Trinity
Welcome to Trinity College!
Trinity College is one of the bigger colleges at Cambridge, with a greater focus on STEM subjects, particularly Maths. It’s located in the very centre of Cambridge with good access to many locations. It also happens to be the richest college in terms of its endowment (a whopping £1.5 billion!) and has the largest court of any Oxbridge college.
Firstly, congratulations for getting into Trinity, Cambridge’s best college (I am totally not biased as you can tell!)! My name is Aadam Iftikhar and I am an incoming 2nd-Year Engineer and Trinity College’s Islamic Society Representative. This means I am the first port of call for any Mulims at Trinity (Freshers and current students alike). My email address is maai2@cam.ac.uk. Feel free to contact me about any questions you may have with regards to life at Trinity.
Pros
Trinity is at the heart of Cambridge means that you’ll have quick access to many of the main locations in the town, especially the main Sainsbury’s (or Mainsbury’s in Cambridge lingo).
Trinity’s library is quite extensive, meaning people who study essay subjects can get all the information they need. The library and the nearby Wren library are also great places to study by yourself or in a group.
Trinity also has its own set of sports grounds and courts.
Trinity’s servery serves great food at a very reasonable price.
Trinity has beautiful, well-maintained grounds (see Great Court picture above) as well as an amazing Great Hall.
Cons
Trinity’s washing facilities are old and the cards used to activate washing machines are not very reliable.
Trinity’s gym (in the same location as the sports grounds) is quite poorly equipped and does not have any personal trainers.
Trinity does not have the close-knit feel of other smaller colleges.
Trinity’s Junior Common Room isn’t very good (just a pool table and PS5).
Washing Facilities
Trinity does have free washing facilities. To use the facilities, you need to go to the Porter’s Lodge and get a keycard. This will typically have 10 credits on it - a washing machine load is 2 credits and a tumble dryer load is 1 credit. You can then use the facilities by putting the card in the right slot.However, the cards can be unreliable and sometimes don’t work, unfortunately so you might have to get new ones. The facilities are never that busy but try to go towards the beginning/end of the day to avoid the worst times.
Muslim Provisions
Prayer Space
The prayer room is located in Whewell’s Court Room B3b (called the Reflection Room), but is small and not often used as people tend to just pray in their rooms. You will need your CamCard to access it.
Halal Food
Unfortunately, the servery does not serve any halal meat so you will have to stick with the vegetarian option if you want to eat in the main hall. You can request a halal chicken meal, but this must be done about a day in advance. You can also request halal food for formals, which will most likely be chicken, fish or vegetarian.
Fridge/freezer Provision
The college accommodation office will provide you with a fridge/freezer in your room if you ask them for one.
Ensuite
A lot of rooms have an ensuite but it can be difficult to get one even if you ask for one due to the balloting system. For Freshers, most en-suites are found in the Wolfson Building, and for subsequent years you’ll find en-suites mainly in Burrell's Field, Blue Boar and New Court. Almost every room normally has a sink that you can use to perform wudhu.
Concluding Remark
In conclusion, life at Trinity can be amazing as long as you make the most of it. I know that right now you will be feeling nervous about entering a new phase of your life but try not to worry and enjoy the journey as much as you can.
Signed,
Aadam Iftikhar (crsID: maai2)