Huddling around a knee-high coffee table, cross-legged on the floor, in order to share dinner with a friend initially has a certain charm. There is something wholesome about cobbling together some semblage of a dinner-sharing experience out of the limited furniture and common space Cambridge accommodation offers. But the reality of the University’s lack of communal accommodation spaces is often less romantic. In my investigation of the communal spaces available in Cambridge college accommodation I found that the common absence of a kitchen table, common area, or living room removes opportunities for unplanned and unpressured socialising.

Through speaking with students, conducting surveys, and reaching out to colleges, I sought answers to the questions of whether colleges’ supposed substitutions (college bars, cafes, JCRs, and serveries) are a sufficient supplement for this lack, what role third spaces play in student life, and how losing them shapes us.

“Without it I would have felt a lot lonelier and more unhappy,” shared Martine, a student at Sidney Sussex College, in reference to the large dining table she had access to in her two years at Cambridge. She “tended to hang out in my kitchen,” and felt “it definitely made it a lot easier to make and maintain friendships.” Grace, a third-year student at Pembroke, found that even her small kitchen table in first year “was really transformative,” enabling her to become close friends with her corridor. She goes as far as describing it as “a central part of my first year experience”. Whether dropping in for a quick tea break, or catching up over breakfast, these common spaces offered an opportunity for spontaneous socialising without the need for knocking, or awkward floor perching. Varsity even has an article dedicated to them: ‘A Love Letter to my Dining Table’.

“Common spaces offer an opportunity for spontaneous socialising without the need for knocking, or awkward floor perching”

When my friend from Bristol University visited, she was taken aback by the lack of a common living space in our sixteen-person student house. She told me how well-used the living room in her shared house with friends was: “Having that space [a living room] this year has definitely improved my mental health and relationships. We can eat together and watch TV and play games, and there’s space to have people over.” More than 70% of my survey respondents agree that this kind of low-key socialising is similarly important for them. “After a long day you want to be with friends, but not necessarily have to organise a massive plan, that often involves spending money,” shared Biba, a second-year student at King’s.

In most colleges, however, the likelihood of having some form of communal seating area with those you live with is few and far between. Out of the 33 students I surveyed, only a third reported having a kitchen table to eat at, and only 4 had some sort of living room or common space in their accommodation. Anna, a student at Clare College, had no table to eat at for either of her two years at Cambridge. This meant “we ate in our rooms, which was sometimes lonely.” While most colleges boast ‘hostel’ accommodation to provide normal house living as opposed to halls, the interiors of these houses are often no different to hall-style accommodation – featuring bed-rooms and one shared kitchen, but no table and no living room space. The standard kitchen is the token Cambridge ‘gyp’ – supposedly for snacks only. The kitchens in Clare’s accommodation, for example, have no tables apart from those in one new block, while Churchill’s have none at all.

“Only 4 [of 33 students interviewed] had some sort of living room or common space in their accommodation”

When we have access to an abundance of sixteenth century dining halls and cosy college cafes, complaints about a small kitchen or accommodation with no sofa feels a little like missing the point. At least this is what some colleges claim to justify the lack. Trinity’s website reads that “kitchens with full cooking facilities are the exception,” and Pembroke’s website states kitchens are only intended for “modest catering (i.e. snacks)”. These colleges expect students to rely on servery meals. Apart from the expenses this incurs, dining halls, cafes, or shared common rooms for buildings of over a hundred students don’t possess the same comfortable feel of a living room or a kitchen. As colleges navigate between being both living spaces and academic working offices, social spaces are often tinged with formality or are left behind altogether. 60% of respondents found their college communal space not well-frequented.

Gabriella, Pembroke JCR’s Welfare Officer, pointed out the importance of space visibility. Tucked away behind closed doors within colleges, JCRs and common rooms gather dust while the open college lawns thrive with student life in the warmer months. Similarly, during warmer days the outdoor benches of multiple colleges take the place of kitchen tables. Referencing these opportunities for casual socialising, Grace noted that while she used to envy the living-rooms of her friends at other universities, she reckons “I don’t think their absence has actually changed the experience that much.” She tells me “we are lucky that college becomes our communal space and we have so many places (cafe, bar, lawns etc.) to socialise and hang out without feeling like we are really leaving home.” The lack of an accommodation common space further forces people to get out and make plans – meaning social groups stay wider, and less restricted to accom-mates. “In Cambridge everyone in college sort of stays in your life” comments Anna.

But at a work-pressed university there’s no denying that having relaxed settings where people naturally fall into each other’s company is pivotal for student mental health. Today, increasing pressure is put on colleges to create these spaces. Churchill College told me that “we’re aware that a number of students have expressed a desire for more communal spaces,” and that they are “actively reviewing” the issue. Pembroke’s newest accommodation block, opened in the last year, features large kitchen tables and common room areas. Homey communal spaces aren’t just important for building relationships, but also help students with overcoming stressful periods. Martine reveals that seeing friends in her home environment helps her to “rise out of my hole” and “reminds me that life is nicer than my spiral”. They also offer more work-life separation. When your bedroom is also where you eat, rest, and study, switching off from work becomes even harder. Grace found her kitchen was great as a “completely separate space” to enjoy when at home: “It makes you feel like your whole life doesn’t just exist in one room.”

Not dealing with the struggles of the housing market is a fair toss up for an unusual living situation – and maybe complaining is a bit out of touch. Maybe we can take more isolated accommodation for the sake of all else that makes Cambridge special. And there is a charm in the way people make it work. But to think I’ll have spent the past three years never having a place to share my own cooked meals with friends, or to host, feels a little sad. The absence of communal accommodation spaces is a wear on mental health. It makes community socialising less convenient. With new blocks like Pembroke’s prioritising common eating and living spaces, hopefully Cambridge accommodation will be more student-friendly going forward. Most students don’t want to romanticise floor picnics when a simple table, or a bit of extra space, could mean the difference between a tired November morning spent alone or spent breakfasting with friends.