• Facilities -
    Most Colleges and departments have computer labs, but they do not compare to MIT's extensive
    computing facilities. (Unlike MIT's centralized Athena, each Cambridge College and
    department has its own network, so you might need to remember a few different passwords.)
    Still, these labs are enough to allow you to do any computer-based work you need to do for your
    courses. Thus, it is not necessary for you to have your own computer at Cambridge. You might
    find exception to this statement if you are taking HASS classes. For most HASS-type classes at
    Cambridge, you will have to write approximately one essay every two weeks, so, in that regard, a
    computer would be beneficial to have around if you don't want to spend lots of time in the
    computer labs. Note that some colleges place downloading limits on personal computers
    connected to their networks. These limits are sometimes as low as 500MB per week (including
    streaming music and video). For more information about the University's computing facilities,
    see http://www.cam.ac.uk/cs/.
  • Internet -
    Though you do not need your own computer at Cambridge, one big reason you may want a
    computer is to have Internet access. As said above, computing facilities are available, but not to
    the same extent as at MIT (and you'll definitely realize this if you live in off-College housing),
    so if you absolutely need to have Internet at your fingertips all the time, you should bring your
    own computer to Cambridge. HOWEVER, some College rooms are so old that they do not (and
    cannot) have an Ethernet drop installed. If that is the case and you must have Internet, you can
    talk to the porters or your tutor about changing rooms to one where an Ethernet drop is available.
    (See section 4.3 for more information about whom you can go to for help in Cambridge.) If you
    live in off-College housing that does not have Internet access, you can talk to the CME office,
    and they will be more than happy to help find a solution. One year, they helped to provide one
    of the houses with wireless Internet. Also, be prepared to pay for your Internet access; it can be
    £10 - 20 per term, depending on the College. Furthermore, it's a good idea to bring your own
    Ethernet cable, because some Colleges charge you for one, and it'll cost you £8 - 15 to buy one
    in the UK.
    As mentioned above, email is not used as extensively at Cambridge as it is at MIT. Some people
    check their email once a day or less, and that is not a problem. So, you do not need to worry
    about being at a disadvantage in terms of Cambridge academics if you don't have a computer;
    the College and department computer labs will be enough to meet your Cambridge email needs.
    But again, if you plan on sending and receiving frequent emails to and from the US or if you
    15
    want to use AIM, you should consider bringing your own computer.
  • Printing -
    Printing is significantly more expensive in the UK, because you'll have to pay for each sheet you
    print, instead of it being free like at MIT. Be prepared to pay about 5 - 10 pence per sheet in
    some Colleges and departments, though some of these provide free printing, and twice as much
    for a color print. If you are going to be printing a lot of stuff regularly, it may be a good
    investment to buy a cheap printer for the year. Unlike what you may be used to at MIT, some
    supervisors at Cambridge in HASS subjects do not to accept work submitted via e-mail, which
    means a fair amount of printing for HASS subjects will be necessary.
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