It was on September 1st, five weeks before teaching began, when Ben arrived in Cambridge, unloaded his car and trudged through a deserted college to collect his key from the porters' lodge, ready to begin second year. But for the next few weeks, it would not be lectures or supervisions filling his calendar, it would be rowing.

Arriving up to a month before the start of Michaelmas term, members of many different university sports clubs descend on the city, to train, socialise and prepare for the season ahead. Preseason is time dedicated to regaining and improving fitness, but also an opportunity to strengthen friendships, integrate new members into the club and build a team atmosphere, without the stress and time constraints that a Cambridge workload creates.

“[I]t is difficult to imagine the city centre without a stream of inexperienced student cyclists barrelling the wrong way down a one-way street”

I spoke to students who had attended preseason before the start of Michaelmas term. Many commented upon how different the city felt outside of term time. For those of us who leave at the end of each term, it is difficult to imagine the city centre without a stream of inexperienced student cyclists barrelling the wrong way down a one-way street. Or, to picture Mainsbury’s without a long snaking queue stretching towards the self-checkouts.

“Quieter” and “less chaotic” were descriptions that emerged consistently from those that I spoke to. Anna, a second-year footballer, enjoyed this change in perspective: “I feel like you can appreciate Cambridge more as a city and as a place to live and study.” However, she did later admit that “living alone in a 30-person house was slightly creepy”.

Clearly then, a reduction in the number of Cambridge puffer jackets visible on the streets is not always a positive. Students admitted missing the diversity of their term-time social life, with most of their college and subject friends still at home enjoying the last of their summer holidays, or in this year’s case, a final month of rain. However, all enthusiastically described their preseason socials, ranging from bowling to swaps, team dinners and parties, organised by club social secs.

“Aaran, a second-year footballer, claims that preseason as a Fresher was one of his favourite memories of the year”

For Freshers attending preseason, this is their first experience of Cambridge and its social scene. In university football, for example, preseason functions as an extended trial period, with new students integrated into the team during training and socials. While all students have equal opportunity to trial once term has started, attending preseason reduces pressure upon individuals during the official three-hour trial session.

Aaran, a second-year footballer, claims that preseason as a Fresher was one of his favourite memories of the year. “It was really useful because it meant that I already had a network of people that I knew before I started university properly. […] Going out in Freshers’ week and bumping into 60 or so football players that I had already met made it way more fun.”

“For the majority, who do not have prior connections to rely on, stalking the social media accounts of university sports teams is recommended”

He does, however, stress that he was lucky to be able to attend. For it is not always straightforward to find information. Many of those I spoke to, who attended or are currently attending preseason as a Fresher, gleaned the necessary information from friends or family members already at Cambridge. For the majority, who do not have prior connections to rely on, stalking the social media accounts of university sports teams is recommended. Preseason is advertised over summer and students are requested to fill in a form describing their previous experience and skill level.

Those who are successful in making it to preseason then face the often-arduous task of finding sufficient accommodation. Ben, who has attended rowing preseason for the past month, described the college-owned accommodation that he had temporarily been assigned. “The house has no stove or oven”. He elaborates, “since Hall is shut in the evenings during preseason, I have to buy food in town, which is expensive, or get two meals from hall at lunchtime and eat the same meal twice in a day”. When, on his first evening, he explained his dilemma to the porters, they offered the innovative suggestion that he should “go get a Spoons dinner”. While some may feel the cheap prices and central location make this an attractive solution, it is certainly not a sustainable one.

“When, on his first evening, he explained his dilemma to the porters, they offered the innovative suggestion that he should ‘go get a Spoons dinner’”

Ben, nevertheless, counted himself lucky to have been granted accommodation at all. “One guy at rowing [preseason] was denied accommodation by his college and has been sleeping on the living room floor of the rowers' house”.

Another student, who wished to remain anonymous, admitted that he had two friends sleeping on his bedroom floor, who had been unable to find other accommodation during preseason. “When the cleaners come, the guys [staying with me] hide in the toilet or pretend that they’ve just come round to visit”. If the college found out, the student whose room it is would likely be fined, and the students staying would be told to leave.

This secretive arrangement is not in any way unique. Aaran revealed that many of the men’s football team have had to rely on friends letting them stay to attend preseason. While this becomes easier in later years, freshers with no prior connection to Cambridge are disadvantaged.

“‘One guy at rowing [preseason] was denied accommodation by his college and has been sleeping on the living room floor of the rowers house’”

So, as with everything in Cambridge, experience varies by college. For students that are granted accommodation, rent varies. Some colleges, such as Churchill, reportedly charged undergraduates higher prices outside of term time, while others, such as Emma, ask for lower rates due to reduced college facilities.

More often than not, students are able to overcome obstacles and take full advantage of their preseason socials and lack of deadlines. Those blessed with college accommodation take in those less fortunate, sometimes without having previously met. Preseason is about team bonding after all: if sharing a room for two weeks doesn’t achieve this, then I don’t know what will.