Hey! We are Saajan and Levia, both natural scientists at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Trinity Hall is a beautiful college tucked away in the centre of Cambridge with an inclusive community. It’s a 10 minute walk from the Downing Site (where most science subjects are located) and 15 minutes away from the Sidgwick site (where humanities subjects are based) . One of our favourite things about Trinity Hall is how good it is from an access point of view. Many students are from state-school backgrounds, with many others getting in through adjustment. This means that no matter what your background is, you can fit in here!
Trinity Hall has a huge number of societies that will make your time here very enjoyable. There are more academic societies, like the Natural Sciences Society, but there are also sports, journalism and food societies. If there is something you really want to start, you can just create your own society, which is very easy and fun! The student voice can be represented by the JCR and if you want to play a role in this, you might also want to get involved! Various positions include the Welfare Officers which are there to support student wellbeing and host the weekly welfare tea on a Sunday afternoon, the ENTs team which organise events and parties throughout the term, the Liberation Officers which represent the minorities in the student population and many more.
Although many people mistake us for Trinity, we have our own, very distinct personality. Trinity Hall has a reputation for being a very inclusive, warm and welcoming community which we both think is accurate. We have found it incredibly easy to fit in here and make friends despite us both coming from backgrounds and communities traditionally underrepresented at Cambridge. Being on the smaller side, you really do get to know everyone in your year and those in other years.
However, a downside of Trinity Hall is that because much of the accommodation is in central Cambridge it can be quite an expensive college, with some rooms costing £200+ a week (although they do have double beds and an ensuite)! However, there are many bursaries and grants that can make your life much easier financially. The accommodation at Trinity Hall is generally quite good with 3 main sites where students live. Most first years live on Central site, which is beautiful, old and very traditionally Cambridge (perfect for photos!). The only drawback about living in Central is the lack of kitchen facilities (you only get a fridge, microwave and a kettle!!) meaning you have to rely on the college catering, which isn’t that bad honestly! Second and third years then have the option to either live at the more modern Wychfield site further out from the city centre or remain central at WYNG Gardens or Bishop Bateman Court. Wychfield has lovely gardens, and is more peaceful than the central Cambridge sites. Most rooms at Wychfield have ensuites and access to fully equipped kitchens and common rooms. WYNG Gardens and Bishop Bateman Court are both very central, with easy access to lots of academic sites as well as restaurants, shops, nightclubs etc.
Furthermore, our catering based in the Central site is pretty cheap and tasty with vegetarian and vegan options for both lunch and dinner. In addition, (not being biased at all) we have the BEST brunch out of all the colleges, composed of full English’s, pastries, eggs benedict and any other brunch foods your heart may desire. However, the most unique thing about Trinity Hall is the Jerwood Library perched on the River Cam, which means you are treated to beautiful views to keep you going whilst studying. It is also open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which means you can work whenever suits you.
Overall we are both so happy that we ended up at Trinity Hall. We have enjoyed being part of this wonderful, diverse community, and have had an amazing time studying and living here. Applying to Trinity Hall may seem intimidating given how old and traditional it may seem, but in reality the overwhelming majority of students are very normal and friendly, so please don’t let the Cambridge stereotypes put you off!