Churchill

Welcome to Churchill College

At Churchill, we pride ourselves on being quite different to the rest of the colleges. Churchill is a vibrant and diverse community, we welcome students from any background.

My name is Tania, I’m a 2nd year geography student at Churchill and I am the sisters’ rep this year. I am the first contact for Muslims at college, for both freshers and current students. Please feel free to contact me regarding any questions or concerns you may have at tm770@cam.ac.uk

My name is Taha, I’m a 3rd year Medical student at Churchill and I’m the brothers’ rep. As Tania mentioned, we’re the first point of contact for Muslims at Churchill, so feel free to contact me via ta504@cam.ac.uk

Pros

  • Huge grounds, including cricket nets, and squash, tennis & football courts

  • Good sized gym

  • Rowing team is 7th on the river – quite competitive, but we do welcome novices and have both women’s boats and men’s boats

  • Large number of ensuite rooms (if you ask and are willing to pay, there’s usually availability post first year)

  • Located next to West Cambridge site, best for STEM students but the cycle to Sidgwick, New Museums and the Downing Site is not too long, around 10 mins

  • Houses the Churchill Archives Centre, which retains many historical papers from past prime ministers as well as key scientific discoveries and their papers – would recommend for History and HSPS students or something similar

  • Far out from the college but no tourists and still close to shops outside of the town centre such as the Eddington Sainsbury’s (often called Farawaybury’s), Aldi and Iqbros Halal Grocers

  • Halal food – see Halal food section below for more information

  • Ramadan provisions in the Buttery and reasonably priced

  • 75% of all our students are usually state-educated – Churchill takes a lot of pride in this and our legacy as a very non-traditional Cambridge college

  • Churchill is fairly large college – we have just over 130 students in my cohort and this means that whilst there can be a heavy clubbing and alcohol culture in Cambridge, Churchill has many students that don’t drink

  • UBus stop nearby so whilst further than many other colleges, it’s still easy to commute

  • Voi station is less than 5mins walk away (e-scooters)

Cons

  • Far out from the town centre – this is not too much of an issue if you cycle

  • Far out from the Cambridge Mosque (15 min cycle)

  • Washing facilities cost money (see below)

  • STEM dominated and some humanities students may not like this

  • Not every staircase has ovens and freezers – only some specific ones

  • Smaller Muslim community than some other colleges

Washing Facilities

  • Laundry facilities are widely available – there is usually at least one laundry room per court and these are not overloaded on weekdays.

  • Laundry is not free – a wash is £2 and a dry is £1.20

Prayer Space

  • We don’t have a designated prayer area for Muslim students, but we have a Chapel where college members can pray regardless of their faith

    • Operates by key access for College members

    • Larger prayer events can be accommodated by speaking to the Chaplain

Halal Food

  • Churchill almost always has a fresh halal chicken option

  • If not, there are almost always vegetarian and vegan alternatives and these are usually cheaper anyways because the college subsidises eating greener

  • College Buttery sometimes stocks halal pastries in the fridges

Fridge/Freezer Provision

  • Some kitchens have a fridge-freezer and some just a fridge – the college allows you to bid for staircases with fridge-freezers

  • Churchill also has some fridges and some fridge freezers that they loan out for £2.50 a week to put in student rooms

  • Churchill is also happy for students to bring their own fridges and/or freezers but a deposit of £50 must be paid in case your device damages your room

Ensuite

  • All rooms in Churchill have sinks

  • Around 40% of rooms in Churchill are ensuites – in particular cowan court, the newest building, has all ensuites but is unavailable to first-year students

    • Students can’t officially request ensuites as part of a religious requirement but the college makes up for this by having a ballot system where you can pick exactly which rooms in college you want and people are usually given one of these give choices, but this is only post first year.

    • Note: if you contact the accommodation team directly well in advance, they may often assist you in obtaining an ensuite, even in first year.

  • Sometimes the college isn’t able to provide ensuites for everyone that wants one but the communal toilets are very clean – they are cleaned almost daily

Churchill is very non-traditional

  • We are 75% state educated

  • 25% international

  • The college has to admit at least 70% STEM students, as agreed during its foundation

  • We don’t wear gowns and don’t have weird latin phrases at matriculation

Concluding Remark

  • Moving to university can be very stressful and daunting, but your experience is typically much better if you apply to a college that suits your needs as a person.

  • Churchill is academic, active and diverse and you can rest assured that you would enjoy your time at Churchill – please don’t hesitate to email either of us if you have any questions.

  • For anyone wanting to explore the college, the Porters are always happy to take prospective students around the College.

  • For any further accommodation information please contact me or our porters lodge or alternatively have a look at our website Undergraduates - Churchill College

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