Queens' College

Address:: Queens' College (map)
Silver Street
Cambridge CB3 9ET
Telephone:: +44 1223 335511
Fax:: +44 1223 335522
Email:: admissions@queens.cam.ac.uk
Website:: http://www.queens.cam.ac.uk/
MCR:: http://qmcr.org.uk/
See also:: Institution admissions pages, Graduate Studies Prospectus Entry.

Queens' is a medium-sized college situated astride the River Cam in the heart of the city. Its student body numbers roughly 900, of which approximately 400 are graduates. The central College site boasts an eclectic mixture of architectural styles, combining picturesque ancient buildings with modern accommodation and facilities. Among these are a computer room offering e-mail, internet access and free laser printing; a library; a chapel which holds regular services; two laundrettes; music practice rooms; three squash courts; a multi-gym; a bar; a multi-purpose hall which is used for badminton, film shows and theatrical performances; and a nursery for pre-school children. In addition the college sports' ground (for football, rugby, tennis and other grass sports) is five minutes' cycle ride from the main site, and the modern boathouse is just ten minutes away.

Only a lucky few graduate students are accommodated on the main site; the majority of new graduates are housed in a College residence located in Newnham village, a fifteen-minute walk from the central site. Although not the most aesthetically pleasing building in Cambridge, it offers reasonable accommodation, good self-catering facilities, a computer room and a common room. The College also owns a number of houses in the city (which are usually occupied by second and third-year research students) as well as some flats for married couples (although not for couples with children).

All Queens' graduates are members of the Middle Combination Room (MCR), whose committee represents their interests and organises a wide range of social events, including parties, an academic jamboree, fortnightly graduate dinners, formal exchanges, and termly feasts. There is an active graduate choir, and a cup-winning MCR football team. There is also a wide variety of clubs and societies to join within Queens' wider community, catering for every taste from tennis to tiddlywinks.

None of these myriad attractions, however, is the defining feature of Queens'. Its best characteristic is undoubtedly the way in which students form a wide and diverse range of countries and social background come together to form a cohesive graduate community. Queens' might not be the richest College in Cambridge - but it could well be the friendliest.