you the card will explain how the C-card system works and where the nearest pick up places are. They will be happy to answer any questions you have about your relationships or sexual health or to help you find someone who can help you.

Once you are registered, you will be able to use your C-Card to collect free sexual health supplies from any C-Card pick-up point entirely free of charge. These include many college welfare teams, nurses and the major pharmacies in the city centre. You need to show your card every time you want to get condoms. If you don’t have your card with you, or if you have lost it, you will not be able to get any condoms at that time. Each card grants you 10 packs but after this you can just reregister, no problem! www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/ccard

Sexual Health Supplies CUSU provides a range of other sexual health supplies which can be purchased by individuals or bought in bulk by JCRs and MCRs. CUSU can provide latex, latex-free or vegan condoms; femidoms; latex and latex-free dental dams and lubricant. Pregnancy tests are available for free from CUSU reception. Remember that it is worth checking with your JCR or MCR to see what supplies they can offer to you free as part of their sexual health support.

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Testing If you do choose to have sex, it is a good idea to get checked out for STIs regularly, for example if you change partners. Colleges will normally host a chlamydia testing event once a year but there are other infections which you may be exposed to so a full screen might be wise. You can get tested at the Laurels on Newmarket Road www.sexualhealthcambs.nhs.uk/info_laurels.php or at Clinic 1a at Addenbrookes Hospital www.cuh.org.uk/addenbrookes/patients/outpatients/clinics/ clinic_1a.html . If you want to be screened for HIV then you must do this at Clinic 1a as the Laurels does not currently conduct this testing.

Consent Sexual health isn’t just about STIs and pregnancy, it is also about being able to engage in healthy sexual relationships if that is your choice. Consent is willing, enthusiastic participation in all aspects of a sexual relationship, and in all forms of a sexual act. It is crucial that both you and your partner feel comfortable with your sex life, and that you feel empowered enough to say when it is not.

Feeling insecure in a sexual relationship is not unusual, and a supportive and caring partner should always understand if you do not wish to engage in a sex act, and should not pressure you into doing anything you do not want to.

The CUSU Women’s Campaign runs consent workshops and campaigns to improve awareness of issues around consent and promote a healthy confidence in consent. Take a look at www.womens.cusu.cam.ac.uk/consent if you want to learn more.

JARGON BUSTER! SAS Student Advice Service

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Mental Health Mental health is a broad term, encompassing a wide range of issues which can affect people in a whole host of different ways. There are many misconceptions surrounding mental health which can make people less likely to identify that they have a problem or make them unsure about accessing help if they do recognise something is wrong. For example, many people are surprised when they realise how common mental health issues are: 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year.

Finding Information A great step to looking after your mental health is to learn more about the issues and address your own misconceptions. Mind, the mental health charity, has a great deal of information about issues relating to mental health and their guide to ‘Understanding Mental Health Problems’ can give important insights into different mental health conditions. You can also get information from the Student Advice Service or the University Counselling Service.

Promoting Mental Wellbeing Mental wellbeing is a general state of good mental health. Like regular exercise and good nutrition, promoting mental wellbeing is an important part of keeping healthy.

Mind has a guide which provides advice on improving and maintaining mental wellbeing which is well worth a read. Make sure to look out for ‘welfare’, ‘chill-out’ and ‘relaxation’ events organised by CUSU, the Mental Wealth Campaign or you JCR/MCR which aim to promote mental wellbeing.

Who will help if I need to make a complaint?

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My landlord isn’t giving me my deposit back...

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Accessing Support If you do experience a mental health problem during your studies, you don’t need to be afraid to access help. Health services within the city are very used to seeing students with a broad range of mental health issues and there are many welfare systems throughout the University and Colleges that can provide support. If you are looking for general advice and support about your options, you might consider talking to: • The Student Advice Service • Your tutor • A chaplain • A college Welfare Officer • A college nurse If you would like more specific medical advice or treatment like counselling, you might consider talking to: • Your GP • The University Counselling Service • A college counsellor, if your college has one

Mental Wealth Campaign CUSU actively campaigns on the issue of mental health and the Mental Wealth Campaign is one of the major student organisations which promotes this. Mental Wealth is not a support service, but the work it does is key for destigmatising mental health issues. With the efforts of students, we want to create an environment where we can learn to control our mental health through talking to each other and finding the right resources to help us through.

This is a particularly important issue in Cambridge University because of the constant pressure put on students to perform both academically and socially. All too often we ourselves can let this get on top of us, or know people who do. It is for this reason that it is so important to create an environment where we can talk openly about these feelings.

We have three aims that we think will help create this atmosphere:

1) To raise awareness of the prevalence of mental health issues.

2) To normalise and de-stigmatise mental health itself.

3) To advertise the many services that are already helping students in Cambridge.

We welcome more ideas on how to get this campaign going, so get involved and let us know your thoughts. mentalwealth@cusu.cam.ac.uk | www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/welfare/mentalwealth

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Eating Problems If you have an eating disorder, feel that you may be developing problems around eating and food or are worried about a friend, there are a number of different ways to access advice and support. If you are comfortable, you could try talking to your college nurse, the UCS, a GP or other NHS services.

If you are unsure who to approach and would like someone to discuss your options with, the Student Advice Service can provide confidential, non-judgemental support and advice. People are often hesitant to seek help if they feel they are ‘not disordered enough’ but remember: if an eating problem is significant to you then it should be considered seriously by any support service you choose to access.

1 in 20 people have an eating disorder at some point in their lives, for the majority of people this happens between the ages of 16 and 25. The term ‘Eating Disorder’, sometimes called ‘Disordered Eating’, encompasses a wide range of different conditions, including binge-eating, bulimia, anorexia, and compulsive over-eating. Often, however, an individual with an eating disorder does not clearly identify with any of these categories, but experiences elements of all categories; this is often termed EDNOS - eating disorder not otherwise specified, and is the most common of eating difficulties.

EDs can have many causes and are often correlated with deeper underlying issues such as stress, guilt, low self-esteem, depression, a sense of loss, or a feeling of lack of control. It is often this which makes it hard to recognise or admit the problem, either to yourself or to others, and letting go of this coping mechanism can seem overwhelming. Often those experiencing an eating disorder may feel isolated, alone or helpless; however, receiving external support can be crucial to overcoming the issues.

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CUSU-GU B-Eat Group The CUSU Eating Disorders Self Help and Support Group is a non-judgmental, non-critical, confidential group where anyone who feels they have been affected, directly or indirectly, by eating disorders, issues with food or related issues can talk openly about their life, problems and issues regarding recovery. Each group is facilitated by at least two Beat-registered Group Facilitators and attendees support each other by sharing experiences, thoughts, successes and problems.

The group is user-led so you can talk as much or as little as you want and you are welcome to bring a friend along if that would make you more comfortable.

University Counselling Service The UCS can support students with disordered eating through individual counselling and group sessions. Group sessions are scheduled to begin at the start of November and take a ‘part experiential, part psycho-educational’ approach. Students wishing to attend will normally have a pre-group exploratory meeting with the group counsellor.

B-Eat Online Support Groups If you would like to access a support group outside of term time or do not feel comfortable going to either of the groups above, you can access support groups online which are run by B-Eat. They operate under the same ethos as the CUSU-GU B-Eat group, aiming to provide a non-judgemental, non-critical, user-led environment. Details for how to register for a group can be found here: www.b-eat.co.uk/get-help/get-support/online-support-groups.

There are, of course, many other forms of support available to you. If you would like some help navigating them, get in touch with Helen, the CUSU-GU Welfare Officer, or the Student Advice Service: Helen Hoogewerf-McComb advice@studentadvice.cam.ac.uk Student Advice Service welfare@cusu.cam.ac.uk

JARGON BUSTER! GRADUATE UNION

The Graduate Union is a safe place where mature students can make friends and take part in a range of different activities with people similar to themselves

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Student Parents While being a student parent at Cambridge will be demanding, there is plenty of support available from the University, Colleges and students to help things go more smoothly for your family. Both CUSU and the GU have officers (the CUSU Student Parent Representative and the GU Family Officer) who organise events and support for student parents.

University Childcare Office The University Childcare Office is the central organisation which can provide student parents with information and advice on a wide range of topics relating to childcare. You can contact an advisor at Childcare@admin.cam.ac.uk for advice and to ask to be added to their weekly bulletin.

Alternatively, you can look through the Cambridge Guide for Student Parents which is hosted on the Childcare Office website.

Financial Support Financial support is available for student parents who experience financial difficulties. Home students may be eligible for the Access to Learning Fund which prioritises student parents for support. For international students, the university runs the Central Childcare Bursary Scheme which is available at most colleges. If you are having money worries, try speaking to your tutor or come the Student Advice Service to explore your options.

Student Parents Society The CU Student Parents Society is a group for student parents to meet, pass on information and generally talk about their life in Cambridge. The society has a pretty active Facebook group where you can go to get advice or an insight into what life is like for parents studying at the University.

You can find out more at www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/campaigns/studentparents.

Parent and Toddler Group The Graduate Union organises a weekly Parent and Toddler Group which meets on Fridays, 10:30am-12:30pm, at the University Centre on Mill Lane. It’s a free, informal group for students and/or their partners who have young children and is a great way to meet people and make friends within the student parent community.

Remember!

Student The CUSU Societies Fair opens early for th 8 Parents. Come from 10-11am, Tuesday of October to beat the rush!

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We are recruiting reporters, reviewers, and photographers for Michaelmas 2013

If you would like to get involved with The Cambridge Student, the FREE weekly, full colour Cambridge University newspaper - then we’d be delighted to hear from you!

There is no strict application deadline for writers, reporters and photographers - we are happy to hear from you anytime!

Freshers’ are always very welcome!

Our first issue of the new Cambridge academic year will be out on 3 October 2013.

To apply -

editor@tcs.cam.ac.uk www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

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Mature Students At Cambridge, students who are 21 years of age or older are considered to be mature students. All students are members of CUSU, but as a mature student, you are also a member of the Graduate Union, even if you are an undergraduate student.

Many mature students make friends within their and course and settle well into life at Cambridge.

Others, however, may find that they are at a different stage in their lives than their younger counterparts and that their interests are different, especially when it comes to social activities.

There are ways in which mature undergraduate students can meet others close in age to them.

Mature students may socialise with graduate students more often, perhaps through the college MCR or the Graduate Union events. If you are a mature undergraduate student, it is well worth considering taking part in some of the graduate student activities.

There are also some societies that cater especially to graduate students and mature students, such as the Cambridge Graduate Orchestra (www.srcf.ucam.org/cgo) and the Cambridge Graduates’ Dining Society (www.cam.ac.uk/societies/gds) which gives you the opportunity to meet new people and dine at other Colleges.

It also may be worth joining the University Social Club (www.socialclub.cam.ac.uk) which hosts regular social activities such as dance lessons, cricket, darts, angling and more. The Social Club is open to students and staff, and as a result has a varied membership in terms of age.

JARGON BUSTER! THE DRC

The university’s Disability Resource Centre

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Disabled Students Disability covers a broad spectrum including mental health conditions, specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia or dyspraxia), autism, chronic health conditions and mobility and sensory impairments. Disability can be transient or permanent and it is quite common for students to only be diagnosed with a disability after they arrive. If you do have a disability or are diagnosed with one during your time at Cambridge it is important to consider disclosing this to your college as it will make them aware of any reasonable adjustments you may require and give them the chance to make access and support arrangements.

The University and Colleges have a responsibility to their students to ensure that the way that they design and structure the learning and living experiences at Cambridge do not discriminate against those with disabilities. As it can be difficult for a single procedure or resource to support access for every student, there is an expectation that ‘reasonable adjustments’ should be made where a system disadvantages a disabled student or limits the accessibility of their education. If you have disclosed a disability to your college and faculty and feel that your access needs are not being met, you can talk to the Disability Resource Centre or the Student Advice Service who can provide support and guidance.

Disability Resource Centre The DRC is the University of Cambridge’s disability service, providing advice, information and support to all disabled students. The DRC supports individuals with any disability, medical matter or injury, including those with, specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, physical impairments and injuries, sensory impairments, mental health issues, eating disorders, chronic illnesses, Asperger syndrome and autism.

The DRC can provide confidential information and support, study skills tuition and mentoring, assessment for dyslexia, the loan of specialist equipment, and assistance with funding applications.

The DRC can also work with you, your college, and department to help ensure that you have effective support during your time in Cambridge. The DRC is one of your first ports of call should you impairment mean you need reasonable adjustments for an exam, or for college life. www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/disability

Disabled Students Campaign The Disabled Students’ Campaign is a part of CUSU which campaigns for the rights of disabled students. If you are passionate about campaigning on issues related to disability rights, or feel that contact and support from other disabled students would be helpful, then think about getting in touch! disabled@cusu.cam.ac.uk

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Disabled Students Allowance The Disabled Students Allowance is intended to help pay for extra costs you may encounter as a result of your disability. A diagnosis is required before a student can claim their allowance. The DRC can help you organise this. Any assessment is confidential – information about your disability will not be passed on without your consent. It is available to all full-time and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students from the UK. If you are an international student, the university or your college may be able to contribute towards costs incurred as a result of your disability. Try talking to the DRC or your tutor for more information.

Disability Access Guide The DRC maintains the Cambridge University Disability Access Guide which provides access information about college, faculty and other University buildings. While the guide is not a perfect substitute for being able to actually visit sites or talk to someone in the know, it can be a great starting point and a useful tool for people organising events to ensure their venue will be accessible to all students. www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/disability/guide

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