Freshers' Week

The first week of Michaelmas Term, when you arrive at Cambridge, is called Freshers' Week. In true Cambridge style, it actually runs for two weeks and contains a wealth of introductory events especially designed to help you meet other Graduates and to find your way around. The welcome letter sent through the post from the MCR President can be read here and the program of events either see below or download a copy here. All of our events will also appear on the calendar and on the upcoming events page.

Freshers' Week Events - 2021

WEEK 1

Friday 1st October

Pub Night Welcome
8 pm - 11 pm, meet at 7.40 pm at the Porters Lodge to walk down as a group
Please join us for a few drinks in the relaxed environment of The Red Bull pub; a perfect opportunity to greet Freshers’ and meet up with “seasoned” members of the MCR! Meet at the Porters Lodge at 7.50pm to walk down as a group or catch up with us at the pub.
If you are meeting us at the pub, the address is The Red Bull, 11 Barton Road, CB3 9JZ. To get to it from Robinson porters lodge; turn right from the front of college onto Grange Road and walk to the end of the road. Then turn left onto Barton Road, cross the road and the pub will be on the road on the right.

Saturday 2nd October

Meet and Greet
2 pm - 4 pm, MCR
A chance to meet other new Freshers’ and the MCR committee plus pick up welcome packs from the Cambridge University Student’s Union (CUSU) and the Graduate Union (GU). You will find us this in the MCR which is up the stairs off Long Court by the Chapel.

Kitchen Tea Parties
4 – 6 pm, Thorneycreek, 3 Sylvester Road (SR), 3A SR ground floor and 3B SR ground floor
Come and meet your housemates over the traditional pastime of English afternoon tea! Cakes, scones and tea will be provided in a kitchen in your house. For those in Thorneycreek Cottage, head over to the main Thorneycreek House for tea.

MCR Welcome Cocktail Party
8 pm - late, MCR
An ancient Robinson MCR tradition (or about as ancient as traditions go in this college!) is our infamous welcome cocktail party! It's the perfect way to meet lots of people from different houses, courses and years. Probably one of our biggest events of the year - be sure not to miss it! Cocktails, mocktails, beer, soft drinks and snacks provided along with the odd experimental drink rerated by the MCR committee! An event not to be missed!

Sunday 3rd October

College Squash
10 am - 12.30 pm, Dining Hall
This is probably one of the first words you will come across where the word has a completely different meaning in Cambridge! This is not the sport or the drink but the Robinson College Societies Fair run by the RCSA. Go down to the main dining hall (off Long Court) to have a look at what extracurricular college activities Robinson has to offer and maybe sign up to one or two. If you are interested in rowing during your time in Cambridge then this is the time to go and sign up with boat club.

Brunch
12.30 pm - 2 pm, MCR
To cement those new found friendships made at the cocktail party (and to wash away any hangovers that may have been acquired!), please join us for a delicious brunch in the MCR. We will be providing a selection of fresh breads, meats and cheeses, along with smoked salmon blinis, crunchy yogurt pots and some sweet treats! There will also be plenty of freshly brewed tea and coffee to help get you up and running for the day.

College Tour
2 pm - 2.30 pm, leaves from MCR after brunch
A tour of the main college facilities to help you acquaint yourself with all the important parts of college: from the bar to the bike sheds!

Walking tour of Cambridge
2.30 pm, leaves from Porters Lodge after the college tour
A short walking tour of Cambridge pointing out most of the important and famous landmarks as well as pointing you in the right direction to where you buy a gown, the nearest supermarket, how to avoid being run over by bicycles and generally about how to survive in Cambridge. Don't forget your camera!

Sunday Film Night
8 pm, MCR
Our weekly Sunday film night rounds off the weekend with free pizza, beer and soft drinks. Film to be announced closer to the time. An ideal way to relax before the beginning of the week.

Monday 4th October

Matriculation and the Matriculation Photograph
4 pm, Auditorium Lounge for Matriculation and 4:30 pm for the photo
All new graduates must matriculate (the Cambridge term for enrolling). You will meet the Warden, the senior tutor and the graduate tutors and sign the appropriate documents. Additionally, a photograph will be taken of all the incoming graduate students. N.B. if you were an undergraduate at Robinson previously you do not matriculate again.

New graduates should be ready to sign the Matriculation Sheet in the Auditorium Lounge at 4 pm and then be ready for the photograph at 4:30 pm in Front Court.

The dress code is suits and ties for gentleman, smart for ladies. Gowns must also be worn. If you know you will not have a gown in time for matriculation, please let the MCR president know at least one day before (i.e. Sunday 3rd) and they will arrange for you to collect one from the porters lodge.

Pre-dinner drinks
6.45 pm, Hall balcony
Preceding the matriculation dinner, sparkling wine will be served on the hall balcony to celebrate the great occasion of matriculation and to formally welcome you to Robinson. Please note that only new grads who have matriculated on this day are invited to the dinner.

Matriculation dinner
7.15 pm for 7.30 pm, Dining Hall
A chance to experience your first formal dining experience at Cambridge with the Matriculation dinner in the Hall for all those who matriculated on this day. You should receive an invitation from the college with your welcome pack and there is no need to RSVP but please tell the college of any dietary requirements you have as early as possible.

Dress code for dinner is suits and ties for gentleman, smart for ladies. Gowns must also be worn.

Following dinner, cheese and port will be served in the MCR (and all MCR members are welcome to join us)

N.B. if you are a continuing undergraduate at Robinson you are not entitled to attend the dinner but please do join us for post-dinner drinks. You get a free formal on the Tuesday 12 October.

Tuesday 5th October

CUSU Societies Fair
11 am – 4 pm, Kelsey Kerridge Sports Centre & Parkers Piece
This is the definitive Cambridge societies and sports squash. Almost every Cambridge society will be under one roof, each begging you to sign up. Dominos is usually on hand offering free pizza. The queue can be quite long, so turn up early if you want entry. Doors open an hour earlier on Tuesday for students with disabilities and student parents.
Make sure you book your ticket here!

MCR general knowledge quiz
8pm – 10 pm, Bar
Relax after matriculation with a pub quiz in the college bar. Come along and test yourself against the best trivia that our committee can think of. No need to organise yourself into a team as this will be done on the night. Prizes and the chance to reign over your fellow MCR members for the rest of the year.

Wednesday 6th October

CUSU Societies Fair
11 am – 3 pm, Kelsey Kerridge Sports Centre & Parkers Piece
A second chance to attend the CUSU Societies Fair at Kelsey Kerridge. If you didn’t manage to make it down on Tuesday, be sure to get down today because after that it’s gone!
Make sure you book your ticket here!

Kitchen Dinners
7.30 pm onwards, Hostel kitchens
Communal cooking and friendly chat is the order of the day here! We have left this evening free from MCR Committee interference for those living in Hostels to take the opportunity to get to know the people you will be sharing with for the next academic year. So, take this opportunity to discover the delights of communal living! The idea is that each member of the household will bring a dish for all to share – be it a main, side dish or dessert! Do not worry if you can’t cook, just bring something shop-bought for all to munch on!
In order to co-ordinate this, sign-up sheets will be pinned up in each Hostel with a space to indicate what you plan to bring. This will help to ensure that each kitchen doesn’t end up with 10 desserts and 4 salads but no main course! Bring your own drinks and don’t forget to contribute to the clean-up!

Thursday 7th October (Start of Lectures)

Grange Road College Bar Crawl
8 pm onwards, Starting at the Porters Lodge
On this night we have invited a host of other colleges that are situated in and around Grange Road to join us for a drink in our college bar. In return they have invited us to go and have a drink in their college or MCR bars - a great chance to socialise with other postgrads from outside Robinson!

Friday 8th October

Curtain Call Theatre Show Show
11 pm, ADC Theatre
Five disgraced comedians from an 80s comedy troupe are brought to an abandoned theatre under suspicious circumstances. Interrupting their far from amicable reunion, a booming and mysterious voice announces that they have one hour to write a sketch show... or they die.

Join us to see this this show, a piece of dark comedy, that will make you laugh and think!
We will be heading out from the Porters lodge at 10.30 pm or meet us at the ADC Theatre.

Sign up required as tickets are limited.

WEEK 2

Saturday 9th October

Punting
2 pm, meet in MCR
Enjoy the quintessential Cambridge experience! Meet at 2pm in the MCR and we will head down to the river and enjoy a leisurely punt along the College backs. Punting provides great views of the Colleges and an excellent way to unwind on a Saturday afternoon!

Pre-booking required (so that we can gauge the number of punts needed).

Afternoon Tea
3.30 pm - 5.30 pm, MCR
A true English tradition that is a perfect way to unwind. Join us in the MCR for tea, cake and scones with jam and clotted cream. This year we are raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support. So bring along your own baked goods for a chance to win the star prize.

Sunday 10th October

Brunch
12.30 pm - 2 pm, MCR
Once more, the MCR will be filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, tea and our normal continental brunch selection.

Film Night
8 pm, MCR
The second instalment of our weekly film night held each Sunday during term. Great way to relax and enjoy a good film with friends. Popcorn provided. Film title will be announced closer to the time.

Monday 11th October

Grad Dinner
6 pm, Garden Restaurant
Head down to the Garden Restaurant (Cafeteria) from 6pm for a chance to catch up with fellow graduates over some dinner. We have our own reserved table every Monday evening where anyone can turn up and sit down knowing that you will be sitting with fellow MCR members. Don’t forget to bring some cash or charge up your food account online first!

Games & Cakes
7 pm – 9 pm, MCR
Join us for a dramatic night as we break out the MCR’s selection of board games to find out how competitive you really are! Tea and a selection of other soft drinks will be provided as well as a wide variety of cakes and other sweet treats to ensure that your blood sugar levels are kept high!

Tuesday 12th October

Tuesday Hall
7 pm, MCR (for pre-dinner drinks) – 7.30 pm Dining Hall (for dinner)
Another great opportunity to enjoy the delectable cuisine of Robinson formal hall! The cost will be £10.80, though if you're a new Grad and were not entitled to go to the Matriculation dinner, it will be free! Pre-dinner drinks will be served in the MCR beforehand from 7pm with cheese and port following dinner.

Pre-booking required.

Wednesday 13th October

Pub Crawl
7 pm - late, start at Robinson
It wouldn’t be a Freshers’ Week without a trip round some of the local pubs. Come and sample some of the finer pubs in Cambridge, advancing as the night goes on towards the heady nightclubs of Cambridge! Drinking and/or crawling optional! A route will be published online during the week with approximate timings so that if you want to come along later you can find us.

Thursday 14th October

Escape Room
7.30 pm, meet at MCR at 7 pm
Forge those newfound friendships in the crucible of an Escape Room! Come and display your finest teamwork and puzzling skills. Three teams will be competing against one another; do you have what it takes to win? We are meeting at the Porter’s Lodge at 7pm, and walking down together.

Pre-booking required.

Friday 15th October

MCR End of Freshers' Week Party
8 pm - late, MCR
And to see off the week in style, we’ll be gathering in the MCR for free food and drink once more. A slightly more chilled out affair, to let you all recover a bit before you enter the thick of it. Come try the cheese and crusty bread, or maybe sip a pint of complementary draught ale from the keg and regale us with your tales of ‘when I were an undergrad’!