| 1. I
am a new graduate or research student. Please may I have a copy of the
information documents that the tutors produce each year?
There are two documents available to be downloaded: Information for new
graduates (new graduate information) and How
to do research. (how to do research)
2. I have run out of
money what should I do?
1. Look on the BoGs
graduate funding page and in the Awards, Funds, Studentships and Prizes
edition of the University Reporter (reporter)
that is published in the first 10 days of November each year. You don't
have to wait for this year's edition to come out; find a copy of last
year's in a library. This lists all the money that various bodies around
the University hand out. See if anything might apply to you.
2. Consider applying for a Queens' Bursary. The application forms are
available from the Admissions Office (inside the Tutorial Office in Essex
Building). Queens' Bursaries are for either 250 pounds or 500 pounds.
To be eligible you need to have had some unpredictable misfortune that
causes you to need more money. For instance, if your parents were paying
for your degree and part of their business was damaged by a hurricane;
or if you had to spend 3 months in hospital and this delayed your work.
Just finding that you need more money than you thought you would is not
usually a sufficient reason.
3. If you are a `Home' student you should apply for Hardship Funds. The
forms are available from the Tutorial Office. You should send the form
to me for signing when you have completed it.
4. Apply to the body that is paying your fees or providing you with a
grant.
5. Apply to the Secretary of the Degree Committee of your Faculty.
6. Look in the various directories of grant giving trusts that can be
found in the reference section of the City Centre Library (Lion Yard).
3. I am going to a
conference, can Queens' help pay for it?
Download an application form (conference travel grant form) for a travel grant. Print it out, fill it in and send it back
to your tutor in the internal mail. When guessing how much you might reasonably
expect to get from Queens', bear in mind that we aim to allocate 300-350 pounds
in total to each PhD student during the 3 years of their course. MPhils
get proportionally less. There are a series of deadlines for consideration of applications for travel funds as follows:
16 January
15 April
15 July
15 October
Are there funds for other sorts if travel such as gaining clinical experience abroad or doing a medical elective? We will try and contribute a small amount for clinically related travels (a maximum of £150) Clinical travel form. Try also the Ian Linington Travel Award Scheme (contact James Kelly ) or you could try for funding from the Gilchristgrants or search the Scholarship data base
4. I can't pay all
my Tuition Fee Bill or my College Rent Bill in time for the deadline - can I delay paying part
of it?
Perhaps
You should apply to me, well before the deadline, giving details of:
* The total amount of the bill, and the deadline by which it must be paid.
* How much of the bill you can pay by the deadline.
* When you would be able to pay the rest.
In order to request deferrment then you now need to fill out the Debtor Referral Form in full, including filling in the reason for late payment, which has to be signed off by your tutor prior to approval being given. On reciept of the form I'll then either give you permission to defer some of the payment or make
arrangements for you to come and discuss it with me. Make sure that you get permission to defer payment before the deadline,
otherwise the Bursar imposes a late payment charge. Unauthorised debts
also incur interest.
5. I have finished
my degree, can I have my caution money back now please?
Caution money is returned by the Financial Office when the Bursar is satisfied
that there is no risk of you running up further debts to the College.
At present the money is returned when the following two conditions are
satisfied.
* You must have permanently left Cambridge.
* The Board of Graduate Studies must have written to you to tell you that
you have fulfilled the academic requirements of your degree.
There is no point asking your Tutor, the Tutorial office or the Financial
office for early return of caution money. Both offices operate a fixed
system and no exceptions can be made.
When you leave Cambridge you should make sure that you leave your new
address with the tutorial assistant (tutorial assistant). This will enable the Financial Office to send your caution
money cheque to the right place.
6. My supervisor is
a problem, is there anything I can do about this?
Yes. Come and see me.
We can often fix the problem. If the worst comes to the worst it is actually
possible to change the supervisor. Don't just sit and suffer, come and
tell me about the difficulty.
7. I am on the termly
residence scheme and I would like some excess residence.
You should pick up a form from Mrs Pearson, the College Housekeeper (at
the bottom of CC staircase), fill it in and return it to her. Applications
for excess residence in each vacation should be sent in at least 7 days
before the end of the preceding full term. Late applications may not be
granted.
8. I don't know which
residence scheme I should be on, will someone tell me please?
I'm afraid not. You will have to work it out for yourself.
Start by reading Fees and Charges (Fees
and charges) and then ask the Financial office for details of your
present room rent and the current excess residence charge. You should
then be able to work out whether it is financially beneficial for you
to change scheme. Please note that there are strict deadlines for requests
to change scheme and/or leave College accommodation. They are given in
detail in Fees and Charges. Don't leave it to the last minute. Sort out
what scheme you are going to be on well in advance.
9. I want to change
residence scheme, how do I do it?
Go and see Emma in the Financial Office (Essex Staircase). She will show
you how to apply to change scheme.
10. I need a reference
for a job or to rent private accommodation.
As graduate students you now need to be cultivating excellent academic
referees within your Department who really know you well and will strongly
support your job application. I can write you a reference, but it will
follow a standard format as follows: student x is one of 80 tutees; he/she
has been at Queens' for Y years; I have met him/her and he/she seems like
a pleasant person and his/her CV seems suitable for the job applied for.
Job references are critically important and legally binding thus unless
I know you very well it is difficult for me to write you the glowing reference
you undoubtably deserve!! I can write you a reference for private accomodation,
travel and hardship funds so come and see me in a tutorial session
if you a need a reference for these kind of purposes. Please note
that for any reference I need at least one week's notice.
11. I need a letter
to certify that I am a student at college or at a college address.
You should contact Robbie Kneale, the graduate administrator,
(email:Robbie Kneale,
x35601). She will write it for you.
12. I need to get my
visa renewed
Application forms may be downloaded from the Immigration and Nationality
Directorate website on: http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk. If you are unable
to download an application form then a copy can be obtained from the Tutorial
Office.
13. I want to defer
the submission date of my thesis
Thesis submission regulations for PhD students have now changed:
"Following a change to Ordinances in June 2008, a candidate may submit her or his dissertation not later than the last day of the fourth year after the student was registered as a full-time candidate for the degree or the last day of the seventh year after the student was registered as a part-time candidate for the degree. (Please note that not all CamSIS records have been amended to record the correct submission date. If you are not sure of your fourth/seventh year submission date please contact graduate.students@admin.cam.ac.uk
If you are unable to meet your submission deadline you may apply for permission to extend it on an Application for Leave to Defer Submission of Dissertation/Thesis Form which is available from your Self-Service pages. Wherever practicable, any such application should be submitted well in advance of the prescribed date."
Please note you are still libale for all your tuition fees at the end of 9 or 12 terms (depending on whether you have a 3 or 4 year scholarship) therefore all over-running
students need to fill in a university fees exemption form.
14. Does the University
pay the cost of having my thesis bound?
If you don't have explicit funding in your grant towards dissertation
costs then the Board of Graduate Studies will probably contribute towards
them (BoGs
thesis binding page). This applies to PhD, MSc and MLitt theses, but
not to MPhils. If you want to apply, pick up a form from the Tutorial
Office or download it from this site.
When a Department requires a student to deposit the second examiner's'
copy in their library, they used in the past to pay for this copy. More
recently, many departments have started to allow students to use free
printers and copiers to produce their dissertations so have been less
willing to pay extra to keep a copy for their library. Naturally you cannot
reclaim costs from the Board of Graduate Studies that have already been
paid by your Department or Faculty.
15. I have got the
letter from the Board of Graduate Studies telling me that I have fulfilled
the academic requirements of my course. How do I arrange to receive the
degree (either in person or in absence)?
Contact the tutorial assistant (tutorial assistant x35601) who will make the appropriate arrangements with the
Praelector for you.
16. I am not well and
am worried about how this will affect my exam performance can you help?
It is essential that you see a doctor and get medical documentation. It
is imperative you take your exams, but if it has adversely affected your
performance it may be possible to help. Under the statutes
and ordinances (P408, paragraph 12) I can write on your behalf to
BoGs outlining the problem and attaching the medical documentation.
17. I want to apply
for a Munroe Studentship can I have a form please?
Not from me because applications
for this are delt with by the fellowships committee not the tutors. Discuss
this application with the DoS for whom you supervise or Dr Milgate (the
senior tutor), forms should be available from the tutorial office.
18. I want to park
my car where I live?
There is no parking for any
students on the main college site. If you are over 24 you need a college
permit (from Gill Hervey-Murray in the bursary) to park at Owlstone Croft
or Maids Causeway. If you are under 24 you need a permit from the motor
proctor (a letter from me usually suffices with a good reason why you
need a car or a permit again from me) and a college permit. If you are
not at Owlstone or the Maids Causeway site you will need to put "at
my residence" on the application to the motor proctor.
19. Am I eligable for
a Newton Trust Bursary?
If you are eligable for a Newton
Trust Bursary (which is for UK students only) you will automatically be
sent a form by the Senior Tutor. Fill it in and send it to me and I will
sign it. It then needs to be returned to the tutorial office for processing
(if I sign it at college then I will automatically send it to the tutorial
office otherwise you will have to return the form yourself- please dont
forget, particularly if there is a deadline looming, I am only in college
on a Monday).
20. I want to convert
from an MPhil to a PhD- where can I find the form?
Conversion form
21. I am dyslexic (or have a similar difficulty) and I need to take my exams under special circumstances what do I need to do?
You needs submit a request, in writing, accompanied by all supporting medical documentation your Head of Department by the deadline notified to you in the Senior Tutor's email issued in January (see Exams under special circumstances). Permission to take examinations under special conditions will not be granted outside this procedure.
22. I need to see you
urgently, how do I contact you?
* Email: Clare Bryant
* Phone: College x35628 or Vet School x66232
* Contact any other Tutor.
* During term you can ask the porters to page the Duty Tutor.
* Contact the Graduate Administrator, Robbie Neale, (email:Robbie
Kneale, x35601). |