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Robinson College
www-stud.robinson.cam.ac.uk/rcsa
Robinson is one of the newest colleges in Cambridge, and has a reputation for being one of the most relaxed and friendly. With around 120 undergraduate students in each year, Robinson has a communal atmosphere and diversity in the student body.
Arun Niranjan
Natural Sciences (Physics)
3rd Year
Cambridge
The College is a ten-minute walk from the city centre and is next door to the University Library. It is mostly tourist free; a definite bonus in the summer. It is very close to the Sidgwick site, home to most of the arts faculties. Also nearby is the West Cambridge site which houses many new science facilities including the Cavendish labs.
Robinson’s trademark red bricks can get a bit much, but what Robinson lacks in grand architecture, it makes up for with excellent facilities; the accommodation is some of the best in the university. Most student rooms have a balcony, and kitchens are shared between 4-8 students. Around half the rooms in the main college building are ensuite, and for the rest a bathroom will be shared by no more than three people, and usually two. For those who prefer, second and third years can live in college owned houses on the surrounding roads which have nicer kitchens but fewer bathrooms. You also only pay for a 30 week contract, so you’re not wasting money on rent when you’ve gone back home over the vacations. Depending on numbers, some 4th year scientists and engineers might have to live in Romsey Terrace, which is college owned but is 2.5 miles away from the main site – out of the “Cambridge Bubble” and down Mill Road, which is a nice place to live in its own right.
The beautiful gardens are centred round a lake with a fountain and students can walk and sit on the lawns – a rare privilege in Cambridge! There is also a huge variety of wildlife which inhabits the gardens, and this is actively encouraged by the college. In summer, the gardens offer the perfect setting to play frisbee or relax in the sunshine.
Best thing? Great food and gardens
The college canteen a.k.a “The Garden Restaurant” is one of the best in Cambridge. Food is inexpensive and there is a wide choice of meals, including special dietary requirements. Robinson formal hall is regularly said to have the best food out of all the colleges (the puddings are awesome), and is on twice a week in the spacious main hall.
Robinson bar has a lot of character – the red brick really shines through here. There are weekly deals on standard drinks and there are some more obscure spirits to choose from as well. There’s a pool table (one of the nicest in student bars) along with table football for some post lunch/dinner procrastination. The bar has a projector screen used for all the big rugby and football matches on Sky, and there are regular quiz/karaoke nights.
Worst thing? Red brick overload
There’s also the Red Brick Café, which is brilliant for relaxing in with a coffee and sofas that suck you in and never let go. It’s also much cheaper than any coffee shop in town, and right next to the bar. It’s also a nice place to get some work done if you don’t like the silence of the library.
Our recently renovated common room has some comfy furniture, another pool table, board games, a Nintendo Wii and a 60” plasma TV with Freeview. We also get subscriptions to newspapers both student and national.
There is a range of non-work related things to do at Robinson. Robinson College Music Society puts on weekly events in the chapel and holds a concert every term, open to all musicians. There is a thriving College choir and two music practice rooms that any college member can book out. Robinson Film Society puts on weekly showings of classic and up-to-date films in the auditorium, and there is a well-stocked CD and vinyl library. Student politics is also good to get involved with – the RCSA Committee is made up of elected Robinson students and works very hard to improve student life for college members.
There is a huge variety of sports to take part in at all levels: rowing, darts, pool, Ultimate Frisbee, hockey, rugby, football and Kung Fu to name just a few, and just across the road are real tennis and squash courts. College teams and societies focus on inclusion as well as competitiveness, so students of all abilities are encouraged to have a go. Robinson sports teams punch way above their weight, with recent successes in the standard sports like hockey and rugby.
Robinson is a really modern college, but if you want tradition then you can have it too – we take the best parts of Cambridge University life and ditch as many of the bad bits as we can!