A key part of the Cambridge experience is living in college alongside your fellow students as part of an academic community. At Selwyn we guarantee accommodation on the main college site to all students for the three or four years of their undergraduate course
All our accommodation is on a single site – the maximum distance between any of our student rooms and the dining Hall is 250 m. The result is a more cohesive and integrated community. Most of our accommodation is arranged in traditional ‘courts’ which consist of a landscaped central space, enclosed by buildings on three or four sides. Old Court was the first part of the college to be built in the 1880s. Cripps Court was built in the 1960s and completely refurbished in 2014, while the newest accommodation is in Ann’s Court, completed in 2009. We also have some large Victorian houses that have been divided into student rooms. Everyone has their own room – there is no sharing.
First-year students are allocated a room in Cripps Court. There is no need to reserve accommodation because room allocations are made after A-level results week (students who come to us via the summer admissions pool are allocated rooms at the same time without distinction from other students). In their second, third (and fourth, for 4-year courses) years of study, students choose their room via a ballot system for rooms in any of the three courts, or in a Victorian house.
We have a range of different types of rooms, the rents for which reflect their size and facilities. All rooms have an ethernet high-speed internet connection. Most rooms have basic shared kitchen facilities nearby - these can be used to prepare light snacks but are not suitable for self-catering. The catering operation in Hall can cater for all dietary needs or allergies.
Cripps Court
First year students are accommodated in Cripps Court. All of the rooms have en-suite bathrooms and there are shared kitchen facilities for drinks and snacks. A recent project has been to cover the roof with solar panels, just one of the ways Selwyn is improving sustainability. Some typical rooms:
Ann's Court
All rooms in Ann’s Court have en-suite bathrooms.
Old Court
The rooms in Old Court have varied shapes and sizes. Some have en-suite bathrooms, while others have shared bathroom facilities.
Living in college
A nice feature of living in college accommodation is that you only pay rent for the fixed term dates you will be in residence rather than year round. Room rents include all service charges and maintenance which is carried out by our own staff. Accommodation costs are strikingly low when compared to Cambridge city market rates or what you might pay at some other universities. As the accommodation is provided by Selwyn during your degree, you don't have to worry about finding somewhere to stay or long commutes and can spend your time on more important things.
Three meals a day are served in the college Hall on a cafeteria basis. Eating together in Hall is an important part of establishing a feeling of community within the college. With their busy academic and social lives to organise, most of our students find eating in the Hall both convenient and economical.
Twice per week we have ‘formal hall’, which is a three-course dinner served at the table. These are one of the very few occasions when you need to dress up and wear an academic gown. Formal halls are always very popular with our students; often they are used as occasions to celebrate a birthday, or to invite friends from other colleges.