PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

What is the JCR?

The JCR stands for the ‘Junior Combination Room’, and it is made up of all the undergraduate students at a particular College.

It is contrasted with the MCR (Middle Combination Room, for postgraduates), the SCR (Senior Combination Room, for Fellows), and the OCR (Ordinary Combination Room, for non-academic members of the College like alumni).

The JCR has around 450 undergraduate students and is represented by a Committee of around 25 elected students. Sometimes the term “JCR” is used as shorthand for “JCR Committee”, and other times the term “JCR” refers to the room in E staircase that is designated for and run by undergraduate students - for parties, meetings, work sessions, or just playing on our PlayStation.

(Please note that the JCR room is out of action due to building works for Michaelmas 2021; instead, the Bar will double as both Bar and JCR room for the duration of this term.)

What is a College marriage? Should I get married?

College Marriage is a quirky part of Cambridge life that acts to strengthen the student friendship and support systems at the individual level. It is an informal agreement between two or more students in the same year to get ‘college married’, who can then act as ‘college parents’ to incoming freshers the next year. This system exists so that freshers can have a familiar face to turn to if they have any questions about college life or academics; ultimately many find that college marriage blossoms into a strong friendship seeing them through their years at Cambridge! Some marriages are fancy with formal dress and lots of friends acting as guests whilst others are just an exchange or words - so you can be as extravagant as you wish!

However, if this doesn’t sound like something you would like to engage in, don’t worry! You are able to opt out of being a college parent, or even sign up to be a single parent as well!

I have heard a Cambridge slang term and I don’t know what it means - help!

Have a look at our dedicated Cambridge slang page under the ‘Prospective Students’ banner or click here!

What happens if I lose my CamCard or my key?

Follow the instructions set out on the University website here if you lose your CamCard.

If you have lost your key you will have to pay a replacement charge of £30, please report to the Porters Lodge and let one of the porters know.

Who should I contact if I have a problem?

This depends entirely on the nature of the problem! See below for who you can contact for each type of issue:

JCR Committee

Firstly, check our ‘Meet the Committee’ page - here, you can browse the roles of our elected Committee members and figure out if any of us might be able to help. Drop us a Facebook message or an email and we will get back to you as fast as possible!

College staff - Porters, the Maintenance department, and the IT department

If it is something to do with moving in or out or other ‘bread and butter’ issues (like a missing key, needing to collect a parcel, needing to find a room around College), the Porters down at Plodge (shorthand for “Porters’ Lodge”) will help you out. Porters are fantastic people who run and manage the various St. Catharine’s sites. Email Plodge, or head down and poke your head in at the window!

If it’s more of a maintenance issue (something around your room, or around College, is broken and needs fixing or replacing), submit a maintenance request.

If it’s a technological or IT issue, like bad WiFi or you need to borrow a spare monitor or laptop, submit an IT ticket.

If it is an issue with rent, accommodation, etc. please email the Accommodation department.

Welfare team - student and staff Welfare Officers, the Chaplain, and the Nurse

If it’s more of a welfare related problem, do get in touch with our designated student Welfare Officers, Florence Crofts and Shirav Medepalli, who are absolutely lovely and always down for a chat. You can also get in touch with our full-time Welfare Officer employed by College (one of the only Colleges to have a designated member of staff just for this!), Mary Simuyandi.

Our Welfare team also includes our Chaplain (Catz is currently in the process of changing College Chaplain, but when appointed in October they will be happy to help with anything, faith-based or not) and our College Nurse/Community Health Practitioner (Ryan Hegarty, who is trained in both physical and mental health support).

College Fellows - your DoS and Tutor

You will also have assigned Fellows (a Fellow is like a Professor who is a member of a College), one as your “Tutor” and one as your “Director of Studies”, commonly shortened to “DoS” (pronounced “doss”).

Your Tutor is predominantly there for welfare and pastoral support, and will normally meet with you at least on a termly basis. They will ensure you are settling in okay, be there for any personal issues you are having, support any applications for things like bursaries, intermission, and so on (should you need them). Your Tutor comes from outside of your subject and therefore is impartial in matters pertaining to your course, department, supervisors, etc. You can talk to any of the Tutorial team for this support; it doesn’t have to be “your” Tutor. Dr. David Bainbridge (db125 [at] cam.ac.uk) is the specific tutor for disabilities, while Dr. Holly Canuto (senior.tutor [at] caths.cam.ac.uk) is the Senior (i.e. “Head”) Tutor.

Your DoS plays more of an academic support role. Your DoS is associated with your subject and will organise your supervisions with supervisors. If you have an issue with a supervisor, it is best to go to your DoS. If you have any other issues with the course specifically, such as too high a workload, or an extension to a deadline, you might also just drop your DoS an email. You will have at least termly meetings with your DoS, usually, mostly to recap your supervision reports and recap your academic progress. (This is not so much to observe you as to help you!)