Welcome from the Senior Tutor
"Starting a degree course in Cambridge can be daunting, but is also an incredibly exciting time. Be assured that there is a whole community to help you settle in here at Wolfson, to reach your goals and achieve your academic potential.
Something very special happens at Wolfson when we admit our new students, who are of all ages and come from all corners of the world. Bringing you together in one shared space, without divisions by level of study or academic status, creates opportunities for interactions that are immensely fruitful. Inspiration is all around you here, from casual conversations at the Coffee Bar to our wonderful Formal Hall dinners, as well as the vast range of events organised by our various hubs, clubs and societies.
Some of you will have a mere nine months here, some of you will have much longer. Be warned, though, time will fly! So I urge you to make the most of all that Cambridge and Wolfson offer; not just in your intellectual and educational endeavours, but embrace too the opportunities to expand your cultural, social, and sporting life. I look forward to meeting you all and welcoming you to our brilliant College community.
This is the start of an exciting new chapter, and I’m delighted that Wolfson will play a role in your academic journey."
Best wishes,
Judith Bunbury
Senior Tutor
Before you start
- Avoiding plagiarism tutorial
We know that you are all aware of what plagiarism is. And yet, every year, a few Wolfson students are accused of academic misconduct. Not because they intentionally set out to copy the work of others, but because they have reused previously submitted essays, made mistakes in the way they took notes and how they cited the work of others, or because they misunderstood paraphrasing. This online tutorial aims to clarify what constitutes the different forms of plagiarism and what you can to do avoid it. We strongly recommend that you read this and take the quizzes before starting your course. Hopefully, the content will be familiar. But if you feel unsure about any aspect, then you can arrange to speak to your supervisor, get clarification from your department, or meet with a librarian to get more advice before you start submitting work.
- Fraud awareness advice for students
Throughout your time at Cambridge please be aware of fraudulent communication, the most common form targeting students being Smishing, which is fraud involving text messages. Please be advised that we’ll never ask you to provide or verify your personal or financial information via email or text message. Please pay attention to any communications you receive during your studies to ensure they are authentic.
Our message is "think before you click."
- CamSIS registration
New students must register their personal details, including term-time address and emergency contacts, on CamSIS (Cambridge's system for handling student information, records and transactions).
Please note that although you may have received your Raven ID and password, you will not be able to access your Self Service account until the start date of your first term. Around this date, all new students will receive an invitation by email to complete your student registration.
When you receive this email, please log into your Self Service account and complete the Student Registration process. You can update your CamSIS record by clicking on the 'Personal' tile and then 'Personal Details' in the left-hand menu. There is a PDF guide at the bottom of this page with detailed instructions. If you are having trouble registering after receiving your invitation email, please consult the frequently asked questions.
To complete your registration, please update CamSIS with your current UK phone number and full UK (Cambridge) residential address (including postcode and college room number, if applicable) as soon as possible.
- Please update CamSIS with your UK phone number in the international format (0044***********) if it is a mobile number, or including the area code (0**********) if it is a landline number.
- For your residential address, if it is not in College accommodation, as a minimum, please provide your house/flat number, road name, and postcode.
- University email
Some other steps will require you to have access to your University email and other accounts, so you should get your login and password details as soon as you are given the opportunity. You will receive an email from cambridge.registration@admin.cam.ac.uk prompting you to do this, at which point you should follow all the steps on the University website.
The pages at this link will also prompt you to complete cyber-security training and allow you to get free software for your personal devices.
When you complete the University's Student Registration, you will receive an email from the University Student Registry to activate your Cambridge user ID ("CRSid") and Raven password. This login will allow you access to University systems such as your university email ("@cam"), as well as many other associated services.
The College and University will communicate with you via your "@cam" email address. We recommend checking this email regularly and advise adding it to your email app or bookmarks. If you have another preferred email address and you're not going to check your @cam address regularly, please ensure that you update your contact information in CamSIS with your preferred email address (see below) and set up your @cam account to forward emails to your preferred address. Please be aware that Departmental email accounts (for instance @JBS) are different from the standard @cam accounts and, if you are using one of these accounts, you should set up your @cam account to forward emails there. Please also ensure that you check your junk/spam folders regularly and add the College to your safe senders list.
- Accessibility & Disability Resource Centre (ADRC)
If you have a disability or particular accessibility requirements, you may choose to disclose this to the University via the Accessibility & Disability Resource Centre (ADRC).
You can provide information relating to your requirements through the ADRC student information form. Completing this form in as much detail as possible will assist your Disability Adviser to determine what support the University of Cambridge can offer.
When you arrive
The steps you need to take to register, including collecting your University card, are detailed below.
- Term dates
There are three terms in the Cambridge academic year: Michaelmas (October to December), Lent (January to March), and Easter (April to June). You are expected to be resident in Cambridge during the period known as 'Full Term', and there is a mandatory minimum residency period, or 'Terms of Residence'.
If you are making plans for travel later in the year, we would generally advise that as a minimum, you plan to be here during Full Term, though check the requirements of your particular course carefully - for example, Master's courses often have teaching and examination periods that are outside term, and particularly during the summer, after Easter term.
- College induction timetables
The Undergraduate induction timetable commences on Wednesday 1 October.
Undergraduate and Foundation Year Induction Timetable
The Postgraduate induction timetable commences on Sunday 5 October.
- Register at the Tutorial Office
One of the first things that you should do on arrival is to register with a member of the Tutorial team in the Karen Spärck Jones (KSJ) room.
The KSJ will be open on the following dates and times for the purpose of registering new students:
Wednesday 1 October: 9.30am-4pm
Thursday 2 October: 9.30am-4pm
Friday 3 October: 9.30am-4pm
Saturday 4 October: 11am-4pm
Sunday 5 October: 1pm-4pm
Monday 6 October: 9.30am-4pm
From Tuesday 7 October onwards the Tutorial Office will be located on the first floor of Bredon House, above the College Office on the map of Wolfson.- Registration documents
New students are required to show their identity documentation to a member of the Tutorial team to complete their College registration. Copies or scans of identity documents are not accepted, you must bring the original version. Please consult the identity documentation guidance to determine which documentation to bring.
- University card
Your University Card is one of the most important items you will receive during your first few days. Unless otherwise instructed, you can collect it from the Tutorial Office when you register.
Your card will have many functions during your time in Cambridge, including accessing certain areas of the College and University, borrowing books from libraries, printing/photocopying, and making payments in the College Buttery and coffee bar.
New students receive a temporary overdraft (up to £150) on their University ID card that may be used for Buttery purchases before topping up your Dining Portal account. This overdraft is primarily designed for international students who may not yet have set up a UK bank account. The overdraft is closed on the division of term (halfway through Full Term), at which point any outstanding amount is transferred to your College Account. This will show as a debit charge on your College account and will need to paid the next time you receive your statement from the Finance team.
You will be able to top up your University Card via the Dining Portal.
If you are residing in Wolfson College accommodation which is card-accessed, you will need to activate your card at the Porters' Lodge.
- Getting started with IT
Information about available College IT support including setting up Wi-Fi can be found on our website.
As well as the IT services from Wolfson and your Department, University Information Services provides many IT services for students, including:
- getting your University account
- accessing your email
- information about printing
More information is available on their website.
Information about available College IT support including setting up Wi-Fi can be found on our website.
- Matriculation
Matriculation is the process by which you formally become a student of the University and the College. There are two parts to your matriculation: a University Matriculation, which entails completing an online form, and a College Ceremony, which you attend in person, followed by a formal dinner.
For most students Matriculation Ceremonies will be scheduled for Monday 6 October (already conveyed to applicable students), Thursday 9 October, and Monday 13 October 2025.
At the start of term, the Tutorial Administrator will invite new students to a Matriculation Ceremony. You will be invited to matriculate at one of the above dates by degree level and subject groups. Please keep all three dates available until you know which event you have been invited to by the Tutorial Administrator. For students on the part-time Master of Studies you will be invited to matriculate during your first residential teaching week.
International students
The sections below identify some of the key areas that international students must complete when coming to Cambridge. Comprehensive information can be found in the International Students Guide produced by the University of Cambridge.
- Visa documentation
If you are being sponsored to study full-time at Cambridge on a student visa, before you start your studies at Cambridge, you will need to provide us with evidence of your student immigration documentation for your student record, in accordance with UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) requirements.
You will need to attend an in-person check and provide some information in advance of this.
What to provide
What you need to provide depends on your circumstances. Please read the ‘Passport and Student Visa Check’ guidance carefully so you know what to provide.
In advance of the in-person check
If your visa has been granted, send us your share code by completing our online form.
You can generate a 'share code' via: www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status
Choose the option 'To prove my immigration status for anything else' when asked why you need the code. The share code should begin with S.Arrangements for in-person check
Tutorial staff will be located in the Karen Spärck Jones (KSJ) room from the 1-6 October for the purpose of registering new students.
The KSJ will be open on the following dates and times:
Wednesday 1 October: 9.30am-4pm
Thursday 2 October: 9.30am-4pm
Friday 3 October: 9.30am-4pm
Saturday 4 October: 11am-4pm
Sunday 5 October: 1pm-4pm
Monday 6 October: 9.30am-4pm- Bank account
If you do not already hold a UK bank account, you should open one shortly after you arrive. Please consult the University Guide in advance of your arrival.
You may need a letter from the College confirming your student status to set up a bank account. If this is the case, please complete the following banking letter form. Whilst you may request your banking letter before the start of term, please note that the letter will not be provided until after you have completed registration in the first week of term.
Many banks will require you to have been in resident in the UK for at least 3 years in order to open their regular student account. In such cases, there will still be a standard account or one designed specifically for international students - check your eligibility carefully when researching banks and accounts.
- Travelling to Cambridge
Please consult the University Guide for guidance on finding your way to Cambridge.
Living in Cambridge
All full-time students are required to live in Cambridge for the duration of their studies, unless they have received special dispensation. You can find accommodation and travel information below, as well as tips for registering with a Doctor/GP.
- College accommodation (housekeeping, maintenance, or bedding)
To find out about College accommodation, who is eligible, and how to apply for a room, please visit our accommodation webpage.
For any housekeeping or maintenance requests, please complete the online form.
If you have secured College accommodation and your arrival date is Wednesday 1 or Saturday 4 October 2025, please use this online form to indicate the timeslot in which you anticipate you will arrive at Wolfson College.
Please note that bedding is not provided in Wolfson student accommodation. If you will not be bringing your own bedding, you can buy a bedding pack from the College to be in your room on arrival. The Bedding pack request form is available until 7 October 2025. Further information, including prices, can be found in the Accommodation Guide
- Can I reside in accommodation outside of the College?
Most students live in their College or in College-owned accommodation, but, students can reside in accommodation outside of the College. Students are required to reside during Full Term within the University 'precincts', unless you are given explicit permission by the College.
Undergraduate Within a three-mile radius of Great St Mary's Church Postgraduate Within a ten-mile radius of Great St Mary's Church - How do I find accommodation outside College?
New students can register with the University Accommodation Service for help in accessing a wide range of accommodation provided by the University and private registered partners. There are also a range of online platforms for finding private accommodation, including SpareRoom, Zoopla, Rightmove and On the Market.
New students may also choose to join one or more of the moderated Facebook groups for finding housing and flatshares in Cambridge. The largest of these groups are listed below:
. This will help you to avoid falling for potential online renting scams.
- Payment and fees
Your first payments will be due during October 2025. Please check the Payments and Fees page for all information on payments and fees.
- Registering with a Doctor/GP
College strongly recommends all students to register with a local Doctor/GP for the duration of their time in Cambridge. You can find further information on our Health Services page. You cannot receive any medical attention until you are registered with a local surgery.
The closest Doctors to Wolfson College is Newnham Walk Surgery (Google Maps), and you can register online by completing their New Patient Registration form.
It is possible to register at Newnham Walk Surgery before arriving in Cambridge, providing that you know the date of your date of arrival, your GHIC card number (if you have one), and you use your Cambridge address as your home address on the registration form. Students living at Wolfson can simply use the College address: Wolfson College, Barton Road, Cambridge CB3 9BB.
- Student letters
You may need a letter from the College proving that you are a student for a variety of reasons, including setting up a bank account, applying for Council Tax Exemption, or other procedures that require Student Certification.
To apply for a College letter for one of these purposes, please use the student status form. Whilst you may request your College letter before the start of term, please note that the letter will not be provided until after you have completed in-person College registration.
- Getting around Cambridge
The University departments and the Colleges are not grouped in a single campus, but are scattered around the city in a range of locations. The interactive University map shows precise details and locations of Faculties, Colleges, and Departments.
Cambridge is a surprisingly compact city. This means that it's easy to get around, especially on foot or by bicycle. It takes around 15 minutes to travel from the outskirts of the city to the centre by bicycle. There are many bike shops in Cambridge, as well as a Cycle Campaign to support new or less confident cyclists. We also strongly advise you to read our Safer Cycling information that can be found on our Transport & Parking page.
If you have a bicycle, make sure to register it with the Porters’ Lodge.
The Universal Bus network connects the railway station, the city centre and West Cambridge, and is subsidised for all University members. E-scooters and taxis are also available.
Settling into College
We've compiled all the information you need to get settled here at Wolfson:
- Student support & services (academic, financial, pastoral)
- College facilities (dining, laundry, IT)
- College life (events, sports clubs and societies)
Induction session recordings
View the recorded induction sessions from 2025 below:
- Making Cambridge Work For You - from Thursday 2 October 2025
- Undergraduate Induction - from Friday 3 October 2025
- Postgraduate Induction - from Sunday 5 October 2025