The College is small and friendly, and maintains a slightly more traditional lifestyle than many other Cambridge Colleges. The Middle Combination Room (with its own President and Officers), located centrally in the College's medieval First Court, provides a comfortable social centre for graduates, with separate reading and television rooms. The Tutor for Graduate Students looks after graduate interests generally and is available for personal consultation by graduates on all matters. During Full Term, a Graduate Dinner is held on Friday evenings. Graduates and their guests have the opportunity to meet for drinks and an excellent meal in the beautiful College Hall. Twice a year graduates are invited to dine individually with the Fellows at High Table. At the beginning of the Michaelmas Term, there is a formal dinner in Hall, designed to welcome new graduates in particular to the College. Graduates are included in the main College subject-based societies and are encouraged to meet both Fellows and undergraduates in their field.

Graduates also have full use of all other College facilities which continue to be available in the vacations. Graduates can dine in the College Hall, have access to Ramsay Hall, the cafeteria, for meals (see costs and charges), the College Bar, the Computer Suite (continuing a good range of PCs and Macs), and all the general recreational and sporting facilities which the College offers. Rowing, squash, football, rugby, netball, athletics, golf and hockey are among the most popular sporting activities but this is only the tip of the iceberg - almost all sports are available to member of the College either in Magdalene itself or through the intercollegiate clubs and societies. There are also excellent opportunities to pursue journalism, debating drama, music and many other activities. There is a fine riverside garden and College punts for use in the summer months. The College's Library facilities are wide ranging; two research collections, the world famous Pepys Library , (housing Samuel Pepys' personal collection) and the Old Library (17th century and earlier), as well as the College Library proper, containing 25,000 modern texts and the Wigglesworth Library specializing in Law.