Pembroke College

Alternative Prospectus
 Hello!
This booklet has been put together by Pembroke students and aims to
give you an idea of what living and studying here is like from the
people who are doing just that.

What will you find here?

Pembroke and the JP
Studying
College Life Social; Food; Facilities;
Accommodation

Societies Sports; Arts;

Everything Else

Welfare
Meet some of the JPC
Finance
Applying
More information
Pembroke Dictionary
Map of the College

If you’ve decided that you want to apply to

Cambridge (and even if you’re still a little
unsure!), it might be worth spending some time
thinking about which College you want to apply
to. It may seem like a big decision, but it’s
nothing to worry about. All the Colleges offer
excellent teaching and facilities and practically
everyone is happy wit the College they end up
at. We absolutely love Pembroke and we hope
this prospectus will give you an insight into our
lives here and encourage you to choose us -
because, honestly, we’re pretty great.
 Pembroke and the JP
Pembroke is widely renowned in Cambridge for being an incredibly friendly
College – many people from other Colleges admit that Pembroke is their
second favourite! Students come from all backgrounds and become part of a
supportive, tight-knit community for our three (or more) years here. We live,
eat, study and socialise with each other, quickly becoming close friends with
people from a variety of subjects and year groups. Regardless of who you are
and where you come from, Pembroke feels like home as soon as you move in.

We’re situated right in the centre of town, a 10 minute walk from everything
you could want – shops, bars, cafes, restaurants, clubs as well as most of the
departments – and yet we somehow manage to avoid the huge crowds of
tourists that often clog Cambridge.

Founded on Christmas Eve in 1347, Pembroke is one of the oldest colleges

and has buildings that spancenturies, from Old Court (which includes a chapel
designed by Sir Christopher Wren, who went on to design St. Paul’s
Cathedral in London!) to Foundress Court (1997), a modern building with
student accommodation and facilities such as a gym and a computer room.

Every undergraduate student automatically becomes a member of the student

body that we call the Junior Parlour. The JPC (Junior Parlour Committee) is a
group of about twenty elected students, who act as representatives of every-
one in the JP, presenting their views to College officials, organising events, and
promoting welfare (a valuable complement to the College’s Tutors and the
College nurse). Each of the members of the JPC occupies a position and has
certain roles and responsibilities in College.
Studying
There’s no denying that we all have a
lot of work to do here, and it can
sometimes seem a bit daunting when
you arrive in Cambridge for your first
term, but at the same time it’s an
exciting opportunity to learn about the
subject you love with world-leading
experts. Pembroke is the ideal place to
study and will ensure you get the best
experience possible while you’re here.
Lectures, seminars and practicals (for
scientists) are organised by the
department and given there, not at
College.

Pembroke is across the road from the

main science lecture sites in town,
such as the Downing Site, New
Museums Site. The main site for Arts
subjects, the Sidgwick Site, is only a
ten-minute walk, and the West
Cambridge Site is a 15-minute cycle
away. This means you don’t have to
get out of bed too early even for 9am
lectures, and you can pop back to
College during gaps in your timetable.

The College is responsible for

organising your supervisions. These
are hour-long sessions with an expert
in your subject where you discuss
lectures, essays you’ve written,
solutions to problem sheets and
various other materials to ensure that
you understand what you’re being
taught.
They usually take place in College and you’ll
be in small groups, usually of 2-3 people,
which means the supervisor can dedicate
plenty of time to each person. Depending on
your subject, you’ll have between one and five
supervisions a week.

Pembroke will also assign you a Director of

Studies (DoS) when you arrive. Your DoS is
usually a Fellow (lecturer) in your subject and
“Supervisions are such a
is responsible for guiding you through your
great opportunity for me to
course. You meet with your DoS twice a
ask any questions I have
term, so you’ll get to know each other - and
after my lectures, and the
they’re only an email away if you have any
supervisors at Pembroke
problems with your work.
always go out of their way
to help me.”
If you don’t want to do your work in your
room, there are many places in College for
you to study. Our beautiful library has around Vikash, 2nd Year Engineer
37,000 books and plenty of space for you to
use. If it doesn’t have the book you’re looking
for, you can request it and the librarian will
try to buy it in for you. In addition to that,
each student is entitled to a book grant so
you can get your own textbooks if you want
to. The library is open 16 hours a day, but if
you’re a night owl then there’s also the com-
puter suite, which is open 24 hours a day and
provides a more relaxed environment.
There’s also Café Pembroke if you fancy
working with a cup of tea and a slice of cake.
If you want to revise out of college, most of
the departments have their own libraries and
there are plenty of cafes around. During ex-
ams, a few other rooms in College also open
up as study spaces so you don’t get bored of
sitting in the same place all the time! Finally,
during summer when the sun comes out,
many Pembroke students take to the grounds
and sit around the gardens with their books
and notes.
 College Life
Your College is where you live for the duration of your degree,
and there’s so much more to do here than just work;
this is where you’ll eat, sleep and socialise!

Social
Our reputation for friendliness is well
deserved. From the moment you arrive here,
we do everything we can to help you meet
people and get involved in College life. You’ll
be given a College family, with ‘parents’ from
the years above to help guide you through the
transition and ‘siblings’ from your year to
make sure you know people from Day One.
Many people remain very close friends with
their College families throughout their time
here. When you reach second year, you can
sign up to have kids of your own!

The hub of social life in College is the JP (the

Junior Parlour) – a café by day and bar by
night. With its squishy sofas and a pool table,
the JP offers a perfect place to relax and catch
up with friends in the evening. If you’re in the
mood for a night out, there are always people
in the JP heading into town – we’re
conveniently located a short walk from
Cambridge’s clubs! The JP is host to various
events throughout term, such as pub
quizzes and karaoke nights. It’s also a fab place
for a quieter night in, with an adjacent TV
room, complete with games consoles!

“My college family were the first people I met

at Pembroke and they provided a most
friendly welcome” - Valentin, 1st Year Maths
Pembroke May Ball 2019, “Ember”

The ultimate College party, however, is the bi-termly BOP. This is held in the
JP at the start and end of each term and attracts almost all Pembroke
students. BOP is a themed fancy-dress party, with recent themes including
“Fiesta Beach Party”, “Let’s Get Noughty” and “Acceptable in the 80s”.

Pembroke also hosts a May Ball or June Event during May Week, which
happens once exams are over (despite the name – in June). From 9pm until
6am, the Pembroke grounds are turned into a playground of fairground
events, food stalls, cocktails, live music, comedy, and loads of other attractions
all based around a theme, for example in 2018 it’s “Ember” – and was
Cambridge’s most sustainable May Ball! Pembroke’s Balls consistently get
excellent reviews and are the highlight of the year’s social events.

“Pembroke May Ball is described as the most atmospheric of all balls, because
everyone is so friendly that you might be dancing with your best friend,
College parents, supervisor or that person whose name you never remember
- and you will still be having the best night of your life!”
- Sarah, 3rd Year English
 Food (very important!)
Everyone from other colleges knows that food
at Pembroke is amongst the best in
Cambridge, and we frequently play host to
friends who want to come and try it out.

On a day-to-day basis, most people use a

mixture of kitchens, ‘trough’ and Café
Pembroke to feed themselves. College
kitchens, more commonly known as Gyp
Rooms (no one is really sure why), are basic
and are suitable for preparing light snacks and
simple meals. Most kitchens have a microwave,
hotplates, a fridge and a freezer. Some people,
depending on where the accommodation is,
also have an oven. Gyps are usually shared
between four or five students, making them
good social spaces.

Trough, our affectionate name for the College

canteen, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner on
weekdays and brunch and dinner at the week-
end – all in our Harry Potter-esque hall. The
menu is published online every day (have a
look on the college website for the link!) and
there are always multiple options, including
vegetarian dishes, pasta and a salad bar .

“With our University cards, we get big dis-

counts on a range of global and local foods in
the canteen. A highlight is the legendary
brunch served on weekend mornings, which
people from Colleges far and wide come to
experience” - Georgie, 3rd Year Vet
Our brunch is the stuff of Cambridge legend,
with everything you could possibly want on a
Saturday or Sunday morning: sausages, bacon,
fried egg, scrambled egg, mushrooms,
tomatoes and loads more, plus waffles and
pancakes with various sauces! To top it all off,
everything served in trough is cheap and
affordable (we get a student discount!).

If you fancy a simple lunch, drink or snack

during the day, Café Pembroke (conveniently
located in the JP) serves various food items,
such as paninis, pizzas and salads, along with a
variety of hot and cold drinks. The staff are
super-friendly and learn everyone’s names
within a couple of weeks of them arriving –
they’ll soon know your favourite order better
than you do!

If you have a special occasion, such as a

birthday, or just fancy something special for
dinner, Pembroke also has ‘formals’ every
night of the week. These are waiter-served
three- or four-course meals cooked by our
fantastic chef. They are incredible value for
money and a great way to have a nice meal
with friends at a fraction of what it would cost
you at a restaurant (just remember to wear
your gown and bring your own bottle if you
want to have some wine with dinner).

“Pembroke Formal is arguably the best formal

in Cambridge, and really good value!”
- Will, 3rd Year HSPS
Accommodation
Pembroke provides accommodation for undergraduates during all three or
four years of their course. This includes rooms within the College grounds,
and rooms in College-owned houses surrounding Pembroke. First years are
guaranteed accommodation on the College site in one of the multiple
buildings – once your place is confirmed, you receive an email asking your
preference of whether you’d like an older or newer-style room. The oldest
buildings, Old Court and Red Buildings, have the lowest rent due to their age,
but offer gorgeous views of the chapel and library. New Court and
Orchard Building have amazing views of the College grounds, with light,
spacious rooms.

There are also more than forty rooms for freshers in Foundress Court, our
newest building (1997), which offers the most modern rooms and facilities,
and has the highest rent to reflect this. However, regardless of where you
live, Pembroke has fantastic value accommodation.

In second year, a ballot system is in place to decide the order in which rooms
are chosen. You can ballot in groups of up to four so that you end up living
with your friends.

“Rooms in College and College owned houses vary in size from decent to
absolutely massive so you’re never going to be stuck with a horrible room!” -
Seren, 3rd Year Natural Sciences
Second years often live in College-
owned houses (called “Hostels”) with
between 2 and 33 rooms, but you can
still live in College if there’s space. All
hostels are no more than a 20 minute
walk from college (and most much
closer!). People who get the highest
exam results at the end of first year
are offered the larger “Scholars’
Rooms”, some of which have their
own sitting room! In third year, the
ballot is reversed so that people who
chose last in second year get to
choose first.

A block of bathrooms is shared

between around eight students, and
you rarely have to wait for the
showers because everyone runs on
different schedules. Pembroke has a
few en-suite rooms (if required), but
many have wash basins. There are
laundry facilities in College and many
of the hostels. The College also
employs ‘bedders’ – cleaners who can
hoover your room at an agreed time,
empty your bins, and clean your bath-
room and kitchen – so you don’t have
to worry about any of that.

“The bedders are absolute life savers,

and are always up for a friendly chat in
the mornings.” - Jon, 2nd Year
Historian
Rooms and Facilities
Porters Lodge
Located at the entrance of the college. The
porters are incredibly friendly - they can help you
with directions, answer questions (or direct you
to someone who can help), and are the go-to
people in emergencies, or if you need support or
a chat. They also manage all the post and pigeon
holes.

Social Spaces
Apart from the JP and café Pembroke, there are
other rooms which can be used by students after
booking, such as the New Common Room, Old
Cellars or the TV room.

Gym
In Foundress building there is a small but fully-
equipped gym, free for all undergraduate students
(though you need to go through an ‘induction’
first to make sure you use the equipment safely)
and open 24 hours a day, every day.

Music Room
Available for anyone who wants to practice
playing their instrument or singing.

New Cellars
A great performance space – the place to go if
you want to see a play, comedy night or poetry
event. Yoga and zumba classes also happen here.

Computer Room
Open all the time, provides another study space
with loads of computers to use, and a printer and
photocopier.
 Societies
Sports
The sports scene at Pembroke is thriving,
and you’re sure to be able to find
something fun to get involved in, whether
you’re a beginner or a pro. There are
teams for rugby, women’s and men’s
football, badminton, mixed netball, men’s
and women’s hockey, cricket, and loads
more. There are also popular sporting
events scattered through the year,
including “The Pembroke Mile”, which is a
fun run to raise money for charity, and
includes a free brunch for participants!

The Pembroke sports pitches are a 10-

minute cycle from College, so you’ll never
have to go far for training or matches.

Rowing is amazingly popular throughout

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

“There are so many different sports clubs

at Pembroke and there’s loads of
opportunities to try something new. I
started playing rugby here and now I’m on
the university team.” - Ciara, 3rd PBS
 Arts

Budding thespians can follow in the

footsteps of Eric Idle, Naomi Harris and
Tom Hiddleston by joining the Pembroke
Players, who regularly stage plays, from
Shakespeare to new student writing, as
well as hosting stand-up comedy nights,
which are called ‘‘Smokers”. Every
summer, the Players take a Shakespeare
play on tour around Japan! Even those
students with little (or no!) acting talent
can take part in the Pembroke Freshers’
Panto, a fun end to your first term.

Writers can contribute to “Pembroke

Street”, our termly College magazine that
showcases the talent of our students.
College also regularly organises writing
masterclasses and holds writing
competitions with cash prizes.

We have a Chapel Choir, which performs

every Sunday at evensong in the College’s
chapel and on international tours in the
summer. Alternatively, “The Lovely
Choir” or “AcaPembroke” offer a more
relaxed environment for singers,
regardless of previous experience. There
are also plenty of musical groups to get
involved in, including Pembroke College
Musical Society (PCMS), which organises
weekly shows in College.
 Everything Else
Feeling intellectual? Pembroke’s very own “Stokes
Society”, named after Sir George Gabriel Stokes,
former Master of the College, is one of the
largest student-run science societies in Cambridge
and hosts weekly talks on a range of interesting
topics.

There are loads of other societies, including

Pembroke Collage Society, where people from all
years get together for some “chilled vibes” and a
Pie Society where you can learn how to make - and
eat - delicious pies!

Plus there are loads of volunteering opportunities.

Pembroke hosts charity events and many students
volunteer their time to a variety of good causes,
such as Pembroke House, a charity Pembroke
students set up in London over 100 years ago.

You can also get involved in chapel life (the

chapel is open to all faiths), and there are
dozens of other discussion and interest groups,
societies and committees around College (too
many to name them all here!) Alternatively, you can
stand for election to the JPC, or help the
Access Team as ‘Pembassador’ at open days and
other events.

And if you find you’re interested in something for

which there isn’t already a group, then the
College also encourages students to set up their
own societies which the JPC can help with funding
for. If you’re interested in getting involved in some-
thing at a university level then there are too many
to name here - you can see the full list of
Cambridge societies at www.societies.cam.ac.uk
 Welfare in College
Upon arrival at Pembroke, students are assigned a Tutor whom they meet with
twice a term. Tutors are the go-to figures for any non-academic problems you
might have, but there is also Pembroke’s College Nurse who has regular visiting
hours for any health concerns, or just for a chat. We also have a College Coun-
sellor, the University Counselling Service, and a dedicated Student Welfare
Team, made up of undergraduates from all years. Each member has a unique role:

The Welfare Officer is always available to chat to. They can give advice on any-
thing, from work difficulties to illness and sexual health. They can also deal with
College officials on your behalf, and organise welfare events like picnics, dog ther-
apy, chilled study sessions and massages! jp-welfare@pem.cam.ac.uk

The Women’s Officer is available to chat to female and non-binary students

about women-specific issues. They provide support, organise events regarding
gender and equality, and represents women’s views within the College and
university-wide. jp-womens@pem.cam.ac.uk

The Men’s Officer is available to speak to anyone about issues specific to men
and non-binary students, and is a champion of men’s health awareness.
jp-mens@pem.cam.ac.uk

The LGBT+ Officer looks after all things related to sexuality and gender. If you
have any worries or questions about your sexuality and/or gender, they can help.
They also run all sorts of LGBT+ social events in College. jp-lgbt@pem.cam.ac.uk

The International Officer looks out for the welfare of international students, and
helps people adjust to living in the UK. jp-international@pem.cam.ac.uk

The Ethnic Minorities Officer looks out for the welfare of ethnic minorities in
College, and deals with any and all related issues. jp-ethmin@pem.cam.ac.uk

The Disabled Students Officer provides support for those with any kind of health
problem, physical or mental impairment, or learning difficulty. They can help you
with talking to your Tutor and supervisors about getting the support you need,
learning to handle your condition(s) in a new environment, and applying for
Disabled Students’ Allowance. jp-disabilities@pem.cam.ac.uk
Meet some of the JPC!
The JPC are Pembroke’s elected
undergraduate student body.

President - Milly
Vice President - Nick
Welfare Officer - Lucy
Men’s and Non-Binary Welfare - Maxime
Women’s and Non-Binary Welfare - Milly
Ethnic Minorities Officer - Freya
LGBTQ+ Officer - Theo
Disabled Students Officer - Sophie
International Students Officer - Vineet
Entertainments Officer - Akshar
Women’s Officer - Tilly
Charities Officer - Laetitia
Sports Officer - Jamie
Food Officer - Sophie
Accommodation Officer - Rue
JP and Bar Officer - Amanda
IT Officer - Jamie
Treasurer - Lily
Access Officers - Jamie and Nicole
Green Officer - Eliza

Go to our website to learn more!

www.pemjp.soc.srcf.net
 Finance
Living Costs
As mentioned above, Pembroke offers cheap “Almost everyone in
accommodation in Cambridge. Plus, you only pay Cambridge has a bike
rent for nine or ten weeks a term. You don’t have and cycles everywhere,
to pay rent throughout the holidays when you’re and Pembroke is basically
not here, which really saves you money. Electricity right in the centre, so I
and Wi-Fi are also included in your rent. haven’t ever had to get a
bus.”
Other costs, such as the Kitchen Facilities Charge - Maia, 1st Year English
(KFC for short - this is charged by most Colleges
and means the prices of food in “trough” are lower
than they would otherwise be) or printing charges
are added onto College bills each term.

It’s important to budget carefully for everything

you’ll need - things such as laundry, nights out, and
essentials from the supermarket like tea and coffee.
You may also need to spend money on course-
related costs, such as buying a lab coat, but this will
vary depending on the subject and there are often
bursaries or grants available.

There are lots of things about Cambridge that'll

help save some money during your time here. For
example, unlike in larger cities, everything in
Cambridge is accessible by foot or bike so you
don’t need to spend money on transport. Being at
Pembroke makes this even easier - the central
location means you’ll rarely need to go further than
a 10-minute cycle! Also, because of the abundance
of libraries, there is rarely any need to buy a
textbook for your course.
Loans and Grants
Undergraduate tuition fees at Cam- “There are loads of grants and bur-
bridge for EU and International stu- saries available at Pembroke to help
dents can be found on the University cover the cost of living, and there
website. are also some available centrally
from the university, so money is
Government loans cover this for all rarely an issue here.”
UK students and may also cover a - Adam, 3rd Year Medic
certain amount of your living costs,
depending on household income.
More information about the money
you’re entitled to can be found on the
Student Finance website. You won’t
have to pay back any of these loans
until after you graduate, and until
you’re earning over the repayment
threshold.

In addition, Pembroke and the Univer-

sity of Cambridge both offer very gen-
erous grants, dependent on your
household income. Funding is also
available for extra-curricular activities
such as language studies or course-
related travel, and Pembroke offers
monetary prizes for all sorts of com-
petitions or academic achievements.
For information on finance, visit
www.pem.cam.ac.uk/study -here/
undergraduate/costs-and-bursaries.
Applying
The application process can seem a bit confusing at
first. You can find out more information on the
university website and in the prospectus, but here’s
a short outline:

UCAS form - it is important to remember that the

deadline is 15th October, so start early to have
plenty of time for writing your personal statement.

SAQ - don’t be surprised that soon after you send

off your UCAS form you’ll be asked to fill out
another one - the Supplementary Application
Questionnaire. This is much shorter and won’t take
much time, but will require you to provide some
more information.
Tip: the photo you submit for the SAQ will be used on
your University Card if you get in - so choose one that
you like!

Written Assessment - this part of the process is

often changing, so look on the university website
for the most up to date information. You may need
to take an assessment before the interview (make
sure you’ve checked deadlines and are registered if
so!), or at the interview, depending on your course.
Sometimes you may also be asked to submit one of
your school essays.

Interview - it is much less stressful than it might

seem! The interviewers are all really nice and not
trying to ‘trick’ you - they’re usually the supervisors
for the given subject so the interview will resemble
a supervision. Remember that it’s not about getting
the ‘right’ answer (as often there isn’t just one!) but
rather showing how you think and approach new
scenarios.
 More Information
If you’re applying from outside of the EU*, English is not your first language, or
you have some unusual circumstances, the details of applications may be a bit
different. You may be asked to provide a transcript, have an earlier deadline, or
pass an IELTS test - so please check the university website.

If you have questions that aren’t answered in this booklet, you can email
jp-access@pem.cam.ac.uk. Our current student Access Officers will get back to
you as soon as they can.

Further information about Pembroke can be found on the official College

website: www.pem.cam.ac.uk (where you can also find the official Pembroke
prospectus), as well as the website of the Junior Parlour Committee:
www.pemjp.soc.srcf.net/freshers.

More information about applying, studying, and life in Cambridge can also be
found on the official Cambridge University website: www.cam.ac.uk.

CUSU (Cambridge University Students’ Union) have their own alternative

prospectus on all the Colleges and courses, available online at
www.applytocambridge.com and more information (for example about societies)
at www.cusu.cam.ac.uk.
 Pembroke Dictionary
Pembroke (and Cambridge in general) has some strange terms that you may
come across, so we’ve translated some of them for you here.

ADC - Amateur Dramatics Club (can Hostel - a house owned by College

refer to both the society and their and occupied by students. A number
theatre) of Pembroke students choose to
Ballot - the system by which rooms move out of College and into a hostel
are allocated after first year in their second or third year.
Bedder - lovely person who empties JP - Junior Parlour, the social hub of
your bin and hoovers your room College for undergraduates
Blue - a sporting achievement Lent term - second term
awarded to someone who has Matriculation - the process by which
competed against Oxford in a sport you become a member of the
at university level university
Boatie - someone who rows May Week - an amazing and quite
Bop - twice-termly College fancy surreal week of sunshine, garden par-
dress party ties, balls and fun to celebrate the end
of exams and the end of the academic
Bumps - an inter-collegiate rowing
year. Bizarrely, it occurs in June.
competition
Michaelmas term - first term
Cantab - anyone who is a student at,
or graduate of, the University of Plodge - Porters’ Lodge
Cambridge Squash - an event at which societies
Cuppers - inter-collegiate competi- recruit new members
tions in various sports Thesp - someone involved in theatre
CUSU - Cambridge University Tripos - the Cambridge exams you
Students’ Union need to take to get a degree
DoS - Director of Studies Trough - the College canteen
Easter term - third term Tutor - a senior member of College
Ents - entertainments assigned to each undergraduate to
look after their pastoral care
Fellow - an academic at a College
UL - the University Library
Gyp - College kitchen, mainly used
for preparing light snacks Valencian - member of Pembroke
College
Map of the College
Contact

Address Twitter Admissions Office

Pembroke College @PemCamOutreach 01223 338154
Trumpington Street adm@pem.cam.ac.uk
Cambridge Instagram
CB2 1RF pemcamoutreach

JPC Access Email

Jp-access@pem.cam.ac.uk