Notes for New Part III Students: 2011/12 Edition

Welcome to Cambridge. Please read the following notes carefully.

  1. Part III Mathematics activity takes place at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences in Clarkson Road/Wilberforce Road. The main entrance to the Centre, with reception desk, is at the east end of the building and is best approached from Clarkson Road. For the remainder of these notes the abbreviation 'CMS' will be used for the Centre.

  2. You must attend the Introductory Meeting and Registration for all Part III students, which starts at 0920 on Wednesday 5 October in Meeting Room 2, CMS. The first part of the meeting (0920-1030 approximately) will deal with important general information on Part III, and a general introduction to the site and safety procedures, the second part (1030-1230 approximately) with lecture courses given by DPMMS and the third part (1400-1600 approximately) with lecture courses given by DAMTP. Please feel free to drop in and out of the second and third parts of the meeting, according to your interests.

  3. At 1630 on Wednesday 5 October a group photograph of new Part III students will be taken. Meet outside the main entrance to CMS. A Welcome Drinks Party will be held at CMS following the group photograph. We hope that all new Part III students will attend the group photograph and Drinks Party.

  4. Immediately after the Introductory Meeting you MUST register formally for Part III on the computers in the Part III room, BL.16. You must indicate as part of the registration process the Department (either DAMTP or DPMMS) with which you wish to be formally registered. The natural choice is the department that gives the majority of courses that you intend to take. Note that if the balance of your choice of courses changes it is possible, though not essential, to change your registration. Even though you register with only one Department you are free to take courses given by both Departments.

  5. Through your College you should receive a University Card and details of a University of Cambridge email address. If you bring the Card to the Introductory Meeting then it can be left at CMS Reception for programming to allow you out-of-hours access to CMS. You will need to give details of your email and Cambridge address during Registration.

  6. Each Part III student should have copies of the booklets Guide to Courses and Part III Handbook. Guide to Courses gives detailed information on lecture courses. Part III Handbook- gives the other important information that you will need as a Part III student. Hard copies of both booklets will be distributed at the Introductory Meeting. They are also available on the Faculty web site:

  7. To make best use of the advice on lecture courses provided at the Introductory Meeting, you should prepare by consulting the booklet Guide to Courses. You should also look at the lecture timetable available via web site at: http://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/lecturelists/PartIIIWeb.pdf
    The Faculty of Mathematics and the University operate on the assumption that you have been assigned both a Director of Studies and a Tutor by your College. Please make sure that you know who is playing each of these roles for you. You must meet with them during your first week here.

  8. The Faculty arranges for a member of staff to act as your 'departmental contact'. If you register in DPMMS then you choose your departmental contact from amongst the subject advisers; if you register in DAMTP then you will be notified by email of your departmental contact in the second week of term. Of course, you are free to consult anyone in either department about anything, but you must always have exactly one departmental contact.

  9. Twice during the year you will have a short interview with your departmental contact to discuss progress. A copy of the interview form will be sent to both your Director of Studies and your Tutor. Attendance at the interviews is obligatory. If you fail to attend an interview your Director of Studies will be informed. Although there will often be reasonable explanations we believe that Colleges should treat failure to attend a progress interview as prima-facie evidence of a tutorial problem.

  10. After about 10 days we intend that all faculty and departmental communications will be made by email.

    This means you must check your email regularly.

Professor Malcolm Perry, Part III Course Director, DAMTP
Professor Imre leader, Part III Course Director, DPMMS

Mrs Stephanie E Thoseby
Part III Secretary
Wilberforce Road
Cambridge CB3 0WA

Tel: +44(0)1223-337978
Fax: +44(0)1223-765900
Email: set20@cam.ac.uk
Website: http://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/postgrad/MathIII