Guides
Plain guides for Cambridge students: societies, formal hall, May Balls, sport, theatre, postgraduate life and a glossary. Unofficial; every fact links its source.
How to find and join societies in Cambridge
The fairs at the start of the year, what to do if you missed them, sport, mailing lists, costs, and where to go if something goes wrong.
Read the guideHow to start a society in Cambridge
Checking it does not exist yet, the three ways to register, a constitution, a bank account and grants, rooms and events, and keeping it going.
Read the guideFormal hall in Cambridge: a guide for every college
What formal hall is, how to get into another college's formal (a host or a swap), gowns and dress, and the rules of all 31 colleges.
Read the guideMay Balls in Cambridge: dates, tickets and every college
What May Week is, ball or June Event, how tickets and worker tickets work, dress codes, and each college's ball for 2027.
Read the guideRowing in Cambridge: Bumps, Fairbairns and the Boat Race
College boat clubs and novice rowing, how bumps racing works, Fairbairns, the University squads and the Boat Race, with the races coming up.
Read the guideVarsity in Cambridge: Oxford fixtures and the ski trip
What Varsity means, Blues, the Boat Race, the rugby Varsity Match and other fixtures, the Varsity ski trip, and the fixtures coming up.
Read the guideUniversity sport in Cambridge: trials, Blues and the Hawks
University clubs and college teams, how trials work, beginners, Cuppers, what Blues and Half Blues are, and the facilities.
Read the guideStudent theatre and comedy in Cambridge: ADC and Footlights
The ADC and other stages, the main drama and comedy societies, auditions, backstage roles, putting on your own show, and tickets.
Read the guidePostgraduate life in Cambridge: colleges, MCRs and support
Department and college, graduate colleges, the MCR and your Tutor, the SU, terms and supervision, social life, welfare and money.
Read the guideFreshers' Week and Refreshers' in Cambridge
What happens before you arrive and in Freshers' Week, the fairs, postgraduate inductions, the Refreshers' Fair and settling in.
Read the guideCambridge words explained: a student glossary
An A–Z of the words Cambridge students meet, from bedder and buttery to Tripos and Week 5, each linked to its source.
Read the guide
Societies for…
CAMsocs is an independent, unofficial project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or run by the University of Cambridge, any of its colleges or Cambridge SU.