As you settle into the city, your department, and Queens’ your first few weeks in Cambridge will be very busy indeed. To help things along, the MCR has prepared

• A checklist of things you should do once you’ve arrived in Cambridge.
• A calendar of events in the first half of October.

Here is more detailed information on the events:

• Oct. 2nd (Friday) – Graduate Tutors Welcome Meeting. 4pm. Fitzpatrick Hall. General information will be given out and a roll call taken to see who has arrived. University cards will be available for collection, and forms for obtaining bank letters and council tax exemption will also be available.
• Oct. 2nd (Friday) – Graduate Tutors Welcome Party. 6:30pm-7:30pm. The Qbar / Conservatory. Drinks and nibbles for new graduate students.
• Oct. 3rd (Saturday) – MCR Coffee and Tours Morning. 10am-2pm. Woodville Room. Come for free coffee, tea and cakes in the MCR. We’ll be giving ‘practical’ tours of the College, as well as selling discounted gowns.
• Oct. 3rd (Saturday) - MCR Wine Tasting Workshop. 7pm-9pm. Old Hall. Lead by the completely unpretentious Jameseses. Tickets are 7 pounds for Queens’ members, 10 for guests. (Update: Oct. 2nd. Unfortunately, there are no spaces left for this event.). Afterwards, come to the MCR Welcome Party in the Woodville room!
  

  MCR wine tasting workshop

• Oct. 3rd (Saturday) – MCR Welcome Party. 8pm-11pm. Woodville Room. We’ll be asking for donations of 3 pounds at the door to go towards Woodville improvements– plentiful wine and cheese will be served. This will get quite busy when the Wine Tasting lets out at 9pm. It’s also effectively the first MCR party of term, and so the first good chance for new and old students to mix.
• Oct. 4th (Sunday) – MCR Coffee and Tours Morning: Redux. 10am-2pm (see above).
• Oct. 4th (Sunday) - MCR Historical and Architectural Tour. 2pm-3:30ish. A professional tour of Queens’ lead by alumnus Doug Dennis, putting the college and its buildings into their historical context (Update: Oct. 2nd. Unfortunately, there are no spaces left for this event.).
• Oct. 4th (Sunday) – Boat Club Squash. 5pm-6pm. Learn about the Boat (rowing) Club in Old Hall, with free drinks. Sign up for a test row in a ‘tub’.
• Oct. 4th (Sunday) – Welcome Chapel Service and Party. 7pm. Chapel.
• Oct. 6th (Tuesday) – CUSU Societies’ Fair. 11am-6pm. Kelsey Kerridge Sports Centre. All of the societies at Cambridge in one place, over two long days. Everything from the Scuba Diving society to the Juggler’s association, and free sports bags as well.
• Oct. 6th (Tuesday) – President’s Reception for Grads. 6:30-7:30pm. Lord Eatwell entertains new graduate and research students in the President’s lodge. Check your pigeon hole for an RSVP and dress code (it will either be for Tues. or Weds.).
• Oct. 7th (Wednesday) – CUSU Societies’ Fair. 11am-6pm. (see Tuesday above).
• Oct. 7th (Wednesday) – President’s Reception for Grads. 6:30-7:30pm. (See Tuesday above).
• Oct. 8th (Wednesday) – MCR Formal Hall. 6:45pm-9pm. Cripps Hall. The first MCR formal of term, always busy! Sherry will be served from 6:45pm, and dinner begins at 7:30. You’ll need to sign up and pay through cashless (see the checklist for registration instructions). Gowns are required for Queens’ members (see below for more information on getting a gown).(Update: Oct. 7th. Booked solid, with 120 places taken.)
• Oct. 10th (Saturday) – MCR Pubcrawl. 8pm-late. We’ll meet at the Porters’ lodge at 8pm, details to appear here when finalized.
• Oct. 11th (Sunday) – Walk to Grantchester. 2pm. A scenic walk to Grantchester (an easy 1.5miles), followed by tea in the Orchard. Either meet us at the Porters’ lodge at 2pm, or Owlstone at 2:20pm.
• Oct. 14th (Wednesday) – New Graduates Photograph. 1pm. Walnut Tree Court. The matriculation photograph of new grads will be taken promptly at 1pm, so try to arrive at 12:45. You should wear a lounge suit (or jacket and tie) or knee-length dress or skirt, and a gown (again, for buying a gown see below).
• Oct. 15th (Thursday) – Sign Matriculation Register. 10am-12:30pm. Graduate Administrator (Robbie Kneale’s) Office in Essex Building. You are not officially a member of Queens’ or the University until you have signed the register.
• Oct.  15th (Thursday) – Matriculation Dinner. 7pm-9:30pm. Cripps Hall. A free dinner to celebrate your entry into Queens’. Gowns are required. You should receive an invitation in your pigeon hole near the beginning of October. Don’t forget to RSVP!
• Oct. 16th (Friday) - MCR Music and Cocktails Party. 8pm-11pm. Old Hall. Tickets are £5 for Queens’ members, and £7 for guests. To get tickets, email Ted Hayden (eh381). This is a great way to say goodbye to the first half of October!
  

  MCR Cocktail Party

• Oct. 18th (Sunday) – MCR Day Trip to Ely. We’ll be taking a day trip up to Ely, a quick 15 minute train ride away. Return rail fare is only ~£5. Attractions include the magnificent Ely Cathedral and Oliver Cromwell’s old house. Sign up online here.

Gowns: every year the MCR buys gowns from graduating students and sells them back to incomers, basically at cost. This year we have a reasonably large number of BA and MA gowns to sell at a price of £30. Ryder and Amies or Ede and Ravenscroft also sell gowns (see here), although they are more expensive. Gown sales will be at the Coffee & Tours mornings on Sat. 3rd and Sun. 4th, from  10am-2pm in the MCR Woodville room.

Finally, there are several other links within this website which you’ll probably find useful soon:

• Clubs. A list of the various sports and societies in the MCR, with links to the broader clubs within the JCR and University.
• Dining. An review of all the different types of dining in college.
• Dress codes. A review of dress codes at Cambridge.
• Glossary. A list of Cambridge and Queens’ specific terminology.
• Neighbourhoods. A guide to the services in the areas around Queens’ graduate accommodation.