And how do we keep our balance? “That I can tell you in one word – tradition”. Just like the shtetl in Fiddler on the Roof, Cambridge has an awful lot of tradition. But the persistence of long-standing norms at Cambridge is not necessarily an indication of their value. They do not mean that during your time here, you cannot change things.

Women have only been accepted as full members of the University of Cambridge since 1948, and even then they were not a part of the mixed colleges until the sixties. Nowadays women studying maths and sciences are still vastly outnumbered by their male counterparts, with proportions becoming even more skewed at postgraduate level. Cambridge is an ancient institution steeped in and greatly attached to its traditions so it should be no surprise that much of its current educational structure dates from long ago – when there were no, or very few, women at the university.

The lack of inclusion of women is no longer explicitly mentioned and, of course, degrees do not seek to purposefully disadvantage anyone. Still, since they were largely put together at a time when women were not given consideration, it is not surprising that systemic inequalities still exist. Cambridge’s traditions (as well as attracting tourists) are part of what makes the university special. But to compensate for their shortfalls now, women must take possession of the way they are taught and recognize the changes that can be made – by them – to increase the enjoyability and efficacy of their degree.

For instance, if official contact hours seem excessively formal, set up a relaxed study group for students (or make sure the faculty organises one). You are not the only one who wants to easily and approachably seek academic advice. If you want a different supervisor, request one.

The threat of implicit biases and stereotyping have resulted in statistics which report underperformance and lower degree satisfaction for female students at Cambridge. For example, according to a survey from February 2012 taken in the Philosophy faculty, over 60% of students agreed that men contribute more than women in discussion groups.

Of course not all difficulties are the fault of the system. Although on a local level the cause of stereotype threat can be attributed to Cambridge’s particularities (it is possible to reach third year never having had a female lecturer, for example) the issue clearly has wider cultural roots. And what’s more, Cambridge degrees are supposed to be challenging. But the challenge should be productive – think about what you can do to help enhance your education and further your studies. You are well within your right to make demands. Do not tell yourself “they have probably accepted me by mistake” – they probably haven’t.

The CUSU Women’s Campaign seeks in part to reform the way we are taught. They are doing pretty well, but struggle with low levels of student interest. There are small turnouts for the fortnightly women’s forum and those in attendance do not span the spectrum of women studying here. If the Women’s Campaign does not accurately reflect your needs, then attend and introduce improvements, or set up an independent project to achieve your aims. It is not a big time commitment and you will find a great deal more satisfaction from your time here if you do.

Looking beyond the campaign, there are other ways our negligence shows: in our lack of consideration about how women’s actions might unintentionally reinforce unhelpful gender stereotypes, for instance. Certain types of behaviour are not only unproductive for the culture in Cambridge (a stereotypical judgment rarely involves admiration of a woman’s intellectual capacity), but also do nothing to help women’s academic performance.

It is worth giving some thought to the ways in which your behaviour is perceived, and to how it will affect the way you think of yourself in the academic world. Whilst you might not act like a woo-girl in a supervision, doing so the night before might mean you’re not in a mindset which is about empowerment, strength or academic success. Think about how you relate to your friends and the implications of the behaviour that you choose to exhibit. Be proactive and reflective, and allow yourself to create a time here which does justice to yourself.

Anna Seigal is founder of “The Emmy Noether Society: Women that count”. Dedicated to the promotion of women in the mathematical sciences, the society hosts welfare sessions, talks by eminent female mathematicians and is setting up a mentoring scheme. She is happy to advise people interested in putting together similar initiatives.