Blog by: Florence

I’m no longer a fresher! It feels odd typing this sentence out, because I am no longer a wide-eyed, fresh-faced first year student. I’m now a second year, looking forward to starting a brand new term in Cambridge. It’s not as exciting as before, but seeing as I am a year wiser, here are 5 things that incoming students (yes, you!) simply must do during the incredible 4 days of freshers week.

1. Make friends with the person next to you- it goes without saying that Freshers week is the best time to meet new people. Be it the person you’re walking next to, or the student looking lost in college, or the girl sitting next to you in the buttery- everyone’s friendly and open to chatting. So don’t be shy!

2. Go to pub crawls – even if you don’t want to drink, it’s a must to join in your college’s pub crawl during your first few days in Cambridge. You get to meet new friends, chat over a pint, socialise with students from other colleges, and best of all, visit all of the most traditional pubs in Cambridge at once.

3. Go punting- Cambridge isn’t Cambridge without punts, so join in on punting tours that occur during your first few days in town. The International Cambridge Students Union (ICUSU), for example, offers both day and night punting trips for freshers.

4. Tour around Cambridge- enjoy the natural scenery and the picturesque landscape that will be your home for the next 3 or 4 years. Colleges usually have second year students that will show you around town and take you on walking tours to the best spots in Cambridge. So don’t miss out on this chance to do a little sightseeing.

5. Freshers’ Fair -Societies and hobbies are key parts of life in Cambridge. Remember to visit the Freshers Fair, where many societies will be showcasing their term cards, event plans and telling you all about what’s on offer. There’s also many freebies like pizza, pens and chocolate up for grabs, so don’t miss out.

Freshers week is short and sweet, so enjoy the ride and relax!

May Week is the highlight of the student experience at Cambridge- it’s a week of garden parties, food, drinks and may balls.

So what exactly are may balls?

May balls are large, lavish events held at the end of each academic year to celebrate the end of exams. The dress code is often Black or White tie, and many of the colleges in Cambridge hold different May Balls at varying dates. These parties are usually themed and feature unlimited drinks, endless entertainment and several large, famous music headliners who perform on stages in the beautiful college lawns.

This year, I was fortunate enough to go to the Trinity College May Ball. It was an outstanding event requiring Black Tie, although many of the men donned on their caps, canes and White Tie outfits. The food was great- burgers, paella, oysters, champagne and almost anything you would want to have. As for entertainment, Lawson was the main headliner, although I missed most of their performance because I was too busy getting my hair done in the salon in one of the rooms.

Trinity was really well decorated and lit up, adding an elegant touch to the already impressive architecture of the college. I particularly enjoyed the flying swings and the bumper cars on offer in the Trinity backs- I think I must have ridden the swings at least 5 times that evening. The highlight of my night was the punting on the River Cam at 4 a.m. at night- it was getting cold but it was lovely to enjoy the river in the early hours of the morning whilst relaxing with friends.

I took a lot of amazing pictures and had a great time at the Trinity May Ball! It’s definitely a great way to wrap up the end of my first year at Cambridge.

Easter term is perhaps the most intensive term in Cambridge. Everyone has exams, and apart from having to juggle your own subject’s modules, you have to learn to balance your time well, squeeze in a few sessions with friends and learn to cope with all the revision… I’ve gone through my notes, and so far it’s looking alright. Many of my friends have exams spread over several days or weeks, but for me, it’s all happening within two days. First year is always nerve-racking, because you don’t know what to expect and you don’t know what the exams in Cambridge are like. Many of the tripos have an extensive history and traditions- did you know that the results for the Mathematical Tripos are dropped down a balcony from the Senate House after it is released?

The only thing that is keeping me motivated is May Week, where I’ll be going to the Trinity May Ball with a few friends. I have heard great things about the ball and May week in general, and apparently one of the May Balls will be inviting a special celebrity guest!

I’ve never been to Girton College before, but I made the journey to the off-town college last week on March 14th 2014 (a Friday night) for the hyped-up, lavish biennial spring ball. This is my first real ball in Cambridge, having been to a few mini balls in The Guildhall last term held by the Marshall Society and the Chinese Students and Scholars Association. Here is my brief and honest review of the night.

Theme- 3/5 : The theme was Les Années folles, which meant the ‘Roaring Twenties’, and a lot of people dressed up true to the theme. Girls wore shiny dresses, and personally I enjoyed admiring the styles of everyone’s outfit. The theme itself suited Girton College well because the College was built back in late 1800s, which meant that the College didn’t have to change it’s interior to create a vintage effect. The College was lit up with green and blue lights, and the whole College looked rather fancy and grand.

Food and drinks- 2/5 : Food choices were rather limited and nothing special- burgers, fries, fish fingers, ice cream, frozen yogurt, popcorn, cookies and candy floss – the typical snacks that you get in a carnival. The ice-cream van left quite early and the twin chocolate fountains were gone after a few hours, which meant that there wasn’t much choice in edibles after a few hours of the ball. There were smoothies, cookies, hot tea and hot chocolate in another room, which was comforting for those who waited for hours in the cold for the queue and wanted something to eat. There was a selection of unlimited drinks, which was great because they did not run out even until dawn.

Entertainment- 3/5 : There wasn’t a time where I had nothing to do during the ball. I was impressed by the helter skelter which was constructed right next to the entrance of Girton College. It was great fun sliding down the ramp, and the queue wasn’t long at all. Where the queues are long were the bumper car rides, but it was worth the wait because who wouldn’t enjoy crashing your dodgem into a friend’s as hard as you can? There was a successful disco in one of the tents in the main court, where the DJ played funk music and we all donned on rectangle-shaped black sunglasses as we danced to the beat. Live music was streaming in the main hall, which was enjoyable because the singers were extremely talented. There was a comedian in another room, whom performed stand-up for a while, but he left too soon before I could catch more of his jokes. The music and dodgem were definitely the highlights of the evening.

Atmosphere- 4/5 :  In various rooms scattered around the College,  live music was being played by student entertainers, which brought a very gothic atmosphere to the College. The theme it self was reminiscent of the golden, bustling burlesque era of the 1920s, and the College decorations were generally consistent with this vintage theme. Drapes and fairy lights were strung across ceilings, and candles in coloured glass lit up the pathway outside the College. There were a lot of guests in the Girton Spring Ball, which gave the College a lively atmosphere because everyone was excited, eager and happy. In fact, there were so many guests that the “survivors photo” (a photo taken of those who stayed until 5:00 a.m, the end of the ball) took an extremely long time to take. because the crowds had to keep changing positions just to fit into the frame.

Overall, it was good evening of fun, catching up and partying. The only thing I was surprised about was that it took quite a while to queue up for the ball, especially having to stand for a long time in the cold March breeze. However, I enjoyed the night because it was fun to go out with friends from College and to be in a new, beautifully decorated environment for a ball. Also, the Girton ball was a great way to end the term because life in Cambridge is indeed quite hectic at times, especially with the short 8-week terms.

Cambridge is not all about working all day, it’s also about people taking some time off to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings that are the scenic and picturesque Colleges and what they have to offer.

One of the most special experiences that you get in Cambridge University are the Spring Balls held by individual Colleges during Lent Term. These balls are formal occasions for having fun with your friends, and students have to wear a black tie attire, which means dresses for ladies and suits for men.

Students from other Colleges can purchase tickets (dining / non-dining). The ball is essentially a themed nights of dance, entertainment, music, food, drinks, games and amusement rides which are held inside the College grounds. Each spring ball is very different- Churchill College holds an annual ball with lots of photo booths, and Girton College holds a ball every two years.

I was fortunate enough to get two tickets for the Girton Spring Ball this year (March 14th), after a lucky shot at the ticketing queue. I’ll be going with my friend Hannah from Fitzwilliam College, and we can’t wait for all the glitz and glamour of the evening. Before balls, we usually gather in groups to dress up, put on makeup and get everything ready. I’m sure there will be lots of photo taking, laughing and eating.

The theme for this year’s Girton Spring Ball is Les Années folles. This literally means the “Golden Twenties”, or alternatively the “Roaring Twenties” in Europe, where most of the continent had an economic boom following the World War I before the Wall Street Crash in 1929. This seems very unique and vintage-like, maybe it will be reminiscent of scenes from “The Great Gatsby”, which happens to be one of my favourite books.

The Spring Ball will be filled with stalls, rides and performers to keep students entertained throughout the night. I have never been to Girton College before, so it will be a novel and amazing experience to spend a whole evening in the college.

I am very excited for the Girton Spring Ball. Please stay tuned for my next blog post, which will be an exciting review of the ball with pictures included!