Clare
Welcome to Clare College!
Welcome to Clare - the second oldest college in Cambridge (founded all the way back in 1326!). We are a nice medium-sized college, located very centrally in between King’s and Trinity Hall, with a beautiful view of the river.
My name is Mariya Chowdhury (umc21@cam.ac.uk) and I am a second year studying psychological and behavioural sciences.
My name is Ashruf Guenaoui (ag2278@cam.ac.uk) and I’m a second year engineer.
We are the ISOC reps for Clare which means we are the first point of contact for any Muslims at Clare. Please don’t hesitate to email us for any queries, concerns, or for a friendly chat :)
Pros
Clare is very close to the centre of the city, and so are the undergraduate accommodation sites, so you’ll have close access to most of the main locations, and should be able to walk everywhere you need to go in under 20 minutes (do check beforehand though if your faculty is far out from the centre)
Although our library isn’t very big, we have a very wide selection of books, so if you are a humanities student it is likely that you will be able to borrow all the books that you need from the library (especially for law!)
Memorial Court (the accommodation site for first years) is very conveniently located a 5 minute walk away from Sidgwick site (which has the main Isoc prayer room) and is directly opposite the University library
Sometimes the buttery serves great food and is very decently priced
Our formals are also very decently priced
The new River Room Cafe has just been opened starting this year
We have our own punts!
Cons
The college is currently undergoing building works in Old Court so the large Fellow’s garden and other parts of Old Court are not available
Old Court - the main court of Clare - is very small! The rest of our College is just accommodation sites.
Washing Facilities
Washing Facilities
Washing facilities are available in both accommodation sites. Memorial Court’s washing facilities are really nice and new, and there are enough washers and dryers that there should most of the time be one available. It costs £2 for a wash and £1 for a dry, and this can be paid for using a mobile app which means you don’t need any change!
Prayer Space
We have a new prayer space in memorial court however it hasn't been furnished yet so it's currently unavailable.
Halal Food
There is a halal option you can ask for in formals and the buttery sometimes has halal options but you'll need to ask the serving staff on the day.
Fridge/Freezer Provision
Students are generally not allowed to have their own fridge/freezers in their rooms due to fire safety hazards, however exceptions are made if needed for medical reasons. It is unclear whether they allow it for religious reasons but you can try to make a request; they may ask for a letter from a local Imam to support your request. To make a request, email the accommodation manager, or you can email/speak to your tutor.
Ensuite
Pretty much all first years are given ensuites. In second and third year you can request an ensuite for religious reasons, and either way non-ensuite rooms have a washbasin so that you can perform wudhu easily in your bedroom.
Concluding Remark
Clare is a great college and most staff here are very friendly and accommodating! If you have any concerns you can always email the relevant staff member and they will be able to help you out and put you at ease.
More information about the college can be found at https://www.clare.cam.ac.uk/Home/
Signed,
Mariya Chowdhury (umc21)
Ashruf Guenaoui (ag2278)