Magdalene

I love the community of Magdalene! We all live, work, and eat together most of the time, and there is always someone to say hello to as you walk around college.

 First year students tend to live together very close to the main college site, either over the
road in ‘The Village’ accommodation blocks, or just across the river from the college. First
years can technically choose from rooms at every rent band (A-I), and this provides a huge
range of accommodation options, from smaller attic rooms in our Tudor buildings, to large
en-suite ‘sets’ (essentially flats) with en-suite shower rooms.

Though rents have increased in the last few years, the JCR has ensured that they have not exponentially risen, and most students can find an option that suits their budget. Most students live in staircases (or corridors) of somewhere between 6-12 occupants, with toilets and bathrooms shared. Every staircase will also have a shared kitchen, which are usually basic and provide simple cooking facilities like an induction hob, kettle, and toaster. A handful of accommodation blocks provide ovens.

Meals are served daily at lunchtime and dinnertime, with brunch at the weekend. Meals cost around £4 on average, and there are always several options to choose from, including a cheaper option at around £2.50. Many students choose to eat in Ramsay hall, our main
cafeteria, at least once a day. Formal hall is also available for undergraduate students four
times per week, and most people choose to go a few times a term. Formals are gowned, and a three-course meal usually costs £11.65 for students. The food at Magdalene is usually very good, and portions are generous! There is also a college café open every weekday, which serves hot drinks and cakes, and becomes the subsidised college bar in the evenings, where pizzas and hot dogs are also available.

The college provides full or partial bursaries for students who are eligible for them, with offer-holders qualifying if their household earns less than roughly £63,000 per year. There is also the Student Support Fund, for students facing financial hardship. There are specific
scholarships for students from Malaysia and the US, and college research and travel
bursaries available to all students over the summer holidays (though some have specific
entry criteria).

We have dedicated student welfare officers, who work alongside a staff welfare team (a
Head of Wellbeing, the College Nurse, the College Chaplain, two harassment officers) to
deliver support for all students. They are always there to chat to, and regularly run free
events such as yoga, watch-alongs, summer garden events, welfare walks, and the very
popular ‘tea at three’, which happens weekly in the library social space (featuring unofficial
college welfare dog, Hattie!). There is a JCR free prescription scheme which all students can apply for, and the welfare officers give everyone a ‘week 5 pack’, usually with a selection of goodies, to keep us all motivated at a busy point in term.

There are two gyms in college: a cardio and a weights gym. Both are small, but they are not usually full, and have plenty of equipment for students to use, though if you are used to large and well-equipped gym spaces, these are not necessarily for you. The weights gym was very recently renovated and is regularly monitored to make sure that all equipment remains in the room. There is also a squash court and Eton fives court available for students to book all year round, as well as the college punt, which can be signed out from the Porters’ Lodge. There are no sports grounds attached to the college, but there are many college sports teams (basketball, netball, hockey, rugby, football (women’s, firsts, seconds) to name but a few) which regularly practice and play matches on the St. John’s College sports grounds. These are very close to Magdalene, and any other sports needs can usually be fulfilled by spaces not too far away from the college.

Magdalene is a small college and change tends to happen slowly. I love it here, but there is
always more that could be done to help students who live and study at the college. I would
love to see more social spaces in the college, and more weekly events that everyone would
want to go to. We have a fantastic community, and we should be bringing people together
more!