Postgraduate offer-holders: met conditions
This page is for postgraduate offer-holders who have met the conditions of their offer and are making arrangements to travel to Cambridge and begin their studies.
It provides essential information that you should know when you come to Churchill. (If you have not yet made an application, it may be easier to start on the Postgraduate Applications page.) If you have an offer but are yet to meet your conditions, make sure you have completed the necessary steps on the “Postgraduate Offer Holders: yet to meet conditions” page.
You are welcome to contact Rebecca Sawalmeh and Lily Hunter, the Postgraduate Administrators, if you have any questions or concerns: [email protected].

Please check these pages for new postgraduate students (sometimes called “Freshers” in Cambridge) and ask us if anything is unclear. Some of the information may relate to last year’s cohort and will be updated when new arrangements are in place, but it will all be helpful to familiarise yourself with the pattern of life in the College and the University. Please refer to our checklist and calendar of events for guidance on what you should be doing after your place at Churchill is confirmed.
Congratulations!
Congratulations on meeting your offer conditions! We are looking forward to welcoming you in person and helping you on your pathway to great outcomes from your studies.
Postgraduate students have been a core part of the College’s life and activities from its earliest foundation. When you join the College, you are joining a diverse and distinguished community of scholars from around the world.
Please check these pages for New Postgraduate Students (sometimes called “Freshers” in Cambridge) and please ask us if anything is unclear. Some of the information will relate to last-year’s cohort, it will be updated when new arrangements are in place.
The Postgraduate Administrators, Rebecca Sawalmeh and Lily Hunter, are available in the Postgraduate Office during usual office hours to answer queries and help support your academic progress. You can email them on [email protected]. When you arrive you will be assigned an individual Tutor, who can provide guidance on sources of support and managing your academic career.
If you are planning to come to Cambridge with a partner and/or children, please don’t miss the Families page.
We have also provided a handy checklist and calendar of events.

Lily Hunter and Rebecca Sawalmeh
Registrations and pre-arrival
Before you arrive, you should communicate with us using the email address you included in your application, or the email address you have on your applicant Self-Service or CamSIS record. Please ensure that your personal information is correct before you arrive and throughout your time in Cambridge. It is a University requirement that your contact information is up-to-date at all times.
Once you are in Cambridge, you will be allocated a University email address which should be used for all correspondence with the College and the University.
Please let us know your planned arrival date and time in Cambridge as soon as you know it, and at least 14 days before you arrive. We need to make sure everything is ready and that your planned date is possible. You can find out about how to get to the College on the Transport and Parking page.
Things you must do on or before arrival:
- All students must take care to read the “Pink Book” (student handbook for postgraduates), and the University’s International Students Pre-arrival Guide will be valuable to all those travelling to the UK from other countries.
- You must bring your passport to the College in order to be registered when you arrive (UK students can bring a driving licence), and all students must bring the originals of the documents uploaded with their application with them (degree certificates, transcripts etc.) as these may be required by the University to confirm registration as a student.
- In addition to the College’s registration processes, all students must complete the University’s student registration. You will receive an email inviting you to complete the process from the University, usually a few weeks before term begins. The invitation email will provide details of the closing date for registration. You must complete the process before the closing date.
- You must register with a local doctor (called “General Practitioner” or ”GP”) when you arrive in Cambridge and complete the medical form required by the College Nurse. Please see our Health and Wellbeing section for information about these.
- You must read the information on due dates outlining the process for payment of fees and charges, and any advance arrangements. This was sent to you by email when you were confirmed as meeting your conditions for study. If you cannot find it, please email the Postgraduate Office ([email protected]) for a new copy.
- You must complete the medical form for the College nurse before you arrive.
If you have come to Cambridge from outside the UK, it is essential that you are familiar with and comply with your visa responsibilities. You must take your passport and evidence of arrival to the UK to the Churchill College Postgraduate Office. You will also be asked to provide your eVisa share code.

Planning your arrival
When you arrive at Churchill, please go to the Porter’s Lodge which is located just inside the main entrance on Storey’s Way. If you arrive during office hours, pop along to the Postgraduate Office on the main corridor a short distance from the Porters’ Lodge. The Postgraduate Office is usually open from 8:30am-4:30pm. If you arrive later in the evening, please come and see us the next day.
The University Information Service provides the core of IT and Internet access across the University. You must check their website for instructions on setting up your University account, accessing email, and other services. The College’s Computing Support team can help you with access to IT resources on the College site.
The College has excellent provision for postgraduates coming to Cambridge with their partner and children, and families form an important (and lively!) part of our community. It is important to make arrangements for nursery places and school admissions as early as possible. Find out more on our families page.
If you are arriving from outside the UK, please check the International Students section below for important pre-arrival information.

Financial matters
You will have met a financial condition as part of your application to study, and you are required to have the funds in place to live and study in Cambridge for the duration of your course. Once you are here, there is usually no further financial assistance available. If you have funding for one year or three, it is strongly advised that you complete your studies within that time period.
You should set up a UK bank account as soon as you arrive in Cambridge.
Council Tax
Full-time students have no liability for Council Tax provided that they are only living with other students. You may be asked to provide proof of student status for Council Tax purposes. The Postgraduate Office can help with this – do not ignore letters about Council Tax.
Dependents of students are liable for Council Tax unless they themselves are students or have a visa stamped ‘no recourse to public funds’. Dependents may be eligible for a reduction on the grounds of low, or no, income in the household if they complete a form for Housing and Council Tax Benefit. Legal liability for payment of the Tax lies with the tenant and not with the dependent concerned or with the College.

Health and wellbeing
There is very good provision for health and wellbeing in Cambridge, including College and University wellbeing and counselling services.
It is mandatory for all students to complete the New Student Medical Questionnaire.
If you need adjustments to support disability, then you should have already let us know via the Initial Information Request form, and have notified the University’s Accessibility and Disability Services as they will oversee arrangements for wider disability support and adjustments across the University. If you have not yet done so, please do so as soon as possible.
If you are coming to Cambridge from outside the UK, you may need to arrange vaccinations. You must also register with a local doctor (GP) on arrival in Cambridge.
Students from outside the UK may have access to National Health Service provision under the terms of their visa. Please see the University’s information on Healthcare in the UK, and the guide to the NHS on the College intranet. If you are travelling from the EU, please make sure you also bring your EHIC card.
Pets are not allowed on College premises, but if you need an animal for disability reasons, contact the Postgraduate Office as soon as possible.

Accommodation arrangements
There is information about each type of postgraduate accommodation available on our website. You should already have expressed your preferences via the Initial Information Request form (also known as the Membership form).
If you are living in College accommodation, you must read the Accommodation Handbook. If you are going to be living in student accommodation, upon your arrival, you must fill out your room inventory. Most full-time students bring their own bed-linen, but if you want to free up space in your suitcase, you can order linen from the housekeeping office using the bedding pack form. Both forms should be completed and emailed to [email protected].
Postgraduate students have the opportunity to live in private accommodation if they wish. The University’s Accommodation Service is a good starting-point for guidance on finding private accommodation, and see the Cambridge Students’ Union guidance on external accommodation.
If you are a part-time student, you may be able to secure accommodation in College during your attendance periods. Please contact the accommodation team to enquire about this.
College accommodation comes with contents insurance, but you must confirm your cover.

International students
If you’re travelling to the UK from overseas, especially if it is your first time studying in the UK, you should take a look at the University’s International Student pages. These have helpful information regarding immigration, arrival, studying in Cambridge and more. Their pre-arrival information page provides a good practical guide to getting to Cambridge and living in the UK.
It is essential that you are familiar with and comply with your visa responsibilities. Please check the University International Student Team’s website for information on collecting your Biometric Residence Permit.
Please see the guidance from the University on student visas. The guidance is clear that it is your responsibility to identify whether you require a visa, and to understand and comply with the immigration requirements. The University makes arrangements to support an application for a student visa to study a full-time postgraduate course by issuing a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) once an offer has been confirmed.
- For students on student visas who have elected to have their BRP sent to the University, please await an email from the Postgraduate Office asking you to bring in your passport, and to collect the card from the office.
- For students on visas who have picked up their BRP from the Post Office, please bring your passport and BRP along to the Postgraduate Office at your earliest convenience after your arrival.
Students from outside the UK may have access to National Health Service provision under the terms of their visa. Please see the University’s information on healthcare in the UK. If you are travelling from the EU, please make sure you also bring your EHIC card.

Tutorial support
Every student is assigned a College Tutor. Tutors are concerned with your welfare and progress throughout your time at the Churchill. They should be your first point of contact for any matter concerning yourself and the College, or for help on any personal or financial matters. Tutors can also act as intermediaries in official relations between postgraduate students and the University.
Academic difficulties are primarily the responsibility of your Research Supervisor or Director of Studies, but you may find it helpful to discuss these matters with your Tutor.
All students are expected to work adequately and appropriately, and meet the University’s requirements for residence and terms of study. If there is anything making it difficult to comply with these, you should speak to your Tutor and seek support from the College’s Wellbeing Coordinator as early as possible. A student’s place in the University or College membership can be at risk if they are not able to work to the required level, so please contact your Tutor for help if there is any cause for concern.
Please note that students are required to abide by the Statutes, Ordinances and Regulations of the College and the University.
Rebecca Sawalmeh and Lily Hunter are the two primary administrative officers for postgraduate students in the College. They are available throughout office hours (usually 8:30am-4:30pm) in the Postgraduate Office and you are welcome to pop along to say hello, or bring any questions or queries.

Student societies and MCR
Student Societies and the MCR
The postgraduate College-level equivalent to a Students’ Union is the Middle Combination Room, usually known as the “MCR”. The name comes from the common room where students “combine” with one another; the Undergraduates have a Junior Combination Room, and the College Fellows have a Senior Combination Room – there is more information here.
The MCR represents the College’s postgraduate students on College committees, in day-to-day interactions with the College’s administrative processes, and arranges social, recreational and intellectual events for students throughout the year.
The MCR prepares a “Freshers’ Guide” and “Freshers’ Programme” of induction events for Postgraduate students each year. These are published before the start of each academic year.
The College has a diverse range of student clubs and societies, from Art and Badminton to Volleyball and Yoga, and there are hundreds of student societies in the University. You can find out more about College societies here, and the those in the University here.
You may also wish to get involved in the Cambridge Students’ Union which is a University-wide student representative body. The Cambridge SU represents the students in various committees of the University and provides advice and support to students separately from College and University structures.

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